XBOX GAMES EARLY REVIEWS

Allow me to turn on my geek mode today. This week has been tiring and sleepless for me. The culprit: video games!!! Well, to be honest it's mostly my fault because I know I have work, but I just can't resist the urge to play. It's really hard. The games are truly addicting and sleepless-nights-inducing.

That's basically the reason why the last couple of posts don't really make sense. My apologies. I haven't been myself lately. But I see some of the light now. Just a little.

Thanks to the pay I got a few days ago, I was able to buy six games, and I'll review a couple that I've bought. Now I haven't really logged in a whole lot of hours playing both games so this may not be complete, but I'll try my best to make some sense.

GEARS OF WAR 2
The sequel to one of Xbox's most groundbreaking games, this one lives up to the hype. Earth is on the brink of destruction, and the human race, extinction. The locusts have grown by the numbers and they aren't showing signs of ever slowing down. There's only one way of stopping them, and that's to go on the offensive. And it falls on the shoulders of Marcus Phenix and his ragtag company to stop them completely.

I loved the original game. It was 10 hours of gaming nirvana. It was violent. It was scary. And it has some of the most beautiful graphics I've ever seen. The original Gears of War was what got me to really love my console (I had buyer's remorse after I purchased the console). So coming in to this game, I really had high expectations. And I'm not disappointed. Not one bit.

Everything I loved with the first game are back. The sniper rifle, the chainsaw gun, destroying locusts, the awesome cover system, and the highly capable AI all make their glorious return. But what's really important is that there are a lot of new additions: you can now use the fallen enemies as shield against incoming fire, more weapons, there are bigger, and badder monsters to brutally destroy and the story is much MUCH better. This just isn't about Marcus anymore, even his partner Dom's story is in the forefront. I'm scared to find out if his family is still alive or not.

The CGI movies are breathtaking!!! You can really feel the sense of hopelessness the people have, seeing all the blood, destruction and fighting during cutscenes. The voice-acting is just superb, and if you have good speakers I suggest to plug it in and turn the volume to the max and just enjoy!!! I have the balls to do it now, as I'm playing in the afternoon and not late at night. I just love hearing the sound of chainsaw ploughing through locust skin.

FINAL WORD: This game looks, sounds and plays so good, this is the first game on my purchase that I'll try to finish first. And play again and again and again.

FALLOUT 3
Before my xbox originally brokedown, aside from murdering people when playing Grand Theft Auto IV, I was totally immersed in the world of Oblivion in Elder Scrolls IV. It was a very beautiful game. A lot of sidequests, a huge world where you can visit everyplace you can see, and a clocked playthrough of almost 100 hours. I'm not even halfway through the main story.

Yeah I know, I need to get a life.

Now why do I have to start my Fallout 3 review with another game. Well, for one, this game is created by the same people who made Elder Scrolls. And two, the game is pretty much similar to the prior, with the only difference is that Fallout is set in a post-apocalyptic Washington DC.

I've only played this game for about an hour and a half last Tuesday. Not because I didn't like it. On the contrary I did. But I just don't want to immerse myself just yet in the whole universe that is Fallout because I haven't incurred an absence yet at work (4 months of diligent work habit baby!!!).

You play whoever you wanted to be, you can even customize the look of your character, mine looks like an Asian, because you know, I'm one. The outcome of your abilities all depends on you. You start the game as an infant and you can be who you want to be. You can be a thief, a murderer, a hero, an assassin, absolutely anything.

I'm looking forward to continuing the story, and completing all of the quests. I'm looking forward to having my pet dog that will accompany me all throughout my journey (well, at least until I accidentally get him/her killed). This has the makings of a great game, but one that I can only play during the weekends. I miss my bum days.

FINAL WORD: Technically, one of the most beautiful games ever made. Can't wait to become addicted to this game.

SA IYONG NGITI AKO'Y NAHUHUMALING

Kung akala niyo, itong post na ito ay isa nanamang keso post, nagkakamali kayo ng bigtime!!! Hindi na ako magpopost sa ngayon ng mga kilig-kilig posts kasi nandidiri ako sa sarili ko sa mga pinagsususulat ko.

Gusto ko sana magsulat ng tungkol sa mga games na pinamili ko, kaya lang kahapon pag-uwi ko galing sa pamimili ng mga kasuotan eh hapung-hapo ako at di na nakapaglaro. Kaya ayun, wala tuloy ako maisulat ngayon. Siguro next week na. As for now, papatulan ko ang tag ni Gas Dude.

Kelangan ko lang paganahin ang utak ko ngayon dahil magtatatlong oras na akong nakatunganga dito sa opisina (kaya ko mahal na mahal ang trabaho ko). Para sa mga katrabaho ko na nakakabasa nito exag lang ito, nagtatrabaho ako!!! Tingnan niyo pa ako...

So anyway, kung hindi ako nagkakamali, ang tag ay 10 bagay na nagbibigay sa akin ng ngiti. Hmmm... mahirap kasi may singaw ako ngayon at talagang masakit at nakakaiyak kapag pinipilit kong ngumiti. Pero itatry ko. Actually, hindi siya humihingi ng explanation kung bakit ako napapangiti pag naiisip ko ang mga ito... sinipag lang akong magsulat.

1. BAKED ZITI NG SBARRO
Simula ng bumalik ako galing ng New Zealand eh sobrang laki ng tinaba ko. Kaya ngayon, bawal ang kanin, kumain ng marami at magpakabondat. So ibig sabihin nito, eh wala munang Sbarro. Pero kapag naiisip ko itong malinamnam na pagkain na ito... To hell with weight loss!!! Mmmmmm... sarap!!!

2. XBOX 360
Pipigilin ko ang sarili ko kasi baka isang mahabang post ang maisulat ko dito para lang sa xbox 360. Kung ngayon ka lang napadpad dito sa blog ko, maikwento ko lang ang maikling anecdote na ito. Simula Hulyo eh nasira yung console ko. Apat na buwan ang hinintay para lang magkaroon ng pera pampaayos lang nito, sabay malalaman ko na may shop sa Ortigas na nag-aayos nito sa halagang P1800, eh ang akala ko noon P6000 ang paayos nito. So ayun, ngayon adik nanaman ako!!! Anim na games nga pala ang binili ko kahapon!!!!

3. BAGONG DAMIT
Seryoso, hindi ako sanay na namimili ng sarili kong damit. Kaya siguro may pagkamanong ang porma ko, eh kasi dati madalas umaasa lang ako sa mga padalang polo ng mga tiyahin ko. Asa ka pang in sila sa bagong style diba. Simula nang malipat ako sa Marikina at nakasama sa ilang mapopormang kaibigan, natuto akong bumili ng damit na sakto lang sa size ko. Kasi sa Amerika, kapag large ang binili mong damit, eh ibig sabihin nun kasing laki mo si Jimmy Santos. Eh hello 5'6 lang ako. Kaya ang saya saya ko kapag nagsusukat ako ng mga magagandang damit... at nabibili ko ito.

4. PUMAPAYAT KA
Gaya ng sinabi ko nung una, pagbalik na pagbalik ko mula NZ ilang buwan na ang nakakaraan, eh lahat na lang ng tao sinabihan akong lumolobo. Kaya simula noon, todo gym at diet ako. Kaya ngayon palakpak tenga ako sa tuwing nasasabihan ako na 'uy ang laki na ng pinayat mo ah.' Isa na ring dahilan kaya mahal na mahal ko ang trabaho ko eh dahil libre dito ang gym, may trainer ka pa. Parang impyerno ang pakiramdam pag naggygym ako, pero sulit naman. Hahahaha

5. SI KRAS
Madaming nagpapangiti sakin na hindi ninyo makikita dito sa listahan na ito dahil sobrang keso!!! Pero dahil wala naman ako masyadong maisip kaya isisingit ko siya dito ngayon. Hindi ko alam ang pangalan niya, kasi wala akong lakas ng loob na makipag-usap sa hindi ko kilala pero siomai, nahuhumaling ako sa kanya. Hindi naman siya tipong kagandahan talaga, pero anlakas ng appeal para sakin. Unang-una nagbubus siya so ibig sabihin, hindi siya high maintenance. Sabay may dimples pa. Hay.

6. COMICS
Anim pa lang hirap na ako ah. Oh eto, ang isa sa mga hobbies ko. Hindi nako bumibili ng paisa-isang issue ngayon kasi mahal. So ang ginagawa ko, yung mga trade paperback na ang binibili ko. Huli man ako sa kwentuhan, at least in the know pa rin ako (may internet naman). Pwede ako tumambay sa tindahan ng komiks buong araw nang hindi lumalabas. Tatlo lang naman talaga ang kadalasang pinagkakaabalahan ko, comics, internet at pabango. Noong mga nakaraang buwan, dito lang napupunta ang pera ko. Pero kung mababasa niyo lang ang mga kwentong nilalabas ngayon... di rin mawawala ang ngiti nyo pag nakita niyo ang bida bugbugin ang kalaban niya.

