home for the holidays

On the morning of the 10th of December, I started the day with a very bad hangover. The night before, my boss together with a couple of colleagues asked me to go to a pub for some drinks. I told them I only planned to drink a few pints because I still haven't packed, but the bastards had a different plan. As soon as we made ouselves comfortable in the pub, they kept buying shots of grenadine, vodka, and tabasco. It was the most horrible drink. But I downed every shot anyway. Didn't mean to be rude, I mean free booze. Anyway, they ended up taking me home as pissed as an Irish man.

The trip to the airport was awful. I didn't have a lot to eat before leaving my flat because, I was really feeling nauseated. Even a small sip of water made my stomach do 360 degree turns. It was such a shame, because that Sunday morning, the sun was out and it really was a beautiful day. The whole time in cab, my eyes were shut and I as calling on all the saints to help me not throw up.

The queue at check in was looong. It took me at least 50 minutes to reach the counter. And whilst I was in line, my head ache began to worsen. Not only was I having a hang-over, I was also starving and almost dehydrated. It didn't help that I only had a couple of hours sleep.

The Emirates flight from London Gatwick to Dubai was almost seven hours. The plan was for me to sleep the whole flight. I couldn't. So I ended up watching, Little Miss Sunshine and The Devil Wears Prada. Steve Carrell plays a suicidal gay scholar. The 40 year old virgin played it with amazing restraint. I normally like movies that are quirky but somehow I can't say it about this. It was funny and had fine performances but I dunno. Meryl Streep was wicked in Prada. She totaly owned the character. From the tips of her hair to the subtle smirk. She was indeed a devil. Anne Hathaway was a sweet eye candy.

I had chicken breast and mashed potatoes with carrot batons and broccolli for dinner. I finished it in a jiff! I'm not kidding. My seatmate made a comment how quick I was with the meal. I told her I was starving. We talked for a bit and I found out she's backpacking in Thailand for a month. The meal really improved my condition. The headache was still there but at least the nausea was gone.

It was my second time at the Dubai Airport. And I was still in awe on how gorgeous it is. I wondered if the NAIA-3 would even be half as good. Duty Free shops were everywhere. I found out from one of the information screens that the flight to Manila will be delayed by two hours. And as I was still hungry, I headed off to a food court. A Pinay working in a grill took my order. I had a big breakfast meal. The omellette was satisfactory.

After the meal, I proceeded to the boarding gate and surfed the net. Thank God for wi-fi. I checked the inq7 and philstar sites and chatted with the missus on ym. An hour and a half before the flight I quickly dashed to McDo for a double cheeseburger meal. That was nice.

At least 80% of the passengers were Pinoys. Mostly seamen and women from the Carribean, Texas, Florida and Southampton. I chatted to a few of them and we talked about where we work and where we live in the islands.

I still couldn't sleep on the flight so I watched The Da Vinci Code, Monster House and Thank You For Smoking. The first was a disappointment. The usually brilliant team of Ron Howard and Tom Hanks didn't deliver the thriller and suspense Dan Brown gave me in his book for which the movie was based. The second was cute. The animators did a brilliant job in capturing and showing even the tiniest bit of emotions in all the characters. And the last was a really smart movie about smoking. Aaron Eckhart leads an impressive cast.

The flight served a light snack of turkey burger and beef and oriental rice. As expected. I finished them all. I even ate the fruits. I was that hungry.

We arrived Manila at 25 minutes past 5. As I come out of the plane, the humid Manila air hugged me. Warm and familiar, family. Since Seniang was still in the country yesterday, my parents couldn't cross the Mindoro Strait to pick up their prodigal son. Instead, my Tita Helen and Tito Romy fetched me from the airport. We headed straight to The Aristocrat in Malate where my siblings and cousins were waiting to welcome me. We had a big meal. I was stuffed.

By the time we reached Sta. Mesa, the hang over was long gone. I was no longer hungry. I was tired but at least, now I am home. And I am happy.

