My Beautiful, Beautiful Bullshit

D5100 Extra Ordinary Angles Contest

2011-05-23T18:54:00.000-07:00

Need your support, you guys. Please click the this LINK or the photo above and LIKE the photo of the ruins in Talisay, Negros Occidental. :)

Photo of the Week: Happiness

2011-05-18T03:32:00.001-07:00

Pahiyas Festival in Lucban, pancit habhab and the cutest pair of dimples in the world.

Stupid Diets

2011-05-11T23:01:00.000-07:00

My Facebook status the other day:
"Sunset Coffee Date slash Talkshow with Jessica Belenson. Our episode for today Ladies and Gentlemen: SWIMSUITS, BELLY FATS AND THE FEW REMAINING DAYS DAYS OF SUMMER 2011. Let's skip dinner nalang, yes?"

We were just skimming through our friends' facebook accounts, and feasted on their summer pictures wearing bikinis. Some people are just born to not grow fat. Unfortunately, we dont belong to that group. We had to die at a diet first before we lose at most 5 lbs. Sad, but that's how the world works. And I coin a line in Desiderata: "...for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself".

There was a point back then when dieting was part of my everyday commitments. If you think Mariah's MORSEL DIET is ridiculous, my God, you havent seen mine yet. These, by far, are the weirdest diets I undertook, and how I went about it. Note: These are all based on real-life situations of yours truly: There will be No sugar-coating, No-exaggerations on any parts of these stories.

The Gummy-Bear and Coffee Diet. I always remember my friend Bayette when I talk about this diet. She was there when I passed out after finishing an exam. I had this in college, back in the time when I weighed roughly 200 lbs. I was HUGE. This involves drinking coffee (black) in the morning, and then a pack of gummy bears to be consumed the whole day. I end the day with another cup of coffee.

The Pearl White Diet. Self-explanatory: you just have to take Pearl White pills-- 2 pills a day. This was very effective, I lost about 30lbs, and didnt have the urge to eat ANYTHING. But just like any other diet pills, you cant have it for the rest of your life, and one day I noticed that my eyes were yellowing. I stopped.

The Skyflakes Diet. Self-explanatory. You just eat 3 packs of Skyflakes a day, and lots and lots of water. I didnt want to have this diet, but when my Dad got hospitalized, I ran out of money and was in so much debt that I had to sacrifice my meals to buy him medicine. The rest of the family had the same "diet", too. My ex then got worried because I would go home gaunt, pale and weak. Hello, a pack of Skyflakes is about 120 calories, even Superman would die in a week eating just that. It was effective, the belly fats went away, but my face looked weird--- dark circles around the eyes, and my skin was unusually dark. In short, construction worker look.

The Eat Breakfast Like a King Diet. Blame it on Cosmo and Men's Health. They say the right way to do it is to consume 80% of your daily calorie consumption on breakfast, and the remaining 20% you spread thoughout the day. It didnt last. I'm not a morning person. I ate too much lunch, and too much dinner, I gained like 10 lbs in 2 months.

Brazillian Coffee Diet. This was killer. I had this November-December last year when a lot of shows were lined up and the pressure to get thin was as tangible as a big yellow bus parked in my forehead. My band manager bluntly said, "Keith, you have to scale down or else I'd be forced to look for another male singer". BAD. I recall my friend Camille selling Brazilian Coffee. The boxes had all these Chinese characters, it smelled weird, didnt taste like coffee at all, and I had to drink 2 cups of it everyday. It was effective--- after a day, I lost the urge to eat carbs. But my work was so physically demanding that I started to have panoramic visions. No kidding. And I had migraines. Worst, I lost my sexual urges. After a week, I stopped.

The 10-Day Fat Flush. Yes--- BEYONCE! It was Beyonce who made this all so possible for the common tao when she grazed the screen in almost-skin-and-bones perfection as Deena Jones in Dreamgirls. I tried it after a year, when my friend and I were shopping and we came across a bottle of organic grade A maple syrup and she asked me what it's for and I said "Fat-flush". It was a stupid lightbulb moment coz the next thing we knew, were both scouring the aisles for cayenne pepper and lemons. This diet involves drinking a cayenne pepper, lemon and grade A maple syrup concoction for 10 days and you lose 10lbs. I only went as far as 4 days. It was so hard. On the 4th day, I started to see black-and-white circa 1950s silent-type movie Mickey Mouse images everywhere. I felt drugged.

The GM Diet. Now I think this one's effective. It worked for a lot of my gay friends after the Holiday Season. You are only allowed to eat a certain kind of food for a day. Example, Monday-- fruits only. Tuesday-- vegetables only. Thursday, banana and eggs-something. It didnt work for me. I tried it like 3 times, i would go so hungry on the 2nd day.

The Apple Diet. One of my gay friends told me: "Bakla, everytime gusto ko pumayat, kakain lang ako ng apple--- apple lang from Monday to Friday, at pagdating ng Saturday, payat na ako ulit". It struck me like a thunderbolt so I tried it myself. Nah, didnt work. After a year I found out that he was just kidding. Baklaaaaa! :)

So there. Looking back, I realized I did a lot of bad things to my system. Some of them may have worked for me in the past, but hey, Im not getting any younger. Eating right should just be the simplest solution.

How 'bout you? Any stupid diet stories to share? :)

Signing Off

2011-05-10T10:32:00.000-07:00

If I never knew you
I'd have lived my whole life through
Empty as the sky
Never knowing why
Lost forever
If I never knew you

I just had my last performance with the Reigndition Band, and I bring with me a year full of great memories. One year of singing just flew by so quickly, it's as if I just had my audition with them 2 weeks ago. Not that singing matters not--- of course it does, and it will always have a warm spot in my heart--- but I need to focus more on my other priorities. Right now I'm single-handedly running Mamai's, and another small-time business, and my job with an IT company. For now, these are my training grounds and I have to leave singing behind as I embrace other aspects of myself.

To my band--- Vien, Kisha, Mia, Val, and Emmar (also Deo, Adela, and Chuckie)--- it was an honor working with you all. You guys are so great and so talented, and your talents will take you places, thats for sure. I will miss the stage. I will miss the beats. I will miss the lights. But what Im gonna miss most are the fun times that I get to spend with you. You guys are like family to me already.

But then again, music will always be a part of me and as you know, I am just temporarily clipping my wings.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for giving me the chance to hold the microphone. Not everybody who has this talent is given the opportunity you have bestowed on me. I am sincerely grateful.

And for my diva tantrums, I wouldnt apologize. You know from the very start what you're getting yourself into, hahaha. Kidding. :)

I will miss you all.

Keith Pareja, the musician, now signing off. For now.

Happy Mothers' Day

2011-05-06T21:22:00.000-07:00

To the three most important ladies in my life--- HAPPY MOTHERS' DAY.

To my rockstar Mom, thank you for your love and patience. I owe my life to you and Dad, and with that I will forever be thankful. We may not get along too well at times, coz we're both always stubborn, but I guess that's always how we both have showed our love for each other. I love you Mom.

To my sister, thank you for being my best friend since birth. Thank you for believing in me, and for standing close in times when I needed a shoulder to cling on. Most importantly, thank you for taking good care of Kaye, Jem, Jammie and Jiboy--- they're precious to me.

To Nanay, thank you for bringing my BBK to this world. For taking care of him, and for raising him up to become the good person that he is today. Salamat, Nanay.

And to all the mothers in the world---you deserve all the love in the world today.

God Bless Mamai's

2011-05-03T07:31:00.000-07:00

I am finally making a brand out of my Mom's winning cakes and pastry recipes. I've been itching to do this for the longest time, and now it has finally come to life. Yes, I am entering the world of entrepreneurship as I open my second business, Mamai's Cakes and Pastries.

I need your support and prayers. :) We are open for dealership. Contact us on the number found in the poster.

Pahiyas Festival of Lukban at Agawan sa Sariaya

2011-04-30T01:19:00.000-07:00

Just helping BBK advertise a friend's business. In 2 weeks, I will be in Manila to witness the Pahiyas Festival for the first time. I love festivals, I'm a Cebuano and festivals are embedded in my spirit. Well see how this goes. :) I'm so excited.

For more info, contact me. Below are the deets:

Pahiyas Festival of Lukban at Agawan sa Sariaya

May 15, 2011

Celebrate the feast of San Isidro Labrador on May 15 and experience the most colorful fiesta in the Philippines! Walk along the streets of Lukban and see the colorful “kipings” used to decorate their houses or join in the “Agawan” at Sariaya after the 3pm mass and bring home some of the town’s vegetable and fruit harvests. Shop for food and handicrafts such as longganisa, broas, pianono de patatas, beautiful baskets, bags, and hats galore!

Tour Fee: Php1,700.00 per person
Package Inclusions: Chartered van or bus, travel insurance, lunch and afternoon snack, visit to the churches of Sariaya, Tayabas, and Lucban, old houses of Sariaya, old stone bridge in Tayabas.

(Photo Courtesy of http://www.lugaluda.com)

2011 Holy Week Escapade

2011-04-29T12:13:00.001-07:00

I haven't blogged in like a week coz I had a crazy schedule. Now I don't know where to begin so let's just see those Holy Week pictures one more time, yes?

Biri Island Trip

6:00-6:15 -Allen to Lavezares (15 mins)
6:15-7:15 – Lavezares to Biri Island (1hr)
7:15-8:00- Breakfast, Hotel Search, Freshen Up
8:00-12:00- Tour and Photo ops
Magasang Rock Formation
Macadlao Rock Formation
12-1:00 pm- LUNCh ( Packed Lunch)
1:00-5:00pm-Biri Island Mangroves
Bil-at (say Bee-lut)
5:00-7:00 pm- Back to Hotel
7:00-8:00 pm- Dinner
8:00-12:00pm- Chill, Inom
12 midnight – lights out

Saturday

5:00 am- wake up call
5:00-6:00- bath time, private time, breakfast
7:00-10:00am- other island tours (solo drifting)
10:15am-10:30am- pack up
10:45-11:45- going to Allen
11:45-12:30- Lunch in Allen
12:30 – 2:30 –Allen to Legazpi, Albay-- Mayon Volcano, Photoshoot
2:30-6:00pm- Matnog to Donsol

6:30-7:30- Dinner and wait for our Original Nita Negrita “Jazzybelle Baustista”

Firefly River Cruise

Day 4:
Butanding-watching

Sarrrrrrap ng Weekend

2011-04-17T11:24:00.000-07:00

I just had the most awesome weekend in ages. I just started with a new job 3 weeks ago and I've been crunching books and files and learning a lot of new stuff. It's been too emotionally and physically demanding that I've been drooling on the thought of just having to enjoy THE perfect weekend.

And I just had one (Thank God!).

A perfect weekend for me is something that I enjoy from within. And for me, it simply involves time with myself, my family and my better half.

I had the most amazing foot scrub, facial, body massage and body scrub courtesy of some very generous show organizers who gave me free salon vouchers at Nouveau. Don't we all love free stuff? :)

And then I had an awesome gig that night at Balamban. It was a long drive from the city, but the organizers hired for us a nice car so I slept like a baby for 2 hours. Thank you to the people of Balamban by the way, you guys rock. And thank you Justin for hiring us--- see you on April 29 and May 2 (I forgot the venues, tsk tsk).

