Not One, But Two

It's been my extreme pleasure to work on our group's send-off from singlehood for a couple of our friends. Glenn and Janice are two of my favorite people (my favorite-people-list is actually a very short one) and I'm more than willing to spare some time, effort and materials (ka-ching!) just to ooomph up what could be one of their most treasured experiences in our workplace.

My piece de resistance: a 4x5 feet photo of the two of them that subtly hints what other people see them for.



Of course, a lot of the other guys and girls helped. So, thanks to them too!



I didn't volunteer because of only one of them; I did it for both of them.

Not one, but two.

Best wishes in advance, you two!

Taxi Ride

It's been ages since I last rode on a taxi in Metro Manila. Last Saturday, I decided to NOT bring my car and see how I can manage both my date and my schedule for the day. In summary, I was able to keep my date and attend to all my tasks for the day.

Now, with the topic of the date (which I'm sure a lot of people are interested to know about) and my schedule aside, let's talk about my taxi ride.

The first taxi I hopped onto had to bring me from Glorietta to Pioneer Street. I took my position in a queue just to the side of the nearby Shoemart. There must be a corollary of Murphy's Law somewhere for taxis: if you're in a hurry and you're all sweaty because of the humid weather, you get the most dilapidated taxicab in the queue.

It was a very interesting taxi ride: it was noon and the airconditioning wasn't working well. Add to that a very cautious manong driver who seems 10 years past his retirement age. Rather than let myself be agitated by the situation, I just indulged in my situation.

Pretty soon, manong driver was trying to make kwento with me.

"Ay iho, ilang taon ka na?

"28 po. Mag-twenty-nine na sa March," I added further. I was fascinated by the holes on his dashboard.

"Ha?!" Manong driver beeps at an Altis which is trying to cut into his lane along EDSA.

"Bakit naman po kayo nabigla? I think I can see a bare wire through the hole in the dashboard.

"Mukha ka kasing mga bentsingko pa lang." Whoa!

"Ay nako manong (lolo?)" At this point I was trying to guess what's making the wheezing sound from the taxi's engine.

"Siguro madalas kang mag-s*x 'no?"

What the...

Manong driver continues, "Nakakabata kasi talaga yang s*x. Aba ako, dati...."

Okay, I won't tell word-for-word everything that he told me during that taxi ride. Let's just say that it was pretty amusing (and awkward) hearing about the sex life of a septuagenarian taxi driver.

Hahaha. Weirdest taxi ride I ever got.

One or Two or Five?

Hahaha... San Mig Strong Ice never tasted better last night. I drank four, Powerboy downed five and Bai finished six. Well, that's how I counted it anyway.

Since we had the bar practically to ourselves last night, ang ingay naming tatlo du'n. If you would have seen us then, you'd have thought na kami ay tatlong yuppies na naglalasing -- maingay, malakas ang boses at tawa ng tawa.

What was supposed to be a quick one-or-two beer session easily became a four-five-six count dahil nadala kami sa kwentuhan.

Hehehehe... hic!

Whatever Happened to the Twiddlebugs?

If I were a behavioral scientist, I would be keenly puzzled on the twiddlebug life cycle.

The twiddlebugs are a rare species. As far as I know, there are only two distinct populations of twiddlebugs. One population is located at Ernie and Bert's flowerbox in Sesame Street. Recently, another population of twiddlebugs emerged right at my workplace. It's the latter which I was able to occasionally observe. From herein, I'll refer to them as THE TWIDDLEBUGS.

The most prominent observation I've made on THE TWIDDLEBUGS is their flocking behavior, particularly during lunch breaks and after-office hours. Their flocking behavior can be intimidating at times because of their sheer number. They make this call which sounds like "come-on-let's-join-us" along the corridors, and as soon as the other twiddlebugs get to hear it they come spilling out of their offices and aggregate like a good mix of sand, pebbles and cement.

In great similarity to the Sesame-Street-twiddlebugs, THE TWIDDLEBUGS are a chatty bunch. They can go on talking and shouting and singing non-stop assuming that no non-twiddlebug disrupts their discussions. Most of THE TWIDDLEBUGS have a high pitch, a few are even shrilly, but a number have baritone voices. With a mixture of voices like that, its either you experience a very musical moment if they harmonize OR one gets an ear-pounding if they are all off-sync.