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photos here.

balita

"Lapit mga kaibigan at makinig kayo
ako'y may dala dalang balita galing sa bayan ko
nais kong ipamahagi ang mga kwento at
ang mga pangyayaring nagaganap sa lupang ipiinangako."


































I am coming home soon.


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lyrics by ASIN. photos from yahoo.

marunong ka bang mag-basa?

Jessica Zafra said:

"This is the idea: I’m going to campaign for Reading. I’m going to devote time and energy to persuading (and if necessary, forcing) people to read books. In my personal observation, there just isn’t enough reading going on in this city. Ever sit alone in a restaurant reading a book? Before long, someone’s going to come up to you and ask who’s with you. Are you waiting for your friends? Can they sit with you until company arrives? Because surely you can’t be sitting alone, reading a book by choice. How do you explain that the book IS the company?"

Click here for more.

It's a wonderful idea to campaign for Reading. Books tell us a lot of things. The past, present and future. Here, there and way beyond. They give us answers to Who, What, When, Where, Why and How? I myself did not get into it till my 20s. And when I did, I asked myself why I haven't started earlier on. Ask my brother and two sisters, and they will tell you how I always tell them to pick up a book. They don't have to be the classics. It would be great if it was a Steinbeck or Shakespeare. But we've got different tastes, I know. So it doesn't really matter, sometimes.

To Ms. Zafra, I wish you goodluck. Who knows? Perhaps one day, we all can get them brown asses inside museums.

ipiiiiiiis!

Weatherman Cockroach Freak out

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This is hysterical. And you thought Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy was funny. Hah!

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ang paksa ng pasko ay paksiw

I am pleased to announce that I'm definitely going home for the holidays. I got my passport back and I'm thrilled to find it stamped with a resident visa valid for a few more years. Spending Chritmas at home is definitely worth looking forward to. I spent the last two Christmases here in the UK and it's nothing compared to what we have back in the islands. The scrumptous and rich food my family will prepare makes my mouth water just by thinking of it. To hell with eating in moderation. When you've got dishes like Dinuguan, Humba, Pansit, Pork Barbacue, Lechon at Paksiw and a lot more on the table, you don't eat enough. You eat more!!!!!

The missus and I are also meeting for the first time after her UK visit. Speaking of that trip, here are some photos we took in London.

game 1.0

A couple of weeks ago, I finished reading Douglas Coupland's newest novel, JPod: Microsefs for the Age of Google. The book follows a group of twenty somethings working in a game publishing company in Canada as they face issues that defines our era. The plot is a bit ludicrous, but nevertheless possesses clever and witty lines. And just like any other Coupland novels, the characters are interestingly strange albeit almost unreal. There are word and number games too. Which inspired me to do this entry.

The following is a list of 202 cities. Only 197 of them are World Capitals (official, de facto, administrative, legislative and judiciary included). Can you name the other 5 cities not supposed to be in this list?

