FLOR: WARFAIRY BLOGGER

It's that time of the month once again where I feature one of my friends in my blog. And finally, I'll be able to feature someone who actually has a blog. Although, she hasn't updated it in a few weeks.

But before I feature this friend of mine though, let me just plug her 'naghihikahos' blog. It kind of is having an identity crisis at the moment because initially when she started it, it was supposed to be about her hobby then, which was airsoft (hence it's name), but lately it's been more about her travels. So I don't really know what it's all about anymore... You can visit the blog HERE so she could have more hits. She promised to update that soon.

NOTHING IN COMMON

I met Florzelech or Flor after I graduated, during our training in my first job. At first we weren't really that close as she has her own clique and I had none (I wasn't a loner, I just hang around different people all the time). Anyway, she never really stood out for me because I thought she's really little. Plus, add the fact that I have a lady teammate who once made me touch her boob, so there you go.

But then one time, I found out that she graduated in the same class as my classmate from high school. Suddenly we have something we can talk about. It really didn't last long, as I'm not really that close with that classmate from high school. What I did find out though, is that where she lives is on the same way when I go home from work.

So we finally have something in common... I noticed that people who go home together or go to work together tend to become close, as they're always with each other at the start or at the end of the day. That's how we actually started to at first become acquaintances.

WHAT I KNOW AND HATE ABOUT WOMEN I FOUND OUT FROM HER

If you still don't know, I came from an all-boys school my entire life, with the exception of pre-school. So basically my first job was my initiation to a mixed sexes environment. And her being my friend back then and spending most of the day with her kinda taught me how to interact with a woman.

Unfortunately, I also learned some things that I really didn't like about the opposite sex. I really hated it when we're in the mall, she spends about an hour/ hour and a half just walking by the women's shoes section just to try some shoes, slip-ons or slippers that she has no plans of buying.

That's partly my fault, because I was the one who talks her into walking with me from PBComTower to Greenbelt then Landmark then Glorietta so we can buy my comics then before heading off to the MRT.

And through that, I actually learned the technique on how to stop women from lingering in one store longer than they should.

And she's a fierce competitor. I rarely win against her for most number of sales when we were teammates. Remember my comment about women being competitive, I had my initial impression about that from Flor. I think she's won a few spiffs from her being a seller, none of which she shared with us, her friends.

From her, I also learned that not all women are martyrs who men could just, you know... push around. She fights back. She's the only girl I know, whom I can throw insults at, but still win in the end. I'm not saying Flor's a warfreak, but if she knows she's right, she's going to fight for her beliefs. Even if it's her boyfriend she's having an argument with.

She was actually one half of one of the worst cat fights I've seen in the history of my life. Too bad, it wasn't physical.

BOX TYPE CAR

From what I remember, Flor is a daughter of a former model, and I think that's where she got her looks. Unfortunately, she didn't have the height to pursue that kind of career. The thing about her is that she doesn't let that get in the way of being a modern woman.

One of my fondest memories of Flor was when we weren't working anymore. One time I asked her to treat me out (which she never did... until now), so we went somewhere in Ortigas to have breakfast. She brought her ride which at that time I thought would be a very good candidate for the show 'Pimp My Ride.' It was an old box type car probably from the early 80's era, which in my opinion should've been banned by MMDA.

I heard that she's finally decided to replace her old car Ning Ning, with a newer one Vanni Avanzie. I can't really say anything about it, as it's been two years since I last saw her. Actually for two years, we worked in the same building, but only saw each other only about 5 or 6 times.

BUT IF SHE'S LIKE THAT...

Why stick with her, right? She's gnarly, overly competitive, she doesn't remember when my birthday is, and we don't really see each other anymore now that we're cities away.

See the thing is, she's my friend. Even if she's like that, I learned a lot of things from her about women. She always keeps my feet grounded. Flor always makes me laugh. And even if we don't work together anymore, she's one of a handful of people who kept me as a friend.

She's living proof of how two people, despite the distance and the absence from each other, could still keep a very good friendship.

I think it's only recently that we've been chatting quite regularly again. But still, it's like nothing's changed. I still throw in some quips about her being not gifted in the front and back, and she still gets back at me for still being single.

Six years, it's been that long since I first met her... And she still hasn't treated me out. But I'll never give up hope, all this waiting will eventually pay off, and it will be all worth it. One day she'll treat me out, for food or movie. It's not that I'm being a cheapskate, but she's earning WAY more than I am.

