Isang Tunay na Masayang Pasko

At sa tuwing pagsikat at paglubog ng araw
Nagsisimula't nagwawakas sa salitang "ikaw"
Kaya huwag mo nang itanong kung ano pa sa akin ay kulang
Dahil bawat araw kasama ka ay Paskong walang hanggan.

- Paskong Walang Hanggan  (Ryan Cayabyab/Jose Javier Reyes)

 And a Merry Christmas to one and all! :)

Random Thoughts at 5 A.M.

1. I just finished special project # 2 for the office yesterday.  At my level, only two of us are being pulled out to handle projects for the entire account and not just our line of business.  So far, everything I've been involved with has been very successful. Mabangong-mabango ako sa ExeCom of the account. They know me even if we haven't been formally introduced. Hmmm, can I smell the promotion just around the corner? Teehee

Paglulunok #3

This time, hindi na ako na-surprise. At ang masasabi ko lang ay:

How sweet is it to swallow your love!

-----
Ika nga ni Pedro, "Lunukin mo. Vitamins yan. Very nutritious!"

And because I'm an obedient person, e may I swallow naman ang ginawa ko.

Aw.

TMI na naman.

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Masks (A Re-post)

I am Eternal Wanderer, but yet I am just a mask.

It is not me, but it is still me.

It is not the whole of me, but a part of who I am.

We all put on masks. Different masks to different people. To our parents. To our siblings. To our friends. To our lovers.

Sometimes, we even layer it. One at a time. A careful and calculated construction.

At the end of the day, we take it off.

I take it off.

Only to discover that I am the mask underneath.

Have I become the mask, or has the mask become me?

-----

A postscript to Kane's entry.

P.S. Sorry di ako maka-reply kaagad sa last post. Sobrang toxic ang projects na binigay sa akin sa opisina. Nakasalalay ang promotion ko sa mga 'to! :P Pahinga muna mode muna ako mula sa pagkukwento tungkol sa teleserye namin ni Pedro Penduko. Abangan na lang ang susunod na kabanata hehehe

Untitiled 4

Bakit ganun?

Sinisigawan na ako ng utak ko, pero iba pa rin ang binubulong ng puso ko.

At ang binubulong ng puso ko

Borne Out of Tears and Darkness

 Nang Kumerembang si Eternal Wanderer sa Opisina 5

"Ternie...Ternie," I heard a voice softly calling out to me in the darkness of my room.

I was still crouched under the sheets. I slowly opened my eyes, and tried to look at who it was. As my bleary sight adjusted, I saw Pedro seated on the floor with his back against the wall. I was surprised.because he arrived earlier than I expected. He was supposed to meet his cousin to get packages meant for his relatives in the province.

"Uhmmm, anong oras ka dumating?" I replied to him groggily.

He just stared at me for several seconds.

Nang Kumerembang si Eternal Wanderer sa Opisina 6: Ang Pagpapalit Anyo ni Julie Vega

 Nang Kumerembang si Eternal Wanderer sa Opisina 5

Ang mga sumunod na linggo ay parang isang blurry dream kay Eternal Wanderer. Panaginip kasi alam nya na kailangan din yang magising sa katotohanan na biláng ang mga araw ng pagsasama nila ni Pedro. Alam din nya na basically straight ang orientation ni Pedro. Maghahanap at maghahanap din ito ng pechay. In fact may, girlfriend nga ito sa probinsya.  Not to mention may pinopormahan pa syang babaeng officemate.

Nang Kumerembang si Eternal Wanderer sa Opisina 5: Ngisi = Tumbling sa Bangin

 Nang Kumerembang si Eternal Wanderer sa Opisina 4

May ilang araw na rin ang nakaraan simula nung nagsasama sila sa iisang bubong.  It turned out, ang mang-aalaa ay naging alagain. Nadiscover kasi ni Eternal Wanderer na maasikaso si Pedro Penduko. Tuwing kumakain sila, e inalagyan nya muna ng kaninin at ulam ang plato ni Eternal Wanderer. Kapag gumagala naman sila, kusang binibitbit ni Pedro an mga dala-dala ung isa.  At kahit na 2.5 hrs na nauuna matapos sa trabaho si Pedro at marunong naman ito mag-commute pauwi, e inaantay nya si Eternal Wanderer para sabay silang umuwi sa bahay.

Nang Kumerembang si Eternal Wanderer sa Opisina 4: Si Pedro Penduko at si Imelda Marcos

Nang Kumerembang si Eternal Wanderer sa Opisina 3

"''Pre, magre-resign na ako sa trabaho.  Uuwi na ako sa probinsya. Hindi ko na kaya dito sa Maynila. At saka, miss ko na rin anak ko," sabi ni Pedro Penduko kay Eternal Wanderer habang nagyoyosi sila sa labas ng building.

May ilang buwan na rin ang nakalipas simula nung nakilala ni Eternal Wanderer si Pedro Penduko. Ang pinagsimulan ng paghingi ng yosi ay umusbong sa pagiging magkaibigan. Madalas sila magsama pag-break time, nagkwekwentutan nagkwekwentuhan habang naninigarilyo. Minsan, sabay sila mag-lunch. Pero sa totoo lang, deliberately ginagawa ni Eternal Wanderer na mag-coincide ang lunches nila. Kiver sa schedule adherance. Kaya hayun, dumating ang panahon na nagkataon sila lang dalawa ang kumain sa pantry.  Kilig naman si Eternal Wanderer. Date kung date ang pakiramdam nya.

