Encounter with the Fireflies

I can still remember the time when Marx invited me to join their Donsol trip through Twitter. With no money, I should have said no. But my instinct told me otherwise. Without any second thought, I said yes. Almost two months of planning and then the most awaited day, to me at least, came. 

I met the Butanding Freaks (Chino, Elal, Marx, Paola and Heiz) at the Legazpi Integrated Terminal (LIT). They were practically strangers. Though I’ve been exchanging messages with Marx and religiously following his blog, I never met him in person. And so are the other 4. When I told my mom that I`ll be away for a day and I’m going out with strangers, she freaked out. In the end though, she allowed me to. 

Upon arrival at the LIT, you have several options: a) hire a taxi (though this would be a bit pricey), b) ride a commuter van, c) take a non-air-conditioned bus and d) ride a jeepney. We chose to take a commuter van. It is easy to spot vans going to Donsol. It is located just a few walks across Save More. Since there was a scarcity of passengers that day (it was Sunday), we waited for at least an hour or so before the van departed much to our frustration. The driver doesn’t leave the terminal until it reach the desired seating capacity. The van left the LIT at around 4PM. The drive to Sorsogon was longish and a little bit drag. I/we went to sleep. After 2 hours and so, our vehicle licked the asphalts, the streets of Donsol, Sorsogon. Finally! When I saw the Butanding Fest billboard, I had to stretch my hand out and take a shot of it with some random guy (and random hands) in front of it. And I didn’t care if the background was very unpicturesque.

The driver was kind enough to bring us directly to the Dangkalan Beach Resort where we will stay in, which is 15 minutes away from the town proper. We paid P100 each. The resort is strategically located in front of the ocean (that’s why it’s called a beach resort, duh) and a few walks away from the Donsol Tourist Center where you need to register prior to your Butanding Encounter. There are a handful of resorts in this part of Donsol. I think Dangkalan Beach Resort is the cheapest and the top choice of budget travelers.

Ms. Lalaine, which happened to be Marx’ cousin, greeted us with a warm smile. We checked-in. And guess what, we even had a great deal. We got 2 deluxe rooms (for 3 people) minus the A/C use for only P1,000/night each. That’s P333.33 for each of us. Great, isn’t it? The staff led us to the cottage where we will stay. I’m quite impressed by the room. Nothing fancy about it but it was spacious and well-maintained. It has 2 beds (a single and a doubles), a shower and the bathroom comes with 2 towels and some basic toiletries. The resort’s management was also kind enough to provide us with an electric fan. The only downturn was there was no free wi-fi in the resort and the same goes with the other resorts. I was told.

Firefly Watching 

After we freshened up, it was time for our first activity, Firefly Watching. I first heard about it on the local morning show, Marhay Na Aga Kapamilya. It honestly intrigued me. Miss Lalaine led us to the boat docked on the shore within the resort’s vicinity. I stepped into the boat with Elal, Chino, Paola, Marx and Heiz together with three boatmen. The boat could only board a maximum of 5 people (excluding the bangkeros and the guide) but because we were VIPs of Miss Lalaine we were able to do so (Marx pretended to be our tour guide). She also arranged the boat rental for the Firefly Watching at P1250/boat.

We sailed the night away. (Photo not mine)

Night sailing. That’s probably one of the scariest things I did in my whole life. I may not showed outward signs of being scared but deep inside, my vital organs are coiling. Have I ever told you that I can’t swim? I never learned how to. I looked up, down, from side to side and all I saw was darkness. For a moment, I became scared of the thought that we might get lost or be swallowed by the sea or be lured by mermaids into the depth of the ocean. Hahaha. But thank God, He was with us. The water was calm.

Moving on, because we literally moved on, we sailed for at least thirty minutes. After entering the Donsol River, a guide boarded. As much as I hate to say this, the guide was still a bit amateur-ish and knows a little about the whole tour. There were a lot of silent moments and if not for Chino and the fireflies it would be boring as hell. Anyway, there will be three stop-overs: the first one being the “Huling Puno” (sounds ironic, right?). According to the guide, it houses the most number of fireflies and she was definitely correct. I was in awe. It was magical. In some way, it reminded me of a scene in Tangled.

Just a reminder, don’t shoot with a flash on. It scares off the fire flies. Plus, it affects their light synchronicity whatever that means. I’m just a bit disappointed that my P&S can’t capture it. And so were their DSLRs. Mehehe~ We went like that for another 30 minutes or so, jumping from one tree to another. At first, it was amazing but a few minutes into it, it became repetitive and in a lack of a better term, boring. I was like, “can you please row fast Manong bangkero so we can get out of here”. Sorry :3 I hope the Tourism Office can do something about this. Make it livelier, more entertaining. 

We told the bangkero to drop us off near the town center. You have a choice to either ride a tricycle or just walk. And because we are responsible tourists, we walked. It took us at least 15 minutes to reach the town center. The original plan was to find a cheap resto that serves local dishes. The one inside the resort where we checked in are bit pricey in our opinion. But because it was already past 8pm, all the local eateries are closed (except for those inside inns and resorts) much to our dismay. Heiz passed by a fruit stand where she chanced upon ripe mangoes and watermelon. She bought a couple of kilos. We then went to a grocery store to buy some stuff. Then went straight to the resort. Lines of tricycles are waiting to bring you to your resort. The tricycle driver charged us P20/person and it can accommodate a total of six people. 

Tips: 

 • Buy things you need or you want in the Centro – the commercial center of Donsol – before you go to your resort. It’s cheaper and besides, it’s really hard to find stores near the resorts. 

• If you’re on minimal budget, I suggest that you take an early dinner in the Centro where the local eateries are found, sometimes they run out of food during peak hours. 

Siram Sana Resto and Bar 

Siram Sana is the restaurant found inside the Dangkalan Beach Resort. A single meal costs P150 and above. I told you it was a bit pricey. Little did we know that each serving is good for 2-3 people. So lesson learned, don’t be fooled by the menus. Charot! 

I ordered chicken adobo. And it was so yummy that it can probably match my mom’s. The others ordered tinolang manok, pinakbet and of course your Bicol experience won’t be complete if you haven’t tasted local dishes like laing and Bicol Express. 

