| katipuneros on Facebook |
[ Tuesday
July 14th, 2009
at 3:02pm ] |
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I have found the answer to why we are still a developing country. Kasi mga bata, noong unang panahon, walang ginawa ang ating mga bayani kundi mag Facebook. Parang ngayon.
May inner slut pala si Melchora Aquino! At kamusta naman, badaf pala si Mabini? In na in ang lolo (or lola) mo sa gay lingo. What does TMI mean? Too Much Information?
HAHAHA SISA!!!!
Naging Hayden Kho si Padre Damaso? In an article of Yes! or Ok!, pinakita ang travel scrapbook ni Dra. Vicky Belo at Dr. Hayden Kho. The caption of their picture in Paris says: "Wala ang Eiffle Tower sa tower mo!" Mmmm. I saw him at the Manila Hotel a couple of weeks ago and he does look yummy. I just stared and stared. Ang kinis at ang tangkad niya!
All lifted from www.noypi.me
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| why would anyone want to be a teacher? |
[ Friday
July 10th, 2009
at 6:23pm ] |
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“You don’t become a teacher because ‘ay wala na kasi po akong mahanap na ibang trabaho’. I became a teacher because I wanted to save the world. Ganon, messianic diba? It doesn’t feel worth it when you get your paycheck. My sisters always ask me, ‘Eh bakit ka pa nagtuturo tapos magrereklamo ka na wala kang pera? You’re so much smarter than that and you can be anywhere in the world!’ And I tell them, ‘Because (in a nasal voice) I LOVE MY COUNTRY!’”
We laugh.
“You’re laughing because I say it that way, but I mean that to the core of my bones. America doesn’t need another teacher with a PhD; they have many of those already... But we do.”
*
“I don’t know how to gauge if my students have learned from me. I can only offer you anecdotes. One time, a former student left me a card. It wasn’t even signed; hindi siya sumisipsip or anything. And in deep Tagalog he or she said something like, ‘Hindi po ako makakaalis ng UP na hindi ko masasabi ‘to sa inyo... Noon akala ko wala pong halaga si Shakespeare sa isang anak ng mangingisda mula sa Navotas...’ and I sat there and cried and cried. Just thinking about it again is making me cry. PRICELESS ‘YON. Oh diba parang pang-Mastercard? Priceless. So you may not get paid well, pero pang-Mastercard ang bayad sa ‘yo.”
And we all get secretly weepy inside as well.
*
“I will be the first to tell you to go out and get further education elsewhere. If you don’t come back, I won’t look so highly on you but I can’t blame you either.”
*
“Whenever there are foreigners who come here, they say, ‘Your students are so good! How can they be so good when you have no money?!’ Aba, showbiz yata tayo dito sa UP! But let me tell you the upside to this no-money business: our lack of resources make us resourceful. And that’s something that we---that you should be proud of.”
Ick, Judy (2009)
English 191
One of the reasons I want to become a teacher is because of professors like Ma'am Ick and the many, many life-changing, inspiring teachers I've had in UP, in CAL, in DECL. They make Beowulf come alive. They make the Norman Conquest of 1066 relevant. They make us see the beauty of syntax, morphology, semantics, and pragmatics. May mga moments na gusto ko nalang tumayo at pumalakpak na dahan-dahan habang nakapikit. With matching shake of head para drama.
Our tuition (SN 06 and below) is about 6, 500 per semester, but you can't put a price on learning, on passion. And especially not on our professors :)
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| spelling bee r-e-p-e-a-t |
[ Tuesday
July 7th, 2009
at 7:25pm ] |
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Whenever I catch the National Spelling Bee on ESPN, I drop everything and watch. It’s entertaining to watch grade school to middle school students spell all these words I’d never even heard of. They have different tactics: some write the words on their forearm, others whisper the letters, etc. Imagine that turned into a musical. Sounds corny. Dorky. Uninteresting. But the music and lyrics of William Finn breathes a hilarious and exciting life into it.
Atlantis Productions has assembled a cast of veterans to star in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Cathy Azanza is so consistent as Rona Lisa Peretti. She’s invincible on stage. Joel Trinidad fits the role of Vice Principal Douglas Panch perfectly because of his love for literature and SPIT background. I remember in one show of Aladdin, I was doing my homework and Joel was the only other person in the dressing room. “Joel, what does ‘pelagic’ mean?” He paused and said, “Well, pelagic comes from the word archipelago and blah blah blah...” As the kawawa but endearing Olive Ostrovsky is Carla Guevarra. Once she steps on stage in her hunched posture, you can’t help empathize with her from beginning to end. Felix Rivera hits those notes just fine, but he’s a bit too hot to play a boy hitting puberty. Ang laki kasi ng pecs mo, Felix! Nakakadistract! Johann Dela Fuente IS Leaf Coneybear and Pheona IS Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre (try spelling THAT). She's so adorable. Not jumping up and down about Noel Rayos as Mitch Mahoney; there were some parts where his accent was too strong to the point that I couldn’t understand him. I liked him better as Logainne’s father. Loi and Shiela Martinez replaced Richard and Thea Everly as William Barfee and Marcy Park (my favorite character) respectively. Cool how another married couple replaced the previous married couple. Excellent direction by Bobby Garcia and choreography by Chari Arespacochaga.
Every night the cast has four guest spellers who keep things interesting. Previous guest spellers were Lea Salonga, Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo, Sitti, Miguel Mendoza, Tessa Prieto-Valdez, Noel Trinidad, and Boy Abunda. Other exciting things happen at the Bee, such as this wedding proposal. I'm not a huge fan of public proposals, but you gotta admit this is cute and creative: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQLtrPMM5kQ The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is on its last weekend before they make us proud in Singapore. My friend Mae is selling tickets for the last show. DON'T MISS IT!!!! YOU'LL REGRET IT!
Ticket prices:
- Center orchestra - Php 1300
- Side orchestra - Php 1100
- Loge - Php 900
- Loge (Side & back row) - Php 700 (sold out)
- Balcony - Php 500
For reservations, call 0906-3414559 or email snazztastic.schizzle@gmail.com.
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| nano the nanipun |
[ Tuesday
June 30th, 2009
at 9:39pm ] |
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My little brother’s nickname has evolved from Kiano to Nano to Nanipun. Nanipun was given by Sinta. Reverse it and you get punani, which in Ebonics/AAVE/black-talk means vagina. He is well aware of this and thinks it’s hilarious. He used to call me Tata, but ever since I started calling him Nanipun he coined the nickname TaTITI. What a witty 10-year-old boy.
Over the weekend my dad, Nanipun, and I went to Anilao, Batangas for his check-out dive. We did two dives on Saturday and took a nap after. When he woke up, he had a fever, and bad cough and colds. He looked so kawawa. Almost in tears, he told me, “Ta, this is Kuya Uli’s fault. When he was sick he kept on coughing at me to make me hawa and hugging me and saying, ‘SWINE FLUUUUUUU!’”
Isa pa ‘tong gago.
Instead of diving the next day, we had to go home early. In the car, he said “I’m sorry.”
“Why?”
“‘Cause we can’t dive anymore ‘cause I’m sick.”
“It’s okay. It’s not your fault. It’s your KUYA ULI’S FAULT!”
A large age gap is not an excuse not to be close to your siblings. Uli claims he hasn’t grown up because playing with Nani keeps him childish. Kuya watches his taekwando tournaments. Nani and I always watch movies together. (Our next dates are Up and Ice Age 3.) I help him with his homework when I’m home. He knew some of my secrets long before Uli and Kuya did! When the three of us are out on weekends, he sometimes calls us one by one to ask where we are and what time we’re coming home. My parents don’t but he does.
One day soon he'll find my blog. He already has Facebook and YM so it's only a matter of time. He's not as sweet as he used to be because he's growing up. If he stumbles upon this entry, I want to remind him of the time he was about six years old and we slept beside each other when my parents were abroad.
me: good night nano.
nano: good night tata.
me: i love you infinity.
nano: i love you infinity... plus two.
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| yet another traffic violation |
[ Friday
June 26th, 2009
at 4:12pm ] |
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Just when I thought I couldn’t collect anymore traffic violations, my car got towed in Makati a couple of days ago. After being a guest speller at a rehearsal of the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, I left the building, pressed the TOOT TOOT thing of my keys and did not hear the TOOT TOOT sound. I thought maybe I had just forgotten where I parked (which happens a lot) so I walked up and down the street for a few minutes until I came to the conclusion that my car was gone. Insert all cliches here: my heart raced and I broke into a sweat and there was a lump in my throat. Bottom line: PANIC. WAS IT CARNAPPED WHO DO I TALK TO HOW DOES ONE RECOVER CARNAPPED CARS IN THE PHILIPPINES OF ALL COUNTRIES FUCK MY LIFE 100x. I walked up to those men in yellow and calmly asked, “Nakita niyo po ba yung kotse ko dito?” One answered, “Tingnan mo, nagsusulat sila gamit ng chalk o nagiiwan ng sulat yung pag nagto-tow.” Bobo ba siya? Umuulan kaya!!!!!! So I called Lawyn, who was still in the building. Being the good friend that she is, she went down and helped me figure out what to do. “Ah yun ba yung nakalagay Unibersity of da Pilipins?! Kanina pa yon kinuha! Kasi naman Ma’am, after five pa pwede mag-park dito!”
Okay. In my defense I did not see a NO PARKING sign.
I have parked across Coco Cabana several times before and my car always stayed unscathed.