Sucre * Sarajevo * Gaborone
Brasilia * Bandar Seri Begawan * Sofia
Bissau * Georgetown * Port-au-Prince
Islamabad * Koror * Panama City
Port Moresby * Asuncion* Lima
Manila * Warsaw * Lisbon
Doha * Bucharest * Moscow
Kigali * Basseterre * Castries
Kingstown * Apia * San Marino
Sao Tome * Riyadh * Dakar
Belgrade * Victoria * Freetown
Budapest * Tegucigalpa * Reykjavik
Jakarta * New Delhi * Tehran
Dublin * Baghdad * Jerusalem
Kingston * Rome * Tokyo
Bujumbura * Ouagadougou * Phnom Penh
Ottawa * Yaounde * St. James
Bangui * Praia * N'Djamena
Beijing * Santiago * Bogota
Brazzaville * Moroni * Kinshasa
Yamoussoukro * San Jose * Abidjan
Havana * Zagreb * Nicosia
Tirane * Kabul * Algiers
Astana * Amman * Nairobi
Pyongyang * Tarawa * Seoul
Andorra la Vella * Kuwait City * Luanda
Istanbul * Saint John's * Buenos Aires
Prague * Copenhagen * Djibouti
Santo Domingo * Roseau * Dili
Quito * Cairo * San Salvador
Asmara * Malabo* Tallinn
Suva * Addis Ababa * Bishkek
Riga * Vientiane * Rabat
Podgorica * Ulaanbaatar * Maputo
Rangoon * Windhoek * Yaren District
Amsterdam * Kathmandu * Wellington
Niamey * Managua * Abuja
Oslo * Muscat * Beirut
Monrovia * Maseru * Tripoli
Vaduz * Vilnius * Luxembourg
Skopje * Antananarivo * Lilongwe
Kuala Lumpur * Male * Bamako
Majuro * Valletta * Nouakchott
Port Louis * Mexico City * Johannesburg
Palikir * Monaco * Chisinau
Pretoria * Paris * Tbilisi
Helsinki * Libreville * Berlin
Banjul * Accra * Saint George's
Guatemala City * Yerevan * Athens
Conakr * Canberra * Vienna
Cluj-Napoca * Dhaka * Nassau
Baku * Belmopan * Manama
Bridgetown * Singapore * Bratislava
Brussels * Minsk * Honiara
Porto-Novo * Ashgabat * Kampala
Ljubljana * Washington D.C. * Port-of-Spain
Mogadishu * Abu Dhabi * Tunis
Bangkok * Montevideo * Kyiv
Lome * Funafuti * Vatican City
Nuku'alofa * London * Tashkent
Ankara * Harare * Hanoi
Port-Vila * Cape Town * Lusaka
Caracas * Madrid * Sanaa
Bern * Colombo * Manitoba
Bloemfontein * Paramaribo * Khartoum
Mbabana * Dushanbe * Thimphu
Stockholm * Damascus * La Paz

salvaged

I am re-posting entries from my previous blog. Why? Because I can.

Here goes some of them:

4 Little Indian Boys

The Brown Brother was eating Manggang Hilaw with guinisang Alamang in his room when somebody knocked on the door.

1st Little Indian Boy: "Hi, can I watch TV with you?"
Brown Brother: "Sure, you can. Come in."
1st Little Indian Boy: "Your room stinks."
Brown Brother: "Oh, that's because you're in my room."

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The Brown Brother together with the 4 Little Indian Boys are going out to the Club. Brown Brother decided to wear a bandana on his head because he's too lazy to put gel on his hair.

2nd Little Indian Boy: "Brown Brother, you look like a ninja. Hiya! (Imitates Bruce Lee and then laughs) Where is your sword?"
Brown Brother: (Obviously annoyed) "Didn't you notice? I just shoved it down your arse!"

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The Brown Brother has an ear piecing. As it is not allowed to wear earrings at work, he only wears it during his days off. One day, he was sporting his jaunty silver earring when the 3rd Little Indian Boy noticed it.

3rd Little Indian Boy: (Looking surprised) "Brown Brother, you have a hole in your ear?"
Brown Brother: "Yeah, they're called auditory canals."

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

The Brown Brother was eating his lunch, while the 4 Little Indian Boys were talking about something in their native tongue. The Brown Brother doesn't have a clue what they're talking about but he reckons the topic is about Famous Indian Boys or Girls.

4th Little Indian Boy: "Brown Brother, name a famous Indian Boy or Girl."
Brown Brother: "Gandhi." (Directed to the 3 Indian boys) "Name a famous Filipino."
Three cars passed.
4th Little Indian Boy: "Abu Sayaff!"