Contrary to popular belief, Bicolanos don’t get to eat Bicol Express every day. Their version of Bicol Express is good but ain’t great. The laing on the other hand, well, I’m not buying it (high standards ba?). Then we had some ripe mangoes for dessert. I was so full at that time. It was like a “getting-to-know-each-other” dinner. I even taught them some basic Bicolano words. And I even told Chino a little bit of the legend of Magayon and Panganoron. Sorry, I don’t want to do the story-telling here.

After dosing ourselves to a splendid dinner and several Vice Ganda jokes, we went back to the girl’s room. We bought a bottle of a cheap hard drink and some chips when we were still in the Centro. I was a bit hesitant to drink because my alcohol tolerance is low. And when I say low, it’s really really low. I can only tolerate a bottle, two at the most. And indeed, after just three gulps, I rushed to the bathroom to puke. I didn’t push myself farther after that. Nobody likes to puke. To me, that’s not fun. 

• Legazpi City to Donsol, Sorsogon (2 hours) – P100.00/person

• Dangcalan Beach Resort

           • Deluxe room for 3 (fan cooled) – P1000.00/night 

• Firefly Watching (arranged by the resort) – P1250/boat (good for 5 persons)

• Centro to Dangcalan Beach Resort (tricycle) – P20/person 

• Siram Sana Resto and Bar 

           • Chicken Adobo + 2 rice - P175.00 + P15.00 

           • Ripe mangoes – Free courtesy of Heiz

BACK FROM THE GRAVE

This is a sort of an obligatory entry for today so I’ll get back to regular programming on the weekends. 

 

I am still breathing, thank you very much. 

The 3-month long blogging hiatus was the result of the delinquency I have provoked these past weeks. I’ve really been a “bad” blogger. In my case, “bad” is defined as being inactive for 90 freaking days or so and not doing my blog hopping duties. I was busy. Having a social life, 12 hours a day/four days a week work schedule, normal sleep, maintaining two blogs and balancing all those is not an easy thing after all. Even if I could find time to be here, my guts is manifesting to have at least a leave of absence. This is especially true as I feel the pressure of my work increases as the end of the year draws near. My work is destroying every brain cells I have. My virginity was as well ruined (and you can take that anyway you want). I was fucked with these things for the past weeks. But with positive thinking, I’m going to turn everything upside down from now on. I promise! Cross my heart. Hope to die. 

This is getting boring so I’ll put the rest in bullet form. I have to remind you though, this post is everything in my mind at the very moment. 

(1) It does feel quite miserable when it turns out that I haven’t accomplished even half of my 2012 to-do list the fact that the year’s almost over. 

(2) I was drinking the other night and in between gulps of beer, I realized that I still had not blogged about my summer trip to Donsol with some travel bloggers. Wow, that’s funny! Talk about eternal laziness. 

(3) I’ve been getting few comments (peppered with unsavory words) on my article, “RH Bill is not anti-life”. But I’m trying to just ignore them. At the end of day, like me, they are Filipinos too who wants the best for the country. 

(4) Speaking of RH Bill, my article has been getting a lot of views lately. I didn’t think it would reach even half the number shown on the blog stats but I am very grateful that it did. At the time I wrote that piece, I was simply putting my feelings and thoughts in black and white. My objective was to share it with young adults like me who have yet to make a stand. 

(5) A close friend confessed that he has feelings for me. No typo error there, he’s really a “h-e”. Awkward. 

(6) I am trying to focus and be serious right now since (if things went as planned) I’ll be signing a three-year contract with Star Magic next week (fingers crossed). I’m also trying to build up a habit of reading legit health-related books so that I can do better at work. 

(7) I’m crushing on someone. She’s from Tumblr. The thing is, she’s five years younger than me. Saklap. 

(8) I cancelled both my Calaguas trip this November and my Batad trip this December cos I got no money, baby. Yay! 

(9) We got a new apartment. It’s pretty small though. Only 2 rooms for the four of us. I have to share a room with one of my sisters. Not cool. But for me, it’s more home-y compared to our old house. 

(10) Finally, after 1672 years of having no communication and being cold at each other, my ex talked to me. I was even surprised that she was the first one to hit me on chat, which she rarely does ever on Facebook. 

(11) Christmas is fast approaching. I’m thinking of Samsung GS3 as a perfect Christmas gift. For sure, I’ll be the happiest. Or a girlfriend. Yeah right, a girlfriend. To keep me from being bored with my existence and thinking about coma or something. 

Tomorrow’s another work day. I hope it will be sunny. Not that I hate the rain, I just hate the way it makes me feel sometimes. Sticky, wet and dirty and it’s nowhere near sexy, sexy! I love the rain when I know I won’t get wet or I know I don’t need to look dry, presentable and neat the whole day. 

I apologize if this is nothing but blabber. I just want to update you guys. Anyway, long distance back pats and high fives to all my awesome readers – you are all great. Exclamation point. Exclamation point.

Page 2 of 6: After-thoughts on President Aquino's second year in Office

For 25 months now, I, with the rest of the 90 million Filipinos, have been in eager anticipation of changes, hoping against hope really, that the promises made by the President to the Filipino people and his supporters will be fulfilled or will see its beginning at this time already. But the prospects have been really gloomy these past few months. A thing that the President, of course, wouldn’t admit. Right from the start, I have had negative feelings towards this leadership and I wanted so badly to be proven wrong. 

Just a few days ago, President Noynoy Aquino delivered his third State of the Nation’s Address. I had a bit of an idea that the President will blame the previous administration and people will still be clapping their hands. Like his first two SONAs and countless campaign speeches before that, it was, as usual, full of unrealistic claims and empty promises, pondering to popular sentiments and engaging in mudslinging. Can anyone tell the President that he doesn’t need to be in campaign mode anymore?

I have to give him credits, though, for using the Filipino language, the personal approach, the timely pauses and voice modulation, the book-worthy statements and the (not-so-funny) jokes when he delivered his speech. PNoy did present the nation with a stable account of his administration’s accomplishments (sprinkled with slideshows and interview footages to make him credible) but if you listened close enough, you’d realize that there was nothing in the President’s one-and-a-half hours of speech (one of the longest speeches post-Martial Law) that showed measures that will distinguish him from the Presidents before him (read: what he can call his “own”). 