And then the next day I had a ridiculously long sleep--- 12 and a half hours to be exact. And then I had my regular dentist's visit. That super clean feel in your mouth is just priceless. Thank you Doc. Jochin. :)

And then I had dinner with my family that night to celebrate my baby Jammie's 5th birthday. My baby's now a big boy!

And then I had to rush to MO2 for my regular weekend gig. I had on a new suit and I love it.

Tomorrow, I'll be wearing a big smile in the office. It's gonna be a busy week, but bring it on.

Reigndition

2011-04-17T10:29:00.000-07:00

We had our first picture taken as a band since Adela (female vocals) and Deo (bassist) left 3 months ago. This is currently the new cast of the Reigndition Band, and so far I'm having such a great time with Chuckie, the new bassist, and Mia, the new female vocals.

In 2 months, we'll be celebrating our first anniversary. :) I never thought I'd come this far, I mean life with a band is just CRAZY. When I started about almost a year ago, I gave myself around 3 months just to test the waters. I have a pretty demanding regular job, and I'm running a small business at the same time. I thought I'd never have the energy to just do what I love doing and that is to sing. But then again, God is just so amazing that when I prayed for BALANCE and SANITY, He gave me this beautiful blessing--- He gave me this band.

WHO WORE IT BETTER?

2011-04-14T07:54:00.000-07:00

And it's just like the segment we see in Entertainment Tonight, hahaha.

I laughed so hard when I got this MMSfrom my friend Charisse. She took this dog's picture at her friends house over the weekend. So cute.

I hate it when I see someone wearing the same outfit, I think all of us do. But in this case, I happen to be wearing the same cute shirt as this super adorable and cuddly piece of love. Take a closer look.

Inspiration

2011-04-07T05:20:00.000-07:00

I haven't really shared this yet, but I have a HUGE adoration for the blog called Marc and Angel Hack Life. It has inspired me in a lot of ways, in fact, I open it like every other day to get bits and pieces of encouragement.

I shared this to my partner and he liked the whole idea of coming up with a website just like this, but we will position it only to Filipinos. The Filipino nation is whole different story--- we have our own set of trials and problems as a race, hence we get encouragement and inspiration in a unique sort of way.

On top of that, there are tons of things to inspire about--- Filipino OFWs, Jobless Pinoys, Pinoy music, Pinoy food, Gay Pinoys, Catholicism, Pinoy Callcenter stories (coz I'm a huge fan of Outsourced)--- the possibilities are actually endless.

A part from that, I will be making my own illustrations for this website. I'm thinking of children's book type of illustration like the one you see in every chapter of Harry Potter. I'm thinking of making our own website's Pinoy characters (remember Pugad Baboy?). And then we're gonna tap a few friends to contribute inspirational stories, too. And yes, Lem, I'm definitely thinking about you as I'm writing this. :)

That's just about it--- it's not the best idea in the world but we're both passionate about it and I think it's really fun and sweet that we get to have something together. It's better than getting a puppy (although yes, we're getting a puppy real soon). I dont even think we're the best people to come up with such a thing, but hey, this is all just for the love of fun, adventure, and inspiring people at the same time. Hubby has been a leadership lecturer for years (and is still actively doing it) and I'm pretty good at doing blahs and illustrations. All we need now is a bit more depth on HTML and stuff.

I'm in bed now and I'm sarting to build whole picture in my mind. I stopped and thought--- hmmm, POSIBLE. :)

Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah

2011-04-01T10:07:00.000-07:00

I forgot to post this...

Two weeks ago, we got to watch the return of the Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah The Musicale at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP). Hubby knows Im a sucker for stage plays and though all the tickets were sold out, we managed to sneak our way in. It was an awesome experience for me coz I've been itching to watch this since I read about from Icon Magazine (remember that awesome mag???) back in 2005. I was wishing there would be a Cebu staging of this play, but nada.

I'm not a big fan of the movie. I personally think the movie starring Zsa Zsa and Rustom was a complete blasphemy of how great this musicale is. The show that I got to watch starred Eula Valdez as Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah and boy was she hilarious. I havent seen that side of her, and she really gave justice to the role. I heard there was another staging before that starred Kay Brosas and I wish I got to watch that coz Im a big fan. She fits this role like a glove :) Anyway, no regrets, Eula was just as awesome and the whole show was a HUGE success as always.

After the show, BBK and I got to take pictures of the characters. He even introduced me to the men behind the Musicale--- The Stage Director, the Musical Director and the cartoon writer. It was a very sentimental moment for me. I'm a big fan of musicales :)

Disney Live Mickeys Music Festival

2011-04-01T10:05:00.000-07:00

Just showing a little love and support for hubby's giant project this year. You guys, Disney is coming to Manila and Cebu this September for the Disney Live: A Mickey Mouse Music Festival. The Cebu leg will be staged at Waterfront Hotel Lahug.

Tickets will be released soon!

My 29th Birthday

2011-03-30T07:22:00.000-07:00

I had my 29th birthday last Monday and to celebrate it, Vince and I decided to go back to Cebu to do a backpack trip down South to explore the beaches and mountains. We have a lot of things in common, and if I had to pick a favorite, it would be the fact that we both love to backpack-trip (you know, when you just bring with you one small bag with a shirt, an underwear, a little cash and that's it, hahaha). Some people are allergic to it, but we're totally the opposite--- the lighter, the dirtier, the better. And besides, it has always been my wish to spend the eve of my birthday under the stars while listening to the waves.

Wish granted, plus a lot more. I even got a the most awesome birthday present. In the morning we got to snorkel for about 2 hours (the longest snorkel adventure I had EVER), visited some old churches (coz he has a thing for it), and we climbed the mountains of Badian.

Next stop, Tagaytay and Quezon in May. Cheers to a good life.

Buffet Babies

2011-03-22T23:00:00.000-07:00

I had an awful day in the office and I was had tons of things to accomplish so I was whining the entire time. Good thing Vince set up this wonderful dinner treat at Cafe Ilang Ilang at The Manila Hotel. We decided to have the 9-cuisine buffet. :) We love buffet. Everybody LOVES buffet. We're all SUCKERS for buffet.

Class Picture

2011-03-22T22:16:00.000-07:00

I was tagged today in Facebook by one of my classmates back in Grade 1. I actually lost all my childhood pictures when we moved Cebu City to Mactan. We kind of abandoned our old house in the city and settled somewhere far from family feuds and issues. Since then, I only had one childhood photo of myself. This was taken back when I was 3, and my sister was 7.

Imagine--- just ONE childhood picture. ONE. You know how awful that feels?

Today, I have one to add in my collection. It's a class picture from Grade 1, in USJ-R. Though I could barely even see myslef in this picture cleary, still for me it's golden. Check out the kid at the top row from the right. That's me. :)

My Babies, My Inspiration

2011-03-22T02:13:00.000-07:00

Time flies so fast. I found these baby pictures of Kirsten and Jammie. Kirsten is now 6 while Jammie is now 3. I found them stired in my old phone.

This is Kirsten back when she was 2 years old. And me without hair.

This is my chubaboink Jammie wearing my favorite bonnet... So cute. :)
And Kirsten at 2, back when she had stubby fingers and chubby cheeks. She still loves the camera till now, guess whoshe got that trait from. :)
And my ultimate favorite picture--- Baby Jammie working the camera when he was still 2 weeks old.
Not long ago they sat on my knees
We drew cartoons, flew to the moon, trimmed Christmas trees
But time has flown look how they’ve grown
Soon she’ll be you, and soon he’ll be like me..

There’s no rewinding no replay
The chance you lose today will be gone when it’s gone
We’ll never be quite as strong nor as young as this again
Make them last, make these moments.. last right now.

Congratulations, Baby Kaye

2011-03-22T01:24:00.000-07:00

My niece (my sister Kristine's eldest kid) is graduating from gradeschool as the class valedictorian. The whole family was in glee when we learned about the awesome news. I got a bit emotional when I learned about it from a text she sent me. She said I was her inspiration all throughout. It was the warmest gush of hope that I felt thus far. When a kid says you inspire him or her, that means you matter in this world, and all the things you have worked so hard so far, including your defeats, have actually made an impact to a young one's life. To sum all that, I think I truly did a great job as an uncle. :)

My sacrifices for my family have now little by little been paying off. It's not easy to win the bread, especially when you have dreams and plans of your own. :) For so many times, I was tempted to give up. Good thing I didnt, coz now I am receiving blessings far more than I ever expected. And there will be more.

I fondly recall the day I first carried her in my arms. I was 17 then, and she was a tiny 6-pound baby. I cant believe she's now all grown up and ready to take on the world. She even started to talk to me about her crushes and all I could answer back was just an irritated smirk. I guess I'm just the typical, jealous uncle. Of course you dont want them to grow up too soon. :)

She asked me if I could help her out with her valedictory speech. Her first product was amazing. I made a few changes in the grammar and structure, but all in all I just gave some teeny-bit of contribution to her valediction. It was awesome frm the very start. I graduated as the class valedictorian back in gradeschool but I never really had the guts to make my own speech. It was my teacher who made my speech.

Anyways, here is her valedictory address. Kaye, I am so proudof you. Keep up the good work.

Speech:

Our Honorable Mayor Paz Radaza; our respected Schools Division Superintendent Lucia Zapanta; our beloved Principal Mr. Eduardo Ompad, beloved teachers of Lapu-Lapu City Central School, our dear parents, fellow graduates of school year 2010-2011, friends, ladies and gentlemen, good day!

The day has come for us to celebrate the fruits of what we had worked hard for in the past 6 years, and finally enter a bigger and more challenging chapter of our lives. Indeed, our elementary days had been unique for each one of us. Some of us were involved in academics, sports, music or what have you. Some would see our past 6 years in this school as a truly awesome experience, some would see it as a hard struggle to the finish, and some would see it as a combination of both. But we all would agree with one common truth today--- that there is a great future waiting for all of us, and we have been given the power to shape our very own lives from this day moving forward.

No amount of success was ever accomplished alone. I stand in front of you today humbled by the very thought that I could not have achieved anything at all without the help and the guidance of the people around me. What you see now, ladies and gentlemen, is just a simple girl shaped by the goodness of fate and the care of the people that I have looked up to. Therefore, I must begin by acknowledging those people that have helped me win my battles.

I sincerely thank my teachers and mentors for imparting their knowledge to me. I was trained and taught by the best and most affectionate mentors any student could wish for. To Ms. Glenda Pogoy, Ms. Floramie Macapaz, Mrs. Dalela Sumalinog, and all my teachers from Grade 1 to Grade 6--- I will forever be grateful. Rest assured that I will put to heart all the lessons you have taught me, and will use them to further help others appreciate the value of education. Likewise, I would like to thank our Dear Alma Mater, Lapu-Lapu City Cenral School, for recognizing my efforts. You have served as a solid foundation of education for many years, and I am deeply honored to know that I will always be a part of this institution.