So yeah, I guess what I'm really trying to say here is that I miss this girl.

THE VISITOR... CLAY

I think I've been plurking alot about our visitors that it's high time you get to know them as I see these people. I'll try to limit the jokes, the reason you'll find out later. They've been gracious visitors and will be leaving for the province tomorrow. But I don't think that we've seen the last of these guys. I do hope they enjoy the rest of their stay in the provinces. Enjoy the Philippines!!!

HOW HE MISSED THE NEW YEAR

Clayton and his dad Guy, came to our house lunchtime on the 31st of December. It was their second time over, but it was only then when I first met them. The first time they came I went to my friend's apartment. I think they were excited to greet the new year, because apparently, people have been hyping the way we celebrate the New Year.

Of course, as excited as they were to welcome the new year, my mom was excited as well to have foreigners at home. She likes to show off the festivities on New Year's eve, because from where we're at, once midnight strikes on the 1st of January, whichever direction you look at there's always going to be one nice fireworks display. So as early as one o'clock we're already serving food and drinks to our guests.

Having said that, at one in the afternoon Clay started downing Red Horse beer. And not just the regular sized one. He was finishing those one liter bottles!!! One after another. We told him to stop because he might miss the celebrations, but he said he's okay. He's strong. 9pm, he's still drinking. I don't really know how many bottles he finished, but he drank alot. He stops every once in awhile, but once he gets thirsty again, he'd open the fridge and pull out another bottle.
And he was good, actually. I thought he'd be able to pull it off.

11:00pm. He's already sound asleep, no amount of water splashed at his face woke him up.

CHARMER

There's no doubts this guy looks good. Take last Sunday, and this is a true story. So I was outside our house just talking to my neighbors when I heard one of the moms call us. Clayton was working out, and apparently he changed his routine. The mom and her friend were like so engrossed with what he was doing that they can't help but stare at him.

I went out with these guys a couple of times this week, and I see everyone just can't help but look at him. Maybe it's because he kinda looks like Zac Efron, or it could be because he likes to do the mixed martial arts stuff he always does in public.

And I was told, when they were still staying in Malate, ladyboys kept on following him. I think there was one time or several times that he's been groped.

And this is what I like about our visitors, both him and Guy. They're really friendly! I mean, we've had foreign visitors before who'd only talk to you if they need something, and won't even thank you after you've done it. But they were NOT like that.

My parents were actually surprised that I talk to them because normally, if we have visitors, unless asked or in tour guide duties, I completely ignore them and just go about with my business.
SORRY GIRLS

Clayton is already taken. A charmer like that, I'd really be surprised if he'd been single. Christiane.

I know he really loves her. If he's not watching videos of mixed martial arts fights, he's staring at his girlfriend's picture or sending her emails on myspace.

He's spent alot to buy phonecards so he can phone her in the States. If he's missing at home, chances are you'd find him in his room calling his girlfriend. It's sweet. I think there's nothing better than young love. Specially if it's true love.

RANDOM STUFF

Clayton is only 20 years old, he's a fisherman in Washington State, USA and he owns his own fishing boat.

The guy is training for Mixed Martial Arts and is kinda good at what he does. He taught me how to put a person to sleep in four seconds. And this is actually the reason why I'm not joking alot about him in this post. I'm scared he'd kick the lights out of me.

You'd think playing wrestling, or having his head punched alot of times would make him dumb. It's quite the contrary. I actually find him really smart. He doesn't think like anyone his age. Heck I know someone in her 30's who's a lot less mature than Clay. He's wise beyond his age, and that's impressive.

I actually hate him. He eats alot. And I say A LOT!!! He eats rice like there's no tomorrow, and he drinks a lot of beer. But his stomach doesn't get big. His six packs are still in tact. Damn, I hate his genes!!!

If I haven't said enough, he really loves his girlfriend.

The other person I'm pretty sure he loves very much is his dad. Their relationship is something I really envy. They're actually more like brothers in the way they treat each other. Clayton keeps his dad in check, and vice versa. It's fun seeing them together, specially when they're wrestling each other.

He adores little kids. I've seen some of their pictures from their trip here in the Philippines, and I've seen a number of pictures of him with children. Even the little kid who stays with us loves him.

Yeah, the house will be quiet again once Clay and his dad leaves for the province. But it was definitely a pleasure having them over. I don't think I'll forget about them anytime soon. And I'm looking forward to them coming back, hopefully next time with Christiane.