I finally found the NO PARKING sign that had no “YOU CAN PARK ONLY AFTER FIVE” message on it.
A more reliable MMDA sign would look like this:
Law and I finally got in her car and went in search of Yakal St., where all towed cars are held captive. The first MMDA manong we asked gave us bizarre directions that went something like “Sa dulo kaliwa ka tapos kanan tapos kanan tapos kaliwa tapos yun na yun. Malayo siya sa Buendia.” Law trusted her instincts instead and we ended up on Yakal St. -- the second half. The MMDA "office" was on the OTHER half. And as luck would have it, ONE WAY SIYA. Back to zero. The second MMDA mama we asked said, “KANAN NALANG KAYO SA DULO NG KANTO.” When we got there, there was a NO RIGHT TURN sign. Buang. The third officer we asked said, “U-turn kayo sa intersection ng Ayala at Buendia.” And surprise surprise, it was a NO U-TURN slot. Was he trying to get us caught? My goodness. I propose another MMDA sign:
After forty-five minutes of seeing NO RIGHT TURN NO LEFT TURN NO U-TURN ONE WAY signs, we finally found it.
 towing yet another car
It was like ripping a huge, expensive band-aid. I forked over 1, 000 pesos (500 for the towing fee, 500 for the city ordinance thing) and drove to my cousins' house to eat Ruffles Cheddar and Sour Cream, which is my personal cure to all head and heartaches.
If you know me well or if you've been reading my blog for awhile, you know my usual technique to wiggle out of these situations is crocodile tears. I can usually cry on cue. Hindi ko style mag "lagay" kasi we can't bitch about corruption if we're part of it diba?
That afternoon I didn't cry or use my charm or cleavage to get out of the situation.
As Law and I snaked around the roads of Makati, she made me realize that there was no point in feeling bad. It wasn't gonna help me. I called my ever calm Kuya, the reliable baller Juancho, and pepe Mae. I was texting my life partners Ma and Ding as well. I found reasons to smile. And laugh. I did what I do best: turn any situation (good or bad) into a story.
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| Batanes-bound |
[ Tuesday
June 9th, 2009
at 3:44pm ] |
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Batanes is another one of those geological marvels of the Philippines. It's in the northern-most tip of the archipelago, making it a bit difficult to get to. Most flights going to Basco are very very early in the morning to avoid the strong winds. Ours was something like 4AM. We flew via Zest Air, formerly known as Asian Spirit ("You leave Asia and come back a spirit!"), bought by the company that makes Zesto. They should've stuck to making juice because that was seriously the scariest flight I've ever been on. Medyo death-defying siya. Planes are supposed to like, slide through the runway, not land perpendicularly then move forward!!!!! Diyos ko lord!
Meet my three loving and funny brothers. When you're with them, there is never a dull moment.
Kuya
Uli and his stomach
And (the gay version of) Kiano
Because I am their only sister, they love to take beautiful pictures of me.
Leche.
People always ask me, "What's to do in Batanes?" It's not a party place. It's not adventure-filled unlike CDO or Siargao. It's more of a nature-lover trip, with several types of landscapes.
We went up the famous lighthouse.
Walked along this beach.
Gazed at the view from the top. Very much like Cape Point of Capetown, South Africa.
Sprawling greenery that my parents, Kiano, and Kuya walked while Uli and I stayed put, imagining ourselves rolling down the hills or twirling to the tune of "The Hills are aliiiive with the sound of muuuusic (aaaaah)".
We kept posing with these statues. Then we learned that these people were buried under their sculptures. Oops.
The Ivatans (residents of Batanes) are a highly adaptive people. Our guide told us that until now they are a tight-knit community where everyone has a specific role. For instance, if a family member dies, one group will take care of the funeral, another will take care of the food, and so on and so forth because they believe that families shouldn't do anything but allow themselves to grieve. I love the idea of the Honesty store, wherein there's no saleslady or cashier. All the items are priced and there's a box where you put in your money. Ateneo tried to do this pero nalugi sila ng libo libo sa unang linggo pa lang. Chos.
Since their island is always hit by storms, their houses have walls made of limestone (naturally cool) and are three feet thick. The walls that always face the storms have no windows.
When people saw my pics, several commented something like, "Parang hindi 'to Pilipinas!" Friends, ito ang Pilipinas! We can't generalize and equate the entire country with the pollution-filled cities we live in.
***
My friends keep asking me what my next destination is. Answer: UP!
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| ANC leadership forum, part II |
[ Saturday
June 6th, 2009
at 12:39am ] |
Mariel and I headed to UP Diliman’s School of Economics two hours before the 2nd leg of the ANC Leadership Forum began. Couldn’t miss seeing Erap, Legarda, Binay, Lacson, and Fernando live. Then we received word (well, more like an 8-minute statement) that Sen. Lacson is no longer running for president. Though I believe he’s one of the more competent ones in terms of experience, he didn’t have a shot anyway.
Among the candidates, Loren Legarda was the standout. She’s so articulate in both Filipino and English. Tuloy-tuloy magsalita at mag-isip. She’s the ONLY ONE among all those who have been interviewed na may clear vision of what she wants to do. I love that she mentioned how rich our country is in terms of the environment and culture and how we should capitalize on that. “Cultural renaissance,” she called it. She wants to focus on agriculture and education. She said, “Hindi mahirap ang ating bansa pero misallocated, misappropriated, ninanakaw.” This is what Gold and I call a POINT APRUB moment.
Mayor Jejomar Binay’s favorite phrases were, “Kami sa Makati...” and “Sa amin sa Makati...”. He mentioned how he used to have a piggy bank when he was a kid; now he owns a piggery. One of the online comments was something like, “Ruling a city ==/== ruling a country.” True that. Mayor Binay should run for VP first. I don’t see him as our president. He’s open to running for VP naman daw. He thinks the funds should be focused on local government, as opposed to national. Too much corruption goes on in the national level, he said. Things will work faster daw if the money is in the local govt.
I didn’t realize how funny Erap was until this evening. His favorite phrase was, “Kidding aside...” His hair looks so stiff and slick. Hay. He shouldn’t run anymore. I think he’s doing it out of pride because of how he was unjustly treated. But he claims to have forgiven the Arroyo family. Whenever he ran out of time to answer, he’d say, “Sandali lang. Kinukuha ko yung time ni Senator Lacson!” When the audience would clap in the middle of a statement, he would say, “Sandali lang. Let me finish!” with a po-po-po-poker face. According to him he was no real estate left; he’s turned them over to his family corporation which he is no longer a stockholder of.
I have lost all my respect for Mr. Bayani Fernando. First of all, ang sabaw niya sumagot. Ang bagal niya mag-isip. Non-sequitur pa misan.
bayani: I am above the law
cheche: ....
bayani: yes I abide by the law.
cheche: oh I thought you said above.
bayani: ang mga kailangan natin ay nasa harapan lang, galing sa mga nuno natin
Hoy kuya ninuno po.
Sen. Legarda’s and Mayor Binay’s net worth is about 40+ million each while his is... Ready ka na ba... 170+ million!!!!!! I read an online comment na parang, “Wala siyang piggery, pinkery lang.” HAHAHAHAHAHA. Thanks to his steel corporation in cooperation with MMDA and Marikina!!!! And this is the kicker. After the forum ended, he had an entourage of security waiting outside the building: several men dressed in blue on blue motorcycles, at least two back-up vans, and a black car that had BAYANI on the side with the Philippine flag. Okay fine. Then when we were at the Katipunan-C.P. Garcia intersection stoplight, we were all waiting patiently because of the red light and suddenly he and his entourage come zooming by making all the noise for the world to hear with matching blinking red lights.
)(*#$)(*@#$)(#$()@#$**(&!@#!@&!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mr. Fernando, ANG KAPAL NG MUKHA MONG SABIHIN NA GUSTO MONG MAGLINGKOD SA MAMAMAYANG PILIPINO. Simpleng batas ng traffic hindi mo masundan. And to think your people are catching those who commit traffic violations. If anything, you’re supposed to be the first to follow and implement these laws. You don’t have the privilege to break them. Kung hindi mo magawa ang maliit na bagay, then you have absolutely no right to run this country.
Only 150 guests were allowed in the theater. Naloka ako sa student council. Tama ba namang i-announce, “Those who registered by e-mail are considered invalid... We just wanted to gauge how many people wanted to go.” Someone in front of us remarked, “Eh di dapat kinlaro niyo.” O nga naman. The student representative who asked a question gave a like, five minute speech pa about how her question is very relevant ‘cause majority of the voting population is from the youth and how being part of UP and the council is like this and like that and how she’s not a member of the partisan chorva chorva then FINALLY, “And my question is...” She asked (not verbatim), “What are the core qualities you possess that will make you a good president?” At least she followed it up with, “And what programs do you have for the youth?” Ito namang si Loren, sinagot, “My FOUR qualities are...” Ay madame, core po. Binay also enumerated four qualities. Useless din yung next question, “What qualities should a justice (of the Supreme Court) possess?” ANO BA kahit hindi ako presidential candidate masasagot ko ‘yon!!!!! There are soooooooo many more issues that are relevant to the presidency. Good thing ANC’s anchors are intelligent. Cheche Lazaro asked about their stand on the HR bill!
bayani: ah eh natural ways blahblahblahblah so natural ways and have kids you can afford.
binay: freedom of choice... right of birth...
loren: I am anti-abortion but I believe that women should make informed decisions.
erap: sang-ayon ako sa sinabi ni mayor binay at senator legarda. (audience cheers) marami pang dagdag dahil sa aking naging experience.... (audience laughs, remembering his promiscuous ways) ......bilang pangulo. (audience goes wild)
REPLAY OF "COUNTDOWN TO 2010: AN ANC LEADERSHIP FORUM" ON STUDIO 23, JUNE 6, SATURDAY AT 6:00 P.M. AND ABS-CBN ON JUNE 7, SUNDAY AT 10:00 PM
Can’t wait for the next one. Philippine politics is more fun that showbiz! But then again, what’s the difference?!