I would like to thank my parents, Jezzer and Kristine Ruiz, for serving as my guiding light ever since. Mommy, Daddy--- I know life had always been tough for us. I want to thank you for your love and sacrifices. Life was never easy for our family. There were times when we barely had anything to sustain our daily needs, but you have persevered to provide me and my other siblings Jem, Jiboy and Jammie only the best. What I have achieved today is dedicated to you. My gold medal is for you. I would like to take to take this opportunity to tell you that I am so lucky and blessed to be your daughter.

To my Mamay and Papay, my Uncle Keith and Kristoffer, thank you for being my source of strength, and for always pushing me to be better. Today is just the beginning of many more accomplishments, and I can’t wait to share and enjoy them with you.

Lastly, I would like to thank our Almighty Father for all these blessings. Without HIM, I am nothing.

Fellow graduates, we have all accomplished a milestone today. This, however, is just the beginning of something bigger. Today, we accept the responsibility of making this country a better place for everyone. We are tomorrow’s doctors, engineers, nurses, architects, businessmen, and teachers. Let us all be responsible of the choices that we make. Let us instill in our hearts and minds all the lessons that we have learned from our parents and teachers in the past 6 years and put them all to good use. Let us all succeed together.

We are currently facing the toughest of situations. My heart bleeds at the thought of the thousands of lives lost in the earthquake that struck Japan barely 3 weeks ago. Likewise, I am in deep sadness when I think about the war in the Middle East. The world economy is not in perfect shape and hunger is still taking a toll on the lives of a lot of children in poor countries.

I, however would like to quote a line from the movie Mulan. Mulan’s father inspired her daughter with a line that goes--- “The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all.”. Ladies and gentlemen, we are facing hardships and uncertainties. Let this be an opportunity for us to be strong and to stay hopeful. To the parents, teachers and mentors, inspire your children to always strive hard. To my fellow graduates, let us be instruments of change, optimism, kindness, generosity and courage. Let us all be tough. As they say, tough times don’t last--- but tough people do.

As this chapter of my life comes to a close, I likewise accept this responsibility. I hope you will, too.

Ladies and gentlemen, my journey to where I am now all commenced with a pact that I made to myself 6 years ago--- that I will do whatever it takes to make my family’s life better. While it seemed impossible that time, it gave me direction. It gave me a purpose. I encourage all of you today to set your goals and dreams, too. With that said, I sincerely wish you all the happiness and love that life can offer.

Thank you so much and good evening!

Spelleng

2011-03-20T19:26:00.000-07:00

One of the things that I really look forward to during my gigs are the requests we get from the audience. Here are some funny requests that I got to keep so far.

May ipis! The Black Ipis!

"Emperial" jud?

Singular ni cya sa The Corrs...

Move over Frank Sinatra... Coz ALICIA KEY is about to sing NEW YORK, NEW YORK.

Subject-verb agreement, maryusep!
BLOCK is the new Black.

Someone seriously needs to go back to gradeschool spelling class...

MARIA who?

May gana ka pang mag-encircle2x...

High Res

2011-03-19T11:01:00.000-07:00

Finally got a hold of the high res version of the winning picture. Both of them now hang beautifully in my home.

Chikay and Em, this post is for you coz you've been bugging me for like the last 48 hours now. :) I don't now anything about photography so you might wanna ask him directly. I think you guys speak the same language. I even forgot your super technical questions, like for godddsssakes, I'm just an ordinary point-and-shoot person who absolutely has ZERO talents nor interests in photography. Leave me alone, punyeta. :)

First Prize!

2011-03-15T22:32:00.000-07:00

Celebrating Vince's winning photos at the Talulot Festival.

The pics look great, Vince. Good job!

He bested hundreds of entries this year, beat that! :) Another one of his photos made it as a finalist. I'm doing my happy dance as we speak.

Cebu Poker Challenge

2011-03-08T20:23:00.000-08:00

I'd like to make a little annoucement. If you guys love to play poker, The Metro Card Club Cebu will be holding The Cebu POKER Challenge, March 18-20. Please see event flyer below for more deets, or you may shoot me a private message on Facebook.

No Miss, it's J for "JOAT"

2011-03-08T02:50:00.000-08:00

I had my second ear pierce the other day and so the first thing that I did when I got home was to look for my old stud earrings--- the ones that I used back in 2006 (yeah, I still have them). I wanted to have them cleaned and polished at the nearest shop that sells silver.

I headed back to the mall, and as I was waiting for them to polish it, the lady issued me a receipt. I had to write my name and signature, so I signed it and just wrote "KEITH" on the name portion.

She took the receipt and then returned and said "Sir, butangi'g apelyido".

I was busy texting, and she gave me this impatient look so I asked her to write it for me instead. I said--- "PAREJA".

She took the pen and answered, "spiling, Sir?"

I murmured "P-A-R-E-J-A".

She wrote the letters one by one and in a loud voice she said "P...E...R...E...--- Sir J as in JAR or J as in goat?"

The other saleslady interrupted her and with a wide grin she said "Pag-churrr diha yadj oi, G ba! Liter G! Jar... JARRR... hala oi... Pa--reee---HA gani...! Pasensya na Sir, hala oi, awa gikataw-an kang Sir, yadj... hahaha. Double E na cya, Sir".

I wasnt really laughing--- I was in total awe! I was mesmerized by the cuteness of the conversation and at the same time I was irritated by this whole charade. I even started to have a split-second assumption that I was in Wow Mali, but heck they were dead serious about the J versus G war!

With a smirk I just said "Forget it... Just write--uhmmmm (while looking around)--- TAN, para mahuman ta, Miss."

I could imagine how hard it could get if my last name was Gyllenhaal. Or Heidenrich. Or Lhuiller. Or Solzhenitzyn. hahaha

Disciple

2011-03-02T23:56:00.000-08:00

I have accepted a new job offer from another IT company and for the first time in my professional life, I started to have some jitters. I feel like I'm not ready to take on this big a challenge just yet. I just had a rundown on the details of my new job, and personally I found it easy. My only fear comes from the fact that my current employer, Microsoft, had been utterly kind to me in ways that I couldnt even expound. I'm afraid this new and bigger company that I would soon be with would be too strict, too serious, to uptight. I'm just not that kind of person. For so many years, I simply come to the office wearing jeans and sneakers and a knack at sales--- and everything that I have done so far were accomplished just within my comfort zones.

I am now currently undergoing some do-it-yourself sales refresher. For 2 days now I have immersed myself on a lot of Jon Maxwell and Zig Ziglar audiobooks. It's been a breath of fresh air so far. There are things that you think you've already mastered, but there are certainly a lot of things that you get to overlook as the years go by. My boss gave me this brilliant idea to go on self-help. After all, he says, that sales is a discipline.

It's a discipline.

For the longest time, I only saw it just as a job. But now that I have come to terms with a bigger challenge to come, I need to equip myself. There is no other way but up and I am held responsible for myself and this opportunity.

Sharon's Weight Loss

2011-03-02T19:26:00.000-08:00

A lot of people are now abuzz on the Sharon Cuneta billboard ad for Marie France. The billboard shows 2 images of the Megastar, one donning on the usual chubby figure we've grown to love today, and the other one that's disturbingly more like the skinny image of a resurrected Shawie in the 90's. What people have been talking about is the fact that this might have been another product of flawless photoshoping, and not a product of Marie France.

Very rarely can you now see a great picture that hasn't been enhanced by Photoshop. I passed by Ayala Road the other day and saw this disturbing billboard of Jinky Pacquiao for Belo. She was altered beyond recognition. Now come on, who are we kidding? We demand a little bit of honesty from the products that we buy in the market.

As per an article that Raymund Isaac wrote in inquirer.net--- "As I have been accused in some cases of using Photoshop to make my images beautiful, even if, in fact, only simple photography techniques have been applied. If had wanted to seriously Photoshop the image, trust me, I would have done more".

I even saw this interview this morning of Raymund Isaac at a morning show in QTV, and he reiterated that he only used photography techniques for Sharon's photoshoot. Now it makes more sense to me on a marketing point of view. Photographers and artists have certain limitations as to how boldly they could alter images before they get printed or published.

Congratultions to the Megastar for a fab new figure. Which reminds me--- I seriously have to go on a diet.

Tuna Wanton Triangles

2011-02-24T22:26:00.000-08:00

I had a few extra wanton wrappers and a can of tuna the other night so I decided to make Tuna Wanton Triangles. If you guys want something special to cook this weekend, you might wanna invite your friends over for some beer and a cool chick flick, and of course my easy to cook Tuna Wanton Triangles. It's yummy, it's easy, and it cost me about 50 pesos.

Here are the ingredients:

1 pack of wanton wrappers (medium size)
1 can Chili corned tuna
1 medium size red bell pepper
1 clove garlic
1 small onion
1 egg
1 tablespoon flour
salt and pepper to taste

Mince the red bell pepper, onions and garlic and add to the tuna and egg mixture. Add a tablespoon of flour to hold all the ingredients together. Put 1 teaspoonful of tuna mix to the wanton wraps and make small triangles. This makes up to 50 triangles. Fry until golden brown. This goes well with some sweet chili sauce.

Enjoy!

Summer's Here

2011-02-20T22:05:00.000-08:00

I was at our rooftop last night and I noticed how clear the skies were. I realized it's summer already--- my favorite season of the year. The days just passed by so quickly I didn't notice it has come.

I have a few activities lined up for the season already, but that's about 2-3 weeks from now. I haven't had the chance to really plan it all out like the way I did when I was younger. Most of my friends have left the country and it seems I'm the only one interested o go out and have a good time in the beach or in the mountains.

Anyway, On March 12, I'm flying to Manila to meet my partner's friends, just to chill and have a good time. On March 26 (2 days before my birthday), bebekoi and I will be heading to Camotes coz he hasnt had the chance to tour Northern Cebu just yet. And then we'll head back to the city to enjoy my complimentary stay at Imperial ( a little freebie I got from Delta Airlines). I ought to just make use of freebies coz I'm saving up for something really special for the two of us on the third quarter of the year. Nonetheless, money matters will never stop us from enjoying this year's summer. It's gonna be an awesome, romance-filled birthday celebration. By April (Holy Week), I will be climbing Mt. Kanlaon for the first time. I've been tching to climb it's summit since last year so this one's going to be a dream come true.

Happy Summer, bebehs!

Bon Voyage, Nigra!

2011-02-20T21:03:00.000-08:00

It's one less Laagans again as Jazzy leaves the country for a 6-month training in Singapore. Carla will be leaving in two weeks too so that's 2 heads less on my birthday come March 28. It's really sad. I was teary-eyed yesterday when I got Jazzy's farewell text. I realized how long 6 months could be.

Bon Voyage, Nigr... I'm gonna miss you.

Love Letter

2011-02-17T19:02:00.000-08:00

Ever Dearest,

You came out of nowhere. The first time I saw your smile, I melted. And you gazed lovingly as you approached me and asked for my name. I was in the middle of the Grandstand watching the Sinulog, but my eyes were set on you. I was quivering when we shook hands. It was like I was back in high school asking a girl for a dance. I was in the boundaries of hesitation and hypnosis.

And then I chose to ignore you for a brief few days. I got scared. I wanted to give myself another chance.