He started his speech with what else, his sob story. Honestly, I’m just so sick and tired of that and probably everyone else will agree with me. I can’t even count on my fingers how many times the President told us “his MMK-worth life story” since 2009. I mean, come on, can he just stop shoving that down our throats? I’ve heard that story over and over again and it’s quite an overkill. 

Moving on, there were points in his speech that were worthy of praises (the improved and still improving tourism sector, the construction of more decent infrastructures, the upgrade on our military facilities and equipment, the plans for rice self-sufficiency next year) but he failed to push some aspects better. 

For instance, PNoy was already on the topic of education and that encouraging bit when he mentioned “responsible parenthood” (that got a thunderous applause and even a standing ovation from about 1/3 of the audience) but what happened to any mention of the Reproductive Health Bill. Saying “Perhaps Responsible Parenthood can help address this” is different from saying “we need to pass the Reproductive Health Bill the soonest possible time”. I am pleased that PNoy voiced out his support for the RH Bill but he need to back it up with political will. He needs to walk the talk. He needs to have the balls, iron balls. 

In the end of his speech, he mentioned “sa bawat atletang Pilipinong bitbit ang watawat saan mang panig ng mundo” yet he failed to present concrete plans for Philippine sports. He didn’t even send any good luck messages to the 11-brave hearted Filipino athletes who are on their quest to capture our first  ever Olympic gold medal. The dictates of good rhetoric would have eventually lead him there, and yet, nada. The President also seems to forgot to thank our Overseas Filipino Workers who last year brought a staggering $23 billion and kept the economy afloat during the bad times. He also forgot to mention that the BPO industry flourished much during the Arroyo administration but by some bizarre incidence he have made it look like it’s a recent development, implying that it happened during his stint as President. 

Of course, the President didn’t fail to boast about his fight against corruption which biggest “achievement” so far is the ousting of the ex-Chief Justice Corona. Never mind if the 5 month-long “trial by publicity” didn’t even prove that CJ Corona was corrupt. Never mind if the prosecution team violated a lot of laws, when I say a lot, it’s really a lot, in their desperation to convict Corona. Never mind how those falsified evidences illegally made their way to the hallways of the Senate. A question I have always in mind and would shout at his face if given the chance, "where’s the matuwid na daan you`re bragging about"?

It pains me to see that the conqueror of the “tuwid na daan” which he claims himself to be is very eager to get rid of everyone associated with the previous administration but is doing nothing to correct the blunders of his appointees. I could forgive Noynoy for being incompetent. After all, he’s already the President and that’s democracy at work. However, he should have at least competent people working for him. The problem is, at this moment, he is surrounded by lightweight people left and right. And instead of doing the right thing and bypass these guys, he let them all pass and, sometimes, even justified their mediocrity. It’s no wonder why this administration is gaining notoriety for its inability (or refusal) to fire people other than the ex-Chief Justice. And to think how the President continuously persisted to hound the Chief Justice until the end of time and that when he’s already fired, the President is still making cheap tirades against him. If that’s not arrogance, I don’t know what it is. 

And I thought Noynoy is for a corrupt-free government? I’m not happy to report that incompetence is the same as corruption. The only difference is that the money spent goes nowhere. Apparently, Noynoy is not taking the fight against corruption as personally as he likes to think. 

He is trying to be different from Gloria by changing whatever reminded him of the Arroyo administration. Not that I’m an anti-PNoy or anything, I do recognize his effort for trying to be better than Gloria. But the facts are simple, he are unnecessarily changing what already works and thus causing the government to spend extra. In his speech, he said something like (am paraphrasing) “we have done in two years, what the former administration was unable to do in nine years”. I’m not a pro-Gloria but man, he must give credit where credit is due. Well, blinded by rage or possibly other motives, he probably didn’t see it. Or didn’t want to. A true leader must not only show where a rival went wrong or where she could have done better. A true leader must have the humility to accept that his rival has also done good things for the country and this should be done regardless of personal beliefs and political affiliations. 

The only saving grace PNoy has for now is that he’s still popular, though not as popular as before but popular nonetheless, based on surveys whose reliability and validity I have already put in question. But soon, if he doesn’t get his acts together, these people who he considers friends now will be the same people who will oust him in power. Well, history kind of repeats itself you know. 

So for his second year, I’ll give him a 7/10. So-so. Mediocre. Just the kind of performance you would expect from someone who was untested in executive work and as far as I was (and still is) concerned, lacking in vision and direction. But in credits to him, his 2011 was miles better than the suckfest that was 2010. 

On the relatively brighter side, I don’t want to end this on a bad note of course, he still has four more years to prove his worth, four more years to stay to true to his promises. And while I’m not going to be holding my breath waiting for complete changes to take place in his stint as President, well, there’s always hope. I just don’t know when that hope is gonna end or if it gonna even last. Or maybe it doesn’t exist in the first place.

6 Months Of Bitterness Summarized

Since my younger years, I’ve been writing in English. That probably explains my tagalog-dumbnesia. I don't write in Filipino. I mean, I write but I sucks big time. So, I really salute guys who could express their sentiments well in the Filipino language. Clap clap!

Anyway, in celebration of Buwan ng Wika next month, I made a Tagalog post summarizing the six months of my “letting-go-moving-on” phase. I hope you read it guys and please be kind to me.

WARNING: This is a lil bit depressing. *wink* 

Labis labis akong nasaktan ng sa huli kong inibig. Hindi ko inaasahan na mauuwi sa isang mapait na pagwawakas ang aming pag-iibigan. Masakit. Sobrang sakit. May mga pagkakataon pa ngang naisip kong magpatiwakal. Anong silbi ng buhay ko kung hindi rin lang naman siya ang makakasama ko habambuhay? Wala. Mas gugustuhin ko pang mawala sa mundong ito kaysa makita ko siya sa piling ng iba. Ngunit alam kong isang malaking pagkakasala ang aking gagawin kaya hindi ko itinuloy. 