Nang Kumerembang si Eternal Wanderer sa Opisina 3

Nang Kumerembang si Eternal Wanderer sa Opisina 2

Na-obssess ng husto ang mga mata ni Anghelita kay Lalaki sa CR. Di nya ito tinantanan. Kapag nakikita nya ito sa pantry, hallway o yosihan, e may I bring out ang abaniko with matching coy na pasulyap-sulyap  and kolehiyala giggle ang drama ni Eternal Wanderer. Yiz, mga ineng, very Maria Clara ang arrive, dabah?

The Reason Why I Breathe Opera

Dame Joan Sutherland
1926-2010

Dramatic Coloratura assoluta
 La Stupenda è morta, viva La Stupenda!

-----

My belated tribute to the great soprano who died a few weeks ago. This was the very first aria of hers that I listened to, and it lead it eventually lead me to singing opera years later.  

Thank you, Dame Joan, for the wonderful introduction to opera.  You will be sorely missed.

For Anthony (A Repost)

Dear Anton,

Wow, it's been a while hasn't it?  I'd offer a thousand and one excuse for not writing you at all, but hey, better late than never ehehehehe

Ang Gawain ng Dalisay, Busilak, at Mayumi

Hango sa conversation sa YM

Ternie: anong gawa mo?
Spice: eto sa office
Spice: o.t.
Ternie: on a sat?
Ternie: milagro
Spice: am bored na nga e.
Spice: wala man lang maka-sex sa office.
Spice: haist
Spice: am horny

Untitled 3

Dear Ternie,

Running is ok.

I just hope, though, that you're running towards something.

And not away from something.

Love,

Ternie.
-----
Does the destination matter more than the journey?

Numbers 3

Numbers 2

I always discussed with the guy I was mentoring what he did good and what he could improve on.  I also let him listen in to my calls, and made sure I got feedback from him.  One of the regular coaches and I even gave him a pep talk, of which he responded to very enthusiastically.  That was all I wanted, that he be willing to learn, both in the technical and the communication aspects.

His enthusiasm was infectious. I found another purpose in my work. I swore I'd never give up on the guy I was mentoring.

Sad to say, it was the system that gave up on him.

Numbers 2

Numbers 1

Part of the responsibilities of being a trainer apprentice was to mentor someone who was getting numerous dissatisfaction surveys from the callers.  It took a few days before our schedules coincided, but once they matched up, I grabbed the chance to listen in to his call.

How I wished I didn't.

Numbers 1

"I heard people are being let go," I whispered to Immediate Boss as I approached him. He got his Visine, put a few drops onto his right eye, and was about to reply when Big Boss arrived in our area.

"Ternie, could I have a word with.."

I interrupted him even before he could finish.

Tagging Season

Urgh, and I thought tagging was so last year.  But no, I got tagged in Facebook, where else?  After giving it thought, I decided to share here what I listed down. Anyhoo, here's part of  the mechanics of the tag:

Don't take too long to think about it. Thirty books (providing you've read 30 or more than 30 books) you've read that will always stick with you. List the first 30 you can recall in no more than thirty minutes.

C10H26N4

Tumingin si Eternal Wanderer sa salamin. Napansin nya na medyo dull-looking na ang skin nya. Nasobrahan yata sya sa aircon sa opisina.  At the same time, wala naman syang pasensha maglalalagay ng kung anech-anech sa kanyang fez. Siguro time na ngang mag-visit sa derma at magpa kung anik-anik na treatment.  Pero dahil may pagka-nerdoks si Eternal Wanderer, e nag-research sya ng kung aney ang pwede nyang ipa-chorvah bago pumunta kay Dra. Vicky Belo.

Laterz!

Nauubusan na ng maisusulat at maikukwento si Eternal Wanderer.

Magbe-break muna sya mula sa blogging para makapag-ipon ng mga lalaki istorya.

Sana pagbalik nya, e may jowa na sya.

Echozzzz lang! :P

Eternal Wanderer <<< Bekimon?!

Habang nakasakay ako papauwi sa taxi, e naka tune-in yung radyo sa isang AM station.  Usually deadma lang ako sa ganun, pero hindi ko matiis makinig kasi yung topic ay tungkol sa jejemon. In-explain ng announcer ang ano ang ibig sabihin ng jejemeon, at may short clip pa ng mga taong nagsasaita in jejemon-speak.  "Jusme, that topic was so a few months ago," sabi ko sa sarili ko.

Ukay-Ukay

Hindi ako mahilig sa leftovers. Ayoko ng napaglawayan na.

- quote from a friend

Office Vignettes 2

Office Vignettes 1

The call was mercifully short and sweet.  It was a matter of re-directing towards the e-mail support page of a department in our company.  Before the call, I was experiencing something akin to stage fright; I was a tight bundle of nerves right before the call.  But the moment I opened my mouth, I fell into a light and confident banter with the caller.  The flow of words had an easy feel to my tongue.  Everything dissolved into a blurred background.  There was no coach, no department head, no on-going activity in my surroundings.  It was just me, and the caller, and his issue on hand.

Office Vignettes 1

From an internal office memo dated August 16, 2010:

Please note that if you are filing a leave or swapping your shifts, submit the request three weeks before the schedules are released.

Immediate Boss

Nagmúmura

Tang ina ka.  Wag mo nga guluhin buhay ko.

The Existentialism of Superman

Felicity Rose

After I buried my mom, I had stood there after everybody had left, and I thought...is this it? I mean, is this all that there is? Working in a cubicle six days a week until I'm too old to do it anymore, then I die? Is that it? Is that what we're here for? What's the point?