Now you know why. I was a wounded puppy when we met. You came at a point when I had nothing to hope for. You gave me hope in love just in time when I almost ran out of it. I was badly hurt 2 years ago, and I thought I couldn't even recover. I gave love a few more shots after that but at some point I have conceded to the validation that some guys just aren't born lucky.

But you're here now. And everytime I gaze at your loving eyes, every single minute that I'm with you, I look back and ask myself if I've done something really good and awesome and wonderful in the past to deserve you.

Thank you, for making me happy. And thank you for loving me more than I love myself. And thank you for teaching me to love myself again.

More than anything else, I look forward to spending the rest of my life with you. Through thick or thin, through sickness and in health. From this day forward, I promise to take care of you, respect you and love you. I vow never to break your heart even for just a second.

I love you. I wont ever get tired of reminding you this everyday. ♥

Love,

Keith

Xiao Yu

2011-02-03T22:45:00.000-08:00

I havent blogged in like 3 months. Nothing's blog worthy so far.

Except for this very moment that I'm missing a good friend terribly. We haven't spoken for more than 2 years, and it's not because we hate each other or what--- time and circumstance had just been a bit mean to our friendship.

She was one of my best friends back in highschool. And my college confidante. And we shared one bed at our borading house back in college. And we were together for more than 2 years in Wats. And she's been one of those few people who pushed me to always be at my best. She was more like a pseudo-wife, only that we havent had sex cozthat would totally be unimaginable :)

She's my Trunge sister--- and time and distance couldnt change that.

Just saying hi... I know you'd drop by :)

I miss you.

Happy birthday, Jan!

2010-11-03T23:20:00.000-07:00

I totally forgot to post up a greeting to one of my favorite friends in the world. I was with her on her birthday night, but too bad I didn't get to take pictures--- but hey, I'm sure this one will make up for it.

Happy birthday, Janeth. Thanks for being such a great friend.

P.S. Marianne Rivera just texted. She is so pissed. I totally understand her insecurities :)

Dance Like Noone's Gonna Put it on Youtube

2010-11-03T04:58:00.000-07:00

After 7 hours...

Lighting a Candle for Myself on All Souls Day

2010-11-02T04:04:00.000-07:00

It's All Soul's Day today and as a family practice, we all went to Queen City Gardens to visit my departed Lolo, Lola, Uncles and cousins. It's a family reunion of some sorts and I get to see my cousins like twice a year--- Christmas and this day, so today should've been special. It used to be really fun back when we were kids. But today looked different. I realized I'm the only one who's not married or taken. It just feels a bit odd that the married ones were all huddled up in one big group talking about kids and marriage, and I was seated to my nieces and nephews who talked about Cartoon Network.

I'd rather talk about Cartoon Network than to have my lovelife (or not having a lovelife) talked about. :) I just sat down and chose not to talk the whole time.

On second thought, I should've stood up and risen to the occasion. I should've told them that everything's fine, lit a candle and made a speech about life and moving on. That Keith who believed in love died years ago and it is but appropriate to celebrate his courage today.

To the old Keith---
who loved, and waited, and loved again,
and failed too many f*cking times.
May he rest in peace.

Happy All Souls Day. :)

Mga Walang Kamatayang Jumpshots

2010-11-02T01:23:00.000-07:00

I dont know if it's just me, but everywhere I go, no matter how far I get, jumpshots are always part of my cam-whoring menu. I was looking at some pics of myself from the past 7 years and noticed a lot of jumpshots. And these are just those that I was able to get a hold of, I'm sure there're still a lot more. There has to be a jumpshot. There has to be. Oh god, Im weird. :)

Bohol

Iligan

Argao

Siquijor

Cagayan

Boracay

Ohio

Dumaguete

Kentucky, USA

Coron, Palawan

El Nido, Palawan

Bantayan Island, Cebu

Dumaguete

Smart is the New Sexy

2010-10-28T05:34:00.000-07:00

We had our first taste of the Cebu Trivia Nights at Alejandros last night and indeed the rumors were true--- it was amazing. I never imagined trivias were that fun. It's party for the geeks and smarties--- and mind you, I saw a lot of hotties in the crowd I forgot I was there for a bloody quiz bee.

Thank you Alexis for inviting us over--- I have been itching to drop by since June but I must admit, I thought it was gonna be a big bore. I'm seriously wrong. My friends and I had so much fun and we are so going back. We are aiming for a top three spot and we're dead serious :) After last night, I got to prove 3 things: One, that Alejandro's indeed makes the best crispy pata in town. Two, that trivias are fun. And three, that smart is the new sexy and I have a lot of studying to do for next weeks Trivia Nights battle.

By the way, we finished 5th place coz we got zero out of 8 questions in the "poker terms" round. It was a bloody fight to the finish and we did so well. Not bad for a first-timer ey?

Photo courtesy of the Cebu Trivia Night Facebook Fanpage. Go Like :)

It's Not the Climb... It's the Jump After the Climb

2010-10-21T16:14:00.001-07:00

Here I am again with my usual Friday habit. I usually skim through old pictures, and today I found these really cute pics from Deo's album. This was taken last summer in Antique, and we kindof got lost on our way home. We stopped by a river that had this huge rock that you had to climb on, and from the top we decided to take a jump. Carla cried :)

The rest of the team were all worried, coz they thought we met some accident along the way. Little did they know that the three of us had such a good time diving and all. hihihi

I need a vacation.

Oh, Santa!

2010-10-20T16:39:00.000-07:00

I have been WAITING for this! From the time I saw the cover artwork (posted on my article Miss You Most on Christmas Time - No More) sometime more than a month ago, I have been incessantly googling up updates of this single. I just wanted to hear it ASAP, I dunno, maybe because Mariah Carey's album follow-ups make me nervous. I recall having the jitters back when Mariah came up with an Emancipation of Mimi sequel (E=MC2). I know it would always work well knowing how good a singer and composer Mariah is, but I'd always wish she'd choose to border on the safe side. And besides, her first Holiday album was perfection that the world could no sooner find a perfect successor, a follow-up is not TOO safe :)

Anyway, after hearing Oh Santa!, I thought this song will kick a lot of ass this Holiday season. This is all part of the Merry Christmas II You album set to release a week from now (Nov. 2, I think). Mariah composed 4 songs in this album which I think is great. I love her material and her usage of words is purely genius.

Now let's take a closer look at the cover artwork for the single Oh, Santa!. Mariah looks hot, thin, and photoshopped to perfection (as expected). Now we all know she gained weight, right? (Like who are we kidding?) After seeing her fall in some viral videos over Youtube on her concert in Singapore, I'm pretty sure Mariah dug up some really old photos of herself for this cover art. I should know, because I do it when I feel and look really really fat sometimes--- I post up some old pictures of my thin self as a main profile pic in Facebook to make it look like everything's doing ok. And hey, don't we all?

Now back to Mariah, I'm pretty sure this is going to again be a big hit. Yey :)

Photo Credit: http://loft965.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/mariahcarey_ohsanta-540x524.jpg?w=510&h=494

4% and Facebook

2010-10-19T23:41:00.000-07:00

When was the last time I had sex?

I don't know... I couldn't remember anymore. I think I had one last month, with some random whoever who gave me some "it's not gonna work between us--- it's not you--- it's me" bullcrap. Anyway, I'm not gonna say I'm over it coz I was faking it all along to begin with :)

Now with that said, I, on average, have sex once every 2 months--- and mostly disastrous coz it's usually done on first dates. That's how big a loser I am. I'm 28, I'm single, and Cebu is a pool teeming with single and romance-hungry people.

I posted this on Facebook yesterday: Studies show that people who have sex at least 3 times a week are perceived to look 4-7 years younger. If this study were true and proven, then I should be alarmed.

Let's take it to a mathematical level. Supposing I peg "sex 3 times a week" as the ideal number (ergo, 100%), against the number of times I do it in a month (once in every 2 months, ergo, 0.5) then my achievement rate would be just 4%.

Gasp----! 4%

I need to double up on Olay then!

Anyway, I think something is a bit odd about Facebook. I checked the "People You May Know" section, and more than half of the list were topless men. It's like the new Planet Romeo.

Now why am I still single? I don't know. You tell me.

Me Goes Acoustic at the Crimson

2010-10-14T22:05:00.000-07:00

The pool area is done and we're set again to perform at the Crimson Resort in Mactan... That's the 10th and newest 5-star resort hotel here in Cebu. It hasn't officially opened yet, but it's now up for limited occupancy. It's the prettiest hotel I've ever been to and the fact that we have been chosen as one of it's performers is a huge honor by itself. Imagine--- 250 suite rooms, 41 villas and 39 plunge pools. It's paradise.

We'll be doing an all-acoustic line-up later at Azure, the beach part of the hotel. We have dedicated a few days of practice to come up with an all-acoustic line-up, coz we never really predicted we would be invited to do a show of this nature. I'm not an acoustic singer myself so I had to do a lot of fine tuning. Tonight, we will be showcasing the music of Cristopher Cross, Maxwell, Sade, Selena, some classic Pinoy hits from the Hotdogs and a lot more.

And since I'm a huge, as in huge fan of the Beatles, the show would definitely not happen without my personal tribute to the greatest band of all time. I spent countless nights to come up with my own medley, and you know it's hard coz it's almost impossible to pick at most 3 great songs from their awesome repertoire. I could no sooner pick a favorite star from the heavens.

I got to narrow down my choices to 3 favorites--- Strawberry Fields Forever, Yesterday and Hey Jude. The medley I made is one kick-ass job and I can't wait to perform it tonight. I'm so excited.

How To Be a Frog

2010-10-12T06:54:00.001-07:00

I got these pics from a school at a nearby island in Mactan. Take note--- school.

My Inaanak Cahleil's Worst Nightmare

2010-10-12T06:33:00.000-07:00

This was taken last Saturday during our outreach program. Cahleil, my inaanak, is 4 years old. She was so scared of the kids in the islands. Watch this clip, it's so cute.

I Wish I Knew How to Quit You

2010-10-12T05:55:00.000-07:00

One of my biggest challenges as we speak is my need to stop smoking. I have been smoking since college (I'm not a chain-smoker though), but I consume about 4-6 sticks a day. Now that's alarming. I am not getting any younger, and I have vowed time and again to live healthy as much as I could. I do regular exercise, I monitor my weight, my fat intake and all the works, but something just feels off when I am reminded that I still haven't conquered my love for smoking. I just wanna quit now, as in now. I have attempted many times, in fact I lost count already.

And at this stage I have already noticed a few changes in my voice. I don't want to lose the whistle register completely. I still want to keep it for as long as I'm alive. The fact that I sing for a living should make me want to quit smoking the soonest. But how?

Laagans Outreach Program in the Islands

2010-10-10T23:34:00.001-07:00

I had a meaningful weekend with my friends. Last Saturday, we all went to a small island in Mactan to see the poor community of Po-o. It's just a few kilometers away from our piggery and we thought that it would be the perfect spot to do an outreach program. October 9 was Jazzy's birthday, and instead of celebrating it t with the usual birthday party (which we've had for years by the way), we have decided to share the blessings instead to the kids of impoverished communities.