If you love something, set it free. If it comes back to you, it’s yours. But if not, it doesn’t mean to be. Sa sobrang pagmamahal ko sa kanya, pinalaya ko siya. Oo, masakit ngunit mas masasaktan lamang ako kung ipagpapatuloy ko ang aming relasyon kahit alam kong hindi na siya masaya sa piling ko. I will hurt her and I will hurt myself in return. Hindi naging madali ang paglimot ko sa kanya. Sa totoo lang, mahirap. Hindi ko alam kung paano magsisimulang muli na wala siya sa tabi ko. Kahit minsan, hindi siya nawaglit sa puso’t isip ko. Hinahanap-hanap ko ang kanyang mga yakap, mga halik, mga bagay na nagbigay sa akin ng saya sa pitong buwan ng aming pagsasama bilang mag-kasintahan. May mga pagkakataon pa ngang magigising na lamang ako sa gitna ng gabi na umiiyak. Sobra akong nagdamdam. Naging mas mahirap ang mga panahong ito dahil wala yung mga taong dapat nakaagapay sa akin kapag may pinagdaraanan ako. Hindi dahil sa nilayuan nila ako. Kung hindi dahil mas pinili ko na huwag sabihin sa kanila ang nararamdaman ko. Ayaw ko silang mag-alala. Ayaw kong dagdagan ang mga problemang meron sila. Mas pinili kong mapag-isa. Alam kong malalampasan ko ang unos na ito. Hindi ko alam kung kelan pero alam kong matatapos din ang paghihirap ng puso ko. Kaya ko ‘to, sabi ko sa sarili ko. Kaya at kakayanin. 

Lumipas ang mga araw. Paunti-unting nabawasan ang sakit na aking nararamdam. Paunti-unti akong bumabangon. Paunti-unti kong inaayos ang buhay ko. Ngunit, nalaman ko na lamang mula sa isang kaibigan na may bago ng mahal ang mahal ko. Muling gumuho ang mundo ko. Nawala ang katiting na pag-asang pinanghahawakan ko. May mahal na siyang iba, paulit-ulit na tumatakbo sa isip ko. Nagtampo ako. Nagalit. Ang sabi niya sa akin hindi na muna siya iibig muli. ‘Yun ang dahilan kong bakit kami naghiwalay. She’s tired of commitments. Ngunit, bakit may bago na agad siya? Hindi ko matanggap. Hindi madaling tanggapin na ang pinapasaya mo noon, pinapasaya na ng iba ngayon. 

Doon ako natauhan. Sinabi ko sa sarili ko na wala ng patutunguhan ang nararamdaman ko sa kanya. It is not worth it. Kahit anong pilit ang gawin ko, hindi na siya magiging akin. May iba ng nagmamay-ari ng puso niya. Kung ipagpapatuloy ko ito, ako lang din ang masasaktan sa huli. Sinumulan ko ang totoong paglimot. Ang pagbangon. Sinimulan ko ulit mahalin ang aking sarili. Napagtanto ko na mahalaga na mahalin mo muna ang sarili mo bago ka magmahal ng iba. 

Ngayon, masasabi kong tuluyan ng naghilom ang sugat sa puso ko. A part of me will always have feelings for her. I will never stop caring. I just learned to get over her. Naging mapait man ang aming paghihiwalay. Hindi ko pinagsisihan na minahal ko siya. Bagkus ay nagpapasalamat ako sa kanya, sa mga aral na itinuro niya sa akin sa loob ng pitong buwan ng aming pagsasama. Habambuhay ko yung itatago at pahahalagahan bilang alala ng aming kahapon. 

Give me a grade please – 

A. Applause! Applause! You should write in Filipino more often. 

B. Some more practice and you’ll give Marcelo Santos a run for his money. 

C. I`m not being harsh but can you rewrite it again?

D. English na lang please. 

E. Tang ina mo bro!

Are you a Proud Filipino?

Excerpts from the article "Proud Pinoy?" written by Jubert John Requillas Marzan dated June 12, 2010~

To the people who think that there is no hope for the Philippines, to the retarded columnist who called the Philippines a nation of servants, to the desperate housewife that insulted the quality of Philippine medical education, to the Comedy Central loser who called President Cory a slut, to the fugly Adam Carolla who called the pound-for-pound king illiterate, I feel so sorry for you. And to all the Filipinos who proclaim that they are ashamed to be Filipinos, to tell you, I'm much more ashamed to have you as "kababayans".

Excuse me Juan dela Cruz, before you judge our country, before you look down and spit on us, before you shove in anyone's faces that the country sucks big time, pause for a moment and ponder, "What exactly have YOU done to make this the place you want it to be?". If none, then just zip it. You don't have any right to complain, you don't have any right to whimper and snivel because you yourself have done nothing.

I have come to realize that it is the people who makes the country and not the other way around. Moreover, I have come to realize that if we want this country to gain its lost glory, we must put our shits together and work towards a united goal. This will not be an easy ride, there will always be the pain of defeat and pleasure of triumph. But what separates the two is the attitude we Filipinos possess. We are known for our resiliency. We can manage to laugh even after a tragedy. It is not that we can't take anything seriously but because we prefer to move forward with renewed vigor and rising expectation than to just sit down and cry.

Some of us may be exhausted of "Philippines-in-deep-poo-poo" state and some may think that the only way to get out is to give up. No puh-leez, keep holding on. Sino pa ba ang magmamahal at mag-aaruga sa Pilipinas kung hindi tayong mga Pilipino? Sino pa ba ang magmamalaki sa ating lahi kundi tayo-tayo din? If nobody wants to lift our chair for us then we must do it ourselves. Or else nobody will know how much we're worth. 

As for me, I refuse to believe that my country is a hopeless case.

I refuse to be humiliated by my own lineage.

I refuse to lambaste my own countrymen. 

I refuse to exchange my citizenship for anything else.

I refuse to give up.

I am a Filipino and will always be a Filipino, "sa isip, sa salita at sa gawa".

Forget Me. Forget Me Not. I`m 21.

I turned 21 just recently! Not that anyone really cares. And it’s no big deal for me, really. I don`t celebrate birthdays. And I can’t remember a time that I celebrated my birthday in a grand way (except when I was a kid). I rather have a “me-alone” time, watch a movie, shop or something to that effect. I’m always single during my birthday so I don’t have any dates with whomever. And I don’t receive gifts during my birthdays, probably because: 1) my friends are kuripot (on second thought, so am I) or; 2) they perceive me as someone who is not materialistic which is partly-true.