***
P.S.
Mar Roxas went to the Senate with leis of garlic to ward of “Con-asswang.” I’m anti-Con-ass but GARLIC??? SERIOUSLY?????
Seriously.
Hindi na siya Mr. Palengke. Boy Bawang na siya.
Hindi ko ma-take. And this is one man running for president.
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| a "tibak" entry on current events |
[ Wednesday
June 3rd, 2009
at 9:26pm ] |
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Before anything, I would like to share with you a hypothetical situation: what if there was Facebook during Rizal's time? Our feeds page would look something like this:
na-keri niyo ba? thank to kim who forwarded this to me! :)
It's important to read the papers, listen to the radio, and watch TV in order because I believe it is our responsibility to stay informed as citizens of this republic (CHOS!!!!!). No seriously. In high school I was a bit of a ditz, not really caring what goes on but I guess UP and SSEAYP have made me better than way. So let's get started.
Katrina Halili-Hayden Kho Senate hearing
Please enlighten me on why this is a national concern that needs to be aired on national television. In theory, it's supposed to aid legislation but when you have idiots like Bong Revilla and Jamby Madrigal conducting the inquisition, the real issues (women's rights, domestic violence, privacy, etc.) disappeared. Tama ba namang itanong ni Sen. Revilla, "So Dr. Kho kayo pa ba ni Dra. Vicky Belo?"
WHAT??? SERIOUSLY???
I swear, puno ng mga gago ang senado at kongreso! I went to the Congress when they were gonna discuss the RH Bill and it was one of the most disillusioning days of my life. It started on time tapos biglang "The session will now go to recess." Congressmen were texting, sleeping, sitting on the tables while gossiping, talking on the phone... Dapat talaga unicameral nalang.
RH Bill
This needs to be passed ASAP. Tama ba namang sinabi ni DENR Secretary Lito Atienza na, "Walang problema ang maraming tao! There is nothing wrong with overpopulation!" Gago mag-boxing ka nga lang kasama ni Manny. Itong Catholic Church nakikiepal saying they won't grant communion/confession to those who vote yes.
Countdown to May 2010 Elections
Because it's less than a year away, all these politicians and politician wannabes are all trying to outshine and ruin each other. I thoroughly enjoyed the Leadership Forum aired on ANC with all the presidentiables (which is a Filipino-English coinage btw). Isn't it ridiculous that we have, as of now, 11 potential candidates eying the presidency? We have
1) Jejobama who's doing a good job in Makati so he should stick to something like that
2) Bayani Fernando who's using his current position to go national eh parang hello METRO MANILA nga eh! Wtf.
3) Mar Roxas who said "GUTOM TAYO!" as a nation eh puta hindi ka pa yata nagugutom sa buong buhay mo eh. Stop pretending to be masa; you never will be.
4) Atty. Gilbert Teodoro who is potentially the most maayos one in terms of credentials but he's just to pro-admin and needs more exposure.
5) Dick Gordon was an awesome DOT secretary (he started the WOW PHILIPPINES campaign) but I feel that his time has passed. I like him though.
6) Manny Villar. I don't want to believe the double insertion just yet but the relevant question is, "Why build a road when one already exists?" To accommodate his property? I don't know if that makes him a selfish bastard or a brilliant businessman or both.
7) Chiz Escudero may be impressive with his eloquence in both English and Tagalog but what has he really done except... Be in the opposition?
8) Noli de Castro ewan ko sa 'yo
9) Loren Legarda, buti nalang maganda ka or else you'd be irrelevant as well.
10) Ed Panlilio is a hardcore Catholic. Yun lang po.
11) Estrada, pag manalo ka mawawalan na ako ng pag-asa sa bansa.
11. ELEVEN. I wish we had the two-party system here the way America does. At least we'd eliminate nuisance candidates and we'd vote for causes, not personalities. Gets? Like in America, the Democrats are the more liberal ones and the Republicans are more conservative. The issues are clear. Which is why I really like Adel Tamano and Ace Durano, who are advocating for education and local tourism respectively. They have my votes (and I am registered, have been since I turned 18) for senator because I know they won't ask questions like, "So kayo pa ba ni Dra. Vicky Belo?"
Book Blockade
I'll keep this short because I might never end. I am angry that books are being taxed. We are supposed to be exempted from this because we're part of the 1950 Florence Agreement on the Importation of Educational, Scientific and Cultural Materials! But because of the success of Twilight, DOF realized how much money they could be making so that freakin' Undersecretary (and lawyer) Sales released new guidelines. So now "non-educational" books are taxed 5% and "educational" books 1%. How do even define what's educational and what's not? All books are vehicles of knowledge (CHOS LANG)! AND AND AND. RA 8047 or the Book Publishing Industry Development Act of the Philippines was co-written by the DOF Secretary. Ano baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.
I love this country but sometimes it just gets disappointing and frustrating.
On lighter matters, I am now enrolled. (Btw di ko gets mga nageenroll na kasama ang yaya or nanay. Ilang taon ka na ano ba.) Like Jono said, I feel like a freshman ready and excited to be a student again. I have awesome subjects (Old English and Medieval Lit... Italian... Stylistics... How to each English in a classroom... Yahoo) and even awesome-er teachers.
And did you realize that 2009 is half way done?
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| a paraiso called Bantayan |
[ Tuesday
June 2nd, 2009
at 12:05pm ] |
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Bantayan is a tiny island north of Cebu. It's not famous, I think, because getting there is quite a journey: an hour plane ride from Manila to Cebu, a 3-hour land trip from the airport to the Hagyana Wharf, and then an hour-and-a-half ferry ride from Hagnaya to Bantayan. During our last trip, the van we rode overheated and we were stranded under the blistering heat beside a chicken farm.
The driver instructs us to walk to the nearby restaurant called Francis. In the provinces their definition of "nearby" is "oh em gee it's so freakin' far and it's so init" for those raised in the city. So we hopped on tricycles and stopped at a carinderia called PRINCESS. Francis.. Princess... Princis... Frinsis?! Unsa man na uy!
We made it to Bantayan after a two-hour delay. Our exhaustion disappeared once we were greeted in the pier by this:
We (Claudine, Mariel, Danni) and I were there for the Final Coordination Meeting for the Global Legal Action on Climate Change. Sounds highfalutin but basically it was a huge environmental event that my dad's team (composed of me and his two assistants haha parang ang laki noh?) organized for a cleaner, greener, and better Philippines. That weekend was beyond awesome. There were representatives from Greenpeace, WWF, Earth Day Network, Foundation for the Philippine Environment, and every region in the Philippines, from Region 1 all the way down to ARMM. There were lawyers and government officials. I could feel the synergy from the room! Everyone shared the same passion (love for the Philippines) but each had a different advocacy: marine life, solid waste management, caves, preservation of the Sierra Madre, wild life documentaries, endangered species, global warming, energy, etc. It's not as boring or serious as it sounds. Especially not when you have Cebu lechon, Coke, and beer waiting for you.
this is why i will never be a vegetarian :| i am salivating again :(
It was also a reunion of the SSEAYP delegates, since we are in this project together. We were supposed to head to the other island but a storm brew so we ended up swimming in front of our house. HEAVY RAINDROPS HURT.
kung may whale shark, meron ding whale human in the form of Ben Kalaw (joke love you so much)
A sandbar formed in front of our house (it wasn't there two years ago!) so we took advantage and did our tiring and undying cartwheel shots and gay jumps.
On our last day we got up at 5AM to feed the barracudas.
After a few minutes in the water, we were attacked by invisible monsters (which were apparently shrimp larvae!). Our bodies were COVERED in ANGRY RED MARKS.
me and ding hanging on for our lives
My dad was like, "HAHAHAHA I WON'T JUMP IN THE WATER NA! BUTI NALANG HINDI PA AKO TUMATALON!" Us: :| :| "So what lesson can we learn from this?" he asked. "Oh I don't know... Make your daughter and her friends jump in before you do so you don't get bitten?!" I said. ACCCCK. Never mess with the sea after a storm. It changes everything. (And we didn't get to feed the barracudas. Mofo.)
itching from head to toe (literally i swear)
I've been going to Bantayan since I was a little girl (there wasn't even electricity then!) so I grew up with an illusion that all beaches in the Philippines looked as beautiful as Bantayan. And then I was introduced to Puerto Azul, Punta Fuego, and Caylabne and my cookie crumbled. Haha. It was in Bantayan where I learned how to swim with tiny sharks, sea turtles, feed fish from my hands, snorkel, and appreciate how beautiful the Philippines can be. Waking up and seeing our front yard is something I could never get tired of. 'Til next year! :)
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| nakakabuang na bohol |
[ Friday
May 29th, 2009
at 11:36am ] |
| [ |
mood |
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 amused |
] |
The awesome-est thing about Bohol is that it’s full of man-made and natural tourists spots. There are caves like this:
ding: ang itim mo teh. you blend in with the rocks.