Aside from chatting, singing and snacking, THE TWIDDLEBUGS indulge in DVDs and taking trips together to the nearby shopping mall to do more chatting, singing and snacking.

THE TWIDDLEBUGS also have a welcoming demeanor, and hence any new individual which sets foot on their territory automatically becomes a TWIDDLEBUG. Thus, THE TWIDDLEBUGS have undergone substantial upgrades (the last of which is TWIDDLEBUGS version 2.1). Aside from their increase in capacity, they became a louder and more diverse group.

Any behavioral scientist will surely be interested in inter-TWIDDLEBUG relationships, but this author has not had the opportunity to observe it from a close distance. There are other journals available on this topic.

What I would like to specifically highlight here though is the evolution of THE TWIDDLEBUG population. It seems that their flocking behavior has a limited lifespan with the emergence of individual preferences among themselves. I'd call this the ROCKBAND phenomenon --- rockbands in general, after some time of achieving success recognition, eventually disband.

Indeed, I think THE TWIDDLEBUGS have disbanded. Some would opt to have dinner with only a few, some would just watch DVDs, some would rather play badminton and some would prefer to continue working non-stop. One cannot hear their flocking call anymore ("come-on-let's-join-us"); it's highly probable that they have developed a new method of communication or even a new language.

But surely, should there be a need or a clamor in the future, THE TWIDDLEBUGS will surely have a reunion concert in the future just like any other rockband.

They're simply amusing, if you look at them from this perspective.

Me: The Frustrated Drummer

I was suppose to make a post on two movies I watched recently, but I got hold of something which has gotten me excited the last 24 hours.

Okay, okay... just to put the movies aside --- I liked "I AM LEGEND", contrary to the feedback by Alvin and Geland (they think it's no different from "The OMEGA MAN"). There is a big difference between the 1950's book of the same title but both have equally great resolutions at the end of the story.

The second movie, "SWEENEY TODD" starring Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham-Carter, was a surprising find for me. I had no expectations on the film when I entered the moviehouse. I was surprised to find out that it was a musical. A gruesome musical. How does one manage the conflicting feelings of morbidness that you get when you watch a psycho-killer movie with the feeling of elation (and last-song-syndrome humming) one gets when he finds himself humming to the music in the presentation? Overall rating: 4 out of 5 stars on my book.

Now, with those things aside, let's get to drumming.

I've always been impressed with drummers and have wanted to be one ever since I was a kid. Unfortunately, our family was the classical bunch. I was brought up in the presence of a piano, clarinets, violins, flutes and a saxophone.

One summer vacation, I decided to pretend that I was a drummer. I got a couple of old cans (a Nido can and a Baguio Oil can), a large water drum and one of my mom's old pots. I used a curtain rod hack-sawed into two as my first drumsticks. And I beat away to the tune of Bon Jovi and Cranberry songs.

I and my makeshift drum kit sounded terrible. So I gave up.

Enter the present.

I retrieved from Manila my last unopened (and unseen) Christmas present. It was a drumkit, a Stratocaster and a microphone. Hold your horses. They aren't the real stuff. It was something better.

They were accessories for my Playstation3. oh-my-gawd!

So in the last 36 hours, I've been drumming away happily. I ain't no expert yet, but give me a week and I'd be able to do those percussion tricks that you get to hear on your CDs.

A Few Corny Lines

I.
I never thought I'd ever get the chance
To be so close to you like in a dance.
I only watch from afar
Moving like a distant star
So far away, away from me.

II.
And I promise you I'll make you smile again
Like the time before when we we were more than friends
Let me sing to you once more
All the songs you loved before
We can spend the night
Remembering this and more.

Bow.

Saan Tayo sa Holy Week?

Malapit na ang Holy Week.
Gusto kong maggala. According to my feng shui consultant, I'll be going places this year, near and far.

Any suggestions kung saan pwedeng pumunta?

Budget ko: anywhere in the Philippines, but cheaper is better.