This birthday was no exception. I did not celebrate grandiosely. Because the 17th fell on a work day, it was work-as-usual for me. I went to work and was surprised that “Happy 21st Birthday Jubert” was all over the place. Then in this instance, Ate Ching (a midwife that has been working in the hospital for 20 years) greeted me. It kept coming as I saw work mates whom I identified as friends greeted me. I could scarcely say “Thank you” knowing that I nauseate from corny statements. I may not show outward signs of being (over-acting-ly) thankful but deep inside, I was like “Okaaay, I wanna cry”.

But it was just like any other day (or so I thought). I was busy most of the day. I even accompanied a patient who went to a tertiary private hospital for a scheduled CT scan that afternoon. After about an hour, we went back to the hospital. The patient’s wife gave me a take-out pre-dinner from Jollibee and her daughter-in-law (she prolly overheard my work mates or read it in one of the posters at the station) greeted me “Happy Birthday”. I reciprocated by giving a humble smile. I was touched. I really appreciated the nice gesture. The next day, my workmates surprised me with a birthday cake and ice cream. Wow, ang sarap sa feeling. It was the first time that someone gave a me cake (aside from family members). 

Me and my cake <3

Thanks to all those (1) who celebrated my birthday with me, to those (2) who were with me that day but didn’t celebrate with me, and to those (3) who said they would celebrate with me but didn’t. I love you all! Thank you to everyone who took the time to greet me personally, text, call, sent me TA, sent me PMs, tweet, and post their words on my wall. This so overwhelming and touching knowing you people remembered and took even a little time and effort to greet me. I’m also grateful to those who knew my birthday from somebody else’s mouth. Ang sarap ng feeling that I had a vast social life. 

Cheers to being an adult now. Goodbye teenage years, you were pretty darn awesome!

A Letter To An Ex-Girlfriend

Dear Ex-Girlfriend, 

I am not really sure if you’d be able to read this but whatever. This will be my last letter to you. This is a closure to everything – no inhibitions, no future hopes and promises, nothing else but closure.

It’s already been five months since that heartbreaking night. But you broke my heart a couple of times before that and many times after that. When you told me that we can’t be together and that we’re better off as friends, I knew right there and then that I had to let you go, but I still hanged a little bit, right? I have been holding on because I still love you and I kept holding on to the idea of you and I together forever. I always wanted you to love me and to continue to love me even if we’re no longer together. So I admit that part, I’m selfish. 

We had those seven months. Those were the best months of my life. We had our own share of ups and downs. It was never easy between us. How can it be when we both knew our relationship wasn’t supposed to be? But for a couple caught up in a relationship that wasn’t supposed to be, we handled it pretty well. We faced issues maturely. We had arguments and discussions but we never fought - not even once. Never said hurtful words, never hated each other. We both knew when to stop. 

I will always have feelings for you. I will never stop caring. But things won’t be the same anymore. I would be lying if I say that losing you is something I can easily handle but I am finally moving on. I have told you before that I was letting you go and move on but everyone knows I didn’t. But now I will take baby steps of finally letting you go and I know that you will be happy for me. 

Babe, I am sorry if things ended the way they did. I really am. I blame myself. I still do. But I don’t regret anything. I don’t regret meeting you. I don’t regret loving you. No bitterness whatsoever. I’ll still have you in my life. I know that people are to fall in love but aren’t meant to be together forever. Well, that’s love. 

People meet for a reason. Meetings aren’t just random encounters. People meet because they’re meant to be part of each other’s journey. I may not know it now. You may not know it now. But there was a reason why we met. Our paths have crossed to teach each other a lesson and I want you to know that I learned a lot from you. 

From, 

Your ex-boyfriend who will never regret loving you

WRONG SPELING

 
I`ve been keeping myself updated with the news through the internet for as much as I can. These days kasi, I’m on the grave yard shift (7pm-7am, I know right?). Meaning, I don’t have time to watch the prime time news.

Yesterday, I was browsing a certain showbiz-oriented website when suddenly a headline catches my attention: “Philippines win Miss Teen Universe 2012 First Runner Up”. Lovely, I thought. Because I haven’t heard the pageant before, I did some research. Okay, it’s a new one. With 13 candidates. Held in Nicaragua. I also did some research on Miss Philippines Clarisse Obia. 

I had a fantastic run until I saw this -

PHILIPPNES. Ano ‘to, lokohan?!

Miss Philippines must be such a sweet and nice girl not to complain that the name of her country was misspelled. Or she did complain nicely but the organizers took 123456789 years to print the correctly-spelled sash.

This is not the first time that a Miss Philippines wore a misspelled sash. Remember Miss Philippines in Miss Universe 2008? That’s the epic-est fail of all times. To think that it’s Miss Universe. Like, hello? 

So, let me ask you my dear readers, if you are representing the country in an international event like this would you still wear the sash even if it is misspelled? 


Would you or would you not?

Lessons I Learned After Graduation

I can’t just fucking believe that it’s been over a year since your awesomeness graduated from college. Is it really been a year? Grabe, parang kahapon lang. I can still remember how happy and ecstatic I was that day. I cannot explain that amazing feeling I felt. It was surreal as it can get. And seeing my mom displaying her “i-am-so-proud-of-my-son” smile, it was just priceless. 

When I was on stage, I kept my feet from dancing. Of course, I don`t want to ruin the solemnity of the occasion. Plus, ayaw ko ding mabansagang “The Dancing Graduate”. Hahaha. Parang traffic enforcer lang. 

But months after that, I became a mess. A TOTAL MESS. I came in and out of post-college depression. The last quarter of 2011 was just depressing. I don’t know the direction where I’m headed to. I’ve felt so unfocused with what I wanted to do in life. Probably, unemployment and being broken-hearted does that to some people. Haha. But it was on the 4 months of self-struggle and depression, I learned valuable lessons in life. Let me share some ~

Lesson # 1: A dream is a hope that never sleeps. You know how they always say “pursue your dreams”. That’s easier said than done. But really, you just gotta do it. If you failed, try again. Nothing in the world is easy. Work hard and never quit.