The Brown Brother finishes his meal and walks up to his room feeling defeated.

of rides and airplanes

I am scared of heights. Actually, make that petrified! I cringe whenever I watch people doing stunts up in the air on Fear Factor. I could not bear to look down the ground even if i'm only on a 4 feet high platform. Though I wouldn't go too far in saying I have acrophobia, my problem with heights is pretty serious.

Having said that, I could not explain my fascination about flying and rollercoasters and rides that defy gravity. Whenever I'm on a plane, I always ask for a window seat. I love to see the clouds kiss moutain tops. And to look on what's on the ground. Cars, trees, houses, the ocean, people. It makes me feel like Big Brother watching everybody. hehehe!

And yeah, rollercosters! I've been on a few. Manhattan Express and X-Scream in Las Vegas; Jurrasic Park in Universal Studios; Texas Cyclone, Batman the Escape, Serial Thriller, Viper, Dungeon Drop in Astroworld Houston and Master Blaster in Schlitterbahn. Just today (18 July 2005), I rode one of those Bungee rides (click here for the photo). I was with friends in Hounslow for the 21st Annual Barrio Fiesta, which I have to say is the biggest gathering of Filipinos outside the homeland that I've seen. It was brilliant! The ride, I mean. I must concede, that I was terrified just before I went into it. But as soon as I shot up 100 feet in the air, it was the most amazing thing. The rush it gives is indescribable. I would do it again.

Mad, maybe?

push

the more you think about it;
the most likely you're not going to do it.
be bold.
go.

sa-PAC MAN

Eh kaya naman pala nag-alboruto si Manny eh. Ikaw ba naman ang makunan ng ganitong picture, di mo pa patumbahin 'yung kalaban?

Pambansang Kamao

Mabuhay ang Pilipino!!!

Gringo

The news of Gringo's capture reached me several hours late. Blame it on geograpy and time difference. While Manila was abuzz about the arrest, I was buzzing in sleep dreaming of a river. The former military officer and ex-senator has been hiding from the law because of his alleged involvement in February's failed coup attempt.

One of the first on his side was opposition leader Tito Sotto. According to him, Gringo is still likely to run for senator despite the arrest. He hasn't been convicted, he added.

Coup d'etat is practically Honasan's middle name for crying out loud! My judgments maybe harsh and hasty, but there is no doubt in my mind he had a hand in that coup. All we have to do is look in the past. Does anybody remember the failed coup attempts he masterminded against the Aquino government? Why he wasn't punished for that, I don't know. I've read somewhere he was given amnesty, a big mistake! The guy, bless him for not recognising the dummy presidency, is as evil as that buck-toothed gnome in Malacanang. Power obtained through violence is dangerous. And Honasan's hunger for power is clearly evident in the violent and deadly ways he's resorted in the past.

If we Filipinos want the government to change, we should shun people like Honasan in the coming elections. We shouldn't go around supporting anybody just beacuse they're against the administration. I wish our election is like that in the States when people vote for the party's principles and agenda not because they're pogi and mukhang mabait.

I wish Pinoys will vote for those who won't give us money but those who'll give us jobs. Candidates who will offer a quality education and decent healthcare not patronage and favors. People who will care for the environment and not their own backyards. Sana may mga taong ganoon. At kung meron man, sana iboto natin sila.

salamat

Next week, Ketty and I will be celebrating our first anniversary. Alhough we have not spent most of that first year together physically, we are still here. It's a lot of work. Maintaining a loving, trusting and lasting relationship when the two of you are in opposite sides of the world is really tough. There are times when the two of us wonder if it's really worth it and sometimes we are even on the verge of giving up. But our love for each other is much stronger than that and that's what keeps us to hold on.

I was telling Ketty that I've told her I love her a lot of times now and I'm beginning to run out of ways how to say it. When I woke up today, I realised that I haven't really written anything in my blog about her. And what a good idea it is to say thank you.

Mahal ko, here are some of the things I would like to thank you for.