7. END NG TRABAHO
Gaano man ako kasaya sa trabaho ko, wala ng mas sasaya pa para sa akin kapag tapos na ang araw ko. Yung tipong mag-gygym ka na lang bago umuwi. Tapos pag-uwi mo, maglalaro ng konting Fallout 3 bago matulog. Hay. Enough said.

8. MAHABANG TULOG
Dahil ngayong linggo, kulang ako dito ilalagay ko sa mga bagay na nagpapangiti sa akin ang isang mahabang mahabang tulog. Hindi yung tipong di na ako magigising, kasi patay na ako nun. Pero yung kumpletong tulog 8-9 hours ng tulog. Yung may magandang panaginip. Tapos di ka gigisingin sa gitna ng tulog mo para itanong lang kung gising ka (I love you lola!!!). Sobrang ganda ng araw ko kapag may ganitong tulog ako.

9. KAKORNIHAN
Sa totoong buhay hindi ako magaling sa comedic timing. Yung mga joke ko sa mga kaibigan ko eh kadalasang napagkakamalang seryoso. Siguro pag naging stand-up comedian ako wala kayong maririnig sa audience kundi tunog ng mga kuliglig, pero ang hilig kong makinig sa mga korni na jokes. Yung cellphone ko puno ng mga jokes. Tapos kung tumawa ako, parang hindi na sisikat ang buwan mamayang gabi. Ganun ako kababaw.

10. MGA EKSENA SA BUS
Hindi dahil sa manyak ako ha. Pero natatawa ako sa mga eksena ng PDA. Ewan ko ba. Hindi naman ako nalilibugan sa kanila, kaya lang nakakatuwa lang silang tingnan. Tapos maririnig mo isang minuto nagsasabihan ng 'i love you' tapos mamayamaya may maririnig mo na lang nag-aaway na sila. Tapos si lalake yayakapin ng mahigpit si babae, then si babae yayakap din naman, sabay palo sa likod. All that habang pinapanuod mo ang pirated copy ng My Only U, or Quantum of Solace.

Hindi talaga ako mahilig pumatol sa mga tags. Para sakin kasi, parang may mali kapag pinipilit kang magsulat ng mga bagay na hindi ka naman interesado. Pero naaappreciate ko na kahit papaano ay nababanggit ang pangalan ko sa blog ng mga katulad kong adik sa pagbablog. Kaya kung may nagtag man sa akin at hindi ko nagawa, sorry naman. Hayaan niyo, pag may time ako at walang magawa, papatulan ko lahat, kahit yung mga noong Hunyo pa nagtag sakin. Hehehe.

At dahil binasa mo itong post na ito... tagged ka!!! Kailangang ipasa mo ito sa lahat lahat (as in LAHAT) ng kakilala mong may blog!!!

Bwahahahahaha!!! Joke!

NO MORE CHEESE!!!

At dahil magpapasko na at bagong sweldo ako... Ipopost ko ang mga bibilhin ko mamaya pagkatapos ng trabaho.

Kung nagtataka kayo, bakit ngayon lang ako sumuweldo, ito ay dahil sa kumpanyang pinagpepetiksan ko eh isang beses lang sa isang buwan kung kami ay pasahurin. Siyempre, buong isang buwan ang nakukuha namin. At dahil katapusan na ng taon, eh ang sahod namin ngayon eh may karagdagang something (wala bangag talaga ako, sorry).

Ang pinakahihintay ng karamihan ng nagtatrabaho sa call center bago sila lumayas sa kumpanya... ang 13th month pay!!!

Opo mga kaibigan, mayaman ako ngayon hanggang sa linggo kung kelan mauubos na lahat ng pera ko.

Alam ko na ang mga bibilhin ko, salamat at mas malaki sa inaasahan ko ang nakuha ko. Bagong sapatos, bala ng xbox at isa pang controller para naman kapag may bisita ako, hindi sila naglalaway sa tabi ko habang nanunuod ng mga linalaro ko. Yun nga lang, bibihira lang na may bumibisita sa bahay para maglaro. Tipong twice a year lang (pag birthday ko at pasko).

At dahil No More Cheese ang titulo ng artikulong ito, ikukuwento ko lang kung bakit nitong mga nakaraang mga araw eh medyo dinadapuan ako ng love bug. Ganito kasi yun, tuwing pumapasok ako sa trabaho, eh napapaligiran ako ng mga magkasintahan sa bus. Hindi yung pasweet na mga magdyowa kundi yung mga sobrang PDA na tipong minamanyak ang isa't-isa sa likod ng bus at sa harap ng mga nakakakita. Oo, nainggit ako... bwahahahaha. Sorry naman, tao lang.

Pero dahil nagkaroon na ulit ako ng bagong pinagkakaabalahan, nabaling na ang ADHD kong utak sa ibang bagay. Ngayon, hinahayaan ko ang migraine na dulot ng puyat at walang humpay na paglalaro ng xbox ang bumuo sa araw ko. Sa opisina, ito lang ang naiisip ko. Sa bus pauwi, ang kamay ko eh nakaporma na parang may hawak ako na controller, minsan may matching action pa na parang pumipindot pindot ako ng mga triggers at buttons. Adik na talaga ako. Ano ba gamot dito?

Pasensya na kung walang konek konek ang mga pinagsususulat ko ngayong araw. Masaya lang ako at may pera na ulit ako matapos ang ilang linggo. Mababayaran ko na rin ang katulong namin sa wakas!!! Hindi pa rin kasi ako sanay na buwanan ang sahod. Siguro sa susunod na taon ay ayos na ako. Baka may naipon nako by then... Yun ang pangako ko sa sarili ko para sa taong 2009. Kada sweldo may itatabi ako para ipunin. Hindi na ako bumabata, at kelangan ko nang may maipon.

Yaan niyo, sa susunod, mag-iisip na ako.

KUNG MAY KASINTAHAN KA

Nag-iisip ako ng maisusulat ngayong araw ng linggo. Mag-isa pa lang ako dito sa opisina, ala-una ng hapon. Medyo pagod at excited dahil hopefully mamayang gabi ay may X-box na ulit ako!!! Pinadala ko na siya sa pagamutan agad-agad nang makakita ako ng mag-aayos sa kanyang karamdaman sa hindi mataas na halaga. Inutang ko pa sa katulong namin yung pambayad kasi atat na ako.

Habang nakaupo ako sa trono kaninang umaga at nag-iisip ng magandang maisusulat, naisip ko namang magsulat ng tungkol sa relasyon. Wala pa ako ngayon, dahil wala naman akong mahanap, hindi rin naman kasi ako naghahanap. Hindi naman ako natrauma sa mga huling nakasama ko, pero parang wala lang. Hindi siya masyadong malaking prayoridad para sa akin. Ewan ko ba, hindi yata ako tao.

Pero naisip ko, ano nga ba ang advantages kapag ikaw ay nasa isang relasyon? Siguro sa tinagal-tagal ko nang single (lampas isang taon na rin nang huli akong pumasok sa ganun), nakalimutan ko na kung gaano kasaya ang may kalabing-labing. So ngayon, eh iisa-isahin ko ang mga naidudulot ng pagkakaroon ng isang gelpren o boypren.

KILIG
Naisulat ko nang minsan na masarap ng may kilig sa buhay. Yung tipong gigising ka at makakabasa ng text message mula sa yong sinisinta na nagsasabing namiss ka nila. Yung may magtatanong ng 'kumain ka na ba?' o kaya'y kapag kayo'y lumalabas eh may kahawak kang kamay. Masarap lumabas at makipagdate. Yung hindi kayo nauubusan nang pinag-uusapan, tapos magugulat ka na lang madaling-araw na pala. Yung may inspirasyon kang gumising sa umaga o kaya'y matulog kasi alam mong hanggang sa panaginip ay dadalawin ka ng iyong sinisinta. Masarap yung kahit bangag ka sa trabaho ay bigla kang mapapangiti kasi dumaan siya sa iyong isipan.

MAY KAKAMPI KA
Kung mahal ka ng taong pinili mo, alam mong may kakampi ka. Kapag may problema ka, may masasabihan ka, at alam mong dadamayan ka (unless of course mali ka talaga). Kapag may umaway sa'yo alam mong may magtatanggol sa inyo, kahit pa ikaw yung lalake. Yung tipong pati yung gf/bf mo eh nagagalit kapag pinagtitsismisan ka sa trabaho na kahit ikaw eh hindi naaapektuhan, pero sila hindi matatahimik hangga't di napagsasabihan yung umaaway sa'yo. Alam mo na nagkecare sila sa'yo.