BIRTHDAY GIRL: SHAMITO

This is my post birthday gift to one of my close friends and one-time housemate. And this is also the first time I'll feature one of my ex-housemates in my blog. But if you've been missing out on my other featured friends, just click on the names below, or alternatively, click on the link above the comment field to see who I've featured before.

Jaja
Francis
Sugar

**********

FROM ACQUAINTANCES...
The first couple of weeks that Shamai started taking calls on my account, I thought that this girl was not going to stay long with the company. She always looked tired, harassed and drugged at work. Her eyebags were really big, she had unkempt hair and she's always caught sleeping.
I can't really talk to her, because she's being handled by a different Team Leader at that time. So I just kept my opinions to myself.

Actually, for almost the entire duration of our working together, we never were close. I know her, because she became one of my agents, but other than that, she wasn't included in my usual circle of friends. So for most of the three plus years we've known each other, we weren't actually really friends. More of acquaintances.

Then, the whole kidnappings happened.

No, not the criminal type of kidnappings. These are a group of my agents who call themselves "party peeps." They usually go out drinking in bars or going out of town to party. Shamai's one of the willing victims of this, or perpetrators perhaps. To say that they've been pains in the behind is an understatement... I could've terminated all of them... but then again, I became one of them. Another willing victims of the party people.

...TO HOUSEMATES
Last year, when my account was moved to Marikina, I thought that I'd resign right away. I actually wanted to leave the company the moment I found out that my program was one of the lucky ones that's being transferred. But my kidnappers had this bright idea that we all live together. It was tempting, so I agreed.

Moving in with them, I got to know Shamai a little bit more. I think there was an effort there for us to get to know each other more, because among my four other housemates, she was the one that I didn't hang out much with.

So for the four months I lived with her, I really found out alot... a lot of things that turned me off... JUST KIDDING!!! I don't think I'm allowed to spill some negative things about this girl, as she knows alot of stuff about me as well. And her boyfriend (uyy... I can use the term already...) might clobber me if I blew the whistle.

For like 3 weeks, all 5 of us housemates slept in one room (the sala), so I know how strong Shamai snores. It's very loud... trust me.

She was really a good housemate. She knows if a person is bored and will cheer you up. She hates dull moments, so you won't get bored when you're with her. From knock knock jokes to "use the ___ in a sentence" games, she'll start that just to get the ball rolling. And if you're her friend, you'll never feel you'll be out of place even if you're with her other friends. I think I know almost all of her teammates and batchmates from her current job, which is always great to widen your network.

You know it's nice to have girls as housemates. They always volunteer to wash the dishes. So that's always nice. She doesn't cook that much, they left that for my guy housemates. Shams was actually the one who told me that the fried eggplant's skin is not to be eaten... after I devoured like five of them already. I think all 5 of us, and even our other friends share one common interest... to eat. I think during our one-year stay in one house (I often visit our apartment even after I left), all of us gained weight.

What I really like about Shams is that she's game with anything. I think that's the reason why she's part of the party peeps, ask her to go to Quezon, she's there. Enchanted Kingdom, present. Glorietta for a movie, there. Visit our ex-colleagues in Marikina, count her in. A birthday celebration of your friend's acquaintance's cousin, even if she knows no one... she's still there. In tagalog... kaladkarin.

ALL GOOD THINGS COME TO AN END
Four months later, I had to leave, and a few months after they also had to move on to something better with their lives. Suddenly, the One House family was no more. It's really difficult to keep up with everyone else when you're miles away, but Shams is the only person I see almost regularly now.

She followed me to my other job, where she's working now. The good thing is that it's only in Makati, so we're only a few buildings apart. And during the days when I was working the day shift we often see each other so that she could treat me to a movie or free food.

She's actually the first person I talked to other than my mom when I found out that I'll be going to New Zealand. She was even kind enough to lend me her mom's digicam for my almost month stay there.

I'm looking forward to you following me here in my little gas station Shamito!!!

TAKEN
Sorry guys, Shams is already taken. As one of the willing kidnap victims, I was one of the few people who witnessed the love story between her and Hansi. I'm not sure if I have permission to tell their story as it's got a lot of twists to it, similar to that of a television dramas.

Now she says that Hansi is lucky because Shamai has almost everything a guy looks for in a woman. She's appreciative, generous, patient, understanding and is not insecure. I don't know if it's true, but the guy seemed satisfied. I'm not sure if she is though (joke!!!).