Lesson # 2: Shit happens. Just when you think you’re having this perfect life then something will come along to prove you’re wrong. Life is not always peaches and cream baby. And that’s the sad reality. Hindi pwedeng lagi kang nasa taas. Sometimes you need to experience hiccups to stay real, to be humble. No matter how much you plan and prepare, nothing in life is guaranteed. Things can change in a heartbeat and you need to prepare for that eventuality.

Lesson # 3: It’s not how you fall. It’s how you bounce back. ‘Di titigil ang mundo sa pag-inog dahil lang sa nadapa ka. And hindi hihintayin ng mundo ang muli mong pagbangon. What you need to do is pick yourself up and dust yourself off, move and try to make a better life for yourself. Because that’s what a fighter do. We move forward and we keep on fighting.

Lesson # 4: Happiness comes to those who seek it. Choosing happiness is a choice. Happiness doesn’t just happen. It’s not an accident, it isn’t a gift. Happiness is up to you. You can choose to be happy instead of choosing to sit in a corner and wait for it to fall in your lap. Happiness is called upon and cultivated.

                                                                                         

Lesson # 5: If there’s one lesson I learned (or probably, relearned) – and I wish I could tell this to everyone- is that “Never doubt yourself”. I’ll admit that I feel mediocre most of the time. Not good, always trailing behind someone. Pero those months of depression made me realize that: Sino pa bang magtitiwala sa sarili ko kundi ako rin? If nobody wants to lift my chair for me then I’ll lift it myself. Or else nobody will know how much I worth. So I’m telling you now, no matter what other people say, no matter how others made you feel, never ever doubt yourself. If you believe in yourself, you will succeed far more than you will ever fail. 

I have to admit that my first post-graduate year wasn’t easy. It was rough, in fact. But because of all the adversities that happened to me, I am much stronger and wiser than I ever thought I could be. I think learning to deal with these things taught me true responsibility and unexpectedly, honor and what true manhood is.

10 Ways To Turn Me Off

10. Turn off ako sa babaeng jejemon. Ikaw ba naman maka-receive ng gan’tong text “lAbqCkyOuHh” galing sa girlfriend mo kung di ka mawindang. 

09. Turn off  ako sa babaeng malakas pa sakin… ang body odor. Isa ito sa mga pet peeves ko actually. Kahit na siguro si Giselle Bundchen look-alike ang iharap niyo sakin kung jumajabar naman siya, thank you na lang. Hygiene is a necessity, man. It really is. 

08. Turn off ako sa babaeng dry ang sense of humor or worse, wala nito. Sobrang boring nun. At saka, baka di pa niya masakyan mga jokes ko. Awkward yun kung ganun. 

07. Turn off ko sa babaeng materialistic. Dahil wala akong pera. Boom! 

06. Turn off ako sa babaeng bitchy sa barkada ko. It doesn’t matter how we’ll she’s treating me, if she’s treating my friends on a bitchy and rude way, it’s only a matter of time before it is pointed at me. And I don’t like that. 

05. Turn off  ako sa babaeng nagyoyosi, umiinom and worst, nagda-drugs. Bakit ikaw dude gusto mo? Kung oo, lakas ng tama mo. Patingin ka na sa psychiatrist. 

04. Tun off ako sa babaeng clingy, overpossessive and too selosa. I find it cute when girls are being a bit selosa `cos it just shows na mahal niya ako and takot siyang mawala ako. But there there`s a fine line between being in love and being too much in love. Yung OA na ang pagseselos. Na kulang na lang pati Mom ko pagselosan. Ano `to, obsession? Haha.

03. Turn off ako sa babaeng makati pa sa higad or –sorry for the word- malibog. Because it’s not what trying to cultivate a lasting relationship is all about. There’s a fine line between lust and love. Ang mga relationship na lust ang foundation is usually doomed from the start. Sex is for married couples. Otherwise, it’s just fucking around.

 02.  Turn off ako sa babaeng nabibilang lang ang brain cells. Yung tipong pagpapaganda lang ang alam. Yung “clichés” ~ maganda nga pero medyo weak. Hindi lahat ng lalaki chooses beauty over brains. In fact, a lot of guys like to have an intelligent conversation rather than settle with the stereotypical limbo. And I’m one of them. Naks! 

01. And lastly, turn off ako sa babaeng mahilig mamangka sa dalawang ilog or more. In more simple term, CHEATER! Because duh, sino ba namang tao in his sane mind ang gustong niloloko siya? Ayaw na ayaw ko pa namang ginagawang tanga (so there comes the warning). Kung may gusto siyang iba, fine with a capital F. Hindi ako maghahabol. Never. Anyway, ano bang nakukuha ng isang tao sa pagtsi-cheat? Waley. I think the act is just repulsive and I’m wondering how cheaters sleep at night.

...

When we were kids, we have this picture of our ideal partners in our minds. Oh c`mon, don`t be shy. I know you have one. When I was a little bit younger, my ideal girl was a triple M ~ MATANDANG MAYAMAN NA MADALING MAMATAY. Hahaha. I`m just kidding. My ideal girl was -

1. Dapat maganda.

2. Dapat matalino.

3. Dapat mayaman.

In more simple term, dapat PERFECT which we all know don`t exist. At all. But somewhere along the road, nagbago ang requirements ko. Okay lang kahit di na maganda. Okay lang kahit di matalino. Okay lang kahit di mayaman. Now, I`m just looking for a girl who can love me for what I am. Who can accept my mistakes and my imperfections. And a girl who can look me in the eyes while saying, "Yes, I wanna grow old with you". That`s all, thank you. Bow. *sabay kaway sa audience* Haha. Ang mushy! Pang-pageant lang.

On a more serious mode.

I know that somewhere out there, out of the 8 billion people roaming this planet, there is this girl who is meant to be with me forever. She may not know it yet. I may not know it yet. But destiny will bring us together.