Po-o is a small baranggay in the island of Sta. Rosa. From Lapu-Lapu City, you may take a boat in Angasil. They do not have a decent supply of potable water, and the kids seemed undernourished. I got to talk to one of the parents there who have 6 kids (so far) and she's 7 months preggers. I know, it's just awful and the lives of these people need some serious intervention.

We fed around 70-something kids and played games with them. Indeed one of the best emotions in the world is that fleeting feeling of knowing that you made somebody very happy. Just seeing a kid smile is just rewarding beyond words. I have had different kids of adventure in the past, but this one brought a different kind of high. If I have the time and money, I would, without hesitation, do this all over again.

Come March 2011 (my birthday month), I promised to come back and do another one of these outreach programs, but this time I'd like to invite the parents and teens for some sex education and family planning.

If, by any chance, you have planned to do an outreach activity but do not know how to, do not hesitate to call me. The Laagans would be more than glad to show you how.

Click! Click! It's Paduy's Birthday!

2010-10-08T06:16:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday to one of the most awesome guy on earth... The hottest photographer ever to have grazed Cebu... Happy birthday, Oslec!

And yes, Oslec was the one responsible for these awesome portraits of myself. The guy has some kick-ass portfolios up is sleeves. Yebah!
.

I Need a Wedding Date

2010-10-06T00:47:00.000-07:00

My friend Joy will be getting married on the 21st. It's gonna be one posh wedding coz knowing Joy, she never really went below the "let's economize" line.

This means so much to me and here's why. I have attended hundreds of weddings already, coz you know I am by profession a wedding host or sequencer. This time I will be attending a wedding as a guest. You heard it right--- GUEST. It feels really weird. No. Make it creepy, and I'm excited as hell.

I just have one problem though--- Joy wants me to bring along a special someone. Problem is, I do not have a special someone. I have been single since December 2008.

I need a wedding date. I need it quick.

Help.

And oh--- good friend Atty. Hazel is also getting married on the 23rd. I forgot--- we all--- forgot to book our flights to Siargao and we're super sorry. But then again, congratulations, and the rest of the Laagans wish you the best.

Pizza Lang Ang Katapat

2010-10-01T03:37:00.000-07:00

Camille: Hi Keith, busy ka run? Anhi sa amo office oi, tambay-tambay lang ta...

Keith: Oh no Mel, it's Friday. Busy kaayo ko grabe.

Camille: Awh--- mag-order man gud ta kog pizza and pasta.

Keith: Ok Mel, I'm on my way.

The Tunnel

2010-09-29T01:01:00.001-07:00

Took me nearly two years to get a hold of these crazy pics.

2008, my friends and I decided to go to Tennessee. Our car doesn't have a GPS so all we would usually do when we have out of town trips is to print maps from Google. Google is a very helpful tool for the most part, but not all of the maps are updated.

We were in Kentucky that time, and in order to get to Tennessee, you have to first pass through Ohio. Hence we printed out maps of Kentucky, Tennessee and Ohio.

And we made it to Tennessee after like 3 hours of straight driving.

We agreed to start driving home by 6pm. But on our way back to Kentucky, we passed by a huge factory sale in one of the busy streets of Knoxville TN, so we decided to shop (well, maybe for half an hour). What we agreed as half an hour became 2 hours. After 2 hours, we were all bringing shopping bags. It was already late to travel down Kentucky, at streets we were not so familiar with, but we were happy. We have maps anyway.

But it was already too dark and we were all tired from shopping that we suddenly took a wrong trn and ended up at a very creepy village just near the Tennessee Conservation Forest. We enterred a pub, and a drunk man said we just had to go down south and take exit 21. And so we did.

And we did. And we f*cking believed the drunk man. Coz on our way, we took so many different weird turns, until we reached a highway that led us to 2 tunnels. The next thing we knew, we already saw a huge signage that said "WELCOME TO NORTH CAROLINA". And mind you, it was already around 11PM.

We didnt have a map for NC, and the streets were dark, and their traveller's lounge was already closed, except for the comfort rooms.

That was a terrible experience. But looking back at the pictures, I could not care but laugh at how weird we got to manage to go back to Lexington, Kentucky. Talk about a funny 911 call, and a 101 sexual favors with the truck drivers atthe waiting lounge.

Hell yeah.

That Explains :)

2010-09-29T00:56:00.000-07:00

Overjoyed... OVERPLUCKED... Over You.

2010-09-27T01:11:00.000-07:00

Saw one of the pics posted up from last nights performances and I was laughing like hell.

I had a not-so-busy weekend so I decided to just stay home and bond with myself in front of the mirror. And what better way to spend time with oneself than to pluck his/her eyebrow. Yeah, guys have to groom up their eyebrows, too. It's just nonsense if you don't. Keeping them in shape is like trimming your nails--- or shaving your pubics--- and I don't have to explain further really.

Unfortunately, I unconsciously took the act of plucking of my eyebrows up to one notch higher. I overplucked for some reasons I wasnt even conscious of. I went to Waterfront with a heavy heart, and as expected, my manager immediately exclaimed--- "woah Keith, your eyebrows are soooo--- i dunno--- it's just looks weird with your mohawk and all".

The next day, I tried to search for close up pics of myself and I was laughing like crazy. It was the mother of all eyebrow-plucking disasters. I looked like I just had botox or something. Im going to have to wait for another 2 weeks to have it all grow back.

If only life is like a DVD movie, like I can just fast forward to the next 2 weeks. *Sighs*

Buwad!!

2010-09-27T00:46:00.000-07:00

I just had the yummiest lunch in ages. I miss the taste of home-cooked meals, particularly those that my mom used to whip up for me back when I was still living with my folks. I have been away from home since 2008 and I have kindof forgotten the taste of real food. I think that's one of the downsides of living away from home--- all you can afford to eat are just junkfood, canned goods and fastfood. I do have a kitchen, a stove and all the works, but I would either not have the time to cook for myself, or I would just brush aside the thought of cooking something special because I'm all alone in my place and it's just totally pointless to cook something special for one. I have done it many times before, and most of the time I would whip up something that's good enough for 5 or 6 people and it's just a whole lot of waste. I can't cook pasta good enough for me, can I? That's just really weird.

Anyway, I went to visit my niece at the Ecotech Center in Lahug to see her competing at the Regional Math Olympiad Competition (she won by the way--- first place, imagine that), and on my way home I passed by a small Talipapa just across JY Square Mall. Now I'm not exactly sure how I got there, but one street full of talipapa goodies just led to another, and the next thing I knew, I was shopping--- as in SHOPPING. There's just so much joy shopping at a talipapa coz it's way too different from the usual grocery store. I bought fruits and fish and spices--- all at half the price, maybe even less.

I decided to cook me a kick-ass lunch the next day--- buwad pinikas, na pinalutaw sa mantika with lots of onions, garlic, and tomatoes. And to give it a little beautiful bullshit touch, I added one of my favorite ingredients--- cayenne pepper. I can't cook anything without cayenne pepper. It works like a magic wand, really. I havent had this dish in a million years like, seriously. There's just so much joy in small things.

And all of a sudden, I miss home.

Slumber September at The Tiki Bar, Bigfoot Mactan featuring my band--- and then some. See y'all :)

2010-09-22T00:40:00.000-07:00

Hello bebehs! Here's an invitation---

Put your hottest lingeries and pyjamas on and get ready to dance the night away at the hottest slumber party in town. It's the SLUMBER SEPTEMBER PARTY at the TIKI BAR, Bigfoot Mactan, September 24, 2010, featuring DJ Bong Durano, the Wet Dancers and oh well--- My band :) Tickets now available :) Seeyah all.

See you all at the Tiki Bar!

Angels Brought Me Here

2010-09-22T00:34:00.001-07:00

How Can I Fall?

2010-09-22T00:24:00.000-07:00

Updates

2010-09-21T23:06:00.000-07:00

Things have had a total detour a month ago when I decided to quit becoming a corporate slave and decided to go on business. There was a point in my career when I felt too tired of working for a company and rendering a lot of work hours with a fixed income every month. I thought it was soooo wrong. I have 7 years of corporate experience up my sleeves and I think that's just about enough for me to know how to play my cards. It's time I do things on my own now.

I am currently running an online business (and it's doing well), and my friends and I are starting a hog-raising business as we speak. I give it about 3 or 4 hours a day, and the rest of the day is already mine to enjoy.

Now that I have more time, I have decided to give singing another try. Fortunately, I got me a great band to back me up and we started rehearsing our pieces more than a month ago. Barely two weeks ago, I was offered a regular spot at the Waterfront Mactan. It's been surreal coz I miss singing, and it's something that I could do so well, and I get to earn money out of it :)

Last week, I was offered another spot at the Crimson Resort and Spa. This was more than I asked for. At first I thought I would just end up performing at small bars--- but here I am, singing at 2 of the most awarded 5-star hotels in Cebu. Blessings just kept on pouring in. I was right all along--- everything you want is outside of your comfort zone.

Thank you God for the blessings :)

Miss You Most on Christmas Time (No More)

2010-09-20T16:54:00.000-07:00

Mariah looks svelt in the cover artwork of her upcoming Holiday album Merry Christmas II You. I'm excited... Her first Christmas album was awesome, and this could be a worthy successor, who knows. Either way, anything that comes from Mimi is always good. For whistles, please?

*photo credits: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_XiXOpnzyKv4/TJmRfqmJhnI/AAAAAAAAFxE/c40TI0gBi-Y/s1600/merry+christmas+II+you.jpg

Mohawk

2010-09-06T12:12:00.000-07:00

I have been sporting the usual corporate look since 2008 and I got bored watching my usual self in the mirror. Today, I have decided to give my do a little twist.

I'm Selling iPads

2010-08-17T00:15:00.000-07:00

That's it--- The bitch is on business :)

I'm selling iPads at "unimaginably" low prices. Got these on sale in the US and a friend was kind enough to bring them here in Pinas I didnt have to pay for shipping (thank god). For more info, contact me thru cell, or leave a comment here, or send me an email. Hello, you know what to do.

Here are the models:

WIFI 16GIG
WIFI 32GIG
WIFI 64GIG
WIFI 3G 16GIG
WIFI 3G 32GIG
WIFI 3G 64GIG 51000

And yeah, im also selling iPhone 4.

I'm Not Dead Yet

2010-08-07T05:12:00.001-07:00

I’ve never had the chance to post anything these couple of months. I had been on the process of adjusting to a lot of things. Last January, during the start of the year 2010, I vowed to tweak my life up a bit. I planned to get a new and better job that would give me more security, and something that would give more credits to my resume. I also planned to transfer to a new place, a better and bigger one. And ultimately I also decided to quit a toxic partnership that was not mutually rewarding from the very beginning.

It was my call, and I had to do something to make things better for myself.

All of those I achieved this month. After 7 longs months of waiting and planning and sacrificing, I finally got the things I planned in place. I got to finally quit this pseudo-relationship even long before the start of the second quarter (yeah, it was euthanasia on my part), I have finally transferred to a new home with a nice view and a nice garden outside, and I finally got the job that I was eyeing on since 2008.