Pristine beaches like Panglao:
Don’t go to Oops Beach Cafe. ONE SMALL, not-so-good margarita there costs 200+. Ma said baka OOPS (MAHAL ANG DRINKS DITO!) Beach Cafe yung original name. Instead, walk outside the beach and look for ROYAL VIKING. The cheapest, juiciest, most amazing grilled chicken EVER. EVERRRRRRRR.
Of course we saw the Chocolate Hills Took the Loboc River Cruise (another terrific excuse to be a glutton)
Patted Prony the Longest Python in the Philippines where a gay caretaker does a really horrible Beyonce impersonation. One time s/he disappeared for a few seconds then came out from below the table crawling. Nakakagago.
The butterfly dome. Make sure you ask for Kuya Michael as your guide. He is a riot.
ma: oh em gee!
kuya michael: yes ma’am, OH EM GEE!
me: kuya pa-picture naman dito sa bridge.
kuya: aba, aba... ito ay bridge over drought water... hindi troubled.
looking at the display
us: kuya, tunay ba to?
kuya: yes ma’am, tunay. tunay-nty-five lang!
a butterfly was put on Claudine’s finger, the one wearing a butterfly-shaped ring
kuya: wow! ikaw na si madame butterfly! madam-iiii butterfly!
kuya: ito ang locust... parang low-cust housing!
Butterflies can mate for 6-12 hours. “Many foreigners wish to be butterflies,” he informs us. He showed us how they can even fly while mating.
He let us smell the butterfly that releases chocolate-scented pheromones and showed us how that particular butterfly is an actor. It plays “dead” when threatened.
Tarsiers are a suicidal species pala. When they get scared, they stop themselves from breathing or bang their heads against a wall/bark of a tree. This is a pre-death face I think:
The idea of a hanging bridge is kinda stupid. You know, you cross the bridge then what? But the Boholanos planted attractions on the other side: souvenir shops, food stalls, and the “Buko King,” a man who can peel a coconut with his teeth. Ano ba yun.
Our driver Kuya Yoyong was a great addition to our tour.
ding: dave, what's our itinerary today?
dave: we'll go to the blood compact shrine muna---
kuya yoyong: actually we'll do blood compact shrine last because at this time of the day, there are lots of tourists there and you might not enjoy.
SOSYAL!!!!!!!!!!!
kuya: over here is the man-made forest. it's called man-made because we planted each tree one meter apart. every three years, there are environmental accountant who count the trees to ensure the growth and population of the trees.
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!
I really believe Tagbilaran City, Bohol, should be renamed from the “City of Friendship” to the “City of Charity”. There is a donation box in every restroom, tourist attraction, and church, like so:
One church had a sign in front that announced “minimum donation is 25 pesos”. Demanding?! Eh hindi na ‘yon donation, entrance fee na yon.
AHH!!! OO NA HINDI NA AKO MANINIGARILYO!!!
luvz it napaka literal naman nito
lesson learned: DO NOT CORRECT GRAMMATICAL ERRORS USING HIGHLIGHTER/BALLPEN Check out the video Ma made of our trip na rin: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aplqk_ADCEQ It was my second time in Bohol. First was maybe eight years ago with my family. It was more exciting this time around because my best friends from SSEAYP, Ivy and Dave, are both from Bohol. They met several times to plan our itinerary (which was e-mailed to me in Excel format with remarks and a "floated budget" hahaha Dave talaga.). It sucks that Ivy had to move to Bangkok for work three days before we flew in. Dave was still an incredible tour guide. Maraming salamat cheng! Next time we go there, sui-slide na ang gagawin! |
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| the Mofos conquer the CCP Complex with Carlos Celdran |
[ Sunday
May 10th, 2009
at 8:59pm ] |
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mood |
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sleepy |
] |
Regardless of individual preference, you must admit that Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos (Femelda? Imeldinand?) are fascinating. He topped the BAR from prison, she went to the Buckingham Palace wearing a tiara (but was later asked to take it off ‘cause she’s not real royalty). He’s dead but preserved in Ilocos while she is probably immortal. I will always be a fan because they recognized the importance of arts and culture and “Filipinizing” the Philippines. I love that, at one point, Boilshoi Ballet performed here and radio stations were mandated to play OPM. I love that books were written by and for Filipinos. Artists could live, not just survive, as artists. Absolutely power corrupts absolutely but what can we do? With brilliance comes insanity.
Imelda Marcos is fierce. Four years ago, she was at my lola’s birthday party and I SWEAR when Imelda enters a room, even if your eyes are closed, something in the air will shift. She is presence personified, and it ain’t just the hair. It’s easy to believe that Ferdinand fell in love-at-first-sight with her. After I sang “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?” for my lola, Imelda went up to me and said, “You have a beautiful voice. Please do not stop singing.”
Oh my it was THE ULTIMATE MOMENT OF VALIDATION. My cousins and I had a picture taken with her.
 look at us Remullas with our starstruck smiles
Anyway, to know more and be enlightened on the Marcos era, Mofo (that’s Kakki Teodoro to you) and I took the LIVING LA VIDA IMELDA! Architectural tour of the Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex as seen through the life and aspirations of Imelda Romualdez Marcos walking tour of Mr. Carlos Celdran (the description was obviously lifted from his website). Mof and I are fan girls. Major fan girls. How can we not be?! He has this incredible charm spiked with... Mystery. Okay my adjectives don’t do him justice. Basta when Carlos Celdran looks at me in the eyes while stressing a point I feel like he can read my soul. Parang I feel guilty even if I didn’t do anything! He’s a performer, visual artist, and writer. He’s like a cartoon who makes history relevant to the indifferent. As Mofie and I trailed behind him from CCP to PICC, she asked, “How could we have graduated and not known all of this?!”
After the tour, Mof and I wanted to take a picture with him but we were SO SHY. Imagine THE TWO OF US, TOGETHER, being SHY. That has never happened before. She was like, “Okay Mof this is it I’ll ask na,” then I’ll shriek “NO WAIT PLEASE NAHIHIYA AKO!” then burst into a fit of giggles then she’ll start giggling then she’ll say, “THIS IS IT I’ll ask na!” Then I’ll pry her away (take note: we are behind Mr. Celdran as we are doing this) and scream “NO PLEASE WAG NA.” This cycle went on about 4x until he finally turned around and in a little voice Mof goes, “Hi can we take a picture with you? Sorry we’re such dorks.” He said, “No, I’m the biggest dork of all!” His friend volunteered to take our picture.
 Success!
Afterwards Mof and I were so ecstatic that we hopped on Arturo Luz’s sculpture and posed.
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| to be a beauty queen |
[ Saturday
May 9th, 2009
at 8:41am ] |
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mood |
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 hungry |
] |
Below are some common questions in Beauty pageants. How would you answer them?
1. What qualities do you feel a good role model should possess?
Beauty, brains, and brawn.
2. Why did you enter this pageant?
Because I'm beautiful inside and out. (Cheka!)
3. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
The Philippines of course. But I'd like to live in Japan and Italy for a few months and about two years each in New York and England for my Ph. D and MA respectively. (Sosyal. If lang naman.)
4. If you could meet anyone in the world (living or not) who would it be any what would you say to them?
Jose Rizal. I'd ask him about the controversies surrounding him, like his sexual ambiguity. And Shakespeare, to inquire about the authorship of his works.
5. What is your most prized possession?
My friends <3 hahaha showbiz. My journals and books. I've been writing in journals since I was 8.
6. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
26 years old? Hmm... Financially independent and taking my MA in England while formulating a plan to effectively promote tourism.
7. If you could live anyone else's life, who would it be and why?
Sec. Ace Durano. He promotes tourism for a living. (www.awesomephilippines.com)
8. If you were elected President of your country, what would be the first thing you would do?
Concoct a virus that will kill useless Filipinos. Maybe three-five people from the executive and legislative branch will survive noh?
(Oh my hindi ako mananalo sa sagot na yon.)
9. If you had only one wish, what would it be and why?
Maging progresibong bansa ang Pilipinas upang wala ng kailangan lumisan mula sa lupang sinilangan.
(For the wiiiin!)
10. If your pageant title was threatened because you had gained weight, how would you feel and what would you do?
Live in the gym and yoga studio for a month then call my uncle/plastic surgeon for some reinforcements.
11. If you won a million dollars, how would you spend it?
75% for UP (professor's salary fund and library maintenance)/Philippine artists/local tourism/environmental security. 25% for me and my boyfriend to go around Europe, South Africa, Egypt, South America, and Australia together. And for Mariel to go to Spain :)
***
Let me share a reluctant pageant experience. Last December, I was um, "crowned" Miss Nippon Maru (the ship we lived in for two months during SSEAYP). It was actually more embarrassing 'cause the competition was renamed to Princess of Nippon Maru. For the talent portion I wore a man's shirt, a bow tie, suspenders, fake glasses, and sang "I Can Hear the Bells" from Hairspray. Medyo kinareer nung co-contestant kong isa so bitter siya at naaway niya pa ako sa telepono... Kebs. I got drunk after the pageant and woke up with a really bad hangover. After breakfast I was running to my cabin to throw up but someone stopped me and said "PRINCESS CAN I TAKE A PICTURE WITH YOU?" I was like, "NO NO PLEASE!" And she fucking knelt beside me and had someone snap the photograph. Oh my. (I made it to my cabin just in time.) During the morning assembly, I was asked to go on stage and give a THANK YOU SPEECH. What the hell. I LOOKED like hell! I didn't even brush my hair! I was wearing a hoodie (baka may traces of vomit pa hahaha) and jogging pants! I ended up singing four lines of "For Good" and mumbling something like, "Thank you for all the support?" 'cause Prince Nippon Maru gave a long declamation about thanking his family and friends. What a ridiculous and mortifying experience.