Nang Kumerembang si Eternal Wanderer sa Opisina 2

Nang Kumerembang si Eternal Wanderer sa Opisina 1

Salamat sa mga mata ni Anghelita, na-fluster tuloy ng husto si Eternal Wanderer sa kanyang nakita. Kung di lang sya nagmamadaling bumalik sa kanyang work station, e baka napaluhod sya ng di oras ng walang belo. E paano ba naman, byaheng Dakota-Harrison abot hanggang Lerma ang katabi nya.  At take note, pinkish-pinkish pa itish!

Sawaaaaaap!!! ahihihihihi

Nang Kumerembang si Eternal Wanderer sa Opisina 1

Alam naman ng lahat na si Eternal Wanderer ay dalisay, busilak, and mayumi. Kung maari, e ayaw nyang makaulayaw ang mga katrabaho nya.  Mahirap na.  Alam nyo naman, baka maging sticky ang situation - no pun intetnded.  Nakakalurkey lang kasi kapag it's complicated ang status tapos araw-araw nakikita , dabah?

Pero that doesn't stop Eternal Wanderer na tumingin-tingin around.  Buti na lang, tyempo na meron na syang office building na pinapasukan. Good call pala ang naiisipan nyang mag-corporate life. Dahil dito, nadiskubre nya na may benefits pala ang nagtratrabaho sa isang opisina.

Numero uno na ang nakaka-sight ng mga hottie boys! :P

Weekend Aneurysm

I am condemned to freedom. I am not free because I can make choices, but because I must make them, all the time, even when I think I have no choice to make.

Jean-Paul Sartre
L'être et le néant (Being and Nothingness)

The Bird (A Re-post)

At the break of dawn, I arise from my slumber to face another day in my life.

As I go out to the fields, ready to toil under the soon-blistering heat, I spy a lone maya flitting through the rice stalks. Curiously, it does not flee as I approach.

Questions #1

Bakit ganun?

100

Ngayon ko lang napansin na naka-100 followers na pala ako. Sa totoo lang, nung una akong nag-sulat sa blog, hindi ko naisip na meron palang susubaybay dito.  Di ko nga akalain na merong magtyatyagang magbasa ng mga pinagsususulat ko.  Sabagay, pati rin ako siguro, di ko rin babasahin an mga sinulat ko noon. Puro emo mode kasi e.  Para bang di ako magsususlat kung hindi ako emo.  Pero nakakapagod din pala ang maging gloomy and whine-y all the time hehehehe

Marooned on the Isle of Lesbos

The yosi group and I found ourselves in a whole-in-the-wall inuman place.  It was small and bordered on being dingy; the music was so pumped up I that could barely hear the small talk of my seatmate. I ended up wondering: what in the world am I doing here?  Fact of the matter is, I don't drink.  I also abhor extremely noisy places.  But against my judgment, I still stuck out with the company.  It wouldn't hurt to get to know the people that I'm working with.

As I let my attention wander about, I overheard pretty Boss Lady recounting the state of her love life.  I couldn't quite make out the whole conversation because of the ambient noise.  All I could pick out were "boyfriend" and "girl."  I assumed it was another typical third-party sob story.

Then there was a sudden lull in the music, and I realized I assumed wrong.

Channeling Maricel Soriano

Ayoko ng madumi.

Ayoko ng masikip.

Ayoko ng mabaho.


AYOKO NG MAG-COMMUTE SA MRT!!!

*taena, define siksikan dahil sa ulan grrrrrrr*

To Meet or Not to Meet?

Sa mga matagal nang nagbabasa ng blog ko, alam nyo naman na si Spice ang paborito kong ex.  Ewan ko talaga kung bakit.  Siguro kasi masiyahin syang tao.  Madali lang patawanin.  Kaya nung tumawag sya isang hapon, kinilig ang tumbong ko e sinagot ko naman ito kahit ikliping beauty ang drama ko.

Eternal Wanderer Experiences Failure

"This is Ternie," the Big Boss said as he introduced me to the Department Head. "He got the highest score in the first part of the training."

"Oh, so you're Ternie.  I've heard a lot about you. Do good ha. I'm expecting a lot from you."

One Hundred Fifty Pesos

It was past noon.  I was tired and light-headed from pulling an all-nighter.  If I had my way, I'd rather be in bed, sleeping away. But I had no other time to do it.  I had three days to compile my  documents out of thin air.  Time was running against me as there was a holiday looming.  It was now or never.

Sleepless Dementia a.k.a. When Things Go Wrong, It Really Gets Horrid

1. It started the night before.  There was major confusion regarding the mix-up of the new schedule, and I ended up informing my classmates about the change through text. I should probably add de facto HR to my résumé.

2.  Sleep was elusive because I was already used to the night schedule. All of a sudden, the next phase of training was shifted to the morning with barely 16 hrs. in between.  The result? I had two measley hours of shut-eyes.

3.  I decided to take the cab going to the MRT station. I took the escalator going up, and as I groped for my wallet to buy a stored value card, I realized my wallet wasn't in my back pocket.  It probably fell at the back of the cab since I clearly remember pulling out a twenty peso bill for the fare. Not only did I lose cash, but my cards and driver's license was there as well. Smart Ternie, really smart.

4.  Maybe it was the combination of sleep deprivation and frazzled nerves - I found the topics for discussion barely comprehensible.  It was as if my scrambled brains absolutely refused to absorb all the information being dumped on us. Now, I have to wake up early to restudy my notes. By the way, there were no manuals given out. Bummer.

Bad, bad day.

At the End of the Week

Enjoying the rowdy class - check
Learning new stuff - check
Great teacher - check
Making new friends - check
Hottie batchmate - PASOK SA BANGA NI MELISSA PEREZ-RUBIO!

I am so loving thing corporate thing! teehee

Spoken Like a True Kabit

"Lilisan ako oras na maging hadlang ako sa inyo."