Seriously, we need to plan for this.

Kaye wants to go to Bantayan Island in Cebu. Geland wants to do a return trip to Sagada. Emerson wants to go to Ilocos. The fishies want to go to Cagayan de Oro + Camiguin (pero if it's Holy Week siguradong hindi 'to matutuloy unless magka-boyfriend si MJ para payagan na siya ng parents nya na maglakwatsa ng Holy Week).

I want to go to Europe. Pero baliw naman ako kung Holy Week lang ako nandun di ba? I have to hold on to my vacation leaves since I'm spending bulk of December on vacation.

And I Thought that Partying Does Not Exist in the Boonies

I woke up on Sunday morning at my friend's couch with the worst hangover ever, disoriented, a very dry tongue and a sour feeling in my stomach.

And some articles of my clothing were... oh well, you go figure it out.

I can't remember what happened that night. All I remember was a group of friends were drinking, loud music, and then I had to cook some party snacks, later on we were dancing in the kitchen, and then some shouting, and more drinking at the living area, and then... bam!

Despite some gaps in my memory, it was an awesome party.

Name Game

Medyo magulo itong post na ito, because this is a private joke among a select group of people. This post is a brainchild of three guys with nothing to do better (aside from girl-watching) for a couple of hours at a local coffee shop.

You can't escape the fact that at least once in your life, you have either earned or been awarded a monicker.

monicker -- (n., slang) a name, title or alias

In one of the realities which I would like to call my "neighborhood", there's this guy Boy Bato na sa akala ko ay may konting pagtingin siya kay Sexyback (yeah!), but Boy Bato denies it. Speaking of backs (as in the opposite of front), I happened to hear an old rap song by Sir Mix-A-Lot, circa 1990s, and it goes like this: "...I like big butts and I cannot lie...". Yup, ang title nyan ay "Baby Got Back". We laughed when we heard that song because someone can be Sir Mix-a-Lot and peared, oops I meant paired, with Baby Got Back.

Since I've mentioned pairs already, anyone remember Jay and Silent Bob? If you don't, I've done the liberty of showing here how they look like. Do they look familiar to you? Hahahaha...

Pairs are inescapable in any society -- I think it's one of the greater laws of the universe. There's Batman and Robin, Starsky and Hutch, and Calvin and Hobbes are examples of pairs. Now, in my "neighborhood", meron din kaming pairs. Perhaps the most obvious examples are CheekBoy and CheekGirl, and they earned their monickers because of their obvious physical assets: cheeks. The not so obvious monickered pairs are the new tandems of Folded and Hung (or is it Hang? Either is appropriate anyway). There's also the very obvious Beauty and the Bwiset, the former being likeable and the latter... well, let's just say that the Bwiset really earned his monicker.

And who could forget our ever popular Sesame-Street-"who are the people in your neighborhood? in your neighborhood?" duo of Ernie and Bert? And the unforgettable 'pork-chop duo' style of Pogi and Pards? And the recent pair of Better and Bes'?

There are also some people who aren't tagged as pairs, and they earn their monickers individually. Babe is one such example. A new guy in the "neighborhood" has a characteristic speech slur that we decided to bestow upon him the title of "Shtrong Aysche"... hic! One of the more cheerful ladies in our neighborhood is called Shnooki, because of her Snooky-Serna-lookalike features some years back. Thinking along the same line, can you figure out who's William Hung in our "neighborhood"?

One person in our neighborhood has a name that in itself has become his monicker: Paul Chang. Try saying "Paul Chang" aloud. It has a nice speech pattern to it, right?

We weren't successful in identifying the monickers for the rest of the "neighborhood". If you have any suggestions, feel free to let us know.

Ayt?

Oh, and by the way, as in pahabol: "Hale Federer!! Animo!" (spelling intended) =)

My 2007 Tribute Post

2007 has been a great year for me, and it is with great pleasure that I announce here the top 10 persons/group of persons whom I am very thankful to for making the year 2007 fun, live-able and inspiring.