There is nothing princess-y about me. Or pagaent-y. But I take pride in the fact that Miss Philippines won Miss Nippon Maru three years in a row. So whoever is representing this year, good luck! Mabuhay.
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| what i've learned from traveling |
[ Thursday
May 7th, 2009
at 3:19pm ] |
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mood |
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 cranky |
] |
The past year has been a year of travel. It started with South Africa in April ’08, then Boracay early June. When I got into SSEAYP, I visited and lived in five more ( Japan, Brunei, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam). I flew to Batanes for Christmas via Zest Air. Scariest flight ever. Like my mom said, “SHET! What does a company that makes JUICE know about flying planes?!” 2009 kicked off with Sinulog in Cebu, followed by Dinagyang in Iloilo, Bacolod, four cities in America (including San Francisco and New York), swimming with whale sharks in Bicol, drinking margaritas in Boracay, Coldplay and Disneyland in Hong Kong, Earth Hour in Palawan, and then Holy Week in Cebu. I don't consider Tagaytay "out of town" 'cause I live in Cavite. Anyway, I decided to stay put in April because I needed to work (a.k.a. earn more money to travel). Here are some things I’ve learned about being a gypsy and living out of a suitcase: 1) I believe that travel is one of the best investments ever. It gives an education and opens one’s mind the way no designer bag, no top-of-the-line gadget, and no lowered car can. It’s important for me to travel now, while I’m young, single, and financially dependent on my parents (HAHA). They don’t spend for everything ha. In fact, my life savings are almost down to zero because of this "luho". No regrets. I wouldn’t trade my travel tales for anything.
2) Never forget your toothbrush, lip balm, and comfortable shoes.
3) It’s okay to get lost. I am the most walain person in the world so I’ve gotten used to asking directions from strangers, getting off the wrong stop when I’m commuting, and unfolding my city map in the middle of nowhere looking as touristy as can be. I try to enjoy it by observing the people, sights, and discovering shortcuts and hole-in-the-wall bookshops and restaurants.
4) Learn the local language. This is my favorite thing to do. Since English is our second language, we assume that the rest of the world is that way as well. When other people can’t comprehend our English, we label them as bobo or sabaw, but they’re probably a lot smarter than we’ll ever be. Fluency in English is never a measure of intelligence. If you’re not good at languages, then just memorize the basics: hi, how are you, “This food is delicious”, “I’m full!”, good morning/afternoon/evening. I’ve also learned the most useful phrase in about six different languages: “I’m single... And I love you.” HAHAHAHAHA.
i'll see you in two weeks darling! :)
5) Take pictures, write, bring home brochures, save tickets and receipts. So what kung mukha kang tourista! Tanga! Totoo naman eh.
6) Taste whatever exotic food you can get. I used to get panic attacks when I’d be presented with unfamiliar food, but after SSEAYP I’ve learned to just... swallow. Cuisine is part of culture.
7) No matter where you go, you are sort of like an ambassador for your country. Whatever you do, people will associate it to where you’re from and not who you are. For instance, if I do something stupid in a foreign land, people won’t say “Wow, Anna Oposa’s crazy.” They’ll say “That Filipino is crazy.” or “Pilipino kasi ‘yan.” Try to make a good impression to avoid Chip Tsao-related remarks.
8) The most important thing to pack (aside from sunblock, mine is SPF50) is your sense of humor. Never leave home without it. Smile at others and learn to laugh at yourself, even when you’re lost and your feet ache. ESPECIALLY when you’re lost and your feet ache!
9) Have lots of friends from all over the world. They will adopt you, feed you, let you sleep on their couch, and help you find your way in the new territory. And while you’re there, make new friends as well. (I have tagged those who have done that for me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.) 10) There is no place like home. You know what, foreigners who take the DOT surveys always rank “People” as #1. As in the Filipino people over the food, natural resources, and activities of the Philippines. We often take our kind people for granted. There is no warmth and friendliness that matches ours. No nationality is as kalog and affectionate as we are. Having said that, I think nothing compares to our beaches (We have more coral species than the entire Caribbean seas put together! We got six out of the seven species of marine turtles!) and food (sisig, Cebu lechon, and tropical fruits can sustain me for life). So please do explore the country before loving others :) I have three more countries and two more provinces ‘til I start school in June. My long-term travel goals are to study in Japan and Italy for a few months to master the languages, conquer the Great Wall of China, see the pyramids of Egypt, stare at Shakespeare's works while taking my MA in England (and probably cry from joy), and get incredibly drunk in Brazil. In the Philippines, I wanna go around Mindanao (Siargao, CDO, and Davao) and scuba dive in Tubbataha. P.S. I encourage you to vote for the Underground River as one of the new seven wonders of the world. All you need is an e-mail address and like, 5 mins. Go to http://www.n7w.com and cast your vote now! The Underground River and the Amazon River are constantly exchanging places as the 1st and 2nd in their category. Eh the Amazon River stretches along 9 countries so we have to work extra hard. Believe it or not, the Philippines has 98% wireless coverage thanks to Smart Bro and whatever Globe has to match it, so we have no excuse not to vote. The final entries will be whittled down to three entries by July. After that, voting will be done through text. We’ll eat the rest of the world alive. UNLITXT80 AND SEND TO 2870! |
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| word association |
[ Monday
May 4th, 2009
at 12:13am ] |
| [ |
mood |
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] |
Tagged by Zoe. But before that, I must say, that fight was so... so... Short. Imagine flying all the way there and witnessing a 7-minute match. Nadahilan agad si Pareng Ricky. Pacquiao is such a smart boxer noh? Bob Arun said after that [Manny] is the greatest fighter of all time. Manny was NR behind him. (Baka kailangan pang itranslate ni Chavit mamaya. --my cousin) Everyone's beaming with national pride now, but to quote Jam, "When the cheers have died down and the televisions have been turned off, when you go back to the traffic, tax, and treacherous jungle we call politics, will you still stand up for your country, kababayan?"
Sana. MANNY FOR PRESIDENT 2010! MANNY FOR NATIONAL ANTHEM DURING HIS NEXT MATCH! (Should've been Lea Salonga. She was in Las Vegas kaya!)
On to the word association game.
1. Beer: makes one fat. Especially if you have two-three bottles of Kirin/Asahi a night on board a ship that doesn’t have a gym.
2. Food: I live to eat.
3. Relationships: are difficult. Friendship, familiar, and romantic.
4. Your CRUSH: is coming home soon :)
5. Power Rangers: I WAS YELLOW. SINTA WAS PINK. AND GIA WAS... RED. HAHA (Or was it Blue, Geese?)
6. Life: is crazy beautiful.
7. The President: is becoming irrelevant because of the 2010 elections.
8. Yummy: “Anns, is your boyfriend yummy? Tell me, is he yummy? You can be honest with me...” --Tita Thea
9. Cars: have the same purpose. Let’s go for trains.
10. Movie: Wolverine!
11. Halloween: is an excuse to get drunk.
12. Sex:
13. Religion: is a social construct that divides people. CHEKA!!!! I haven’t been to mass this year.
14. Hate: is not good for the heart.
15. Fear: cockroaches. There was one in during yoga class last week and I “meditated” with my eyes half open. Hindi ko kaya.
( Several more! )
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| my take on current events |
[ Friday
May 1st, 2009
at 6:14pm ] |
| [ |
mood |
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 creative |
] |
My commentary on politics, showbiz, and sports.
Roxas-Sanchez Nuptials
I think I read it in Inquirer that no bachelor would ever win the presidential race, at least not in this family-oriented country. Every president needs a first lady, thus Mar’s proposal to Korina. The tearful interview of Mar was disgusting. Eye-mo lang yata yun mga kafreshness. AT SYEMPRE hindi magpapatalo si Kris Aquino who claims she “felt used and discarded” that their wedding wasn’t announced in one of her shows. She has pictures in Inquirer crying. Kaloka.
Agoncillo-Santos Nuptials
I watched Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo AND Sakal, Sakali, Saklolo. I’m so happy and kilig for them. Wagi naman ang secret wedding nila. Parang Britney Spears at Kevin Federline lang diba? But their wedding will have a better ending than Brit and Kev. They insisted on a simple wedding because they wanted to focus on life AFTER the ceremony, not the wedding. So mature. Judai and Ryan 4ever.
Swine Flu
All I can say is that I’m glad it doesn’t affect pork and it hasn’t reached the Philippines. What would we Filipinos do without our Cebu lechon, sisig, adobo, sinigang na baboy, and siomai?
The sucky weather
Infernez, we are lucky to have this much rain because it barely rained in Luzon last year. 2008 rain showers were concentrated in the Visayan region (Who could forget Frank?). We’d be in serious drought without the rainfall. HOWEVER, rain is not welcome during summer. Summer means heat. Basking under the sun, on a beach. Not bringing out your umbrella and hoodies! The fruits don’t taste good now dahil naninibago sila sa panahon. AND the rainfall isn’t really going anywhere because we don’t have rainwater collectors. According to the 1989 Law (RA 6716), all barangays are supposed to have. So medyo pointless. Another question... If the rainy season is pushed up to April-June instead of May-August, does that mean our July and August will be sunny? Parang America na.