1. Thank you for giving me the chance to fall in love again.
2. Thank you for staying up late every night so that we can talk and say goodnight to each other before we go to bed.
3. Thank you for buying my Chucks.
4. Thank you for cooking the best kare-kare.
5. Thank you for being so adorable by calling me jabee-jabee.
6. Thank you for telling me that everything's gonna be all right.
7. Thank you for being the one to make me smile again and again and again and again. . . . .
8. Thank you for trusting and believing in me.
9. Thank you for putting up with me despite me being the miserable impatient, ill-tempered, boisterous and moaning pig!
10. And lastly, as if this entry is not mushy enough, thank you for being you. You are a beautiful, smart, sexy, classy and stunning lady. And I love you not just because of that.

think

A recent survey of senatoriables showed another Estrada in the top 12. JV Ejercito is the current mayor of SanJuan and is poised to take a seat in the Upper House. What is wrong with us? As I ask this question I want to cry and bawl like a kid hoping people would actually stop and consider how scary the future holds.

In 2001, I thought our love for our country was at its greatest when we drove Erap out of the palace amid blunder and corruption charges. We were hopeful to see some changes. Heck, I was more than hopeful; I was desperate. But what would happen a few months later? Well, we only elected Erap's wife, Loi Ejercito, to the Senate. I thought maybe it was just a relapse. After all, there was a lot of frenzy that year. And we are known to be carried away by our emotions most of the time. However, as if that relapse wasn't enough, we voted for Jinggoy to be in the same chamber in 2003.

I couldn't help but wonder, have we gone mad?!? Why do we subject ourselves to so much misery? Have we not put the old saying ,"Kung ano and puno; siya rin ang bunga";,to heart? Is this our way of telling God to spare us the fires of hell because we've been suffering long and hard?

My fellow men, let us please take a moment to ponder about the future. The future used to be a way for us to see the light at the end of the tunnel not a door locked without a key to open it. Next election, let us vote for someone who we think can help the country the most. People always say to vote wisely. Perhaps it's now high time to heed that advice.

The SC just junked the petition to change the Constitution. And that's something very significant because it is an affirmation that all is not lost. That after all, we are not hopeless. We may be desperate but never hopeless.

THINK!

check this out

The Asian celebrities, I don't know. But man, Eliza Dushku, Naomi Campbell and Bridget Bardot. Hot. And River Phoenix too!

I know I'm guapo (you do realise this is my blog and I can write anything. So quit rolling your eyeballs and shut your effing mouth!), but to say that these are my celeb look-alikes is a bit too much. But anyway, this is not according to me but a website called MyHeritage. Try it. It's a lot of fun.

And yeah, on certain days and an extra fifteen minutes in the shower, I see the resemblance between me and River Phoenix. :P

one day in history

This entry is in support of this campaign.

I finished work an hour early today because I had to come in early last night. On my way home I thought what a difference a week makes. Most of the trees in my street have turned orange, brown and yellow. Some even started to shed their leaves. I am so glad Autumn's finally here. After that long and record-breaking summer, I am really looking forward to cooler temperatures because it makes my sleep during the day really pleasant.

I think, I slept just after 8am after almost two hours on the phone with Ketty. I miss her a lot. I know, it's not even 2 weeks since we last saw each other, but I miss her so much, it hurts. Mahal ko, konting tiis na lang and we'll finally be together.

When I woke up after 3PM, I felt relieved that I'm not working tonight because I get to have a day off. I then remembered I had to do some shopping today. I brushed my teeth, washed my face and changed clothes and went to the local supermarket. I bought meat, eggs, pepper, mushrooms, potatoes and carrots. After shopping, I went home straight away and did the laundry.

I turned the telly on and watch Friends. How cool is it to watch all the episodes everyday at 5pm and then at 8pm? At half seven, I had my dinner, Tinolang manok. I was stuffed.

Before writing this entry, I was hopeful that I would write about an interesting and exciting day. But now that I am about to wrap up, I can't believe how mundane and dull this day has been. But why am I complaining? It could have been worse. I could be locked up in a jail, confined in a hospital or even dead.

