The titanic experience, hulog sa hagdan atbp.

Naisip ko nung isang araw na naglalakad ako sa ilalim ng maalinsangang weather (bale umaambot pero super init) na pinapatay tayo ng nalolokang panahon. Kasi di ba, ang init tapos uulan na parang delubyo level. O kaya naman umuulan pero at the same time ang init ng panahon. Ganon. Kaya yata lagi na lang akong me ubo, sipon, lagnat and what-have-you!

Tapos naalala ko bigla na tao rin ang may kasalanan kung bakit nagkakaganito ang panahon. Alam na naman natin yun. Yung mga polusyon na pinaggagagawa natin ay nagbaback fire na! So nabuo ko ito:

"We started the slaughter. Now it's nature's turn to do the killing."

Ayy! Katakot. It doesn't help that I saw the Nicolas Cage movie called "Knowing." End of the world na may alien intervention ang theme. Di ko siya type. Naweirduhan ako to tell the truth. Saka I'm not much into movies na about the end of the world. Parang mas disturbing siya sa akin than watching "Drag me To Hell" or the likes. Although wala akong balak manood ng "Drag Me to Hell."

Speaking of movies, parang may Titanic moment ako last week when, in the middle of a hot, sunny day, ay bumagyo like crazy sa office. E tamang-tama na nasa canteen kaming apat na magkaka-opisina. Ayun, maya-maya lang e gumagapang na ang baha sa canteen floor. Deadma kami at first kasi gutom kami but in a matter of minutes tumaas na ng 3-4 inches yung baha. So mega sampa kami sa mga chairs. Para kaming nasa Titanic na unti-unting lumulubog but instead na sa Atlantic Ocean, sa baha kami nagsisink! Kaloka! Kinalingan pa kaming isakay sa trolley para maitawid from the canteen to the office proper. Siyempre, adventure na naman. E nung Saturday before that I had my first motorcycle ride. Tapos nademote ako sa trolley. Hehe. Kawawang trolley!

* * *

Siyempre papatulan ko ang Michael Jackson story. Nalungkot ako nung nalaman ko na na-dead na ang King of Pop. Parang lumaki na ako sa tugtog niya. Meron pa nga kaming cassette tape ng "Thriller" noon (na napatungan ng mga boses namin ni Ate. Mahilig kasi kaming magrecord ng boses! hehe). Tapos lagi namin nirereenact yung Thriller MTV ni MJ na natatakot ako every time na napapanood ko. E bukod yata sa Beatles at The Corrs na songs, mga kanta ni Michael Jackson yung marami akong alam na titles.

So Friday ng umaga sabi ng Daddy ko, patay na raw si Michael Jackson. Binuksan ko agad yung radyo ng celphone ko. And ayun na nga confirmed na wala na siya. Mega tribute ang mga radio stations sa kanya. Tumaas yata ang sales ng songs niya. Maski sa music stores, MJ songs ang pineplay at biglang nilabas ang mga MJ albums.

Trivia pala, yung utol ko "Michael" ang pangalan dahil na nga kay Michael Jackson. And then ngayon nadiscover namin na mas magkapangalan pa sila ni MJ than we intended. Michael Joseph si MJ. Joseph Michael ang kapatid ko. Hehe. Bonus Trivia: "Joseph" ang name ng Dad ni MJ.

* * *

Napapansin ko pala na naka-clumsy na ako lately. I'm slowly turning into my Mom. Mommy ko kasi parang may quota na at least 3 times madapa/matalisod/matapilok in a day. Parang napapadalas ang mga"aksidente" ko. Latest mishap ko e last Saturday nung mahulog ako ng ilang steps sa isang hagdan sa Megamall. Mabuti na lang ibang level na ang magpapa-pahiya sa akin kaya deadma lang ako. But then again, sumakit ang kawawang tuhod ko because of my fall. Salamat na lang at nakabangon naman ako.

* * *

Going back to movies, ayun na nga, nagrevenge na ang "Fallen" sa "Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen." Medyo me special thing sa puso ko ang "Transformers". Naalala ko kasi 2 years ago, siguro mga around this time din nung lumabas yung "Transformers". Niyaya ko pa si Nichi manood noon kahit na weak na siya. Sabi ko, uupo lang naman siya sa sinehan. Gusto ko rin kasi na maentertain siya. Kaso siya na mismo ang umayaw which is so unlike him kaya sign talaga yon na di na siya OK. Matagal nagstay sa sinehan ang "Transformers". By the time na my brothers and I got to see it, kulang na kami. In spirit na lang namin kasama si Nichi. I guess, parang ganon noong nanood kami nung second installment last Saturday.