Recession
The global recession is alarming. My friends and I wonder what kind of lifestyle and career we'll have in the future. America is suffering the most because well, they also have (had?) the most consumerist culture. In a way, I'm kind of relieved that the Philippines is in a chronic state of recession. When shit happens, we find something else to do, discover something to laugh/smile/sing about. We don't kill ourselves or our families.
Poll automation
If the government can spend 11 billion on this, I don’t understand why they can’t spend on the basics that would make our country better: education, agriculture (with our natural resources, we can be easily self-sustaining), environment (environmental security is the simplest form of natural security), the arts (because we Filipinos are naturally talented in the arts), and tourism.
Pacquiao vs. Hatton
The whole country will stop the whole Sunday morning to watch this. (I’ll be in Island Cove where my brothers will be watching while I stuff my face with the best clubhouse sandwich I’ve ever tasted from the Island Cove Hotel. It’s on focaccia bread, which I think makes all the difference.) I’m not a very big fan of boxing because I find it barbaric. But of course, like all Filipinos, I’ll be rooting for Pacquaio. This is my favorite video of him.
“Oh yeah exactly the glabs of I use is ah you know that’s my glab is my glab so ah...” AHAHA basta watch it nalang.
Charice Pempengco
Ok fine she’s Filipina and she’s making her way to Hollywood so yey for Filipina pride. It’s about time our singers get more attention. However. I don’t really get what the hype is about vocally. She’s just a little kid who has a big voice, which is a dime a dozen here. Case in point: Sarah Geronimo and all those kampeon ng kabataan contestants. I hope Ms. Pempengco takes care of her voice, or it’ll be gone in a few years.
Senate bill promoting arnis to be a national sport
Ah. The Senate does something right every now and then. Dapat lang :)
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[ Tuesday
April 28th, 2009
at 11:30pm ] |
you know the rules. tag people in this note (including the person who tagged you!) to learn more about people. try to tag people who you've tagged in other notes, sometimes you learn things in new notes that you didn't know before about them.
1.First thing you wash in the shower? Hair.
2.What color is your favorite hoodie? Blue with the letters NY in front. It has a tiny Statue of Liberty on the cuff. Given by Miko a couple of years ago.
3.Would you kiss the last person you kissed again? Yesss over and over again.
4.Do you plan outfits? What constitutes planning? Not really. Only I buy something with an occasion in mind.
5.How are you feeling RIGHT now? A bit bothered, but excited to teach Playshop with Mikki tomorrow. We're teaching his students Once on This Island songs. Oh yes. Bringing back our Ti Moune-Daniel tandem from 2007.
6. What's the closest thing to you that's red? COSMOPOLITAN The Cosmo Kama Sutra 77 Mind-Blowing Sex Positions. Refer to this entry.
7. Tell me about the last dream you remember having? A bunch of people were trying to bomb a building by Manila Bay. It was a protest ‘cause the Congress didn’t wanna approve some treatise for Laguna. Jim, Mikki, and I were in the building.
8. Did you meet anybody new today? Through e-mail.
9. What are you craving right now? Permanently craving for Omakase’s American Dream, even if I eat there about twice a month.
10. Do you floss? Obsessively.
11. What comes to mind when I say cabbage? ...Patch Kids. They’re fugly. Scary toy for kids I think.
( More. )
Good night. Cappie's waiting for me <3
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| a hefty price on education |
[ Monday
April 20th, 2009
at 7:53pm ] |
| [ |
mood |
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 bored |
] |
De La Salle Zobel’s annual tuition is now approximately 120, 000 pesos. Nakakaloka. When I graduated in 2006, I think it was only 75k or less. It seems that the money goes straight to facilities, with the school being fully air-conditioned, new buildings being erected, renovations of this and that, and purchasing of TVs and computers and LCD projectors. All these are nice and the PAASCU will be impressed, but when I visit the halls of my alma mater, more than half of my favorite teachers have left for better salaries. Some are in other schools, but most are abroad. DLSZ Admin, what’s the point of having excellent facilities if your excellent teachers keep leaving? Flat screen TVs outside the buildings serve no real purpose. I heard may Zobel channel na daw? The ostentatious chapel beside Gate 1 could’ve been a lot simpler (i.e. could’ve cost less); God is supposedly omnipresent anyway. I'm happy about the Gym 1 renovation because the pep squad was so kawawa due to the lack of space. The theater didn’t have to be renovated if it was built properly in the first place (two words: LEG ROOM).
I don’t mean to sound ungrateful. Don’t get me wrong, I love De La Salle Zobel. Or at least I loved MY Zobel, the one with Ms. Duco (but at least she’s back, YEY!), Ms. Joan, Mr. Fabian, Mr. Laguno, Mr. Sagum, et al. The campus had a lot of space then. My Prep and early grade school days were spent in the empty fields or playgrounds where we were princesses, the Three Musketeers, designers, or political leaders during recess and lunch. By the time I was in high school the quality of the teachers started declining. English teachers didn’t know how to speak English and teachers didn’t know how to teach. Hemingway, my point is, if Zobel spent the money on salary instead of (sometimes useless) facilities, the world would be a better place.
I don’t miss high school the way others do; it’s not something I want to go back to. The only thing I miss is having all my best friends in one place. And of course, Mang Teo’s kuchay pie and chicken tenderloin paired with Nutrilicious red tea. I’m having the time of my life in college, in UP, and all the other extra-curricular activities I do. It’s good to know that Mrs. Balgos, Ms. Sabarre, Ms. Mabalot, Sir Flu, Ms. Aldea, et. al are still there to look after Kiano who might be their student someday. If I have kids (CHELA!) I don’t know where I’m gonna look for 120, 000 pesos every year, especially with this global recession. I’m relieved that there’s only one sibling left in Zobel and two of us (Kuya and I) are in UP, where tuition is greatly subsidized. To those still in high school/grade school, show your gratification to your parents by being good and staying out of trouble (academically and otherwise). If you can’t be good, at least don’t get caught!
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| simply no place like MANILA |
[ Sunday
April 19th, 2009
at 9:22pm ] |
| [ |
mood |
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sleepy |
] |
Carlos Celdran describes himself as “a man who is trying to change the way you look at Manila one step at a time.” I got intrigued ‘cause I never liked Manila. I know the capital of my country to be dirty, polluted, and magulo. When foreigners ask me where to go in the Philippines, I recommend Cebu, Boracay, Palawan, but never Manila. Then recently I thought, “How can I REALLY love the Philippines if I can’t learn to love its capital?” So today, Ma, Danni, and I headed to Fort Santiago to take the famous Walk This Way Tour of Carlos Celdran. 
"ladies and gentlemen, please, walk this way." Carlos Celdran is AMAZING. Seriously. He is a compleat performer who redefined my concept of what a tour guide is. He sings, dances, acts, yanks out the most unexpected props and costume pieces from his bag (kinda like how Mary Poppins kept pulling stuff out of her bag), and carries a cassette player as he takes his audience through hundreds of years of Philippine history. He is a storyteller/comedian who makes history come alive. I learned more from him over the three hours this morning than my thirteen years in La Salle Zobel. It’s a must for every Filipino. The tour is GENIUS. I want to write about the things I learned but I decided against it because I want YOU to take it and experience it yourself. There are only a few tours left for the next few weeks so reserve now. Students get half off so fellow students, milk it while you can. Go to http://www.carlosceldran.com 
 
Today I learned that Manila is a beautiful, historical place that deserves to be the capital of this country. To quote Mr. Celdran, “I believe that Manila can be a reflection of your state of mind. Being a city of extreme contrasts, it can easily become an intense personal experience. Manila can be chaotic and spiritual, dirty and divine, gritty and gorgeous all at once. If you don’t find beauty and poetry here, you will never find it anywhere.”