10. Pinched my butt, made everyone laugh and convinced me to run -- WHICHIE

Hey Chie, you're absolutely the funniest person I've known so far. For a pretty small guy, you've got the gift to spread a lot of cheer around. I think that's one of your greater purposes on earth (hahaha!).

One other thing that I am thankful for Chie is that he recruited me to my first 'official' foot race. I can run, but I wasn't confident that I can run as good as the others. Chie lectured me that everybody has to start somewhere, even at the bottom, and to prove his point he told me that his running time is among the worst in the group of races but that didn't stop him from participating.

Nice words from a small guy with a big heart and great spirit. You can be a life coach.

For 2008, I hope to participate in a full marathon.

Cheers dude!

9. Capture life's best moments and wonders -- JAMIE a.k.a. JIGSAW

This year, I officially declared photography as my hobby. I knew the basic concepts and composition techniques for point-and-shoot photography, but it was Jigsaw and his smugmug gallery which finally convinced me to upgrade to a DSLR camera and build-up my photography skills.

I've been enjoying seeing life through a viewfinder.

8. Distract me from the frustrations of work -- JANICE

Roughly for two hours per work-week, Janice and I get together. It's very useful time spent for coping with work-related stress, or brainstorming for a reasonable stance on an upcoming company policy, or discussing ways to be creative at the workplace (or work-related contests haha...), or pondering on the meaning of life, or getting her excited about her upcoming wedding to Glenn.

Many many many thanks for 2007!

7. Remind me that I'm mortal -- Blos/Ron/Ron/Leo/Kat/Valy

The mountaineer in me has been dormant for the last five years, but I was lucky to come across this cool bunch of people who love adventure and the great outdoors. It is a mountaineer's desire to always reach the peak; it's his proclamation that he has conquered the mountain and all the challlenges it laid before him.

And how does mountaineering remind me that I'm mortal? It does so by making me wonder about the awesome landscape ("Mortals can't make that," I'd say), and by finding contentment despite great physical exhaustion ("I made it alive!").

But one of the greater proofs of my mortality is this: fear. I felt that when we got lost in Mt. Cristobal. I felt that we had to cross a very thin trail with 200 feet near-vertical drops on both sides (one wrong step and you're gone...). I felt fear when I had to traverse a very narrow ledge with my 20-kilo fullpack amidst gusty winds. I felt fear when we got lost in Mt. Cristobal.

But fear = adventure in my books. Hahahaha! Thanks guys!


6. Showed me that "Happily Ever After" exists in real life -- Nikko and Dee

Even after these two lovebirds tied the knot, para pa rin silang nagliligawan everytime I meet them. And I meant that as a compliment. They're the most cheerful couple that I know, and their cheerfulness rubs off to practically everyone they're with.


5. For the One-or-twos -- BAI


My current job requires a lot of technical report writing, and very often I have to work under a very tight schedule. Since it's still "writing", I come across "technical writer's block" occasionally.

Now enter Bai and his invitations for one-or-two beers. Just grab a quick meal, lounge over one-or-two (sometimes three, other times four) beers and have a leisurely conversation (read: kuwentuhang 'toma') about anything in general.

Now the San Mig lights have a way of removing the stress from my head, and it also puts me in the mood to continue with my geek/work chores. At the end of the drinking session, I find myself able to type out my reports faster than a speeding bullet. When I review my 'Edgar Allan Poe' reports (Edgar Allan Poe always wrote under the influence of alcohol) the following day, I'm pleased to find out that only some minor revisions are needed on my previous night's works.

The one-or-twos did help me with my work this year (if I get a high IPF this year, it's partially because of the San Mig Lights), but those sessions with Bai are, for me, time well-spent talking about work, hobbies, careers, life and leisure.


4. For a great cause -- CARMELA

The country can use more people like Carmela.

She biked for 20 days from Manila to Mindanao in the "Bike for Life" event to raise funds for the Cancer Warriors Foundation, and also raise awareness for the fight against Cancer. And she did that while maintaining a regular job with HP. She took all her vacation leaves just for that.

She loves to run, swim and bike. She's a triathlete. She goes on adventure races. And she loves to eat, nevermind if she goes for seconds and thirds. (Hey, those are compliments!)