Swallowing # 2

How bitter is your love.

Crap. Overshare na naman ako ahahahaha

Farewell to Never Never Land

"We can only offer," she paused for a moment, "this certain amount. Tell me then, why would you accept it?"

The girl in front of me was pretty and charming.  And she was made of steel, too.  Being of the petite and fragile looks, I thought she would be a pushover.  I was shooting back questions after questions even as she was interviewing me. But she held her ground against my not-so-subtle probing. I was impressed.  I made a mental note not to judge a book by its cover. Looks can really be deceiving.

Advice Needed

A and B are lovers.
A and B are together frequently.
A soon discovers that B has traits he can't tolerate.
B starts to complain that A is bossy and takes B for granted.
A and B begin to have petty fights often.
A has some time off, and realizes he misses his "me" time.
More importantly, A realizes he wants out.
A cannot see the relationship with B work out anymore.
A is awkward with initiating break-ups, and does not know how to go about it.

Please help A.
How should he do it?

Sikretong Malupit ni Eternal Wanderer, Huling Yugto

Sikretong Malupit ni Eternal Wanderer, Ikatlong Yugto

So gorabelz ako sa binabalak ko. Binalibag ko si girl patihaya para magmistula syang isang daing na palaka.  Mula sa pakikipaglaplapan, e dahan-dahan ko binaba ang aking bibig at dila sa kayang leeg.  Sa kanang boobs. Sa kaliwang utong. Nagtagal ako doon. Sa kanyang pagtu-twist e para syang palaka na nakatiwangwang at kinukuryete . Bumaba ako sa pusod.  Inikot-ikot ko ang dila sa loob.  Kulang na lang e kumokak si girl sa sarap.

Sikretong Malupit ni Eternal Wanderer, Ikatlong Yugto

Sikretong Malupit ni Eternal Wanderer, Ikalawang Yugto

Sa totoo lang, worried na worried ako. Was there something wrong with me? Bakit ganun? Turned on na turned on ako sa bawat halinghing ni girl habang nilalapirot ko ang utong nya. At sa bawat pagkayod ng finger ko sa puday nya, e Moana Lisa ang drama ni bilat.  Ewan ko ba, the more na umuungol sya, mas lalo akong nalilibugan.

Swallowing

Tugon sa tanong "Lumulunok ka ba?"

Only when there's love involved.

Or pag nagugulat ako.

Echozzzzzzz

Three Hours and Fifty-Three Minutes

1:45 p.m. Along the road

It was not quite a fine day to go to Intramuros.  There was a sudden summer downpour, and it was payday Friday - a deadly combination.  True enough, the traffic was snarled within the side streets of New Manila.  Even worse was the stretch between the Legarda flyover and Recto. "I knew it," I muttered under my breath, "I should have braved Quezon Ave. and España instead."  But surprisingly, past Recto all the way to Taft, the road was relatively clear.  I arrived at Intramuros just in time to deliver the car to Popsy.

Now, of course, that meant I was now without a car.  That also meant I had to commute back home.

Dog Style

Presenting my baby:

A Note to My Mom and Myself

Mom always says that I'm the best birthday gift she's ever received.

Let me amend that, Mom:

You're the only Mom I could ever want for my birthday.

Many happy returns to us on our birthday, Mom.

I love you.

Memento Mori (A Repost)

I was silently admiring the orchids of your mom while you were off and about rummaging through her things. Some of them were in bloom, painting the simple garden with vivid shades of violet, magenta, and ochre. It's not easy to coax an orchid to bloom, much less have several of them sprout at the same time. I couldn't help but think, "What a beautiful and impressive sight!"

The Magic of an Untroubled Heart

It was half past two in the morning when my phone rang. Since I was already curled up in bed, reading a book, the temptation to ignore it was just a little bit too much. "I wonder who it is," I mused, "It's not everyday that someone calls at this ungodly hour."

The continued ringing broke my train of thoughts.  It was insistent, so grudgingly, I rose and went to the table where my phone was.  I looked at who was calling - and I couldn't help but grin.

Sikretong Malupit ni Eternal Wanderer, Ikalawang Yugto

Sikretong Malupit ni Eternal Wanderer, Unang Yugto

Matapos siguro ng mga 15 minutes e nagsawa na rin kiskisin ni ghelay ang tumbong nya - kaya binulungan ni Eternal Wanderer ito na "Tara, yokabelz tayo outside." Di rin matiis ni Eternal Wanderer na dilaan ng konti ang tenga ni ghel. Mukhang kinilig naman si girl, kaya sumama sya kay Eternal Wanderer palabas ng club.

Pagtataray #2

Tugon sa mga mahilig mangorek ng Ingles na wala sa lugar:

So who fuckken died and made you a grammar nazi?

Sikretong Malupit ni Eternal Wanderer, Unang Yugto

Merong dark na secret si Eternal Wanderer. Matagal na nya ito tinatago sa loob-loob nya.  Inisip nya kasi, kung ibaon nya ito sa limot, e makakalimutan nya ang masalimuot na nakaraan. Pero hindi talaga e.  Para itong karumaldumal na cancer, dahan-dahang kinukutkot ang buong pagkatao nya. Hindi na nya makayaan ilihim pa ito.  Kailangang masabi nya ito sa sangkamunduhan para maibsan ang kanyang pagdadalamhati.

The Joy of Rudeboy

Ladies and gentlemen, may I kindly present, for your viewing pleasure, Rudeboy's joy and happiness:

Something to Think About

"Do you think if you seal it up, that the pain is gonna go away?"