I was wearing my "Project: Brave Kids" dog tag. Para well-represented si Nichi. Tapos habang nakaupo ako sa isang bench sa harap ng Bench, may dumaang little boy na naka-Project Brave Kids shirt. Syempre feeling ko sign yon na andon nga si Kulas. :-)

* * *

Di ko na feel magbigay ng review sa Transformers 2. I second the motion na lang yung article na lumabas sa Inquirer last Sunday about the film. Pansin ko lang na talagang packaged as a guy film yung movie dahil sa cars/trucks, action at sa consistent use of Megan Fox as a sex object of sorts. Maganda naman na siya. She is hard to miss given that face of hers. Ewan ko ba kung bakit kelangan ang first appearnce niya sa film e shot niya from her behind. Nag-amok tuloy ang repressed feminista in me.

Hmp! Ayun na.

Mucus Troopers Beware

As I write this piece, I am sort of detained in the lobby of a big food company’s building, thanks to the “glory” that is the A(H1N1) scare. For a community and nation and planet paranoid with this mutated kind of flu, I am a threat. A walking, sneezing and coughing threat.

Thus, I have to contend with a hostile lobby and forgo the meeting which I was initially scheduled to attend. I was banished in the lobby because no brilliant drug company has come up with the magical vaccine that would obliterate the A(H1N1) flu, the same way some geniuses erased small pox and polio on the “now” pages of health journals and medical digests.

Humans are neurotic that way. They fear what they can’t control.

I would hate to admit it but for a few days now, I’ve become the mucus trooper I have grown to detest. Mucus trooper. People who, consciously or unconsciously, are carriers of viruses which they can so easily spread. People who get on with their day, sneezing and coughing, as if nothing were wrong with them.

If I had a choice, I would be at home right now, taking drugs that will eventually “heal” me. Never mind the drowsiness they may cause. I would gladly sleep and be up and well in a day or so. If I had a choice.

But my socio-economic status is, in some absurd way, denying me the right to get sick because one, I can’t afford to seek medical treatment—doctors and drugs included; and two, I can’t afford to take another of those unpaid leaves. I do have bills to pay which I could not possibly do if I don’t work.

I wish to clarify that I am not whining. There are people with far worse socio-economic drama than me. I am lucky to have my bit.

So I am a mucus trooper. But I try to rise above my kind. I cover my mouth whenever I sneeze and cough. I sanitize my hands after I blow my nose. I’m being responsible albeit repressing my body’s call for a break. Even if I have been branded as a threat.

I am a mucus trooper and I am aware of it.

I maybe sick yet I know that the people around me don’t have to be.

And that’s all I have to say about that.

Pers Taym

So they say, there's always a first time for everything. Today I had my latest "first". An exhilarating first. Never saw such "first" coming but life surprises us in unique ways that don't take no for an answer. Next thing I knew, I had to do it.

To ride a motorbike.

How and why this happened?

I was in a hurry. In a real hurry. In a matter-of-life-and-death hurry.

The thing is, not only my life was at stake but also the lives of a whole lot of people who may seem to many as a lucky bunch given the "privilege" of working close to the stars. But behind such luck is a full load of stress that isn't glamorous at all. In such world, lives can sometimes be reduced to a video tape. The one I was in hurry to deliver. The one on which our lives depended on.

Around 11:59 a.m. I was running towards the exit of a train station and there it was. The ride that took 29 years to happen. The motorbike that will save so many asses, including mine.

I think there was a fraction of a second that I hesitated to hop on the thing I always considered as a killer ride but as I've said, I was in no position to say "no."

The screaming and the shrieking were inevitable as far as I'm concerned. My apologies to Kuya Ramil and his damaged ear drums. It is impossible to shut me up if I were THAT afraid. It could have been worse if I kept my eyes open. It could have been worse.

Now I am a firm believer that everyday IS an adventure!

eto na nga!

if there are a few perks in my job, this must be one of them...



hurrah! nahuli din! next time magpapakilala na ako sa kanya. :-)

From Africa with Love. Acheche!