TAMPUHAN
Hindi yung mismong tampuhan yung masarap sa isang relasyon. Yung pagkatapos nun. Yung magsosorry ka, tapos sasabihing 'I forgive you' tapos magkikiss or maghuhug kayong dalawa. Masaya yun, kahit minsan masakit sa bangs. Kasi nakikilala mo nang husto yung partner mo. Masarap maglambingan kapag tapos na ang awayan, kasi dun mo mararanasan na kapag may tampuhan kayo't di nag-uusap mas lalo mo namimiss yung gf/bf niyo. Minsan masakit, pero parte talaga yan ng isang relasyon at nakakatulong na magpatibay ng pagsasama ninyo.

KASAMA
Yun lang simpleng may kasama kang manuod ng sine o kaya'y kumain sa labas eh masaya na yun. May maaaya kang pumunta sa Enchanted Kingdom o kaya'y maglakad sa Baywalk. Kahit yung simpleng magkape sa Starbucks eh ayus na. Masarap makipagdate, lalo na kung gusto mo yung kasama mo. Kagaya ng sabi ko kanina, yung tipong sa sobrang enjoy niyong magkausap eh di mo napansin na mahabang oras na ang lumipas. Mahirap enjoyin panoorin ang isang pelikula kung pagkatapos nun wala kang mapagkukuwentuhan ng napanuod mo.

Oo, alam ko sasabihin niyo na mahahanap mo rin yung iba dyan sa mga kaibigan niyo. Totoo yan. Pero merong feeling na kakaiba ang maibibigay ng kasintahan na hindi mo makukuha kung simpleng kaibigan lang ang kasama mo. Hay.

Siguro malamig lang talaga ang panahon kaya ilang araw na akong nagkakaganito. Nagpapakakeso.

END OF FRIENDSHIP

Repost and edited. Maikli lang itong post dati, pero dahil sinisipag ako magsulat ngayon, pinahaba ko ng konti.

History lang, isinulat ko ito may dalawang taon na rin ang nakakaraan. Ang dahilan, isa sa mga kaibigan ko eh inaaway ako. Well, not necessarily, pero yung tipong nalalamatan na yung pagsasamahan namin. Sinulat ko ito kasi bwisit na bwisit na ako dahil hindi niya ako pinapansin tapos nagrereklamo siya sakin sa iba kong mga kaibigan. Syempre, yung iba kong friends kampi sakin kasi alam nila walang direksyon yung pagkaasar niya sa akin.

Two years later, magkaibigan pa rin kami. Pero dahil hindi na kami nagkikita ng madalas, wala na yung closeness na katulad ng dati. Hanggang text text na lang o paminsan IM.

**********

Maraming dahilan upang ang matibay na pagsasamahan ay malalamatan at masisira. Marami na ring mga tao na nagdaan sa buhay ko at biglang nawala dahil sa iba-ibang dahilan. Minsan kasalanan ko, minsan sa ibang tao, at minsan din ay dahilan sa paglipas ng panahon. Ang mga sumusunod ay ilan sa mga dahilan kung paano nasisira ang pagkakaibigan...

PRIDE
Ang pangunahing dahilan ng pagkasira ng mga pagkakaibigan. Ito ang pinaiiral kaya ang isang tao ay madalas nahihirapan magsabi ng 'I'm sorry' kahit na sila ang may kasalanan. Ganun nagsimula ang lamat ng pagkakaibigan namin ni Mikko dati (Kwentong Grade School). Ipinagmamalaki niya ang crush niya kay Claudine Barretto, ako naman matigas sa pagsasabing wala siyang pag-asang patulan non. Walang nagsosorry samin. Kaya pagtungtong ng high school, iba na ang barkada namin.

PANAHON
Pagkatapos ninyo magtapos sa pag-aaral, minsan ay hindi niyo na nababalitaan kung ano ang nangyari sa matalik ninyong kaibigan noong kolehiyo o high school. Marahil dahil malayo ang pinag-aaralan ninyo sa isa't-isa. UP Diliman siya, Olivarez College ka naman. Tapos sa pagiging sobrang busy ninyong dalawa, hindi na kayo nagkikita. Hanggang sa magpalit kayo ng cell number, tapos siyam na taon ang nakalipas, mababalitaan mo na lang na yung dating best friend mo eh nagladlad na.

PAGSISINUNGALING
Kung magsisinungaling na lang kayo sa kaibigan niyo, siguraduhin ninyong hindi kayo mahuhuli. Isang malaking no-no na ugali para sa akin ang sinungaling. Wala akong pakialam kung mahirap ka, mayaman, bakla, tomboy, matalino o bobo, basta mabait ang ugali mo okay lang. Kapag nahuli kitang nagsisinungaling, sigurado na akong mahirap kang pagkatiwalaan. At malamang, eh hindi na kita sasamahan. Kaya kung magsisinungaling ka, panindigan mo na.

BAGONG FRIENDS
Minsan may mga bago na kayong sasamahan, kaya ang kaibigan ninyo dati, medyo makakalimutan ninyo... hanggang sa mawala na yung dating matibay na samahan. Madalas na nangyayari ito sa mga nagtatrabaho sa call center. Sa akin mismo ay nangyari din ito. Sa dati kong trabaho tatlong taon akong nagsilbi sa kumpanyang pinasukan ko. At dahil hindi naman masyadong mayaman ito, maraming umaalis para maghanap ng ibang trabaho. Syempre, kapag may umaalis may dumarating. Minsan sa mga baguhan, may makikilala kang katulad mo ng ugali o interes, kaya nagiging close ka dito. Tapos yung kasama mo dati, wala na, naiwan sa isang tabi. Malungkot ano, lalo na't wala talagang dahilan upang matapos ang magandang samahan.

BABAE/LALAKE
Pag-ibig... sumisira din yan sa pagiging malapit ng dalawang magkaibigan. Lalo na kung love triangle ang pag-uusapan. Obvious na yun. Pero minsan, may mga taong handang ipagpalit ang lahat kahit kaibigan sa ngalang ng katangahan... este pag-ibig. Kunwari inlove na in love si lalake kay babae, pero di siya gusto ng mga kaibigan. So dahil libog na libog este patay na patay itong si guy, eh kakalimutan niya ang pinagsamahan nila ng barkada makasama lang si girl. Tapos pag binreak, ngangawa pabalik sa mga kaibigan para lang ipagpalit muli pag may nakitang bagong prospect. Hindi ako bitter!!!

PERA
Kaya ayaw kong magpautang o mangutang sa kaibigan, dahil ito ay isang matinding dahilan para bigyan ng lamat ang mabuting pagsasamahan. Mangungutang ng malaki, sabay magtatago. Pupuntahan mo sa bahay nila, pero lumayas daw kasama ng syota. Tatawagan ang cellphone, pero nagpalit ng numero. O kaya naman magsososyo sa negosyo, tapos malalaman mo na lang hindi pala kayo pantay ng nakukuha sa kinikita.

Ano man ang dahilan, masakit talaga ang mawalan ng kaibigan. Minsan ito ay pagsubok lang para talagang mapatunayan na matibay ang pagsasamahan. Pero kahit ano man ang pagsubok, kung ito ay iyong ipaglalaban, kahit ano pa yan hindi kayo mag-iiwanan.

WALANG MAISULAT

"Paano ba tayo naging magkaibigan?" tanong ni Sofia kay JP. "Seryoso JP, nagtataka ako kung paano tayo naging close, eh napakaantipatiko mo."

"Loko. Ako rin nagtataka kung bakit ako nagdididikit sa'yo, eh parang hindi ka nagsisipilyo!" sagot ni JP.

Kolehiyo pa lang nang magkakilala ang dalawa. Hindi sila nagkasama sa iisang pamantasan, pero naging magkaibigan dahil sa iisang barkada. Parehong nanggaling sa maykayang angkan ang dalawa. At dahil pareho ng mga hilig, kaya't naging magkalapit ang isa't-isa.

"Gago! JP ipapaalala ko lang sa'yo babae ako kaya mag-ingat ka sa mga sinasabi mo," mahilig pagtripan ni JP si Sofia, kaya't madalas mag-away ang dalawa. Gayunpaman, sa kanilang barkada, silang dalawa ang pinakamagkadikit.

"Babae ka dyan? Tingnan mo nga braso mo, mas malaki pa kesa akin!"

"Sira! Bakit ka nga pala pumunta dito?" nakaupo ang dalawa sa bubong sa labas ng kwarto ni Sofia. Malamig ang gabi. Tanaw mula dito ang makikislap na Christmas lights na umaadorno sa mga bahay sa paligid nila. Makukulay, sumasayaw, masarap titigan.