I find it funny sometimes when they fight, because they're in a semi-long-distance-relationship, that they can 'not see' each other for weeks at a time. And what Shams usually do is have me or another friend text the other if there's something they wanted to tell. And oftentimes, she loses her appetite. You see, before she was a tabs (what we call our weight-challenged friends), but after their first fight, she's lost a lot of weight.

But seriously, I like hanging out with this couple because I don't really feel like a third wheel whenever I'm with them, so that's nice. You don't get that with other couples.

It's been awhile since I last saw Shams, I haven't got the budget to go out of town, and I think they know that. But we'll be seeing each other again along with our other friends next week. So I'm very much looking forward to that.

Belated Happy Birthday Shams. I'll see you on the 26th!!! Bring food!!!

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.

FRANCIS: LONG OVERDUE

Before I post about my second Featured Friend, I just want to say sorry for not being on time. You already know the reason, and there’s no sense in repeating myself every post. This isn’t how my original post was written, as it was done about 3 or 4 weeks ago, but I will try to write it as good as the first one. And no, I’m not making excuses… I’m just saying. Okay?

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

May 2005: I was already resting when my boss came to me and ordered (take note… ordered) me to make a sale for the non-performing newbies. There were about three of them, and I was tasked to call for this guy.

I noticed he was very focused with what he was doing. I know he’s determined to make a sale and impress us out of our wits. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a good day for him. He was on the verge of tears. “New hires!” I thought. He had those dumb puppy dog eyes, as if begging for me to help him. So I took the headset, sat down, did my spiel and a couple of minutes later, presto, instant sale. That’s how good I am. But this isn’t about me.

Apparently, he idolized my selling abilities so much that he started to depend on me for sales. And he wasn’t on my team!!! Not even close. So when I noticed his being a parasite I decided to say no. Sensing my irritation, he finally decided to bother his own Team Leader.

Obviously, he didn’t make a good impression on me. Things got worse as he got better in his work. Once he got his confidence in the program he suddenly became the loudest guy in the room. He had this weird Indian/Chinese/Australian accent which meant that he’s trying to seduce a language barrier customer into buying our service. It was annoying.

People’s first impressions of him were pretty much leaning towards the negative. Weird. Loud. Arrogant. Hot and attractive (not my words)… but still weird.
BUT THEN…

One lunch break, I was busy working (more like bullying my agents to write a friendster testimonial for me) when he came by my station and started talking to me. I found out that he likes to read a lot (something we have in common), he came from UP (a bit impressive) and he talked about some deep stuff that I barely understood (so he’s not an airhead after all).

Francis left our little program to bother his fellow Filipinos and later the recruitment department of our company. I guess that’s when we started to become friends. Iced coffee and movies were some of the things we have in common.

He's never a dull gimmick buddy. The guy is SO talkative!!! I don’t know if there is a minute when he’ll shut up. You can talk about anything, and he has an opinion about it. I am out of words when I’m with him, because honestly, I understand only half of the things that are coming out of his mouth. ONLY HALF!!! And we talk for hours... Precious time I'll never get back.
GOOD FRIEND

If you get a hold of Francis, he could be a very generous friend. But that’s a big IF. He’s very difficult to find. More difficult still, is to arrange a gimmick with this guy. He’s currently busy juggling two careers, one with a recruitment firm, and the second is for a home furnishings company.

He’s been through a lot all throughout his t----y plus years of existence. I’ve seen him during his best times, and I’ve seen him at his worst (If you read the prologue, you know this is coming). Believe me, I’ve seen his bad days. It was really bad. People thought he was on drugs when he lost a lot of weight because his 9 year relationship with his then girlfriend ended.

Like any man, he picked himself up from life’s challenge, and came out much better… (I hope so). I don’t get to see him that often anymore. But I think he’s doing much better now. I’m not really sure if he’s still single or not. I think he’s not… but who knows. He never replies when I ask him that question. Until now. RANDOM THINGS

Want to know Francis Joy Patrick better? Hmm… Where to start… The guy’s a golf enthusiast for one. He cries everytime he watches Joan of Arcadia. He likes chinita girls and would really prefer if she has the same IQ as he does. Well, not really. My opinion is that he IS easy… He IS!!! As long as you have long legs, I guess.

Oh, and at his age, he’s already showing symptoms of Alzheimer’s. Francis is very forgetful. Specially if you ask him to do something for you. I’ve had 3 birthdays pass, and his promised friendster testimonial is still filed in his mind somewhere. Non-existent.