I've never had anything from Africa before. I loved the African goodies which hopefully are A(H1N1)-free. Hahaha! Thanks so much Jamie! :-)

Elephant key chain from Nigeria which looks seriously like a token in the Jumanji game board. Cute!



"Babae na deadly weapon" also from Nigeria. Astig!



May bonus pang sinelas from Dubai! Hehe.

What to Eat? What to Eat?

This is one of 'em, what-to-eat moments c/o my brother (who took the picture)...


I'm posting it for two reasons:
1. It captures that what-to-eat moment I'm talking about, and
2. I'm wearing a skirt. Hah!

Dennis Trillo the Third Time Around

Sa ikatlong pagkakataon, nag-krus na naman ang landas namin ni Dennis Trillo. At sa ikatlong pagkakataon, na-punctuate na hindi niya alam that an entity such as myself exists. Actually, this time, may some sort of eye contact kami (or then again baka feeling ko lang yon). Yun e habang busy akong padaan-daan sa backstage--working--habang siya ay nakikipag-chikahan sa kanyang bagong ka-love team na ke bata bata! (May bahid ng bitterness?!?)

Kung hindi lang ako nagtatrabaho, photo-op na talaga ito...

...matapos kong palampasin yung first time ko siyang nakita sa grocery kung saan busy akong kumakain ng siomai...



...at nung isang araw na pagkagising ko--wala pang ligo ito--ay nasa same building kame dahil magkukwento siya sa mga bata habang ako ay raraket sa building na ito.



Ito lang ang pathetic picture of him na nakuha ko this time:



At salamat kay Thermina Akram may ganito pa ako:



Oh well, sumaya naman ang hapon ko nung directly nasa kaliwa ko lang siya habang ako ay nagtatrabaho at nang magkaharap kami habang iniinterview siya nina Kuya Allan at Kuya Bitoy. Kaso this time, wala nang eye contact. Tsk.Tsk.

Styro Alert!

It's styrofoam everywhere at the Gateway Mall food court!

I was alarmed. I thought malls are taking steps into becoming more Earth-friendly? With the use of recyclable bags being encouraged by many retail stores, I thought Pinoys have realized the NEED to care for mother nature.

I must be wrong then. Or then again it must be the Gateway administration that must rethink their abuse of non-biodegradable polystyrene foam which we all know isn't earth-friendly at all.

Perhaps a boycott will MAKE them think...

angels in demons

*it's not everyday that i get to go home at nine. so today's a gift. *

last weekend, i had the pleasure of catching "angels and demons" on the big screen. i will admit that i haven't read the book. i tried. a good three years ago. but somewhere, somehow i shelved the book for other readings. for less serious readings. i was thinking the "da vinci code" will do as far as dan brown is concerned.

but curiosity encouraged me to see the movie based on the dan brown book i hardly read despite how i didn't quite enjoy the movie translation of his first book which had the same director as "angels and demons".

again, curiosity encouraged me to pay. i wasn't disappointed much. "angels and demons" is a way better movie that the "da vinci code". now i feel the need to read the book. let's see if i'll be disappointed (on the book or the movie).

it helped that i didn't know what to expect...who the perpetrator is. so i was glued to the theater seat. the movie turned out to be the suspense whodunnit it was trying to be. although subtle clues -- who stands behind a shadow the first time he appears, the reason for a character's existence -- gave away the bad guy even before he revealed himself.

i shall no longer talk about the point the movie tries to put on the table. i leave that to dan brown, his collaboration with ron howard and the viewer's opinions and whatnots. at this point, i find it redundant to discuss such matter. i will not be the expert a lot of people pretend to be.

let it be known, however, that although i very much appreciate ewan mcgregor's presence in the movie, he was rather distracting. i got lost in the middle of his speech for the members of the conclave. i didn't understand a thing he said. not because he did not enunciate his words well enough. i was preoccupied with one thought. one poignant thought that circled the confines of my skull...

how the hell could one think dirty thoughts of the gorgeous ewan mcgregor when he is wearing a priest's suit?!

yes. it is easier to fantasize about him if you stare at him on that men's perfume ad that caught my attention in the airport a year ago.

yay! i should have called this entry "demons in angels."