"Wala lang. Wala akong magawa sa bahay eh. Dapat sasama ako kina Dino, kaya lang magdedate daw sila ni Carla, ilang naman kung makisingit pa ako. So naisip ko, may pagkaloser ka, kaya sasamahan na lang kita."

"Eh kung tinutulak kaya kita dito sa bubong nang mabalian ka?!"

"Wag naman, mababawasan ka ng gwapong kaibigan!" biro ni JP.

Napatigil si Sofia. Ngayon lang niya napansin na maganda pala ang ngiti ng kaibigan. Mukhang masaya siya ngayon. Noong una niya itong nakilala, may pagka-emo ang drama nito. Palaging galit sa mundo, at hindi marunong ngumiti. Walang ibang alam kundi magreklamo, at hindi nakukuntento sa anumang ibigay dito. Marami nang nagbago sa loob ng dalawang taon. Lahat nang ito'y napansin niya noong gabing iyon.

"Alam mo ba na kapag bilog ang buwan, minsan nag-iiba ang ugali ko?" sabi ni JP.

"Ano ka werewolf?!" biro ni Sofia kay JP. Napalakas ang tawa nito.

"Hindi ganun. Yung tipong pag masaya ako, mas doble yung saya ko. Pag tinotopak ako, sobrang kulit ko. Kapag malungkot ako, parang suicidal ako."

"Ah, babaeng may PMS?!" sabay tawa. Napansin ni Sofia na hindi tumatawa si JP. Tumingin ito sa buwan. Bilog ito noong gabing iyon. Maganda, napapaligiran ng mga makinang na bituin. Lumingon ulit si Sofia kay JP at napansin na nakatingin din ito sa buwan.

"Ano naman ang nararamdaman mo ngayon?" tanong ng dalaga.

Nakatitig pa rin sa buwan si JP. Nakangiti. Lumingon kay Sofia. Huminga siya nang malalim na parang nag-iipon ng lakas.

Tumabi ito kay Sofia at hinawakan ang kanyang kamay sabay sabing "masaya."

**********

Ito ang dahilan kung bakit medyo nakakadepress ang Pasko para sa akin... lumalabas ang pagkakeso ko. Hindi ko ito gusto!!! Kelan kaya ako magbabalik sa normal?! Parang mas gusto kong maging emo kaysa keso.

SUGAR IS SPICY

"Di ako aalis ng Puerto Galera hangga't di napapasakin si Wilma!!!"

That's what rumors say I said during one company outing a few years ago. I don't remember ever uttering those words. But I do remember I had a crush on Wilma back then.

Wilma, or better known as Sugar is one of the many friends I had from my previous job. We didn't have that awkward first encounter unlike the first couple of featured friends. Well, for one I never handled her when she was still an agent. Number two, when she was still new, I didn't really approach her that much because there's always something that prevents you from having the courage to talk to her.

But that doesn't stop us from having a good friendship later on.


I actually became close to her because before, she always brings food to work. And being such a loser, and not wanting to spend my money on food, I oftentimes choose to chow down on hers. I think it's partly her fault why I got fat in the first place. As an aside note, her mom is a really good cook. She hated it when my first friendster testimonial back then was about her mother's cooking.

Going back to Sugar, one of the things that I liked about her is that she's really HOT!!! She's a real cowgirl. You can take her anywhere and she'll be fine with it. In boyfriend terms, she's not high maintenance. And she's really not that choosy in regards to boyfriends. I SHOULD KNOW!!!

One thing I really love about Sugar aside from the fact that she looks a little bit like Angel Locsin, is that she can sing. She does a mean impression of Britney Spears that when we're in videoke houses people look our way when she does her rendition of I'm A Slave For You. And that's not only talent she has. She's also got the moves. I remember when she learned how to do the handstand, she does it whenever someone asks her to do it. She does it in the office, apartment, the mall and even inside fast food chains (just kidding).

As I mentioned earlier, she's not that hard to please. Yep, men and at times women have won her over. I'm not really sure what they did, because she never gave me the chance to be her partner, not even a fling. But she doesn't really have such high standards. I do know though she likes tall guys who have shaved heads. Guys that she likes, I know because she told me that. But as for the girls, I have no idea what got her to experiment, but a lot of people go through that stage. I should've known, because she's got tons of pictures of her locking lips with other women. Tons!!!

I told her this already, she's one of the people I miss from my old life. More than her mom's cooking, I miss talking to her about her love life. Sometimes, her sex life. I miss the drinking sessions when she's having problems with her life or her work.

Some things she gave me permission to talk about on my post about her:
- Sugar is a member of a popular fraternity in the Philippines. She's a sis!!!
- She's really stupid when she falls for a guy. She left a guy for a jerk. And stayed with the jerk even if everyone told her to forget about him.
- She joined a singing contest before that was shown on a really low-budget free tv channel.
- Shugs loves dance movies like Step Up and Honey, and she knows all of the steps in those movies.
- And she likes to watch horror movies too. She likes to be scared.
- Her mom makes the best ribs and adidas I've ever tasted. Yum.

Wilma or Sugar. whatever you call her, it cannot be denied, her life is really spicy!

**********

Yeah, my featured friend is back. After 2 months absence. Hopefully this time, this will stick. I've got a couple lined up for the next couple of months. Those will be my birthday gifts to them. Let's just pray I don't run out of things to say. English posts are really difficult to write nowadays.

TATLONG TAON

THis is my first post... and since i cannot open my friendster in the office, this is where im going to do my blogging... Im not really used to this one, and im doing this in the hopes that i'd meet someone with the same interests that i have (and hopefully in the same level of thinking that i do)... Anyway id just like to introduce myself here... Try to make a good impression on y'all...
(November 2005)

Yan ay caption lamang ng una kong post tatlong taon na ang nakakaraan. Kung tutuusin, mababaw ang dahilan. Blinock sa opisina namin dati ang friendster kung saan ako noon madalas magpost. At dahil maaga ako pumasok noon, para lang mag-internet. Napagtripan ko ang magblog.

2005 - ho-hum year for me... Medyo boring ang 2005 for me so to make the next year different, gagawa ako ng to-do list for 2006... something like a New Year's Resolution pero hindi... di ko kasi alam ang ibig sabihin ng resolution... Hahahaha!!!
- gumawa ng at least 100 blog entries na may SENSE... (December 2005)

Naachieve ko yan. Isa lang yan sa mga goals na sinet ko noon. Halos lahat naman eh nagawa at nakuha ko. Yung ilan nga lang eh inabot ng 2 taon bago nangyari.

There have been a lot of blogs that I've seen that are so politically charged and nationally motivated that their entries alone make you want to do something to promote change... While mine is about comic books, perfumes and the occassional bitching about my having no love life... How pathetic is that?! They write about real important stuff... I write about myself... and nobody seems to be interested... at least I'm seeing that a lot of people are snooping around my humble little site... That gets me inspired to write a little... (July 2006)

Napansin ko na maraming mga baguhan din ang nagsusulat ng mga napapansin nila tungkol sa blogosphere. Ganun din ako noon. Pero si Kuya Jon na malapit nang maging Daddy John (congratulations!) eh nagbigay sa akin ng isang napakagandang advise. WE WRITE TO EXPRESS AND NOT TO IMPRESSS. Ipinamamahagi ko ito sa tuwing may mga tao na namomroblema tungkol sa mga blog nila.

Me: Im just being realistic, but ako pag nagmahal ako binibigay ko ang lahat... Now, kung hindi kayang suklian ng taong mahal ko yung mga iaalay ko, then she does not deserve my love...
End of texts...
Am I being a jerk?
But in my defense, pinaasa niya ako... (August 2006)

Isa lang sa napakaraming beses na nagsulat ako tungkol sa pag-ibig. O pagkakabasted sakin. Marami kaming pinagdaanan ng blog na ito. Siguro swerte sa blog na ito yung pagiging single ko, kasi nauupdate ko siya. Noong may syota ako eh walang naramdaman mula sa akin ang blog na ito. Minsan lang.

And what's fucked up is that everytime... and I mean EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. that I decide to give up on that person, she pulls on something that prevents me from doing so. She does something nice, she asks for the two of us to go out. She comes to me with her problems and then all those feelings all come crashing back. It sucks because I can't move on!!! I can't go forward. Everytime I meet a new prospect, a few hours later I will receive a text message from that person. I can't forget about her. (November 2006)

Ito ang unang post ko dun sa tao na tinutukoy ko sa huling emo post ko. Maraming beses naging ganito ang pakiramdam ko tungkol sa kanya. Pero nahirapan talaga akong maka move-on. Mabuti na sigurong hindi ko na siya nakikita ngayon. At least naghihilom na muli ang puso ko. Bwahahaha. Ang sagwa.