- from the movie Lovely Bones

Tawagin Mo Akong Ligaya: The G4M Adventures 3

Tawagin Mo Akong Ligaya: The G4M Adventures 2

Mga ilang linggo na rin kami nag-uusap ni Pilosopo mula nung nagpalitan kami ng YM.  Ok naman syang kausap: sensible at philosophical.  At mas lalong ok ang kanyang braso tuwing nakikita ko ito sa cam.  Para bagang uumbagin ka any monument sa laki nito.

Tsalap!

One time around midnight, e biglang lumitaw si Pilosopo sa YM.  Nagulat ako kasi usually maaga syang natutulog.  So mi-nack ko sya dali-dali.

Bumoto Ka Ba?

When I woke up past lunch, I already had several texts waiting to be read in my cell phone.  One was from Popsy. It said, "Patay, nag-hang pa ang machine at mas tumagal. You line up thrice. Am still at the 2nd line, waiting to get my number."

As everybody knows, today is election day.  I'm not really one to have a tibak inclination, but neither am I apathetic to the political landscape.  After all, we've been flooded by the blatant campaigning that's been going around the past few months.  From the television to the streets, to the radio and the newpapers, potitical ads have been bombarding us incessantly.  Heck, thanks to a tropa of mine, even the ads of Villar are littered all over cyberspace whenever I surf!

Fairy Tales Suck. Big Time.

"You know what?" I said to him in between puffs of my cigarette as we were resting on the bed.

"What?" he replied drowsily.

It was the third time we had sex.  Tisoy, chunky, and balbon, to boot - the quintessential gallant Prince Charming figure, he was.  But it wasn't just the physical aspect.  We connected really well on a lot of levels.   He was smart and articulate. We could talk about everything and anything under the sun.  I enjoyed his company, and I thought he enjoyed mine.  In fact, we've already had several dates.   What more could I ask for?

Pagtataray # 1

Ang unggoy, ibalot mo man sa ginto, ay unggoy pa rin.

-----
I'm sorry, but breeding is something you grow up with. No amount of money can buy it. Ever.

Buwan ng Kalibugan

Eternal Wanderer Says 2

Aanhin mo ang kabayo

kung may ngiwi factor ito?

Ay.

-----
Para sa paborito kong saba. You know who you are lolz

On Being a J3j3mon. Or Not. 2

Then again, grammatical and misspelled blunders could always be corrected and refreshed.  What was really more disturbing was the flow of thoughts and ideas in the essays.  Or more accurately, the lack thereof.  They were disappointing considering these were college-level essays.  At best, the writings were poorly strung together in terms of clarity and cohesiveness.  At worst, they were a jarring read: paragraph after paragraphs that were almost non sequitur in nature.  I couldn't help but shake my head and wonder, "How in the world did these students even pass the English portion of the college entrance test?!"

On Being a J3j3mon. Or Not. 1

A few years ago, Ting Ting Cojuangco decided that it was time to heed the call of the noblest of professions: to be a respected educator at an equally respected university.  So off he went, and dutifully applied at his alma mater.  He got accepted, not surprisingly, on the strength of his skill, charm, and solid backing from a senior faculty member.  On the eve of the first day of classes, he was so nervous with his prep work that he called me to share his jitters. I said, "You have the personality and the chutzpah. But most importantly, you have the fab wardrobe. You'll do just fine."

Postulate #1

No love,

  

no swallow.

Ang Pangtapat Ko Kay Charice Pempengco

Ang Pilipino talaga ay likas na mahilig umawit.  Hindi unusual na may magyayaya na gumimik sa isang KTV, o kaya tumambay sa bahay kasama ang tropa't magngangangawa ng full volume sa Magic Sing.  Kaya naman hindi nakakagulat na maraming mga Pinoy na mang-aawit na tanyag sa iba't ibang lupalop ng mundo.  Pero ito ang sikreto: di mo na kailangang lumabas ng bansa para masaksihan kung gaano ka-talented ang mga Pinoy.

Infinite Limits

Since it seems that the season of geekzoidness is in the air, Eternal Wanderer has decided that's safe to take a peep out of his stuffy nerd-closet after all. But he doesn't want it to be an ordinary, run-of-the-mill coming-out-of-the-nerd-closet rite. He wants it fabulous and bonggang-bongga ever!

Eternal Wanderer is Grateful

Thank goodness, I'm over that nasty bump.  I hate it when episodes like those occur. They're nasty, and absolutely ruin my long, flaxen locks perfectly coiffed into a sweeping french twist.

Humpft.

Raw

You see the edge of a blunt blade as you slowly bring it to your wrist.

It starts with a dull sensation as the blade goes back and forth across the thin skin. 

Then comes the searing pain; the skin finally rips.  You know it is coming, yet a part of you is still caught off-guard by the immediacy of the sensation. 

The Felony of Martha Stewart

 Glenn Close is acting up again.

I woke up from my afternoon siesta to the sounds of my mom playing Spider Solitaire on my desktop. As I groggily reached for my cigs on the desktop, she paused her game, faced me and said, "Let's talk."

I immediately lighted a stick and sat down across her.

Eternal Wanderer Says 1

Kung gusto mo ng kanin, kelangan mong mag-saing.

Tawagin Mo Akong Ligaya: The G4M Adventures 2

Tawagin Mo Akong Ligaya: The G4M Adventures 1

Isang gabi, magkasabay kami ni Cubao Boy na nagchat sa lobby ng G4M.  Napansin ko na abala syang chinachat.  E shempre, nag-oshoso ako. Ako fa! May cam ang kolokoy na nakulitan ni CB, so clinick ko.