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| THE RETURN OF THE FUNNIES (part 1) |
[ Monday
April 13th, 2009
at 8:28pm ] |
| [ |
mood |
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 groggy |
] |
My favorite hobby in Bantayan is to read the wall covered in thank you notes for my dad. I searched and found Jono's, Jonat's, Kirk's, Digoy's, Ping's, Abeng's, Mikki's, and Dave's messages. There are several nice, poetic ones and there are a few that made me go "ano daaaaw?"  ows.... REALLY????????  WAHHHHH INFAIRNESS!!! INFAIRNESS TO WHAT??? TO WHOM?? WAHHH!!! bisaya gyud ka! what else do you smill?  EH ANO NGAYON???? *** My mom and Sinta take UV PROTECTION to a whole new level. Seriously. How can you top this?  mom  sintsie *** me: alam mo kasi, when in rome, do as the romans do. jim: bakit? ano bang ginagawa ng romans?! *** over text me: golda, he’s so hot. i wanna eat him alive. golda: let me remind you that it’s GOOD FRIDAY. *** me: i’m gonna stop flirting with boys na. julie: AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA me: .... julie: oh. you were serious :| *** on valentine’s day juanch: where are you now? when are you leaving? what time is your flight? when are you coming back? what is love? me: william shakespeare said love is blind, but I think love is the ballers <3 juanch: the ballers are blind... *** donna: I LOVE THE SONG INSOMNIA!!!! ma: ME TOO SUPER! juanch: yun ba yung *sings* “dum dum dee dum dum dum dee dum dum... insomnia! it’s like a darkness is light...” me: HAHAHA JUANCH remember when you thought “insomnia” was “disturbia”? juanch: JOKE LANG NAMAN YUN EH IKAW NAMAN EH ALAM KO NAMAN TALAGA NA HINDI EH me: ....relax *** over text (when i left for the states) me: hey ma i’m about to board. thanks for giving me this chance to travel to the states on my own, i really appreciate it :) mom: you’ll go to immigration pa before you get out. pay sarah for NY hotel and ding for the SIM card. *** over text me: hi lolo! i’m having dinner with my best friend danni who studies in med school. he said you’re a legend in philippine medical history and he read you in an article entitled “legends of the knife.” i’m so proud of you :) lolo: TY. HO U? *** me: wow i can't believe you had time to go out. danni: well, this is the most benign semester i've had. me: BENIGN? ano ka, TUMOR? *** juanch: ballers, if you have the time, please get a copy of today’s leading newspaper, titik or bulgar. i’m not sure. the headline is: BALA, ISINABAY SA “I LOVE YOU”. haha sabay with or without you nagplay sa ipod ko. kulang nalang baril. *** memorable names: Allen Don Ang Catacutan Alvin Chong Go Mr. Ga Go Xyza (pronounced SAI-ZA) *** Part 2 is a vlog of my travel tales! Soon! |
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| disneyland and coldplay in HK |
[ Monday
March 30th, 2009
at 12:29am ] |
| [ |
mood |
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calm |
] |
When Ma and I were in HK, we had so many pinch-me-am-I-dreaming moments. My first one was being greeted by Mof at the airport. Back when Mof was in Manila, we were INSEPARABLE. We did like, 4.5 plays together in two years. We'd just make each other laugh 'til our stomachs hurt. She was generous enough to let me and Ma stay at her place. She prepared siopao and melon soy milk for our consumption. However our appetites needed McDo. How original. Croo.
Ma and I spent a whole day in Disneyland. It's relatively small so we were able to ride and watch about 95% of what it offered. We were like little kids again. I completely agree with the sign that greets all visitors:
On to some kabaklaan:
hahaha i really love this picture
in Mickey's house
I ended up dancing with the High School Musical float to support Mof and Ariel. I was the only one above 7 years old I think. We should be proud of the Filipino performers we have there. Without bias, I think they stand out compared to the others. Mas may energy, mas powerful ang boses, mas masigla sa entablado (CHOS!).
***
The Coldplay concert was another surreal moment. Ma and I had a documentation method: when I'd take pics, she'd take videos and vice versa. If it was her favorite song, I'd hold the video so she could enjoy and vice versa. Wagi.
I'm supposed to write a review of the concert for a magazine, but this much I can say: they are perfect live. The music was flawless. The production value was surprising. It was a feast for the eyes with all sorts of lights and sets and gimmicks per song.
 For "Yellow", big yellow balloons with multi-colored confetti dropped for the audience to play with and pop. "Fix You" my ultimate favorite Coldplay song  "Lovers in Japan," another favorite where butterfly-shaped confetti rained upon us non-stop the finale
Videos are on my Facebook because Ma tagged me.
This adventure wouldn't have been possible without you and your eagerbeaverness. There's no one else I would've wanted to get lost with and steal Coldplay posters with in HK than you. 'Twas the first of our many international trips together <3
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| Season 8: AMERICAN IDOL TOP 10 |
[ Sunday
March 22nd, 2009
at 2:45pm ] |
| [ |
mood |
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lazy |
] |
I have a theory that A.I. is only good every other season. Season 3 with Fantasia was one of the best. The entertaining ones in Season 4 were Carrie, Bo, and Constantine. Season 5 = ELLIOTT YAMIN! KELLIE PICKLER! KATHERINE MCPHEE (kahit bitch siya)! CHRIS DAUGHTRY! I stopped watching halfway through Season 6 (JORDIN SPARKS?? BLAKE LEWIS??? CROO.). I couldn't get enough of Season 7. I prepared myself for a boring Season 8 but I am pleasantly surprised with all the changes.
First of all, I LOVE KARA, the hot new judge who's more coherent than Paula ever will be. I Googled her and discovered that she co-wrote a lot of really good songs! Paula still talks about palettes and colors and beauty and still does her otter clap. Randy "I recorded this with Mariah" Jackson seriously needs to increase his lexicon and stop using "hot" and "dope" as adjectives, but he actually gives good criticism every now and then. Simon... I've always loved him and agree with him most of the time.
I'm happy about Wild Card because my two favorites, Anoop and Matt, were rejected at first. I like the idea of the save because that way we can avoid Jasmine Trias over Latoya London incidents again.
Now on to the contestants. Anoop was SOOOOO bad in "Beat It" but swept me off my feet with "Always On My Mind". Matt stole my heart from the start. Danny's soulful voice is fantastic but he needs to get his teeth sawed. He has fangs. Very distracting. Kris is the kind of guy you wanna bring home and sing you to sleep. He's a cutie pie. I liked Scott at first but like Julian said, he's becoming a novelty. He needs to shake things up a bit so he doesn't cause a snooze fest. Michael's a teddy bear. I thought he lacked appeal until I heard him sing "You Are Not Alone".
 hi matty lovioooo
Adam Lambert is the most annoying contestant I've ever seen. He's a tranny trapped in a trying-hard-to-be emo body. SERIOUSLY. He was on WICKED! HE HAS PICTURES ONLINE KISSING ANOTHER GUY!
He should just drop the rocker act and spread his wings. Kiano has nicknamed him Adam 'Lang-Bird. HAHAHA. His "Ring of Fire" was so bizarre. Kung labanan ng badaf, Danny Noriega would win. At least he was comfortable about being gay. "Ish!"
wow! parang kapatid lang ni bebe gandanghari!
On to the girls. They're such a disappointment. Allison has NO APPEAL whatsoever. Without her flaming red hair she'd be forgettable. Megan's so pretty (but her mom is even hotter) pero nakakaturn off yung tattoos niya. She dances like she's drunk and 70 years old. Lil is just another black girl with a big voice... What's new? I don't see anything special about her. Latoya was much better. The only one I really liked was Alexis and she's out. Si Jolene kasi eh. My mom was wailing, "Joleneeeeeee....a Magdangal!!!"
Two months to go! In addition to my weekly dosage of House, Desperate Housewives, Brothers and Sisters, Gossip Girl, and Grey's Anatomy, I'm so happy that I have American Idol to look forward to!
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| do you have what it takes to be a philippine youth ambassador? |
[ Wednesday
March 18th, 2009
at 10:46am ] |
| [ |
mood |
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tired |
] |
The perks are endless. You get to go to Japan and five ASEAN countries on a huge cruise ship for two months to represent the Philippines, all expense paid by the Cabinet Office of Japan. You'll be with 300 other youth leaders from all Southeast Asian countries and Japan who'll become your best friends and extended families. You'll get to perform for ambassadors, diplomats, dignitaries, and royalty (specifically the princess of Japan!) at every port of call. You learn about other people's cultures and traditions and share ours.
This isn't an experience money can buy. And I must say, this really was one of the best experiences I've ever had. It made me redefine my concept of love and nationalism. It made me fall in love with my country even more because I saw how great the Filipino could be in relation to other nationalities. I learned how similar yet different we all are, that there can be unity in diversity.
  ahaha that's me in the bunny ears of course  You can download the application forms at http://www.youth.net.ph. It's called the Ship for the Southeast Asian Youth Program (SSEAYP). If we're friends, let me know if you're applying so you can make me a character reference or an alumna you know. I can help you prepare your application form and brief you for the panel interview. Or PM me your e-mail so I can send you the application form and flier.
Other entries I've written about this:
http://ahnnabanana.livejournal.com/2008/11/28/
http://ahnnabanana.livejournal.com/209657.html
Help me spread the word and tell people you know who might be interested! Let's go Philippines!
***
Now I'm off to Boracay! Wow Philippines!
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| wow philippines: mt. mayon and butandings in bicol |
[ Saturday
March 14th, 2009
at 11:47pm ] |
| [ |
mood |
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sleepy |
] |
Sec. Ace Durano said in an interview that every Filipino should experience two things: Puerto Princesa's Subterranean River (accomplished in Dec. 2007) and swimming with whale sharks in Donsol. So last Wednesday, my dad and I flew to Bicol for his speaking engagement, which he accepted so he'd have an excuse for us to say hi to the butandings.
It completely slipped my mind that Mt. Mayon was in Bicol. Boba. As the plane descended, I asked my dad, "Pa, anong mountain 'yan?" He was like, "THAT'S MT. MAYON!" I just read an article about Mt. Mayon and I quote: "Mt. Mayon... is a type specimen of the volcanic art. It has a base that is a flawless circle, eighty miles around.. The angle of repose of its andesite ledges is a gem of geologic symmetry."
dad: do you see the cone?
me: no, why? it's cloudy eh.
 dad: kasi nakikita lang daw yon ng mga pure of heart. me: p*ta.
After a few minutes, the sky cleared and the cone peeked from the clouds. Congratulations to me and my pure heart :)
***
spotted on a trike: NEVER TRUST PEOPLE WITH TWO IDENTITY
***
We arrived in Legazpi at 11 AM. The clock said 7. HUWAW iba na pala ang time zone down south. Kaya pala perpetually fifteen minutes ang waiting time!
***
Bicol is famous for the pili nut. I didn't know they looked like duhat.