It's June already and as of writing, I only have about 19 days before I officially become a statistic... UNEMPLOYED!!! (June 2007)

Ito ay isa lang sa iilang post na sinulat ko patungkol sa karera ko. Madami akong narinig mula sa mga kaibigan ko na mali ang pagtalikod sa isang mataas na posisyon para makipagsapalaran muli. Pero kung tutuusin, gaya ng ibang mga desisyon ko sa buhay, sinusunod ko lang ang sinasabi ng puso ko. Di naman ako nagkamali. Di ako makakarating kung san man ako ngayon kung hindi ko ito ginawa.

November 2005, I came in early to work to take advantage of the paid overtime. I went up to the 14th floor pantry, and there she was, reading some pharmacy book. I came up to her, she said she’s just refreshing her memory. Because you know, that’ll help her sell credit card protection once she hits the floor. At that time, I don’t know, but I thought I’d get along very well with this girl. (July 2008)

Nagkukuwento rin ako ng tungkol sa aking mga kaibigan. Isa-isa silang ipinakikilala. Medyo nahinto lang, pero ipagpapatuloy ko ito bago matapos ang taon.

It was around 4pm Sunday when we finally stepped out of Wellington Airport from a 3 hour flight from Melbourne. It was drizzling outside, and I believe the temperature was 3 degrees. Yep, we felt like we just stepped in a giant freezer. But like I said, it felt good... We're in another country. I'm not used to seeing this many white people walking pass me. It's like I'm in the movies. Choice!!! (August 2008)

At syempre sinusulat ko rin ang mga bagay na hinding hindi ko makakalimutan buong buhay ko. Ang trip namin sa New Zealand.

Tatlong taon. Ganito na katanda itong blog na ito. Natural na marami kaming pinagdaanan. Naging saksi sa ilang mga masasayang karanasan. Nakita ako sa mga pinakamasasayang mga araw, at nakiramay sa mga ka-emohan ko. Nakita akong malasing. Naintindihan ang pagiging jologs ko. At nauunawaan kung minsan sabaw ang utak ko.

Maraming salamat sa lahat ng nakibasa, nagkumento, nakiramay at kahit sa mga napadaan lang at di na bumalik. Ang malaman na hindi ako nag-iisa sa mundo sa mga pinagdadaanan ko eh may naittutulong rin naman sa akin. Nakakagaan sa loob.

Tatlong taon. Ang tanda ko na sa blogging community!!! Happy anniversary... magpapa-cheeseburger ako!!! Punta kayo sa bahay ko...

FOOD TRIP

A couple of days from now, my blog is going to celebrate it's 3rd birthday. I think I already have a post in mind for that occassion, but we'll have to hold out on that until the 13th.

For now though, let me see if I have the cajones to be a food reviewer (I doubt it!!!). I wouldn't have a weight problem now if I weren't such a pig before. If anyone mentions food, I'm always game to join. Regardless I have the money or not (what's the use of other people's credi cards, right?). My friends aren't pigs, unfortunately. Most of them are the type who could eat a lot and still stay thin. Me on the other hand... not that lucky.

Anyway, this is not about my weight problems (which I'm solving nowadays, 10 pounds lost baby!!!). I'm posting my favorite hangout restos. These are the places with the best food that is worth my money. Not necessarily cheap, but you get the worth of what you pay for.

AVENETTO (Glorietta 3, Libis, Visayas Ave)

I love Italian food. This post is dominated by pasta places and pizzerias. And I'd like to start with Avenetto. If you ask me the best pizza for me, I'd still go for Pizza Hut. But in terms of the food, I really recommend this place. Whenever I go out with my friends say, to Libis or Makati, this is one of the first place I'd invite them to eat lunch in. I loved their Pesto with Chicken. Yum. I like it because they really have big servings and it's not that expensive.

AMICI (beside Don Bosco)

This one, I just recently discovered. It's a quaint little Italian restaurant that serves mostly Italian Food. It's not as good as Avenetto, but it's still okay. The ice cream is a lil expensive, but it really is good. The serving is not as big as Avenetto, but it tastes just as good. Contrary to alot of people, I like eating the pizza crust. And their pizzas have some of the better tasting ones. It's a bit difficult to get to if you don't have your own car, and a little bit pricey, but if you love real Italian tasting dishes this is worth the travel. I'm not a seafood lover, but people say they have the better tasting seafood pasta out there. Amici in Italian by the way means Friends, if you're wondering.

STEAK MD (Timog, Blue Wave Pasay)

If you're craving for steaks and find Outback too expensive, I suggest you try Steak MD. I know of only two branches of this, one in Timog, and another in Blue Wave Pasay. They have some of the best tasting steak that is neither expensive nor fancy. The ambiance is fine, best to serve you and your friends. And the waitresses are really friendly. They have fancy sauces that really brings out the flavor of what you ordered. From the sweet to the hot, buttery and to the spicy sauces, you only need to choose which you prefer. As for me, I'm more of the unadventurous type, so I just chose their Rub Ko To (this is their house specialty sauce).

HOT ROCKS (Libis, Ortigas)

I've only been to the one in front of Club 650 in Libis, but I heard that there's one in Ortigas as well, I just don't know where. And the thing that I loved the most about this steakhouse is their sauce. They have one of the best steak sauce I have ever tasted. It blends well with the meat, and makes you want to eat more rice. It's good that it's not that expensive. I assure you, specially because they're just beside an ice cream place, when you leave Hot Rocks, your stomach won't have anymore space for anything else. I remember paying less than 500 bucks for all those delicious meat. Yum. I don't remember what steak I ordered (or if I ordered steak at all), but I know I got full.

COFFEE BEAN & TEA LEAF (just about everywhere in the Metro)

No, this is not a restaurant, this is a coffee house, but I like to hangout here as compared to Starbucks. I only have frappucinno here, but I have to add this because I love this place. Sure they don't offer the fancy planners every year, but the people here are much better. Gone are the pacoño call center people pretending to be rich and coño. It's not overly crowded, and they really have nice tasting fraps. I prefer to chill here more than anywhere else in the Metro because I have good memories of my gimmick buddies in Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. I can't recommend anything here because like I said I always only have frapuccino. But if you want to avoid pretentious people and just want to relax for an hour before a movie or meeting someone. Hang around this place.

DAMPA MARIKINA (Marikina)

People say I'm really missing out when eating in Dampa (whether it's in Parañaque, Pasay, Libis or Marikina) because I don't eat seafood. That might be true, but these places offer alternatives that are as good, if not better than say Chowking or Jerry's. I personally like Dampa in Marikina. For one, it's not expensive. Two, they have BIG servings. And three whenever I ate there, I'm always with great company. New Zealand aside, this was where I gained the most weight. It was walking distance from where our apartment was, and at night, you'd get to see some (and this is quite rare) eye candy. But it does exist in Marikina... eye candy. I love their Liempo, and sisig and itlog na pula. Plus, their garlic rice is very unhealthy yet very tasty!!!

SBARRO (major malls in Manila)

Whenever I'm in Sbarro, my face lights up, and I'm smiling from ear to ear. This is my favorite pasta place of all time!!! It's a little bit painful in the wallet, but it's SO worth it. You eat even half an order of what they're offering and you're already good for the day. I miss Sbarro. Ever since the whole Glorietta bombing incident over a year ago, I haven't really or rarely been to this place. Megamall is too far to go to only eat at Sbarro. But I think there's one that's about to open in Ayala Avenue, so I'm looking forward to that. They have the best Baked Ziti I've ever tasted, and the biggest pizzas I've ever had (Chicago Deep anyone?). And oh yeah, they have the softest, most mouth-watering tiramisu I've ever had. Damn I'm craving!!!

I would like to add some fine dining restaurants as well, but I'm really tired of typing. I'm not used to writing in English anymore, so this is a nosebleed post. Maybe someday if I don't have anything to post again I'll write about it. But there are still a lot of good places to eat at when you're with your friends. Food trips are always awesome as long as you're with good company. Even a night out at Ka Saling's Carinderia will be momentous if you're with good friends. Because it really isn't the food that'll make you grow closer, it's the bonding that counts. Yuck cheesy!!!

MY TOP FILMS: PANLALAKE

If you ask me what's the difference between a guy flick from any other action or sports movies? There really is none. I just listed this down, because these are films that I noticed most if not all of my guy friends appreciated or liked very much.

I didn't put the Godfather series here because this is automatically a given (and honestly I haven't really the first two). Scarface would've been on this list, but I decided to take it out because I liked Black Hawk Down much better. And no, as much as I liked Steven Segal's 80's/early 90's stuff, you're not going to see one of his films here.

This is a mixed bag. As you can see I mixed a lot of genres in this list. There are war movies, heist films, sports movies and just the violent gangster types. Again, like I said, this is here because most of the men I know agree with me that these are very good films. From the storytelling to the execution. These are the best.