Ay. Teh, naka-shorts sya. At sando. Sight na sight ko ang arms nya. And mind you, biceps pa lang, ulam na. Ang sarap papakin! *tulo laway*

Aba, magpapahuli ba ako kay CB? Of course not! Naki-eksena ako.

Ternie: Hoy, CB, pakilala mo naman ako sa kausap mo.

CB: Ay. Chege. Eternal Wanderer, meet Pilosopo. Pilosopo, meet Eternal Wanderer.

Pilosopo: Hi, Eternal Wanderer!

Ternie: Oh, please you're too formal. Do call me Ternie. I'm dalisay, busilak, and mayumi. And you're smokin' hot.

Nakita kong natawa sya on cam. Bumenta yata ang hirit ko.

Pilosopo: Sure, sure. Lemme do that again. Hi Ternie, I'm Tasyo. You wana go private on YM? *winks*

Aw.

Yayaaaaaaaaa, where's my clip naaaaaaa? Make hawi naman my golden, flaxen locks because it's getting long eeeeeh!

Tawagin Mo Akong Ligaya: The G4M Adventures 3

Random Notes to Some Bloggers

Sa aking Kabit, na-miss na kita sobra! Pwede bang ako na lang mag-manage sa mga panadero mo???

Sa aking Kalangitan, fakers will go to hell, pwamis! MWAHAHAHAHAHA

Sa aking Vulcan, relak lang ok? Mashado mong pinu-push saili mo. Mmmwaaaaaah

Sa aking Miley Cyrus, alagaan mo ang iyong buko. Kundi ako ang iinum nyan! BWAHAHAHAHA

Sa aking Fashion Institute, kakalurkey ang image mo ngayon! Impeyrnez, very chorvah!

Sa aking Napag-apuyan, magparamdam ka naman ;)

Sa Tres Marias, nag-enjoy ako sa kape natin noon. Napaka-stimulating at free-flwoing ang mga kwento't diskusyon! Mariang Makiling, di pa rin ako naniniwala na busy-busyhan ka. Busy-busyhan sa booking pa ako maniiwala nyahahaha. Mariang Sinukuan, wag ka na-emote, ok? Mariang Palad, sino na naman bago mong inaalembong?!

Sa aking Boy Jakulero, hinay-hinay lang. Nakakabulag daw ang pagtitikol. Baka tumaas lalo grado ng salamin mo!

Sa aking Dikya, once a dikya, always a dikya lolz Hayaan mo, inuman tayo one of these days ;)

The Futility of a Dialogue

L'amour en rose

The solitary rose was lying on the table when I woke up. I had completely forgotten about putting it in the flower vase as my mind was preoccupied when I arrived home.

As I examined it, I noticed the blemishes were starting to set in. It was just a rosebud, its petals not yet fully open. "Now, I guess it'll never fully bloom," I mused to myself "just like you and I."

The Embedded Memory in Comfort Food

Everyone has his or her own  idea of what comfort food is.  It is highly subjective; most of  the association stemming  from pleasant  and memorable childhood experiences. For us Filipinos, what food could give more comfort than our own cuisine?  For some, it may be a bowl of pipping-hot sinigang na baboy, the meat and fat quivering in its softness, the vegetables green and crunchy, and the soup so sour  that one can't help but shudder in delight.  For others, it may be the humble adobo, be it saucy or dry, dark or light, sour or salty.  Eggs and potatoes are optional of course, but it is always best if it's lovingly cooked at home.

Masarap Ba ang Baygon?

Naalala ko yung isang tropa ko nung h.s. Hindi sya katangkaran masyado, pero gwapo't balbunin. Machong macho, tisoyin, at tipong habulin ng mga babae.  Pag mga soiree namin with Assumption, St. Scho,  Holy Spirit, STC, at Miriam, e sya siguro ang isa sa mga pinaka-popular sa mga  kerengkeng na pechay.  Di mapagkakaila na chickboy na chickboy sya.

Sya ay isang chick na mahilig sa boys.

In Search Of is Experiencing Technical Difficulties

Of all the darn things that could happen, the hard disk of my desktop bricked on me.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

And to think I was about to buy a new external hard disk just to back up the friggin' data.

Aaaaaaaaargh.

Will be back as soon I sort out this thing.

Roadkill of a Heart

No recriminations, no bitterness. I understand where you're coming from.

It may not have been grand, it may not have been a lot, but I'd like to believe there was SOMETHING. It was that something that fueled all those times I chose to keep you company through the night. It was that something that fueled my patience in trying to adjust to who and what you are.  It was that something the fueled my acceptance of our difficult situation.

In Search Of, One Year Later

When I created this blog way back in 2007, I never really expected that I would be able to sustain writing continuously. True enough, I did not, except for a couple of entries. In fact, I never even wrote a single post in 2008.

Tawagin Mo Akong Ligaya: The G4M Adventures 1

May ipagtatapat ako.

Naadik ako sa kaka-chat noon sa late and lamented na G4M lobby. Minsan, inaabot ako ng 8 oras na dire-diretsong pagcha-chat doon.  Nakaka-aliw naman kasi. Iba't ibang personalities ang makikilala. May kwela, may tahimik, may makulit, at may mga naglalakihang *toot*

Height Is Might: The Russian Women's Volleyball Team 1

As I have written about my favorite Las Morena del Caribe here and here, let me now share another volleyball team that perhaps was the thorniest rival the of the Cubans at the turn of the century: the towering Russian women’s national volleyball team.

The iconic players of Russia: Lyubov Sokolova on the left, and Ekaterina Gamova on the right.  Both shift between the opposite and outside hitter positions.  Like I said before, Sokolova, 6'3.5", is perhaps the compleat player to have emerged from the Russian team. She was outstanding in all the volleyball fundamentals save probably in setting.  At 6'7.5", Gamova is probably the tallest woman player active in the international volleyball scene.  Her intimidating block is extremely effective when she is the opposite position directly in front of the outside hitter on the other side of the court.