She's one hell of a supergirl. And despite everything she's attained, she's still mabait and humble.

Carmela sent out a video link to let everyone who's interested get a glimpse of what her cause is all about, which is truly noble: Carmela's blog

3. Keeping the faith -- GELAND

Some people would think that if they knew all of Geland's hardships this year, they'd qualify him to be one of the unluckiest people in the world. He had so many tough challenges thrown in his path this year, challenges so difficult that can make grown-up men cry. Most people would readily curse God and the rest of the world had they endured the same challenges Geland faced, but he is one of the few who firmly believe that whatever happens to him is God's will and that God will see him through it.

He survived the year's hardships with a lot of work and a lot of faith. Nakakabilib. I wish that if ever I find myself in the same situation as his in the future, I would have the same strength of character as him and endure the challenges successfully as he did.


2. The value of friendship -- QUITO

Dec 31, 2007. My mobile rings. Caller ID "QUITO" is displayed on my phone.

Me: "Yeah man? What's up?"
Kits: "Hey dude! Happy New Year to you!"
Me: "Happy New Year to you too. Give my regards to Marge and your ma too."
Kits: "Sure man. Pare, want to spend New Year's Eve with us here? I bought 4 kilos of prime rib. Grill-grill tayo, inom until midnight and kuwentuhan with my mom and Marge. You prefer Jack Daniels now, right? Meron ako nun! You can sleep over, we've a spare room for you here."
Me: "Thanks for the offer, Kits, but I'm in Batangas. I was on duty until this morning eh. So, what's new?"
Kits: "Well anyway, since you're not coming over, magtatampo ako sa 'yo!"
Me: "What?! Hahaha... you're kidding, man."
Kits: "No I'm not dude."
Me: "Seriously?" (i was snickering at this point...)
Kits: "Seriously."
... from the background, Marge's voice can be heard.
Marge: "Yes Stiff. He's serious. You're Quito's guest of honor for tonight sana."
Me: "Whoa? Ano yang guest-of-honor, guest-of-honor mong nalalaman?
Kits: "Well... I realized that we haven't seen much of each other this year..."
Me: "Ha? Didn't we just go bar-hopping last month? Inabot pa nga tayo ng 4 am!"
Kits: "Okay, since we're best friends..."
Me: "Yeah, yeah, yeah. We're best friends. And we toast to that right? Can we do it over the phone na lang?"
Kits: "Seriously. WE... ARE... BEST... FRIENDS."
Me: "Ba't parang galit ka?"
Kits: "...."
Me: "Hey Kits, I was just kidding. Ops, ops, ops, bawal magtampo. As you were saying, we are best friends. I acknowledge that. Since college. Even after graduation and I started working. And you got married and had kids. Which is why I felt privileged to be Maqui's godfather."
Kits: "Yeah man. I don't know if you'd believe me, I only have a few friends. And you're the only best friend in that group."
Me: "..."
Kits: "O ba't tumahimik ka?"
Me: "Can't believe I'm hearing this from you, dude. Hindi kaya bagay sa 'yo!! hahaha!! And you're saying this while you're still sober?! Hahaha!"
Kits: "Stop laughing nga pare!"

The conversation went on for about another 20 minutes. To make the long story short, I can't go to their place so Quito had to tell me over the phone that he is hoping that he and I will still remain best friends even when we're in our 60's or 70's. And that was his New Year's toast to me.

Don't worry, Kits. I will.


1. My purpose in life -- =)

You know who you are. Thanks for being my inspiration. =)

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

The honorable mentions include the fishyfishy group (actually, Hall of Famers na kayo), the weekend warriors, Maqui and Jutes, Glenn and Emer, Mommy G, Lissa, Karen, my high school batchmates, my titos and titas and cousins in New York and New Jersey, Benny and Anne, Cris and Kaye, Chito, Marlon Dejadina, Jackie Ruth, Tita Virgie (Sydney) and Aling Apeng. Many many thanks for crossing my life in 2007.

Unfortunately, there is one person on my 'dishonorable mention' list for 2007. Bahala na si Lord sa kanya.

And to all, have an awesome 2008 ahead! And thanks for visiting my blog!