More of it was because I prayed REALLY hard for things to change. When I was on my early 20s, I LOATHED change. And then there will come a point when you grow a bit old that you realize that things just NEED to change. Unfortunately for me by then, I was already tied up with a lot of things--- a good job, a nice home near my office, a sex partner.

And I didn’t like it.

I realized that everything I wanted was just outside of my comfort zone, and there is no other way to achieve them but to step out. It was painful, it was expensive, and I had countless sleepless nights.

I think by now I have fully adjusted. I am on field (coz I’m back to doing what I love most--- face to face sales like the one I had with Microsoft before), and I am eating my lunch here at my favorite corner at Starbucks as we speak.

I’m back.

Ladies and Gentlemen, The Royales!

2010-06-03T14:26:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Sue and Aura!!!

2010-05-26T08:48:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, girls!!!

Love you much!

Charice Pempengco Joins Glee's 2nd Season

2010-05-25T09:39:00.000-07:00

This just in...

Charice Pempengco will be joining Glee on their second season. Woah! I'm gonna say this again (and I wont ever get tired of saying this), I'm not a Charice Pempengco fan, but I love Glee to pieces and I'm a Filipino, so I wouldnt deny it--- I'm excited. The thought of it gives me goosebumps. I was even in tears when I saw Lea Salonga in E.R. and at a Hallmark movie.

I got the news from Inquirer today---

"Yes, it's true, Charice will soon join "Glee," her Philippine manager, Grace Mendoza, confirmed to the Inquirer. "And not just as a guest, but as part of the cast in a new season."

She seriously needs a makeover, coz her new look is making her look pimped. Natural is still the way to go, I mean come on, Filipinas are naturally pretty---and Charice, without the complicated make-up and complex hair-do, is a pretty lady. And she should tone down the make-up and the false lashes coz it's starting to look so thick and caked she looks like a Chinese doll. And she should get rid of the Bronx accent coz it's just not working--- you're natural accent still sounds best on you (hear that, call-center agents?).

But then again, I'm so proud of you, Charice... And I cant wait for 2nd season. :)

Photo Courtesy: http://cdn.wn.com/ph/img/d4/d4/68152a7ce861b375feac2b95a3f8-grande.jpg

Why?

2010-05-21T14:10:00.000-07:00

Something that I did over the weekend. My sketches reflect my mood, and this unknown figure couldnt keep a straight face. She looks perplexed, and puzzled, and lonely.

Why is it so hard to be happy?

The Moon Is Beautiful. My No-Lovelife Lovelife Sucks.

2010-05-17T11:48:00.000-07:00

I was jogging at the Ayala grounds last night, it was around 8PM when I started to do my warm-ups and stretches. I looked up and saw the moon in its utter perfection I thought I was looking at a huge perfectly Photoshoped image right above the sky.

It was BEAUTIFUL and ROMANTIC and I HATED it. That sight reminded me of lovers kissing and stargazing till they go tired. I've never had that since, I dunno, I couldn’t even remember anymore. I've been single and celibate for a long time now that I'm starting to forget the taste of a kiss, or watching the moon with someone holding my hand. Sucks right?

Anyway, I was glancing at the moon half the time I was jogging. It looked so pretty and strange that I started to wonder if it was some sort of astronomical phenomenon that I never heard of. I googled stuff up as soon as I got home and I was amazed that some people were quick enough to upload pictures of it already plus some weird-sounding scientific information (that I skipped without mercy).

It was called an occultation, and the bright thing above the crescent moon was the Planet Venus. For those who have seen it, consider yourself lucky coz it was only visible on the areas between Sumatra and the Philippines, and the next phenomenon will not be in until August 13, 2012.

Photo source: http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs352.snc3/29195_394343044508_662234508_3849275_786298_n.jpg

Going Back to the corner where I first saw you...

2010-05-12T15:14:00.000-07:00

'Cause if one day you wake up and find that you're missing me

And your heart starts to wonder where on this earth I could be

Thinking maybe you'll come back here to the place that we'd meet

And you'll see me waiting for you on our corner of the street

So I'm not moving, I'm not moving

My Beautiful Bullshit Pancakes

2010-05-12T15:03:00.000-07:00

You'll know it when I get too bored with my life coz I start to get weirdly inquisitive at cooking techniques. This week, I decided probe on how to cook the perfect pancakes. Pancakes may seem simple but you're wrong. Pancakes need the same amount of TLC and attention as an ordinary cake.

It took me 3 trials to come up with the perfect mix and the perfect how-tos.

I started with the most basic mix:
1 cup flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt or butter
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons oil
1 cup milk
1 egg

Day 1: My pancakes were burnt and black, and there were huge lumps and air holes in the center. I didn’t get to achieve the melted-icecream-like consistency so the pancakes werent all round. Ugly.

Day 2: My pancakes looked better than yesterday, no burns, but most of them werent round as I wished. The holes were smaller and less conspicuous this time, but still I noticed a few lumps that tasted weird.

Day 3: I finally came up with the perfect consistency, and all of them were round. No burns. No holes. No lumps.

Some stuff that I took note of:

> There must be a mix and a wet mix. Separate the dry stuff from the wet stuff, and mix the dry stuff first by sifting them all together. Mix the wet stuff in a separate bowl and beat lightly. Add the wet stuff to the dry stuff and mix lightly.

> If you intend to use butter on your pan, put a small amount, let it melt, then wipe the pan's surface with a table napkin to get rid of the excess grease. The first pancake is the ugliest by the way. The succeeding pancakes will all be pretty, promise.

> Do not press your pancake. You'll know it when the other side is cooked when the bubbles start to dry up.

> Do not cover the pan. You'll trap the steam and your pancakes will be soggy.

There--- my beautiful bullshit pancakes. I'm so bored with my life.

Laslas.

2010-04-30T13:51:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you have to run away so you can see who will run after you.
Sometimes you have to talk quieter, just to see who’s actually listening.
Sometimes you have to take a step back, just to see who’s still standing by your side.
Sometimes you have to make a wrong decision, just to see who’s there when it all falls down. Sometimes you have to let go of the one you love, just to see if they love you enough to come back.

Why Filipinos---

2010-04-26T13:53:00.000-07:00

Something that I've learned from a friend's blog today. Open Google and type "Why Filipinos". The results are kinda funny, hehhe, especially the first one. :)

Dumaguete Wedding... And Then Some :)

2010-04-26T11:53:00.000-07:00

I had the most awesome time in Dumaguete last week when I attended the Boniel-Gayo Nuptials. The wedding was fun, the crowd was very responsive, and I definitely enjoyed hosting the event.

I arrived at Dumaguete at around 10AM so I had about a couple of hours to freshen up for the Lunch Reception at The Bethel House. I took the land trip to Dumaguete so my back was aching for being stuck in the van for 4 hours. I took a 30-minute nap at Hotel Nicanor and then I took a loooong cool shower.

Note: If you haven't tried taking a land trip to Dumaguete, you'll be amazed at how easy it could be. Two options: You can always take a bus at the Cebu South Bus Terminal, and take the one that says "Dumaguete". It'll go straight to Bato Oslob, and will land in Sibulan in Dumaguete. Fare is P151. And then another option for you is to rent a van. It's a bit more expensive but there's a lot of trade off in terms of comfort coz taking the van is so much better.

I decided to attend the second reception at El Camino Bar and Restaurant. It's about a 5-minute drive from the Boulevard and all you have to do is to ride a tricycle. That's what's amazing about Dumaguete--- everything's just so accessible.

I'd like to thank the couple Sheanne and Delon for the invitation. I had so much fun. Till next time.

Omigoddd You Guys, It's Angel's Birthday!

2010-04-24T11:26:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday, Gel!
You will always be one of the very few people I constantly look up to.
You are a real person, and I thank God that I have someone like you in my life...

All the best for you for 2010...!

Archie's Goes Pink

2010-04-23T15:35:00.000-07:00

Archie will be introducing its first gay character in their September 2010 issue. I got this news from the Washington Post website and I found it really interesting, I mean, don't you think it's high time Archie's explores the Pink Market?

The openly gay character is named Kevin, a hot new guy in Riverdale High. :)

Anyway, CNN revealed the plot and it introdues Kevin's character as someone who beat Jughead in a burger-eating contest, and later on caught the romantic attention of no less than Veronica Lodge.

Nice :)

*photo courtesy: Yahoo News

Percy Jackson Overload and Age Rewind...

2010-04-23T07:42:00.000-07:00

I got a very special gift from Hunky-Chardie today. I was grinning from ear to ear when I knew my package from Lexington had arrived, plus the fact that I get to see him in person again and not just settle for our nightly YM conversations anymore. It's always nice when someone close to your heart comes home.

I finally have all the 4 books of the Percy Jackson & The Olympians Series. Yes, all the four books, isn't that neat? Nothing beats the Wal-Mart book aisle. Now I don’t have to wait for copies at Fullybooked.

And then I also got my usual Maybelline Age Rewind concealer. I've been using this since 2007 and you can't find that in any Maybelline stalls here in the Philippines. I bought 2 bottles when I went to the US. I LOVE IT---it's like photoshop in a bottle, and it's just $7. Nice. :)

Thank you, Chardie. You're the best!

Loving You

2010-04-19T19:08:00.000-07:00

One boring Sunday, decided to just stay home and not do anything. I had Maxwell and Robin Thicke songs on auto-repeat mode in my iPod. I personally think these two guys have the most amazing falsettos. I got up in bed and decided to try out a few vocal exercises to find out if I still have my falsettos and whistle register. I thought Minnie Riperton's Loving You is a good place to start.

Beautiful Bullshit Sweet n' Spicy Buffalo Wings

2010-04-19T13:21:00.000-07:00

A lot of people have asked me about my Sweet n' Spicy Buffalo Wings recipe. I brought a big serving good for 20-something people in the office during Karen's birthday and all of a sudden I'm being bombarded by a lot of inquiries about it.

I should think of it as a compliment, I mean, no one would bother asking if they didn’t like it in the first place. :)

I don’t want to disclose my exact proportions (and the exact ingredients) coz it took me like 20 trials to come up with my own. But for friendship's sake, here's a little improvised recipe that I designed, and don’t worry, it yields almost the same results.

.

Chicken base:
1 kilo chicken wings
1 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
Salt and black pepper to taste

Sauce:
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons kimchi sauce
Garlic, minced
Red bell pepper
Chili flakes

Mix cornstarch, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper to make the breading. Bread the chicken and deep fry until it gets golden brown.

For the sauce, saute the minced garlic, red bell pepper, cayenne pepper and chili flakes. Under low fire, add in the soy sauce, kimchi sauce, honey, brown sugar, water and balsamic vinegar. Mix until the sauce gets thick. Add in the fried chicken and top with a dash of cayenne pepper.

There--- my Beautiful Bullshit Sweet n' Spicy Buffalo Wings.

*For orders, please contact me personally. Thanks!

Gleeks Unite!

2010-04-19T11:20:00.001-07:00

The second installment of Glee episodes is here. I failed to watch the first one last April 14 coz I had one busy week. I havent even had the chance to watch Idol for 2 weeks now and I havent had much time to watch the online streams, too. I heard Andrew Garcia was booted out and I'm very disappointed. Oh well, good thing there's still Glee 2 to keep my weekdays sane.