FIFA Rankings & Southeast Asia

This week has been pretty hell for me ~ sobrang toxic sa duty then depressed `cos di pa masyadong nakakapag-blog and I`m really bored out of my skull. There`s nothing good to watch on TV. I am broke. And still, loveless. Hahaha. So imagine my delight when I learned that the newest FIFA Football Rankings is now up! :) As expected, Spain still leads the pack. Then Germany, Uruguay, Netherlands and Portugal complete the Top 5. Oh God, Europe is on the run! *inggit much*

It made me think - how did our Southeast Asian football teams fared on the 200+ nation ranking? Southeast Asians are great football lovers and I guess we did well. OR HAVE WE? 

Vietnam is now the best national squad in the region at the 97th place. Wow! From being tied with the Philippines on the 165th place about 4 years ago to being Southeast Asia's best. Hats off to them!

Thailand at 141st place. 

Indonesia at 151st.

Malaysia at 156th. Together with Yemen.

Singapore at 158th.

Cambodia at 173rd tied with Myanmar.

Laos at 175th. 

Brunei at 202nd. Together with Mauritania.

And Timor Leste at 204th.

Yes, I know what’s on your mind right now - Where's the bloody hell is the Philippines? Don't worry, I saved the best for last. Whaaaat? Hahaha.

Ayun oh. *sabay turo*

BREAKING NEWS: The Philippines is the biggest ASEAN mover in the latest FIFA rankings.

Is it real or we are just being punk'd?

*slaps*

Yes, it is for real. FOR REAL.

The Philippines moved eight places up from 156th to 148th. I know bitters/haters/inggiteros out there would quick to point out "Lang? 148th lang? Sobrang proud ka na? Ambabaw mo naman". (Well, haters gonna hate. That's what they are born to do. Just hate.) Ok, just to piss them more - I.AM.SO.FREAKINNNG.PROUD.  Why shouldn't I? Ever since the world was created billion years ago, this is our highest FIFA ranking evaaar. Fucken lovely, simply fucken lovely!

World Cup 2018, HERE WE COME!

BAKIT INIIBIG KO ANG TWITTER?

There are things in teenager’s life which bears cosmic obsession. I see and know people who get undue addiction on the internet, alcohol, shopping, spending cold cash on whitening soaps, texting, illegal drugs, smoking and alas, masturbation. Too bad, ako din ay isang adik. Adik na adik. Adik sa Twitter. Uh-oh.

It has now been 5 months since I signed in for Twitter. And I can say that this “Twitter” thing has gotten over me and became addictive to my dismay. But wait, I only have 39 followers as of the last count. Nope, no typo error there. It’s goddamn 3-9! Imagine that? It’s a miserable total of THIRTY NINE. Only 39 followers for Pete’s sake, would you believe? After five months? Whattaf – You’re missing half of your life people if you don’t follow me. Nah, I’m just kidding about the rant, the 39 followers I’m dead serious.

Twitter is probably the most unproductive thing (read: walang ka-kwenta kwentang bagay) one can indulge in but I love it. And I mean it real hard. It’s a great boredom killer, stress reliever. Walang panama ang masturbation. Hahaha. Twitter really makes me silly and a little bit naughty. Kahit walang kabuluhang bagay, itini-tweet ko. “Just got home”. Tweet. “Good morning”. Tweet. “I’m in (insert name of place here)”. Tweet. “I’m watching porn”. Tweet. Wala lang. It’s one easy way para magpa-PANSIN sa world wide web. Magpa-SIKAT. Magpa-EPAL. 

I’m on Twitter day and night, in sickness and in health – before breakfast, at lunch, during breaks, and before going to bed. Sometimes more when I don’t have any work. I mostly use Twitter to keep people updated with my every move. Feeling celebrity lang. The thing is I personally know only about 10% of those I follow. The rest are combination of random adds, mostly Twitter & Tumblr celebrities and people I don’t remember meeting at gigs.

Why do I spend so much time on Twitter? THESE.

1. It makes me feel good. Kung badtrip na badtrip ako or kapag wala lang magawa, buksan ko lang ang Twitter ko at magbasa ng mga tweets. Sure yun na nakakawala ng badtrip. Agad-agad. Sobra. Tested and proven. If someone follows me or retweet my tweet (huwat?), kinikilig ako. To the bones. And I’m flirt like that.  J

2. I can be as tsismoso as possible. I don’t usually eavesdrop in conversations. Pero sa Twitter, iba. Ume-epal ako sa mga usapan. But I don’t want people to call me “tsismoso”. I prefer to be called  an “investigative reporter”. One of my favorite things about being tsismoso is trying to look like I’m NOT tsismoso. I mean, if I’m I’m going to be nosey, I want to at least be clever about it. 

3. It`s a PR thing. Twitter drives traffic to my blog so I’m sobrang grateful to that cute little birdie. In fact, two of my new blog readers found my blog through Twitter. Fucken’ sweet! But no, I don’t use Twitter just to promote stuffs. 

4. Sangkatutak ang cute (katulad ko). That’s the main reason why I created a Twitter account. There’s an old saying that goes like this, “birds of the same feather are the same birds – este, flocks together”. HAHAHA. ‘Chos! Pero talaga namang nakaka-inspire magpasikat kapag may cuteness kang ka-tweet. Sometimes, nakaka-distract nga lang. Ang shit! 

5. There’s a high chance na sumikat ako. As much as other people think that I’m talented, the only thing I know is that I am not. Mukha lang talaga akong talented pero hindi. Nakakadaya lang ang good looks ko. Ansabe? But as of now, medyo malayo pa ang pagsikat ko. Madami pa akong kakaining kanin. But I’m not losing hope. I believe in the power of my dreams. ‘Cos “dream is a hope that never sleeps”. PUNYEEETANG MUSHHY!


The only thing I don’t like about Twitter is its 140 characters maximum limit. It’s such a challenge. Brevity is not my thing, you know. When I'm engaged to talk, I talk a lot. I'm a certified talking machine.

SHAMELESS PLUG IN.

Follow me. 

Stalk me.

Love me. 

It’s @hoobtheawesome baby! Don’t worry, I don’t do cyber bullying. So you’re pretty safe with me.

In Defense of the Azkals

Disclaimer: This article is neither written to ingratiate myself with the Azkaleros nor this is written to contribute to the ongoing battle between the fans and the non-fans.