In their culture, NOTHING is wasted: the skin is edible (dipped in toyo or vinegar), the hard cover of the nut is turned to charcoal, and the nut is the caramelized pili nut we know and love. Cool noh?
***
 Save wood! Save money! Rent a coffin!
***
I tried Bicol Express for dinner. Good stuff. Now two more have been crossed from my Biyahe Tayo goal: Bulkang Mayon and Bicol Express.
***
And on to the highlight of my trip: swimming with whale sharks. I have never experienced anything quite like it. I think it's better than scuba diving. We were on the boat for three hours, searching for the brown shadows that the gentle giants cast on the surface. Once we spot one, we loom closer towards it and dive in and swim beside them or on top of them until we lose sight of them. They're beautiful. Gentle. And HUGE! The smallest one we found was about 10 feet long. The biggest one they've found is 17 meters long. That's almost as tall as a two-storey building.
We were on the way back to the island when we spotted one last one. I'm fully clothed in the pics because we all panicked and my dad and I just dove in without life vests.
Sec. Durano was right. Every Filipino should experience this. It's beyond words, to be with the gentle giants that close. We should take pride that Donsol is the whale shark capital of the world! Having said that... FYI: we are home to the biggest fish in the world, the whale shark, and the smallest fish in the world, the photocorynus spiniceps. Ang ganda talaga ng Pilipinas :)
More pictures at: http://ahnnabanana.multiply.com/photos/album/153/wow_philippines_bicol
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| eheads, francis m., zsa zsa zaturnnah |
[ Tuesday
March 10th, 2009
at 6:40am ] |
| [ |
mood |
| |
 awake |
] |
There was no better way to arrive in the Philippines knowing I was gonna watch the Eraserheads concert with my brothers. I missed the first one in fear of a stampede, so I made sure not to miss the last-est one.
They must've sung over 20 songs. They opened with "Magasin" (with matching pyrotechnics). I loved their reggae version of "Huwag Mo Nang Itanong" and stripped down, acoustic version of "Kailan". I didn't know it could sound so sad. They didn't sing "With a Smile" though. I was waiting for it. I swear, they are the greatest band in the history of OPM. (And it fits that the greatest band in the history of OPM comes from UP... HEHE.) During the tribute to the late Francis Magalona (who was supposed to perform that night and rap to "Superproxy"), I was tearing up. Then they followed it up with "Ang Huling El Bimbo". Waging wagi. I looked at my brothers and said, "Omigod I wanna cry." Then Uli said, "Nung nanood kami ni Kuya nung Love (the Vegas show on the Beatles) pinapagtawanan namin yung mga lola at lolo na umiiyak kasi feel na feel nila. Ganito pala yung feeling."
WAAAAAAAAHHHH! Well said.
 ma sent this picture to me. don't know who took it, but whatta beautiful shot!
There was mini-stampede when Marcus (tama ba?) came out and said, "Bitin pa kami." They went on to sing three more songs. Awesome. This was the band that defined rock music in the 90s. People should never be allowed to revive their songs. I hated that tribute album with Kitchie Nadal. Who the hell thought KITCHIE had the right to sing EHEADS??? Myghad. It's just wrong.
***
 from ma's multiply
My kuya and I would sing Francis M. songs growing up. As a tribute to him, we danced "Mga Kababayan Ko" and "Meron Akong Ano" for the Philippine National Day Presentation of SSEAYP. I didn't realize how nationalistic he was until I read his blog:
"I guess if we just loved our country so much we would be willing to die for it. I would. But a dead me is a useless me. I am more useful alive. As long as I live, I will continue to espouse [Jose Rizal's] dedication to uplift our country and our people."
"Our great hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, put it so aptly with a book called "Noli MI Tangere" (Touch Me Not) and this is the social cancer that he saw a hundred or so years ago that inspired him to write this book... This cancer happens to this day. Every time I watch the Senate & Congressional hearings about the scams and the corruption, it validates my perception that there is a moral and social cancer in our country. The disease has spread and is deep in our system. For as long as WE, the responsible men and women of our country, fight this battle, we will not allow our country to rot and die. This cancer is more evil than the medical one. For real."
Wow. WOW. Like Ely Buendia said after "Superproxy," "MABUHAY KA FRANCIS!"
***
The Ballers had our usual dinner date in Omakase as a post-Valentine's (super post) celebration last Sunday. We realized it's been a year since the Ballers were formed too. Happy anniversary! I can't live if livin' is withoutchoo! Afterwards we headed to CCP to catch the last show of Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah ze Musical with Mariel. It was my first time to watch it. We were all laughing from beginning to end. It was perfect for our gay spirits. I loved the four divas, Didi (although I wish I had watched Nar), the energetic ensemble, and Eula Valdez. I had NO IDEA she could sing and possessed sharp comic timing. Excellent direction, script, and music. Congratulations Sir Chris (Millado), Sir Chris (Martinez), and Sir Vince! Sa uulitin. May next run pa daw!
I'm off to Bicol tomorrow to swim with whale sharks. I'm so excited. It's my dream come true!
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| hey there banana, what's it like in new york city? |
[ Wednesday
March 4th, 2009
at 6:11am ] |
| [ |
mood |
| |
relaxed |
] |
New York City--the melting pot of ethnicity, the home of Friends/Will and Grace/Sex and the City, the Mecca of artists, the only reason why I'd ever move to the United States. I first went with my family back when we lived in Boston and did the whole touristy thing (Statue of Liberty, Twin Towers, eklavu) then in 2004 for a pre-college creative writing course. Last week was my first time to explore the city with no itinerary whatsoever. The best part was being with my two best friends for the weekend, which has been our plan since... I don't know, high school? (Except our dream included Maica and Mariel. NEXT TIME!)
K so who would be stupid enough to go to New York in the middle of winter without winter clothes? Dundundun... THE THREE OF US!
If I was freezing in SF, I was definitely frozen in New York. This is us chilling (literally) in Times Square on our first day. Sarah bought that ugly furry hat on the streets and we had to buy ear muffs and gloves as well. I thought my nose was going to fall off. I couldn't text when I was walking 'cause it would be too cold to remove my gloves. ACKKK. I HATE COLD WEATHER. My Pilipino skin is spoiled with tropical sunlight! But hemingway I didn't complain because I was in New York! NEW YORK! Then that night, Ding's sister's best friend from New York, Craig, took us out for some dancing and drinks at the meat-packing district.
 The club was full of weirdos. There was this old guy who looked like a DI dressed in a vest and I don't know... Cowboy boots or something na bumabanat mag-isa sa tabi. At one point, he knelt with his eyes closed with his arms raised. Nag-dasal sa gitna ng club?!?!?! Kaloka! And there was this manyak who kept on making the moves on Ding, which explains Sarah's frightened (panicked?) expression. Out of desperation, I put my arm around Ding and said, "Sorry but she's with me." *cue music: I kissed a girl and I liked it... I hope my boyfriend don't mind it... It felt so wrong, it felt so right...
The night ended at 4AM and Ding and I woke up with hangovers. We watched Wicked, which I think is the best musical I've ever seen (and I have seen quite a lot). I love that it celebrates womanhood and friendship. I've wanted to watch it since it opened so it was a dream five years in the making. I cried in the opening number, "One Short Day," and "Defying Gravity". I was happy 'cause Ding and Sars loved it too! Then we walked around Central Park in search for the Bethesda fountain, because like Maix said, "That's where Aidan proposed to Carrie." (She and I are HUGEEE Sex and the City fans.) Here are the pics to embarrass Sars:
 Sarah the QTip and Sarah's "HIGH TEN" pose
 WAHHH IT LOOKS LIKE DING'S ARM IS SUPER LONG HAHAHAHA
Our favorite thing to do in New York was eat. Seriously. People would be like, "So have you gone shopping?" And we'd be like, "We'd rather eat than shop. We'd rather eat than do anything." And so we had the best steamed buns in the world at Momofuku, the famous pastrami from Katz (which was featured in When Harry Met Sally), the biggest brunch in Cafe Cluny with Ana and Cris, shakes and burgers at Stan, and coffee from Starbucks every like, four hours.
There's no way Sarah, Ding, and I can share an apartment. There would be no floor, no bed, and no tabletop space from our joint mess. It's crazy. We chose our hotel because of the free high-speed Internet access in every room hahahaha. It was in the gay district of New York too (we didn't know until our last night). After they left, I stayed at Tara's place, my guardian and ate. We went to the Bodies Exhibit, which is perfect for nerds like me, Columbia University to breathe in some Ivy League air, the MoMA (Warhol, Van Gogh, Matisse, Picasso... Huwaw!), and the Guggenheim (the theme is how Asia inspired Western art. Fabulous.). My feet were so painful in the 6-floor Guggenheim and when we got to the top, THE ELEVATOR WAS BROKEN. I wanted to kill myself and roll down the spiral structure. Half-way through I took my boots off and just walked barefoot. Other activities included a visit to Sarah Lawrence to see Bobbie and Eric, watching the FIRST NIGHT of previews of West Side Story with Ate May, dinner and drinks with JY and his friends, and Jamba Juice.
I swear, New York is really the best place in the world (after the Philippines). I love its energy, its diversity, and its life. It's just so so alive. I love the kind of inspiration it gives me as an aspiring writer. I'm obsessing over the graduate programs of NYU and Columbia now for Creative Writing, English, and Journalism. THE SECRET!!!!
But next time, I'll pack more winter clothes. More pictures in my Facebook and Multiply. I'm currently in my final stop, Apple Valley, California :)
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