And if you're a big fan of the great Sue Sylvester like me, you might wanna watch this video. Sue stages her version of Madonna's Vogue--- that's Sue minus the track suit plus the corset plus the famous cone bra plus lots of laces.

Watch next week's episode of Glee dedicated to the one and only Pop Queen, madonna, in the Glee: The Power of Madonna week. Loves!

Bohol Bee Farm Experience

2010-04-15T16:27:00.000-07:00

A lot of people have asked regarding the Bohol trip pictures I posted via Facebook three weeks ago. Some have paid close attention to the pictures I had at the Bohol Bee Farm, and personally approached and emailed me on how to go there, and the activities that are in there.

Suddenly my humble blog has become a little booklet of how-to's for people with whom I share the same interests. I'm no travel enthusiast myself, but I'm more than glad to help out if you ask me.

Anyways, The Bohol Bee Farm is both a resort and a restaurant located in Dao, Dauis, Panglao. If you have been to any of those beaches in Panglao, you'll know that the Bee Farm is just around the area. It is dedicated to making and serving organic agricultural products, from food to clothing and ornaments.

We skipped the farm tour coz we directly went to the Buzzz Restaurant just right at the middle of the farm and overlooking the sea. We did some researches prior to the trip and we learned about their unique menu.

Food was a bit pricey, around 120-150 per meal, but then of course you totally defeat the whole purpose of going there if you don’t try out their unique offerings. Here are some pictures of the awesome treats we ordered.

I especially love the spareribs meal, but my curiousity was focused more on the salad. It had flowers, you know the bougainvilla petals, and some others.

The food was yummy, and the flowers tasted like, uhmmm, flowers still (like what was I thinking?). If you are a big fan of eating, uhmmm, flowers, then you will surely enjoy the salad part. I'm not a big fan of eating bougainvillas, but it was a unique and fun dish that I surely will not forget.

The farm also has some really cute shops of everything organic: honey products, cloth and ornaments, wine, etc. I like their icecream shop coz it offered a gazillion Pinoy flavors. You might wanna try out their pandan and ginger icecream combo.

From Tagbilaran, there are many ways to go to Panglao, and specifically to Dauis. You may either take the metered taxi, or rent a van. I suggest the habal-habal ride coz it's way more fun, promise. :) Give it around 100-150 pesos.

If I were to give it some ratings, I'd give the Bohol Bee Farm 4 out of 5 stars for uniqueness and social responsibility.

Happy Birthday Karen!

2010-04-15T09:50:00.001-07:00

Amo ni ang birthday greeting ko cimu...

Tani tagaan kapa sang malawig nga kinabuhi...

Kag tani tagaan kapa sang manami nga lovelife asta sa asta...

Happy Birthday!

(And there goes my Ilonggo 101 crash course, hahaha)

Dumaguete Weekend

2010-04-13T14:36:00.000-07:00

I'm travelling to Dumaguete this weekend to host the Boniel-Gayo Wedding reception. I will be taking the first trip Saturday morning straight from my Friday shift, and arrive at around before lunch just in time for the reception. Hope nothing goes wrong with my 4-hour trip else I'll be in super big trouble.

So Saturday lunch time, I will be working my ass off for the hosting job, and then catch some sleep at Hotel Nicanor right after.

And I'll be meeting up with Glenn Bacalso who would also happen to be in Dumaguete this weekend. Naks..

And then I will be meeting up with some friends there, and I just got an email invitation for the "second" reception. This sounds fun, like, read on: ~

I have deliberated on whether or not to spend the whole weekend there (~maybe a little side trip to Casaroro Falls, the Twin Lakes, Siquijor or Apo Island). Today I have finally decided to give the Twin Lakes a go, and I'm super excited. I'll be going there alone by the way.

I didn’t have a chance to view the Pre-nup pics of the lovely couple. But for posterity's sake, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to present to you the lovely bride!

.

Congratulations Sheanne and Delon! Stay happy, stay healthy, and keep on spreading the love! Make lots of babies okay? *winks*

Because the Baby is now an Attorney...

2010-04-13T12:55:00.001-07:00

A few weeks back we all learned about who passed and who didn’t in the most recent Philippine Bar Exams. I was fortunate enough to know that one of my closest friends in life, Pete, passed the Bar and is now ready for the real test.

We had a little Verkada get-together slash victory party for no less than the guy who we fondly call Vernie. We had our fill of Thai food at Siam, and even if the group wasn’t complete (we're badly missing Ayenne, Malou, Rain , Amita and Jehjeh), the mood was just as jubilant as it was back during those days when we would happily cluster around at a quiet little corner in McDo Ayala with cone twirls in our hands.

Pete, I know you read this blog regularly. I want you to know how proud I am of your achievements, and you deserve only the best. This is just the beginning of something great. Always keep in mind what one of our professors told us back in college: that we are all born with a social responsibility. This just all narrows down to what good you ought to give back to the society, so use it well.

Congratulations!

2010-04-13T12:29:00.001-07:00

Lambaklad Fishing

2010-04-13T08:12:00.000-07:00

Tibiao Fish Farm

2010-04-13T08:07:00.000-07:00

Strawberry Shortcake Goes Blonde

2010-04-12T12:14:00.001-07:00

I spent my Sunday afternoon at Coffeebean with Jessica. I woke up really late that day that I missed Sunday worship service at Church. Sundays are usually the best time to just relax and unwind, and I haven't done any of those for the longest time.

We spent the whole time coloring Strawberry Shortcake. We're that shallow :). A new coloring book and the smell of freshly opened Crayolas turn us on big time. Strawberry Shortcake's supposed to have red hair, but we thought going blonde would be a fabulous option. We were a bit hesitant about her makeover, but it turned really well in the end.

See?

Ripe

2010-04-11T14:06:00.000-07:00

I may be one of the most shallow persons you'll ever know, and I delight on even the smallest, most meaningless things you could ever think of.

Remember this picture from last week?

This was taken during one of my trips to a friend's farm in Tibiao, Antique (yup, that's prior to my Boracay escapade). One time during that trip I was right under a mango tree that bore lots of fruits. For a city boy like me, the sight of a real mango tree with gazillion fruits amazed me so much that I asked the guide if I could pick one unripe fruit from a branch that hung low. I decided to keep it as a remembrance.

I had no plans to eat it, in fact, I knew I was just going to throw it away after maybe smelling and poking and tossing it.

I however forgot that I placed it in my bag.

Today, a week after the trip, I noticed that my bag was still unpacked. Typical. My work schedule has been really INSANE this week (~and I'm not complaining coz I LOVE it coz I'm a self-confessed workaholic~) that I never really had time to sort my things out when I arrived home from the long vacation.

There I found my little mango, all yellow and ripe.

Amazing.

I thought if I'd leave it in my bag for one more week, I'd get a mango pie. That would be weird and better. :)

Yeah, you might think I'm beginning to lose my screws. :) You can quit reading now. Hehehehe. I can start eating my mango. Chomp-chomp.

Laughs

2010-04-09T09:56:00.000-07:00

As the saying goes---

There's nothing like deep breaths after laughing that hard.
Nothing in the world like a sore stomach for the right reasons.

Discovering Antique

2010-04-08T15:26:00.000-07:00

I never really got to appreciate the Panay Region until I went there last week for a 2-day tour in their area. I got to travel from Iloilo to Antique, specifically in the quiet town of Tibiao to relish what they have to offer.

Antique, by the way, is 3.5 hours from Iloilo via bus or V-Hire. Fare is around P170.

Tibiao is known as the adventure capital of Antique. It kindof puzzled me at first, coz the term "adventure capital" sounded too much for a pristine town that had a backdrop of vast ricefields, mountains and dry rivers. This town is quiet, and I could barely see buses and people in the streets.

My questions were answered when we got to meet a few folks who were more than glad to show us the place. We arrived at Antique around after lunch. We stayed at Hometel (it's like P250 per bed++ which is exactly the kind of price that a backpacker like me was looking for), a small lodge-house situated right at the University of Antique - decent place, clean linens and since it is inside the university premises, security is a guarantee.

Things I did in Tibiao:

Snorkeling in Batabat Fish Sanctuary. From Tibiao proper, we took a tricycle ride to a nearby town, Batabat, and we were led to a small fishing village. We had to rent a small banca to get to the snorkeling area, it'sP300 for 2 bancas good for the whole afternoon (1 small banca can accommodate 2 or 3 persons)

Lambaklad Fishing. We started with our day 2 at around 4AM and rode a tricycle to a fishing town that had rafts that are used to howl fish. Yes we were going fishing today. We rode the rafts and headed to the middle of the sea, howled the nets and got our fresh catch-- today we got lots of squids and fishes, it was super cool.

Bugtong Bato Falls. We took a habal-habal ride to a small sitio where we had to start our trek towards Bugtong Bato Falls. Our walk lasted around 20-30 minutes and went past beautiful rice fields, terraces and countless rivers. We had to climb on rocks and stairs to get to the first fall, and rappel to get to the second fall. The rappeling part freaked me out a bit, coz there were no harnesses, only a single rope that you could cling on to. The view from the second fall was breathtaking.

White River Rafting. We had to rappel down and take another 30-minute walk towards the site where we had to do some kayaking adventure. One raft costs 500 so all the 8 of us had to share rafts coz it was quite costly. Due to El Nino, the rapids weren't really wild so it was easy to maneuver the kayak, I learned it in less than a minute in fact. :)

Kawa Hot Bath. From the White River Rafting site, we had to climb up to their make-shift spa center for a hot bath. There were like 3 big kawas in the area, I think they were made of copper. The guide told us that the kawas were antique and they got them from a sunken galleon back in the 16th century. When we got to the hot bath area, our kawas were all ready and they were ready to, well, cook us. :)

Hanging Bridge. From the Kawa Station, we had to walk like 10 minutes to get to the hanging bridge were you could get a good view of the river and the mountains.

Butong Bato Dive. From the hanging bridge, we took a habal-habal ride towards this point in there river that had a HUGE rock the size, lets say, of a 4-storey building. We had to climb the rock so we could dive from the topmost point. It was a thrilling experience and I did it twice.

Farm. The guide was kind enough to show us their farm. They owned a huge farm that had all the vegetables named in the Bahay Kubo song, some fruit trees and a Tilapia pond.

Caving. We took a 10-minute habal habal ride towards a cave at a very secluded part of the town. It was murky inside and I kindof didn’t enjoy being inside the cave. I was actually thinking of the Haiti earthquake that time. The trek around the cave was awesome though, coz we had to climb down on huge roots and branches.

Floating Cottage. From the cave, we took a 10-minute habal habal ride to Niel's resto to get our snacks. The food was expensive (I don’t know why), but they had 2 floating cottages that charges P20 per person. There's nothing more romantic than watching the sunset on a floating raft--- it was a moment with God, no kidding.