Francis is also a movie buff and a coffee lover. But more than that, he is a heavy drinker… Leaning towards being an alcoholic. Nah, he just likes to party a lot. There’re no dull moments whenever he’s around. He talks nonsense whenever he’s drunk, and more nonsense if ever he’s sober. He just loves to talk.

Sexual innuendo is nothing new to him. He’s been offered twice about it before while he was still doing the interviewing. One was from a girl. And another one was from a guy... or was it a lot from other guys? I don’t remember.

Like I said a few paragraphs earlier, I don’t get to see him that much anymore. He knows it, and he does try to make sure he makes up for lost time. His birthday’s in 3 weeks, so this is my birthday gift to you. Matanda ka na!!! Manlibre ka naman!!!

He really has an interesting story to tell. And this is not the venue for it to be told. You really should get to know him. He might suck at everything else, but he fairs much better at being a good friend. That's my second featured friend... Francis.

TRAVEL WITH JAJA

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.

But then, she became my agent.
Joyce or Jaja to her friends came at a time when I was still handling teams for a call center in Ortigas. To say that she’s a performer would be a bit of a lie. She was rarely on time, much rarer to see her awake on the floor during calling hours. And it’s only on very rare occasions that you’ll see her name on top of the performer’s list. I’m not saying that she’s a bad employee, because I can always count on her to perform whenever there is money involved. But I guess the call center industry is not really what she was born for.

Hers is a face that should not be confined in a four-walled office space. It should be seen by the world. I guess the heavens heard and she got lucky, a few months after she left our industry, she was chosen to be a flight attendant for a very good international airline.

Joyce has been a good friend of mine ever since. She’s one of the handful of people that I get to talk to even after we’ve separated from our previous jobs. One that I decided to keep whether she likes it or not. Well, for one, she does bring home some very tasty chocolates from abroad.

For that reason alone, I decided to introduce her to you guys. I’ve written about her once before, but I think you need to know some of my friends much better. Hence, she’s my first featured friend.

Her figure doesn’t show, but she’s actually into sports, tennis, badminton, kayaking and jet skiing. She’s always game for a good road trip, specially if at the end of that trip involves food. She’s… what’s the term… kaladkarin.

More importantly, is she single? Ermm… hmm… “technically, yes I am.” She’s a girl, go figure.

Her love life’s a long story, and I only have a few spaces available for this post on my blog, so I shouldn’t be wasting space. I kid. But if you’re interested to know what she likes in a guy… “he should be smart, has a good sense of humor and someone who can make me fall in love with him every single day… someone who is true to himself and to other people.”
Asked about Joyce’s travels so far:

"Tunis, Tunisia: my first layover. I went out and had fun with newly found friends. we did a lot of things, bought some stuffs, went for shesha, argued with a psycho cab driver, walked under the rain, had coffee, had lunch in a nice looking resto where the food didnt taste good, had dinner in a not so nice looking resto but the food really did taste good, took lots of pictures, saw the country's president, but the funny part is everyone thinks i'm japanese.

Paris, France: Seeing the Eiffel tower gave me a very nice feeling. I almost cried, it was a dream come true. My stay in Paris was very short so I didn’t have time to visit the Louvre or walk along Champs Elysees.

London, UK: there's a lot to see and do in London yet the only places I went to were the Big Ben, London Bridge, and the famous London eye. What a pity!

Berlin, Germany: my favorite, so far! Everything is extraordinary!

Nairobi, Kenya: my advice to you is go to this restaurant, Carnivore, with an empty stomach!

I've been to other places like Singapore, Jakarta, Bangkok, Shanghai, Maldives, Manchester, New Delhi, Trivandrum, etc. but because of the lack of time i either just went shopping or stayed in the hotel. My travels could have only been better if I was with friends (aww how sweet)."

Asked about the craziest thing she did: “I watched a colleague have sex with an older guy for about 5 seconds (talk about being curious).” It was a long story, but unfortunately there were no juicy parts. So we’ll just leave it at that.

Unfortunately she hasn’t caught anyone doing the dirty deed in an airplane yet, but she’s looking forward to it. Apparently, she’ll just let them carry on with what they’re doing. She’ll probably get a phone and record it.
I’m fortunate to have Jaja as a friend. It’s not really hard to get along with her. These days, because of her hectic schedule, it’s difficult to catch her. But what I appreciate is that when you’re with her now, she makes up for the time that she didn’t spend with us, her friends.

She is worthy of being my first featured friend. I don’t have a best friend. I have best friends. And she’s one of them.