The Unbearable Lightness of Haiku

Haiku (俳句, haikai verse) listen (help·info), plural haiku, is a form of Japanese poetry, consisting of 17 moras (or on), in three metrical phrases of 5, 7, and 5 moras respectively.^[1] Haiku typically contain a kigo, or seasonal reference, and a kireji or verbal caesura. In Japanese, haiku are traditionally printed in a single vertical line, while haiku in English usually appear in three lines, to parallel the three metrical phrases of Japanese haiku.^[2] Previously called hokku, haiku was given its current name by the Japanese writer Masaoka Shiki at the end of the 19th century.

- culled from Wikipedia

Papaitan Recipe (Dahil Ubos na ang Ampalaya) Quote # 6

"Wag kang mag-inarte. Hindi ka kagandahan."

P.S. Ito na ang huli sa serye na ito. Disclaimer lang po: hindi lahat ng tugon e galing sa akin. o sinabi ko sa totoong buhay. Credit goes to other bloggers na kampon din pala ni Bitter Ocampo hahahaha

The Heisenberg Principle of Uncertainty – I So Don’t Get It (A Re-Post)

"Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose."
"The more things change, the more they stay the same."

- old French proverb

Call me staid (read: boring), and old-fashioned (read: inflexible), but change isn’t my cup of tea. Really. I dunno, but I’d rather prefer the sun to rise every morning I get up. Not that it hasn’t risen at all (knock on wood), but I imagine if it doesn’t, then my whole ordered and predictable world will come crashing down. Of course I’m exaggerating, but it brings me my whole point: why change your status quo when there’s no assurance that the precipitating change will be for the better?

Jakpat!

No, hindi ako nanalo nung P200+ million na jackpot last week. Wish ko lang no!  Pero paano ba naman ako mananalo e di naman ako tumaya hehehehe In fairness, niyaya ako ni EB na mag-bet nung nasa SM San Lazaro kami last week, pero naisip ko, jusme, ibibili ko na lang ng yosi yung pera.  Si EB na lang ang tumaya tuloy. Well, obviously, di sya ang nanalo.

Belat ka EB. At least ako, may apat na packs ng yosi nyhahahaha

In fairness, napagtanto ko, e kung tumaya nga ako at nanalo, anong gagawin ko sa P200+ million?  Eto ang listahan that I came up with:

Nauubusan na Ako sa Paraan ng Pagluto ng Ampalaya Quote #5

Tugon sa tanong "How was your Valentine?"

...

P.S. Maari rin isagot ang tugon ni Yj.

The Imaginarium of Eternal Wanderer

In the imaginarium of Eternal Wanderer, he sees the perfect set-up at home: his father and mother are still together, the sun is up and shining, and there is no rancor and resentment; all is peace and quiet at home.

Alas, the imaginarium only exists in the movie. Eternal Wanderer lives in real, and not reel life.

Four Things I Learned While Doing Math

Lately, I've been tutoring math to a h.s. kid who's studying at the British School Manila. I was looking over the textbook they use and immediately noticed there was a huge difference between the way the subject was being taught. I've been used to handling curricula that covers a lot of topics, but only on the same subject for the whole year or the whole semester. The British School, on the other hand, covers a smattering of different math subjects over the entire school year, i.e. a little of algebra, geometry, statistics, trigonometry, etc.

Admittedly, it was jarring to me at first. I mean, it would be kind of confusing for me to juggle factoring polynomials for a week or two and then suddenly shifting to calculating the angles of a polygon. As I was discussing this situation with another educator, he pointed out that it may actually be beneficial to kids who have a short attention span. In this manner, there would be a variety of topics covered, and boredom due to monotony could be avoided.

Sarciadong Ampalaya Quote #3

Tugon sa tanong "How's your love life?"

"Ano yun?"

Ampalaya con Carne Quote # 2

Tugon kapag inecha-pwera:

"Lalaki ka lang. Kayang-kaya kita palitan."

Charantiya Tea Quote # 1

Tugon sa "I hope we still can be friends."

"Marami na akong kaibigan. Di ko kailangan ang isa pang tulad mo."

Take a Silly Online Test, Get an Interesting Result

On one of my blog-hopping sprees, I came a cross a personality test that kinda looked *blah*. But since I really didn't have anything to do, I decided to take it anyway.

Whadya know, it actually gave interesting results.

Bomba Star Ako!

Nasa isang bubong na naman ang parentals ni Eternal Wanderer.  Mej weird ang set-up, pero kehri na rin.  May perfect opportunity tuloy  sya na i-contrast and compare ang ugali ng kanyang Popsy at Mom.

Ang Popsy ni Eternal Wanderer ay liberal na tao. Hindi nya mashado pinakikialaman ang buhay ni Eternal Wanderer.  Easy going at nagsasalita lang si Popsy pag kailangan.

Pero ang Mom ni Eternal Wanderer ay isang different animal all together. Napaka-coservative ni Dña Mudra del Vagabundo Eterno Quién es Puro Immaculado y Modesto!

Mothers and Sons 3

"Anak, are you hungry?", my mother asked me while I was busy writing stuff in front of the computer.

"Mmmmm," I grunted a non-committal reply.

-----

Ever since my mother arrived along with her adopted daughter, I've been extra sullen and moody. A lot of my talking either has been reduced to monosyllables or to shakes and nods of the head. I think she's been chucking it up to my artistic temperament; one time, she even patted my cheeck and said I'm starting to take after Popsy with the way I communicate.