It's great to be alive, innit?

trabajo

A few days ago, my girlfriend asked me why I still haven't written anything about my job. I told her it's because I've nothing to say about it. I wish I were doing something like reviewing the newest resort in the Indian Ocean, or perhaps tending to injured Tapirs in South America, or even starring in the newest West End musical. Trust me, if that was the case, then you'd hear nothing else from me but my job.

I am a Night Supervisor in a four star hotel in Kent. Emphasis on the word night because although I pretty much do the same things as a normal supervisor, I, however get to deal with a diffrent breed of guests. Drunk guests. And man I hate them. Kara, one of my staff, told me that I should loosen up and just laugh at them, after all they're drunk and just having fun. Well, I am all for laughing, but when they start acting obnoxious, I get really wind up.

Excellent customer service tells you to just be patient and not take them seriously because they're not thinking clearly. And that's precisely why I can't stand them. When sober, I'm sure they are rational but once their alcohol levels reach a high point they act all stupid. And I hate it. They have a valid excuse for acting stupid. I don't. I can't smack them in the head, hit them in the gut or even scoop their eyeballs out! It really is a wonder why they haven't fired me yet. Hehehe!

----------

Last night, my boss talked to me and told me I have to do a performance review for my 2 staff. He added, that I need to discuss with them career possiblities and a development plan for them to achieve their work goals. I like it when people ask me to do grown up things. It makes me feel responsible. But having said that, it won't stop me from moaning about my job. I mean, that's more work!

belat- ed

It was a feeling I could not forget. On my first year in college,the UST Growling Tigers won another championship title against the La Salle Green Archers to complete it's legendary four-peat record. I, together with at least 10 of my classmates finished our finals exam in Chemistry in 15 minutes so we can rush to Araneta to catch the deciding game. Nevermind that I was just doing a Nostardamus (hula-hula ng sagot), I just wanted to get the exam done and over with so I can rally behind my school's team.

The Araneta Coliseum was packed by a multitude of gold and a throng of green supporters. It was crazy! As a probinsyano, I was ovewhelmed by the whole experience. I was excited and at the same time nervous because it was a tight game. If I'm not mistaken, it was Angelo Velasco who sealed the win for the Tigers. And when the buzzer sounded, the Thomasian community erupted into a frenzy. It was crazy!

Naturally, a year later everybody expected the Tigers to win again. But it was not to be. Year after year, the team struggled even to be in the finals. Until about a week ago.

After 10 years, the Tigers defied all the odds by defeating perennial favorites; the Ateneo Blue Eagles; and showed what champions are made of. It was indeed a Cinderella story. I'd be the first to admit, i know no one in the team because I've been away for a few years. Despite that, I salute coach Pido and the whole team for a job well done. The championship was really well deserved. Ours may not be the strongest and the best team, but you guys showed a lot of guts and fighting spirit. And for that, all Thomasians, home or away are proud of y'all!

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I am such a terrible cousin for forgetting to wish one of my favorite-st cousins, Lorraine a very happy birthday! Don't worry, you'll get it all. Just not everything at the same time.

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Also, best wishes to my cousin Lala and her husband, Pen who tied the knot last Sunday. May you guys live happily ever after.

i'm sooo happy, it's wicked!

Maintaining a long distance relationship is hard. Making a 6,000 mi relationship work is even harder. So imagine my delight when my missus flew over from the arid Arizona desert to visit me here in the Garden of England, Kent.

Here is a video collage taken from our visit in Wales, Somerset and Wiltshire.

I am sooo happy. It's wicked!



On Wednesday we'll be off to London. I can't wait.

toilet confessions

"Yes, I am one of them. I read in the loo."