10. GLORY ROAD - I'm not much a fan of sports films, as I'm really not the sporty type. But if I'm in dire need of an inspiration, I always turn to sports movies. I love the whole underdogs winning stories. And in this film, it's all about the rise of the colored people in basketball. During the 60's basketball is a white dominated sport, and only Coach Don Haskins (Josh Lucas) believes his mostly black men lined-up team to win the NCAA finals. This is a true story by the way.

9. COACH CARTER - Coach Carter is one bad-ass coach. He wanted his players to be good not only in basketball, but also should be good in school. He wanted that so much that he was willing to shutdown his basketball team until they get good grades in class. Yeah, Samuel L. Jackson is the man!!! Of all the movies he's starred in, this is probably my favorite. I liked this movie because it doesn't really focus on the game, but there's also a moral to the story.

8. THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS - What's a guy film list without a father and son story. I watched this movie in our apartment with my roommate. And it almost made us cry. You see, my friend back then just became a father and he realized he doesn't want what happened to Chris Gardner and his family to happen to him and his daughter. This film really pulls the strings of my heart, and had some of the most heart-wrenching scenes I've seen. The comfort room scene was especially heartbreaking. This, I think is the best Will Smith movie I've ever seen.

7. OCEAN'S ELEVEN - Just the first movie. I really didn't like the sequels. Specially the third one. But the original is really one of the best heist films I've seen. Nevermind the all-star cast, this is one film where the execution of the heist made me drop my jaw and say that was cool. Because it really is cool. Danny Ocean is trying to steal from one of the biggest casinos in Las Vegas. This can only be done by 10 of the best people in town. And oh yeah, aside from the money, he has to steal from the casino owner his ex-wife's heart back too.

6. SAVING PRIVATE RYAN - I don't really like war movies. It's mostly pointless, and the movies just added some stories just to make us feel that the war is for something. This is one of them. But the thing is, this is done by the great Steven Spielberg. It doesn't really add something special. But in some way, I really loved this film. I loved the violence, the pointlessness of some of the scenes. I don't know, but I think this movie has a heart. Tom Hanks' mission is to save Matt Damon, because he's the only one of the four brothers who's still alive. And he has to come home.
5. CATCH ME IF YOU CAN - Leonardo Dicaprio vs Tom Hanks. Another Steven Spielberg film. An awesome heist film. Comic book reference. What guy doesn't like this? Frank Abagnale Jr. at age 19 was able to con millions of dollars by impersonating a pilot, a lawyer, and a doctor. During the time that this movie was shown, I seriously wanted to become a conman. This is how effective the film was made. Another true story. Fact indeed is better than fiction.

4. CASINO ROYALE - Which character exudes manliness more than 007 James Bond? No one. Absolutely no one. Well, I guess except for Tyler Durden. But James Bond is the man every guy would like to be. But why Casino Royale? Well, it's got poker, Eva Green, and it's the most believable James Bond movie that I've ever seen. It's got none of those over-the-top gadgets and villains. Just some serious head-punching, gun-toting and a little bit of parkour.

3. FIGHT CLUB - I was debating with myself regarding my top 3 films. This could easily be my number one movie of this list. The only reason why this movie is number three is because I don't have a copy of this film. I've only seen this a total number of five times. But damn, Tyler Durden IS the man. Yeah, given that he's just a pigment of Edward Norton's imagination. But I think every guy has a Tyler Durden lurking inside his mind. I'm pretty sure he takes over me whenever I go boxing when I'm in the gym. Fight Club, I think is the most testosterone laden movie in this list. This is a real guy flick. It should be number one. I just haven't seen it enough. But it is my favorite.

2. GLADIATOR - I have a vcd copy of this movie. And I saw this a total of 8 times. This is the movie that's tolerable even if it's three hours long. I loved the fight scenes. "Father of a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife and I shall have my vengeance in this life or the next," that is one of my favorite lines from my favorite scene in the movie. Russel Crowe was simply amazing in this movie. And Joaquin Phoenix was as brilliant as the Emperor Commodus. I know of a few guys that cried during the ending (myself not included). This movie is Ridley Scott's masterpiece. And you think there won't be any award winning films in this list.

1. THE DEPARTED - I swear to God, I do not know how I fell asleep when I first watched this movie in the cinema. Considering that this film is really violent, I swear I shouldn't have been able to sleep during the run of the film. Luckily, I watched it again. That's when I fell in love with this movie. Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon, Leonardo Dicaprio and even Mark Wahlberg gave some of the best performances I've ever seen. And this is the ONLY Martin Scorsese movie that I was able to tolerate. This is a really male dominated movie. I think only one girl had a speaking role in this film. Regardless of the lack of eye candy, I still had my eyes glued. 15 times. That's the number of times I watched Billy Costigan, Costello and Colin's story interweave into a pretty violent ending. Awesome movie!!!

GOODBYE LETTER

Before I say goodbye, I want you to know how much I loved you. I truly cared.

From the day I met you, I hoped that something will work out between the two of us. I did not expect that I'll fall for you. You're just someone I'm supposed to take care of, professionally. Not once did I suspect that something will creep in me and I'll feel this way.

You've been a good friend. I miss being friends with you. I miss the talks, the movies, the night outs. I miss visiting you unannounced. The long text messaging we do exchanging life experiences and everything. I miss waking up to your sweet friendship quotes, and corny jokes. We've had a few phone conversations, mostly business related, but I cherish all of it.

Remember the time you went to the office to bring me lunch? I've been in relationships before, but that was the sweetest thing anyone's ever did for me. I don't think I'll ever forget it. I'll never forget you. Your name will always be etched in my heart.

But then things change. People change. I changed. I've said some things that I regret ever saying. I don't know if it was because I was jealous, or that I was just being me... stupid. You know that about me already. I appreciate that you've tried to keep things to seem the same despite the fact that things between us will never really be the same.

Remember that night you've asked to go out on a date with me? I do. But apparently, that would be the last time you'll be initiating any more conversations with me. But I know I did the right thing. You were vulnerable then, and we both would have done something we'll later on regret. I won't let that happen to us. But you saw things differently.

And now, here we are. You have your own life. I have mine. As painful it is to believe, I no longer am a part of yours. And there's nothing I can do about it. Nothing but to move on. So now I will. I will try my best, but it's not going to be easy. I know it will be painful. But in time, I know my heart will mend. Things are going to be easier. Life will go on. I will forget how painful this has been, but I won't forget you.

But I guess I should be used to saying goodbye to you. In the few years that I have known you, I've said goodbye more than once. The first time you expressed your intention of leaving us, that was the worst day of my life. Once I learned of your wish, it immediately rained. Soaked and alone, I cried. I let the raindrops hide my tears. It is the only way I can. I should be used to saying goodbye to you by now. But I'm not.

I could've been yours. But sadly, that's not our fate. Or it isn't our time.

I'll always pray for your happiness. But for now, I'll have to temporarily forget. It's been over a year. But as long as I place you on the pedestal and compare everyone that I meet to you, I'll never find my happiness. I have to let go. I have to let you go.

Goodbye. We'll see each other again soon.

I hope.

**********

Forgive me for being emo. I just need to write this one. This has been long due. Hopefully this will give me some closure regarding one chapter of my life. There is no love story. Nothing to tell. Maybe in time, I'll be able to write about it. But sometimes it's better to just stay silent until I've finally truly let go. When it doesn't hurt just thinking about the whole ordeal. I'll get there.

DAHIL WALANG MAISIP... TAGGED

Kahapon pa ako nag-iisip ng maisusulat sa blog na ito, pero wala talagang pumapasok. Gusto ko isulat yung tungkol sa susunod na Featured Friend ko, pero puros kabastusan ang nasa utak ko. Napuno ko na rin pala ang listahan ng paborito kong guy flicks para sa Top Films ko, kaya lang, nakakatamad maghanap ng mga litrato. At dahil nasa tabi ko ang banyagang boss ko, tagalog lang ang pwede kong isulat. Akala niyo sasabihin ko na di ako pwede mag-internet noh? Makapal lang talaga mukha ko... I love my job!!!

Kaya ngayon ay papatulan ko ang tag na pinadala sa akin ni ate utakmunggo (visit niyo pala site niya kung gusto niyo maaliw)... Naks kung magplugging, akala mo madaming readers. bwahahahaha!!!

Anyway, at dahil gusto ko namang magkalaman ng bago ang blog ko kahit papaano, ayun nga sasagutin ko yung tag niya. Wag kayo mag-alala mukhang mas mahaba pa ang intro ko kesa dun sa sagot mismo.

NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE

Obvious naman siguro na wala pa ako masyadong seryosong ganitong kaganapan sa buhay ko. Kasi kung meron man, malamang di na masama ang ugali ko. Ika nga nila eh near-death experiences are life changing ones.