Tibiao Fish Spa. We took a habal-habal ride towards Tibiao Fish Spa. Dinner was already waiting when we got there (dinner rates starts at P120 per head), and after dinner, we dipped our feet on the small pool that had 5 species of fishes. The fishes were suppose to gnaw on the dead skins of our feet. It sounds weird, but the experience was fun and unique. The Tibiao Fish Spa is one of only 3 fish spas in the entire county.

If I were to rate Antique, I would give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Of course, the trip would not have been possible without the help of some really great friends in Tibiao. Thank you Kuya Nono of Hometel for the accomodation, and thank you Flord for the very memorable tour. And to the people of Tibiao, thank you-- you guys are the best!

Check out Katahum Tours here and avail of their tour packages. If you wanna explore Antique, then Tibiao is the place to be.

LET IT GO!!!

2010-04-07T09:33:00.000-07:00

I got this really really nice article from one of my former superiors, and I found it so touching. I want to share this to you now---

LETTING GO
By T.D. Jakes

There are people who can walk away from you.

And hear me when I tell you this! When people can walk away from you, let them walk. I don't want you to try to talk another person into staying with you, loving you, calling you, caring about you, coming to see you, staying attached to you. I mean hang up the phone.

When people can walk away from you let them walk. Your destiny is never tied to anybody that left.

The bible said that they came out from us that it might be made manifest that they were not for us. For had they been of us, no doubt they would have continued with us. [1 John 2:19]

People leave you because they are not joined to you. And if they are not joined to you, you can't make them stay.

Let them go.

And it doesn't mean that they are a bad person, it just means that their part in the story is over. And you've got to know when people's part in your story is over so that you don't keep trying to raise the dead...

You've got to know when it's dead. You've got to know when it's over.

Let me tell you something... I've got the gift of good-bye. It's the tenth spiritual gift; I believe in good-bye... It's not that I'm hateful, it's that I'm faithful, and I know whatever God means for me to have He'll give it to me. And if it takes too much sweat, I don't need it. Stop begging people to stay.

Let them go!!!

If you are holding on to something that doesn't belong to you and was never intended for your life, then you need to...

LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to past hurts and pains ...

LET IT GO!!!

If someone can't treat you right, love you back, and see your worth...

LET IT GO!!!

If someone has angered you.

LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to some thoughts of evil and revenge...

LET IT GO!!!

If you are involved in a wrong relationship or addiction...

LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to a job that no longer meets your needs or talents...

LET IT GO!!!

If you have a bad attitude...

LET IT GO!!!

If you keep judging others to make yourself feel better...

LET IT GO!!!

If you're stuck in the past and God is trying to take you to a new level in Him...

LET IT GO!!!

If you are struggling with the healing of a broken relationship...

LET IT GO!!!

If you keep trying to help someone who won't even try to help themselves...

LET IT GO!!!

If you're feeling depressed and stressed ...

LET IT GO!!!

If there is a particular situation that you are so used to handling yourself and God is saying 'take your hands off of it', then you need to...

LET IT GO!!!

Photos of the Week--- Vintage Laagans

2010-03-24T11:48:00.000-07:00

I was laughing my ass off this morning when I saw these really really REALLY old pictures. These were taken right after college so if you know my age, you'd have a rough estimate of how OLD these pictures are.

Just to give you some clue, you can see an uber-skinny Carla, a Beegee-haired Tope, Angging's virginal face, Atan's schoolboy look, and yes, the then-axistent Amita. Do the Math, people.

During that time, pictures like these were golden since digital cameras belonged only to the rich and well-off, and that was also the time when studio "barkada" pics were so in.

My Summer Bomb Squad

2010-03-23T15:03:00.000-07:00

My bags are packed and I'm ready to conquer the mountains of Antique, Capiz, Roxas and the beaches of Boracay. I dont have much but I think I pretty much cover everything a normal guy could need.

RL Sunglasses. L'Oreal Men Expert Turbo Booster. Off Lotion. The Beach Hut Sunblock. Vitamins. Moisturizer.

And yes, condoms. Forget eevrything but the condoms, hehehe. Coz you never know :)

Spooky Night

2010-03-17T04:58:00.000-07:00

It was a very boring weekend and I got a call from Jason inviting me to have our usual Tanduay sessions at my place. I instantly said yes coz I just woke and I knew for a fact that my brain would be active for the next 12 hours. Besides, we've never done this since all the drama that we had last December.

We kicked off with a bottle of lapad, and then followed by two more. I've always been such a loser when it comes to alcohol tolerance coz I'm never really a fan of drinking to begin with. On our thrid bottle, things started to get really fun.

But at around 4am, the light in my room started to flicker, and then it went off as if the wires were cut or something. What makes it more spooky is the fact that Jason has this 3rd-eye thingie, and that he can see spirits everywhere. Back when we were still living under one roof, he used to tell me about this lady-spirit in our bathroom and some elves in our kitchen. If that doenst make you freak out then I don’t know what the hell you're made of.

Anyways, the light completely went off, and we could hear some really creepy sounds outside. He said that he felt 3 entities, but he wasn’t sure if they were spirits or engkantos.

I'd like to think that it was just the alcohol, but my God I could totally feel all the hairs in my body raise. As we started to joke around, we started to hear the weird sounds outside go louder.

Weird. I guess it's time to look for another room for rent.

Your Leave Request Has Been Approved

2010-03-16T15:13:00.000-07:00

I just got the email confirmation from HR today about my leave request. To my surprise, despite our very busy schedule for the end of quarter, my leave request was approved. I will officially be on vacation for 4 days--- Holy Week full on.

Nice.

If I stand on my tiptoes, I could totally see Boracay from where I'm standing now. Loves!

All the luck for you my friend...

2010-03-15T15:25:00.000-07:00

We're sending Atan off again to Japan today, and there's another missing piece in the Laagans circle. It wont be until the next x number of months till we're complete again, and summer wont be as much fun without my Moymoy...The Kanlaon trip next next wont be complete without you needless to say.

All the luck for you my friend...

Photo of the Week--- Walk in the Park

2010-03-15T15:14:00.000-07:00

I was having a relaxing time at our room during my 2-day vacation in Bohol when I saw one of my friends open her laptop. She was working while all the rest of us left all our work baggage at hometown Cebu. I asked her if I could open my Facebook for a brief 10 minutes and she obliged. She got a bit busy so I was left with her laptop for like an hour.

I got a bit curious so I opened some folders, and I didn’t like what I saw in one of the folders she had.

I saw some pictures of me. And him.

Back in the days when he and I used to play-house.

It was my first time seeing those pics. They were like decades old already and I completely forgot that we had those pics in the first place. I never expected those pictures could still bring some stabbing pain even up to this day. I could barely say a single word as I was flicking from one happy picture to another.

I looked happy. He looked happy.

Without my friend knowing it, I deleted them one by one. I burned the pages a long time ago. Let them burn, let them rot, let them be forgotten forever.

But this one stays.

Dramaaaaa!

2010-03-12T14:57:00.000-08:00

Summer Escapade Numero Uno

2010-03-12T13:08:00.000-08:00

I will have my first taste of summer this year. I know it's kinda late considering how adventurous I am as a person. I've been very busy with my 2 jobs, and I've been sick like 3 times since February (yeah this upper respiratory tract problem is so annoying). But Im feeling much better now, much better than I was 2 or 3 years ago--- plus I'm back to my usual weight which means that I am making a little bit of progress at the very least.

This is just the first of the many activities I have booked myself for this year's summer season. The sun isnt as friendly as it was 2 or 3 years ago (not to mention that we have El Nino this year), so I bought a HUGE bottle of sunscreen. Better safe than sorry, right?

Anyways, I will be going to Danao, Bohol later after my shift for some mountain adventure. I heard they have some kick-ass activities over there, in fact I saw one really interesting episode at Sports Unlimited months ago. I'll have my fair share of it later and I'm just so excited.

I cant wait for their plunge package (I'm not sure, but based on what I saw on TV, theyre gonna drop you from a hundred feet HEAD FIRST).

See you all on Monday, kids. :)

DST

2010-03-12T13:02:00.000-08:00

There will be a slight change in my schedule come Monday. It's DST season once again in the US, which means that I will be reporting to the office an hour earlier than the usual, which means that I will be done early, which means that I can finally join the morning cycling class in the gym.

I love it. :)

Happy Birthday, Nina!

2010-03-11T08:56:00.000-08:00

Dedicated mother.
Loyal friend.
Awesome boss.

Happy Birthday, Nins! I wish you all the best in life.

Spelling

2010-03-11T07:10:00.000-08:00

Pero Bogs shinota mo ko eh.. Shinota mo ang bestfriend mo...!

2010-03-08T14:42:00.000-08:00

Bogs: Hindi... Hindi totoo yun... Hindi kita mahal?? Hindi kita mahal??

Mae: Mahalaga lang siguro pero hindi mahal.

Bogs: Mae huwag kang ganito.. Huwag ganito.. Kung di kita mahal bat ako nasasaktan na makita kitang kang ganyan?

Mae: Bogs minahal mo ba talaga ako? O sinubukan mo lang akong mahalin para hidi rin kita iwan? Ano ba talaga ang totoo?

Bogs: Ganong klaseng tao ba ako Mae? Isusunugal ko ang friendship natin..? Gagawin kitang panakip butas tapos ano? Para ano? Isinugal ko dahil mahal kita... Kaya lang---

Mae: Ayan!.. Dyan tayo sumasablay Bogs eh.. Sa kaya lang... Laging may kaya lang... Never naging simpleng "mahal kita Mae".. Yun lang naman ang gustong marinig ng kahit sino diba?
Bakit di mo magawa sa akin yun.. Bogs walang namilit sayo--- walang may nagmakaawa sayo.. Sinabi ko lang naman sayo ang nararamdaman ko dahil hindi ko na kayan itago yun... Bogs sana lumayo ka nalang... Sana umiwas ka lang maiintindihan ko pa yun.. Pero Bogs shinota mo ko eh.. Shinota mo ang bestfriend mo... At nang bumalik si Anna, pinatalo mo ang lahat.. Ipinatalo mo ang lahat pati ako.. Pati ako pintalo mo! Congratulations.. Congratulations kasi natalo tayo.

The Oscars and Adong's Despidida

2010-03-08T13:27:00.000-08:00

I didnt get to wath the Oscars this morning coz I woke up really really late. I went home at around 5 in the morning coz I opted to spend my Sunday evening with my cousin Adong who's gonna be leaving the country in 2 weeks. He's actually my biggest partner-in-in crime and I'm surely gonna miss our trips to occasional (Sunday) Doce together. Spice Girls songs wont be as much fun without my cuzzie dear.

Oh well, that's life. People come, people go. And it's not like Singapore is on a totally different planet. It's just a text, a call, a facebook chat or even a promo fare away so I guess I shouldnt get sad at all. Cuz, I wish you all the luck you need with your new job.

Go the world and get rich, yoohoo!

Back to the Oscars---

As soon as I woke up, I immediately looked for torrent files of the show (just as I did when I missed this year's Grammy's). Unfortunately, nobody ever had the heart to upload anything so I guess I'm gonna give it a few more days. I'll just try to feed myslef with as much photos from the red carpet and some stills on the show itself. Damn, watching the show would be a million times better though so I pray theres gonna be seeds really soon.