Lost in Transliteration

A few years ago, I was loitering around the streets in a southern German town when I realized my lighter went kaput on me.  Desperately needing a puff, I spied a hottie guy smoking, and approached him to ask for a light.

"Haben sie ein Licht?," (Do you have a light?) I asked flirtatiously politely.

He gave a puzzled stare.

I repeated, "Haben sie ein Licht?," and did an accompanying pantomime of clicking a lighter.

Lights! Camera! Action!

Nagdalamhati si Eternal Wanderer at nag-drama sya ng husto.

Binoycott nya ang blogosphere, ang YM, at Fezbook ng dalawang linggo.  Di rin nya pinipick-up ang cell nya, at di rin sya sumasagot sa text pwera kung importante talaga. In fact, balak nya talaga lumisan sa mundo't pumasok sa kumbento ng mga fink zeezterz.

Pero nakakalurkey pala ang ginagawa ni Maricel Soriano, ano?  Nakakapagod maghihihikbi't maglululupasay habang humagulgol.

Untitled 2

it takes maturity to make a relationship work; 
even more maturity to end it graciously

Thank you.

-----
Close friends are dismissive of the whole affair because I almost never talked about him. I wanted to keep everything low-key, and kept what was really between us private. They will never genuinely fathom how much he meant to me.

And yes, it hurts. 
It hurts like no words can describe it.
The pain is real, the loss is palpable.
Another deep wound in the weary and battle-scarred heart.

C'est fini la comédie

C'est fini
C'est fini la comédie
Tout avait commencé
Comme une pièce à succès
Dans le décor tout bleu
D'un théâtre de banlieue
Nous n'étions que nous deux

Maala-Ala Mo Kaya ang Iyong Kabaklaan 4 (Pwamis, Johnny Cursive, Huling Kabanata Na 'To!)

Maala-Ala Mo Kaya ang Iyong Kabaklaan 3

Ate Charo, hindi naman po ako isang Laila Chikadora para sabihin na may nangyari sa amin ni Albert Martinez.  Though looking back, doon ko po napagtanto na kakaiba po pala ako.  May lihim na pagnanasa po ako sa kapwa kong lalaki.  Pero okay lang po yun, ayon sa aking mga magulang.  Ang bilin lang ni Popsy e practice safe sex daw at wag magda-drugs.  Since masunurin po akong bata, isa sa kanyang mga tuntunin ang aking masigasig na sinusundan. Hulaan nyo na lang po kung ano iyon.

Maala-Ala Mo Kaya ang Iyong Kabaklaan 3

Maala-Ala Mo Kaya ang Iyong Kabaklaan 2

Juspolord, Ate Charo, natulala po ako napaka-gwapo itsura nya! Naaalala ko na naka puting sando sya at faded na masikip na maong na tila may tubo ng pvc na nakabakat sa harap.

O.a. na po ako.

Pero totoo na ang puti-puti nya at may matching may-I-smile-with-dimples drama pa.  Tila tuloy may humaplos sa aking puso at tumbong sa aking natanaw right in front of me.

Putang Ina, Pwede Ba 'Wag Sumigaw?!

And to start your Monday off, let me intoduce a really sophisticated lady:

Now, THAT's what you call the paragon of a class act.

Have a great week, y'all! :D

Maala-Ala Mo Kaya ang Iyong Kabaklaan 2

Maala-Ala Mo Kaya ang Iyong Kabaklaan 1

Pero okay lan yun, Ate Charo.  If truth be told, mas gusto ko po talaga kalaro yung mga babae kong kapit-bahay.  Enjoy na enjoy po ako sa tuwing kami ay mag-chinese garter at jackstone.  Tuwang-tuwa sila lalo na kapag nagbabahay-bahyan o doktor-doktoran kami kasi merong gaganap na tatay at doktor.  Pero naaalala ko, naiinis ako dahil nakakasawang gampanan ang role ng doktor palagi.  Ang gusto ko po talaga ay ako  po yung pinunong nars na nakaputing cap at matching stockings.  Ayoko namang maging nanay.  Napaka-bargas na nun. Baka palayasin din nila ako sa laro tulad nung  sa mga lalaki.  Sabihin pa nung mga babae e nang-aagaw ako ng eksena.

Maala-Ala Mo Kaya ang Iyong Kabaklaan 1

Nagtataka si Eternal Wanderer.

Kamo daw, ano ang nakain ng mga bloggers at nagkalat ang mga istorya ukol sa kanilang paglaladlad.  Meron kay Johnny Cursive, kay Engel, at sa baklitang Lukayo.

Aba, aba, aba! Magpapatalo ba ang Eternal Wanderer? Shempre hindi noh. Kaya dali-dali syang kumuha ng papel at ballpen, at sa kanyang kahig-manok na handwriting, e sumulat sya ng liham sa palabas na Maala-ala Mo Kaya.

Die Blume, Der Tod, und Der Mann

with apologies to Robert Schumann and Franz Schubert

Today, I woke up early and attended the funeral mass for the dad of a good friend of mine.

Azrael was kind this time around. It was the time of the moon when he decided to minister his angelic duties to Tito.  It was a peaceful passing.  Tito was reposed in sleep, and quietly slipped into the night.

On Symbols and Signs

In the symbol entry culled from Wikipedia, a symbol is defined as "something such as an object, picture, written word, sound, or particular mark that represents something else by association, resemblance, or convention." An abstract idea or concept and its corresponding realization are joined together to form a symbol.  This synthesis is evident from the etymology of the ancient Greek word symbolon, meaning "to throw together," a literal "co-incidence" between two halves of the same whole.