Sa tanang buhay ko, isang beses pa lang ako namalagi sa ospital. Noong Grade 3 ako, dahil sumuka ako nang maamoy ko ang lola kong minsan lang sa isang linggo kung maligo (I love you lola!!! mwahugz!!!). Simpleng lagnat lang daw ang sakit ko noon. Ayus lang, nakalibre ako ng Chocolait, na madalas noon ay binibili lang sakin pag bertday ko.

Sa alaala ko, isang beses lang talaga ako natakot na muntik kunin ni Lord. Bata pa ako noon, at sikat na sikat pa ang Puerto Azul. Summer vacation yun, tapos isinama ako ng kapitbahay namin dun matapos nila akong dalhin sa Matabungkay. Behave na bata daw kasi ako noon.

Nagsushooting noon sina Gabby Concepcion at Snooky Serna ng Bukas Sisikat Din Ang Araw para sa Regal Films. At dahil, ngayon lang nakakita ng artista, yung mga kapitbahay namin eh nagmamadaling pumunta kung saan ang shooting. At dahil medyo malayo ang lalakarin, naisip ng magaling na kapitbahay namin na bumaba dun sa may bangin para mas mabilis na makarating, ako naman si utu-uto sa kanya sumama.

Ayun, nadulas ako at tuluy-tuloy na bumagsak sa baba. Siguro mga 2 minuto rin akong knocked out nun. Nabagok ulo ko. Pero generally, okay naman daw. Ngayon ko lang narealize, kaya siguro di nako matalino nung grade school eh dahil nadamage ang utak ko.

Nagkasugat ako ng malaki sa mukha dahil dun. Yung tipong parang yung mukha ni Heart Evangelista dun sa teleserye niya dati. 1/4 ng mukha ko, nabalutan ng peklat. Ngayon ko lang narealize, eto siguro ang dahilan kung bakit di ako masyadong kagwapuhan ngayon. Konti lang. Feeling ko nga noon, nang makita ako ni Snooky, medyo natakot siya sa akin. O nandiri. Ewan.

Yun lang. Sa awa ng Diyos, di na yun nasundan. At sana hindi na masundan pa.

Hmmm... sino kaya itatag ko dito? Alam ko na, kasi napansin ko, noong nakaraang mga araw, wala rin maisip itong tao na ito na isulat, kaya gumawa ng fairy tale... si manikang papel... you're tagged!!!

ILAN PANG KWENTONG MAG-AARAL

Tutal wala naman ako talagang maisip maisulat. Naisip kong ipagpatuloy ang mga kwentong mag-aaral ko. Sa puntong ito, akin namang sasariwain ang mga kwentong pre-school na naranasan ko. Wala masyadong maraming kaganapan, pero kung ano lang maalala ko. Eto lang yung natatanging panahon na nagkaroon ako ng kaklaseng babae sa buong buhay ko.

PRE-SCHOOL

Dalawang taon lang ako nag pre-school. Kinder at Preparatory. Hindi ako nagnursery dahil 5 taong gulang na ako noong naisipan ng nanay ko na matuto akong magsulat at kung anu-ano pa. Ang basehan niya kase eh abot na ng kanang kamay ko ang kaliwang tenga ko habang nakapatong ito sa ulo ko (naiimagine ba ninyo?). In fairness naman sakin, marunong na ako magbasa noong panahon na iyon.

Naaalala ko noon, lahat ng moments sa klase ay kinakantahan namin. Uwian na. Assignment notebook. Long test. Short Quiz. Paikot-ikot. Kapag may mga ganong pangyayari, nag-aawitan kami ng mga kaklase ko. Di ko alam kung bakit, habang iniisip ko ito, naiirita ako. Paano kaya ang feeling ng mga guro ko noon?

May field trip kami noong panahon na iyon sa Manila Zoo. Pero di ako masyado excited, kasi noon halos linggo-linggo eh suki kami ng zoo na iyon. Ako pa nga ata ang nagtotour guide sa ilan kong kaklase sa mga dapat puntahan dun. Tapos, dahil may playground, ako ang perfect example ng dapat mantsang kayang linisin ng Tide. Puros kase kalawang ang slide nila (o putik ba yun).

May gelpren nako pagdating ng prep. Si Katrina. Di ko alam kung paano kami naging loveteam, kras ko ata siya, at ganun din yung pagtingin niya sakin... ata. Kasi alala ko, madalas din siya tumabi sa akin noon. Sa schoolbus, at sa klase.

Noong pre-school, uso ang birthday celebrations kapag may estudyanteng nagdiriwang ng kaarawan. At dahil kabirthday ko yung may-ari ng paaralan, ang birthday party ko ang pinakaengrande. Madaming food at daladalawa ang keyk. Sa iba kong kaklase, pag may birthday, tinapay at keso lang ang handa. Tapos yung sa amin, may spaghetti at pansit, pampahaba daw kasi ng buhay. At imbes na matabang na orange juice ang inihahain, coke at royal ang pinapainom sa amin.

Maliban kay Katrina at sa ilan kong mga naging kaklase noong elementary at high school, wala na akong ibang maalalang mga kaklase noong pre-school. At saka si Sunshine na first honor ng klase namin kase siya yung inaanak ng may-ari. Ang sabi ng nanay ko dapat ako daw ang first honor, kasi di hamak na mas matalino raw ako noon. Kebata-bata ko pa lang, napupulitika na. Hay. Nang malaman ko yun, may poot na namuo sa puso ko. Nakita ko siyang muli nang kami'y mag first year high school. Pamangkin kasi siya ng religion teacher namin. Lahat ng galit na inipon ko noon ay biglang nawala dahil nang makita ko siya ulit... ang GANDA na niya!!! May twang pa kasi kung magsalita. Lumaki siya sa Amerika.

Sa buong stay ko sa pre-school, isang beses ay nadetention ako. Nakalimutan ko na kung ano yung naging kasalanan ko, pero after ng klase namin, pinagstay ako ng principal namin. Muntik nakong makatakas, at nakasakay na sa schoolbus namin. Pero hinabol ako ng principal hanggang kanto, pinara niya yung sinasakyan ko at hinila ako palabas. Di ako tumigil kakaiyak noon, kasi hindi pako na dedetention buong buhay ko noong panahon na iyon. Nang malaman ko na naglalaro lang yung ibang nadedetention, kinabukasan nagvovolunteer nako magpaiwan.

Hanggang ngayon ay lito pa rin ako kung saan yung kanan ko at kaliwa. Pero nitong mga panahon na ito sobrang lala ang pagkabobo ko sa direksyon. Noong graduation namin, may steps ang pagmarch. Alala ko na pinagtatawanan ako ng mga tao dahil sa lahat ng nagmartsa, ako yung pinakakakaiba. Sa bawat isang hakbang ng mga kaklase ko, tatlo ang naihahakbang ko.

*****

Kung iisipin, medyo corny yung buhay ko noong pre-school. Pero kung matatandaan natin, mas inosente pa tayo noong mga panahon na ito. Pero, dahil may mga kapitbahay akong pasaway, nitong mga panahon na ito eh nakapanood na ako ng rated x na pelikula. Nakakita na rin ako ng mga litrato ng magsyota o mag-asawa na nagtatalik. Nagdedebate pa kami kung yung puting likido na nakikita namin eh dura o gatas. Hay innocence, I miss you!!!

KWENTONG HAYSKUL

Alam kong hindi ko masyadong nagustuhan ang apat na taong nilagi ko sa hayskul. Pero hindi naman lahat ng nangyari sakin doon eh panget. Mayroon din namang mga kaganapang nakakatuwa. At gaya ng sabi ko noon, maraming mga bagay na unang naranasan noong nag-aaral ako sa hayskul.

Di po ito post tungkol sa High School Musical 3. Di ko pa po yun napapanood.

FIRST YEAR
Maraming nawala sa mga kaklase ko noong grade school. Yung iba lumipat ng paaralan kasi mas matalino. Mas maraming nalipat ng section kasi bobo. Dahil karamihan ng mga kaibigan ko ay matalino, halos naubos lahat ng kabarkada ko. At dahil dyan, naghanap ako ng bagong mga barkada. Noong mga panahon na yun, may magnet ata ako sa mga emo. Andun si Roddel na walang alam kundi maglaro ng Diablo, si Alejandro na noong panahon eh hindi mahilig sa mga tao, si Oliver, na walang alam kundi magmura, at si Jevriel na di masyadong sikat sa eskwelahan dahil sa laki ng ulo niya. Sila ang araw-araw na kasabay kong mang-123 sa dyip pauwi. Si Mikko na best pren ko nung elementary, eh hanggang sa panahon na yun ay dinibdib ang di namin pagkakasundo kay Claudine Baretto kaya naghanap ng ibang mga kaibigan.