Upon hearing my revelation, my flatmates started their tirades against me. Unbelievable, disgusting, a sacrilege and unholy were some of the words they used as they persecute me for being guilty of doing something disgraceful. I should be ashamed, one of them said. For a couple of minutes, I sat still on the couch as I listen to them rattle on non-stop. Their words piercing my chest like arrows from a battalion of elves.

Before you start typing obscenities and crucify me for committing something distasteful, hear me out first. Please.

Like most of y'all, I believe reading is such a great thing. I also believe that we can only learn so much. And that most of the time, we won't come upon the truth when we don't do anything. Sometimes, we have to read those boring and dull compilations of printed pages to learn something new and discover something different.

It was The Alchemist that started it all. Paulo Coelho's fable about following your dream is as powerful as it is inspiring. I was an instant fan. And immediately after reading it, I longed for more. Soon, I met Kurt Vonnegut, Jack Kerouac, Truman Capote and many others.

I can read anywhere. Dim lights don't bother me. I finished Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince at four in the morning with very little light. As a result, I'm now wearing glasses. The poor road conditions of Mindoro did not stop me from finishing Da Vinci Code in sixteen hours as I journey from Manila to my hometown. Having said that, I don't see any reason why I can't read in the loo.

The toilet, and I can say this with utmost honesty, is one of my favorite places in the house. Other than my bedroom, it is a place where I find peace. With its immaculate white walls and gleaming tiles, I consider it a sanctuary. Shoot me for saying this, but I actually think, it was a wonderful idea reading One Hundred Years of Solitude while sitting on my throne.

Besides, how many of us can take pride in saying, we've shared a toilet with Albert Camus, F. Sionil Jose , Banana Yoshimoto, Isabel Allende and Bill Clinton?

where is the love?

The love my friends is in Pinoys like me who are proud of Pinoys like Apl.de.ap. Who in spite of being a member of the world's hottest pop/funk/hip-hop group, the BlackEyedPeas, never forgets where his heart is.

Click on these links and be proud to be one of the Lahing Kayumanggi!

Generation One
Generation Two
News about the Generation

Pepito

Atin-atin lang. This is Pepito, my bedmate. And fyi, malikot sha matulog.

kikomeister

I feel a some-sorta introduction is in order.

A former work colleague described me as an England-based Japanese-looking Filipino national with a Spanish name and speaks with an American accent.

On December 26, I'll be 27. Yet, I still get pimples! Just last week, I had one bigger than Pluto. Imagine the ninth planet sitting on my nose!

I am a palabok fiend. Pancit palabok for all you ignoramuses is a Filipino pasta made of bihon noodles with a special pork-shrimp sauce topped with pork cracklings, smoked fish, dried shrimp, toasted garlic, garnished with sliced eggs and sprinkled with calamansi juice.

There are 16 moles on my face. That's 8 less than on my arms, torso and back. And 10 more than on my legs combined.

7 multiplied by 8, when you ask me point blank, is 54.

Last March, my local GP diagnosed me with sleep paralysis. It is a condition characterized by the inability to perform voluntary movements either at sleep onset or upon awakening. This usually happens to me within 30 minutes after I've fallen sleep. Good thing is, it's not fatal. But it's terrifying nonetheless.

My tongue is pierced. How does it feel? Go ask the missus. hehehe.

I've been to the United States of America, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and United Arab Emirates.

My portrayal of Adam in my school's presentation of Genesis: The Creation was only memorable because I forgot to ditch my wristwatch before I went onstage. There I was sporting a Casio digital wristwatch while walking in the garden of Eden with Eve. Stylish!

Lastly, I'd like to quote a line from Punch-Drunk Love, "I have a love in my life and it makes me stronger than you can ever imagine."

sunrise

An old Spanish saying goes, "The darkest hour of the night comes just before the dawn." Dawn signals the end of twilight, it is when the day breaks. The sky begins to lighten; clouds part, the fog clears and across the horizon, the mighty sun appears. Bright and hopeful.

I've a new home. Yay!