There’s been some bashing and resentment in the Azkals on several fronts. While I can understand both sides, it seems that the side that wants to bash them is starting to get ugly, if not hateful. And as a young man who loves the Azkals as a team, I just can’t shut my mouth and wait for the worst. 

ISSUE # 1: “Di naman Pinoy ang mga yan!” 

It makes me sad that until now there is still this “half-Filipino” vs. “pure-Filipino” debate in Philippine football. It’s not only politically incorrect but also stupid in my opinion. Clearly, there is nowhere in our laws that gives a measure of being a Filipino by blood or by breed. Per Article IV of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, one of the criteria to be considered as a Filipino citizen is “those whose fathers OR mothers are citizens of the Philippines”. Some of the current members of the men’s national football team have either a Filipina mother or a Filipino father, thus qualifying them to be natural-born Filipino citizens. Plus, if we take FIFA’s requirements for a national player, everyone who makes it to the Philippine national football team is definitely a Filipino. To question that, as well as THE Philippine Constitution, is a mark of ignorance. Or stupidity perhaps. 

But still, if you’re going to bash the team because they don’t look like Filipinos, you should carry that out to the other sports organizations that send representatives in international tournaments that do not fit your stereotype. Just to be fair. If you go along the stereotypical way of thinking, why not question Smart-Gilas for sending Chris Tiu (Filipino-Chinese) or Asi Taulava (Filipino-Tongan) to basketball tournaments abroad? Or question the Philippine Olympic Committee for sending 3 Filipino-American swimmers to the 2008 Summer Games? Or Binibining Pilipinas for sending Venus Raj (Filipino-Indian) in Miss Universe? I know it’s not a sport but what the heck. Nobody seems crying about that. Why question only football? Why? Besides, when these half-Filipinos do well in American Idol, we are quick to point out “Proud to be Pinoy!”. Ba’t di natin yun magawa sa Azkals? 

These players have very little to gain compared to the privileges they would receive in Europe. Yet, they choose to wear the Philippine colors. And for that, we should be grateful. The Azkals are Filipinos. They represent the Philippines. Like their looks or not, they are Filipinos.

Issue # 2: “The Azkals are bunch of losers. They should be winning. Otherwise, there is no point in continuing admiring them. Praising a losing team for years and years di’ba?” 

Really? Where were these voices when the Azkals trashed Vietnam 2-0 (AFF Suzuki Cup 2010), when the Azkals entered the World Cup Qualifiers for the first time and beat Sri Lanka 5-1, when the Azkals came second in the Long Teng Cup or when the Azkals whipped former AFC Challenge Cup champs India and Tajikistan and made it to the semis of the AFC Challenge Cup for the first time evaaar? 

I find it totally weird when people are quick to point out, “talo na naman ang Azkals, ang bobobo kasi”, when in fact, they didn’t even bother to watch the game. Hypocrisy at its best. If you know football, you should know that winning is not easy as that. We have just rediscovered our love for football two years ago and some people expect na panalo agad lagi. Sorry darling but things don’t happen overnight. But by looks of the games the Azkals are playing now, the team improved by leaps and bounds. It is a far cry from the days when we used to score 0 against the opponent’s 15 (Philippines 1-13 Indonesia, Tiger Cup 2002).

And I dare say, the Azkals are worthy of being idolized. Because, hell, why not? The Azkals have given us something to start with. They may not be up to world standards (or your standards) but what’s more important is that they inspired a new generation of kids to play “the beautiful game”. In fact, there is now a long-term plan in football. There is already a U-13 homegrown team that has recently tied against its Malaysian counterpart. Lovely! Super freakin’ lovely! 

Let the Azkals do their job and let them achieve whatever success they can. Allow them that. 

Issue # 3: “Mga rapist naman yang mga yan.” 

All these are accusations that haven’t been proven in court. There was a past accusation and it didn’t go anywhere simply because it wasn’t true. And this new accusation is still being investigated and still unproven. Like all of us, they deserve due process, not public judgment. And like any other citizen, one is consider innocent unless proven guilty by a court of law. 

“Hindi ko kayo ka-kultura. Kasi wala dito (pointing to his chest)… at wala dito (pointing to his head)…”

“Hindi naman kayo Pilipino. Nagpapanggap lang kayong kayumanggi. Hindi kayo dito lumaki”… 

I have no idea what prompted Mr. Clavio’s kayumanggi rant. Moy and Guirado might have had their faults, but if we we’re talking about the alleged sexual harassment case, does it really need mentioning a person’s race, lineage or cultural upbringing? Hell no! 

“Alam naman nila yung mga sexcapades nila sa isa’t isa eh, di ba? Sino ba nag-penicillin.. Alam naman nila yun.”

“Akala siguro lahat sila gusto silang matikman siguro… makasama…Diyos ko.” 

O.O Seriously Arnold, seriously?

I see nothing wrong with expressing your opinion in front of national television because everyone (including tv personalities) has the right to speak themselves (Article III, Section 4, 1987 Philippine Constitution). However, I can’t and will never understand statements made by individuals that reeks bigotry and discrimination. What Mr. Clavio did and his sniping remarks were way too much and totally unnecessary and unprofessional for a journalist. There are so many way to express your displeasure without being uneducated and overall stupid.

We need to make the guilty pay for their mistakes. If Moy really said those things while referring to the accuser, he should be by any means, punished by the virtues of the law. But not until Moy is proven guilty. Due process dude, due process.

We Filipinos should think twice when we say something bad about our fellow Filipinos. It reflects the kind of attitude we have towards each other. Our attitude towards the Fil-foreigner players of our men’s national football team is one of the reasons why our nation is not only geographically divided but also morally worlds apart. 

And puh-lease let us stop this Azkals vs. (insert name of sports team here) thing. This is not football vs. basketball. Or dragonboat. Or boxing. These sports can co-exist. Wag hilahin pababa ang isa para itaas ang isa. We need to support our sportsmen and women, whether they performed well or not.

Let us kick discrimination, bigotry, hatred and crab mentality in Philippine sports. I’ll look forward to the day when the 95 million Filipinos could shout in unison: GOAAAAL! 

Go Philippine Azkals! TEAM PILIPINAS # 1!