Dito rin lumala ang pagiging sipsip ko sa aming guro dahil alam kong wala akong pag-asang pumasa sa Grammar. Kaya tuwing hapon ay inaalagaan ko ang mga tinutyutoran niya. At dahil pinsan niya ang una kong kras na si Ms. Marianne, talagang nagsumikap ako. Ang nakakaasar, eh dahil nagsusumipag kaming magkakaibigan sa pagtuturo, umabuso ang biyatch, at kumuha pa ng tatlong aalagaan. 2 sa mga bata ay nakick out pagkatapos ng 2 taon.

Isa sa pinakamatangkad na kaklase ko eh si John Michael. Isa siya sa mga madalas kong katabi kapag library time namin. Kabarkada kasi siya ni Moses. By this time, Super Supreme Lord of the Underworld na siya, at napromote na ako bilang isang Hell's Gate Keeper. Si John Michael eh isang ghoul. 3rd level sa aming hierarchy. Tatlo na kami sa kulto ni Moses. At dahil ako lang ang hindi nag-aral ng taekwondo ng taon na yon, ako ang pinagpapractisan nila.

SECOND YEAR
Dito nagsimula ang pagiging anti-social ko. Nahawaan ng pagiging emo ng mga kasabayan kong umuwi araw-araw. Dito ako unang natutong humithit ng yosi. Pagkatapos kong gawin yun, isang linggo akong naging absent sa klase dahil di ko kinaya ang usok sa dibdib ko. Nilagnat ako at di nawalan ng ubo.

Nitong taon ko rin nakuha ang number nina Rica Peralejo at Jolina Magdangal. Yung kaklase kong si Ricardo ay 2 linggong di tinantanan ang Directory makuha lang ang numero ng mga artista ng Ang TV. Nakausap namin si Rica ng ilang minuto. Mabait naman siya, pero kung anu-anong excuse ang sinabi para lang maibaba ang telepono. 2 days after, pagdial ko ulit ng number nito... "The number you dial is not yet in service" na ang tumambad na message samin. Kaya pala hinanap ni Ricardo ang mga number ng mga artistang ito ay di dahil sa kras niya bagkus ay siya ang numero unong fan ng mga artista. Bakla pala ang puta.

Uso rin noong panahon na ito ang magrandom dial ng number para makipagphonepal sa mga sasagot ng phone. Di ka sikat sa klase kung wala kang nakilala sa telepono. Nakilala ko si Cherry Mae, pangalan pa lang pangkatulong na!!! Siya ang una kong phone pal. Ang sagwa!!!

Hilig din kaming pagtripan ng Speech Teacher namin, na madalas magpagawa ng skit. Kelangan yung istorya lagi may babae. At dahil all boys kami, tiba-tiba nanaman ang mga kaklase naming bading. Imaginin mo, ang ilan sa mga kaklase ko unang halik eh sa lalake, dahil sa pinokenang enang Speech Project na yan. Paano ba naman, mataas ang marka ng mga skit na nakakatawa o kaya'y nakakalibog!!! Dahil di naman ako kasikatan, laging role ng gwardya, boy, hardinero o estatwa ang nakukuha ko.

THIRD YEAR
Paborito naming guro si Dorothy (Odelia ang pangalan niya, pero dahil mahilig siya sa red shoes, tawag namin sa kanya ay Dorothy). Eto ang unang taon na nagkaroon kami ng maraming makukulay na guro. Sa Economics ay paboritong paglaruan ni Ms. Tabasuso este Tabuso ang tenga ko. Patatayuin niya ako sa gitna ng klase para lang pitik-pitikin yung malambot na part ng tenga ko. Nakakahiya yun ah. Kung di lang tumuturok ang suso niya sa likod ko, baka nasapak ko pa yun. Si binibining Cabrera naman ang Asian History teacher ko, pinare-write yung buong Asian History book namin para may magawa lang kami sa klase niya. Tapos kanya-kanyang diskarte kami sa typing class kung paano kami makakagawa ng 1000 pages of typewritten exercises na kailangan naming ibook bind. Ang ginagawa ko eh nagtatype ako ng 1 pahina, tapos ipapaxerox ko ng pipti copies, then buburahin ko yung black marks para di halatang xerox.

Bwusit na bwuset ako sa trigonometry. Nakapaligid sakin ang Top 6 sa klase, at ni isa sa kanila hindi nagpapakopya sakin kapag may quiz. Kaya lagi ko na lang kinikindatan si Mrs. Basilisa, buti na lang pasang-awa ako. Di nalipat ng section. PE teacher namin si Bulldog, asawa ni Speech Teacher namin, hindi siya manyak pero ubod naman siya sa bias. Pahihirapan ka kung di ka sumali sa COCC. Ilang beses akong tinamaan sa mukha ng arnis dahil sa kanya. Hayup!!!

Dito rin ako unang nagkaroon ng gelpren. Obviously, una ko muna siyang naging phone pal. Akalain mo yun?! Mas matanda si Love sa akin ng isang taon, at mas may experience kesa sakin. Dito na muna natin tapusin ang kwento namin. Hehehe

Magkasingtangkad na rin kami ni John Michael.

FOURTH YEAR
Dahil all boys school, at kadalasan papuntang engineering ang mga binabagsakan ng mga grumagraduate sa paaralan namin, sobrang daming Math subject nami noong taon na ito. Malapit nakong magpakamatay dahil sa frustration sa pag-aaral.

Sabayan mo pang magkaroon ng adviser ng reincarnation ni Gabriella Silang. Talagang walang araw na hindi kami ginigyera. Putak ng putak. Lagi namin sisimulan ang klase niya na umaawit ng "Halina Espiritu Santow..." ang subject namin sa kanya ay Filipino. Pero panalo ang mga linya nitong gurong ito... "Mr. Eustacio, anong klaseng ahas ka.... uod?!" Shyet! Lagi niya yan linya pag may dumarating na late. "Mr. Hernandez, anong klaseng ilaw ka, pundido?" Ikalawang taon namin kay Bb. Cabrera, at ngayon kelangan naming irewrite ang 300 pages na World History book. At syempre ikalawang taon din namin sa typing class. At dahil, mas sanay na daw kami, 2000 pages ang kelangan naming punuin. Doon nauubos ang baon ko, sa pagpapaxerox ng mga exercises namin.

At ito rin ang taon na tuwing Biyernes ay may CAT. Naranasan kong pagulungin sa lupa sa ilalim ng nakatirik na araw dahil tarantado yung mga officer namin sa CAT. Ang mga kaklase ko namang emo noong 1st year, eh karamihan popular na. Nagkaroon ng ugly duckling syndrome kasi. Naging swan matapos matuli. Mga barkada ko na nito eh yung ilang nerd sa klase, dahil wala akong choice kundi magpaturo sa Math.

Syempre may grad ball kami, at dahil hiwalay na kami ng ex ko, ang kadate ko eh ang pinsan ko. I'm such a loser. Pero in fairness sa pinsan ko, hottie siya. Si John Michael nitong taon na ito ang pinakamaliit na estudyante sa klase namin. Nagsimula siya hayskul na 5'0 at kami eh mas maliit, natapos kami na mga 5'4 - 5'10 habang siya ay 5'3.

Awa ng Diyos naman, lahat kami eh grumaduate. At itong taon na ito, eh mas marunong na ako mag-inggles. Naisama ako sa school paper, at yearbook. Sa yearbook na ito namin nailabas lahat ng galit namin kay Ginang Silang. Puros caricature niya at reenactment ng mga famous moments niya ang laman ng yearbook na yun. Walang kwenta ang yearbook naming iyon.

AFTER THIS WEEKEND

Can you feel it already?

The cold breeze in the afternoons and evenings. The playlist in some of the radio stations. In a few days, the lights that will be adorning most of the metro.

Christmas is coming!!!

Not that I'm a grinch, but I'm not really that fond of the season. And with 15 godchildren, who would?! I think I'll be spending that day in Marikina... far away from almost everyone that I know.

The brightside to this season though are our 13th month pay and of course our Christmas Bonus. The only brightside to this whole darn season.

And oh yeah, there are cool Christmas Parties all over the metro, none of which I've attended. I think (and that's still subject for discussion with myself) I might just attend one this year. Since I noticed lately I've been having what people call a social life. Yeah, I might go to one this year. Unless it's a costume party of some sorts. I heard here in the office, they're debating whether to do a mob or a Disney theme. Good luck with that!!!

And then there's also the year-ender reports. I don't think this country's had a good year. I didn't start 2008 great either, good thing that my life picked up some good stuff a lil bit later on.
I'd like to give the details, but that's for another post.

I just hope that the last couple of months for the year of the rat prove to be productive for me.

Happy All Saints Day and Advanced Merry Christmas everyone!!!