Newsheimers

I am currently compiling my old articles for the portfolio I will present to a scholarship program I'm applying for, when I read one of the articles I had written five years ago.

The rally was attended by Robert Aventajado, the chief of the government negotiating panel in Mindanao, and Atty. Oliver Lozano, the lawyer of the Abu Sayyaf leader popularly known as Commander Robot.

Oh my Goodness! I had this little tidbit under my nose all this time and I completely forgot about it!

I first encountered the term "newsheimers" in a Connie Chung (an American news broadcaster) interview I read in People magazine when I was in university. I thought then that the condition was outrageous! How can anybody forget a particular story they've covered?

Now I am afflicted with it. Man, I feel old.

Test!

How You Life Your Life

You seem to be straight forward, but you keep a lot inside. You are always tactful and diplomatic. You let people down gently. You prefer a variety of friends and tend to change friends quickly. You tend to dream big, but you worry that your dreams aren't attainable.

How Do You Live Your Life?

My Fantabulous Life!

This is one of those boring day in a life posts--forgive me if you deem it too banal.

I attended PCIJ's blogging conference. It was a very interesting forum on how blogging is shaping journalism, and whether blogging is a viable option for journalists in case of a government clampdown on media.

I was surprised to learn that GMA is set to issue a memo on blogging, prohibiting employee bloggers from discussing work matters or "out-scooping" the network from news coverages. Ethics and copyright infringement laws were also discussed.

There was some debate on whether news institutions should support bloggers more. ABS-CBN's ignorance of the blogging phenomenon has allowed ANC's Ricky Carandang more freedom to express his opinions, and even break news that the network has "killed." At the other end of the spectrum, ABC has supported reporter Jove Francisco's forays into blogging. Some believe that institutional support will allow blogging to prosper, while others believe that the unfamiliarity of the medium has prompted a knee-jerk reaction among networks to squash blogging, as in GMA's case. Though I don't run a news blog, it's still comforting to know my rights to free speech as a blogger. I also met a valuable contact that may help me get to where I'm going. Anyway, it's something I want to disclose just yet.

I then proceeded to the Komics Convention at the UP Bahay ng Alumni, mainly to catch up to new gossip, chat up with friends, that sorta thing. I finally met up with a long-lost friend from Journ school. Verns, if you're reading this, hi!

Then it was a race to return to Makati. Thomas was spotted by the president of a modling agency, and hired him to be a model/talent. It was the boss's birthday, dinner at 7 p.m. at Greenbelt 2.

We had a short argument because I felt overdressed. Thomas wanted me to wear the dress he liked, which I felt was inappropriate for something as informal as a dinner at Italiannis. There was no time for me to put on make-up. So there I was, bare-faced and over-dressed, rubbing elbows with the beautiful and the coiffed. I felt so out of place, and felt even more insecure as model after model converged at our table. Thomas expressed an interest in one of the models, who was wearing a brown tank, denim pants, and a full mask of make-up. Though I sincerely didn't feel a pang of jealousy, I felt that her mere presence highlighted my own physical inadequacies: my imperfect skin, my little tummy, and the fact that I was overdressed.

Ah, the little insecurities of life.



NikkiAlfar

Tobie Abad

Gabby Lee

Andre Mischa Cleofe

Best-laid plans

Thanks to everybody who greeted me a happy birthday!

I can honestly say that in the 26 years of my existence, this is the happiest birthday ever :)

I am facing an abyss, and I will soon have to take a plunge. And I have one guy to thank for allowing me to see all the possibilities of who I can be, without confining me to just one way of how to be.
------


A wonderful sight welcomed me when I opened our door.

When I inspected the card, I realized that he made it himself!

He knows that I'm not a big fan of his chest rug, and he actually shaved it off!
Actually, the rug is starting to grow on me.

He then braved hoardes of curious onlookers as he went lingerie shopping with me. Unlucky for him, Martin, another German intern for the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, spotted us. He made several ribald statements, and kept teasing Thomas about how he gets his kicks! Haha!

So we ate at a nice restaurant, and he paid for the meal! A first!

So we got home, feeling a bit tired and a bit amorous. We were in the thick of things, jiggling to and fro, when suddenly my stomach felt queasy.

"What's the matter sweety?"
"I dunno. My tummy doesn't feel so good."
I guess I looked really bad, because he asked, "What, do you think you're gonna throw up?"
I wordlessly went to the bathroom and stared at the sink, my stomach still rumbling.

"If you're going to throw up, do it in the bowl."

I went to the bowl and stared at it. Then I proceeded to divest my stomach of a 600 peso Thai dinner.

Handing me a tissue, he exclaimed, "Aw, gross!" as I regurgitated more of the meal.

My tummy felt a little better, but we agreed that was wise that we wouldn't continue. I felt bad for him, since he had to finish himself off.

He asked whether it was his fault, or was the food bad. I believe that the jiggling upset my stomach. We both kinda laughed off this new experience. I mean, who has heard of anybody throwing up because of sex?

Lesson learned: Do not have sex with a full stomach. Like when you go swimming. Maybe 30 minutes is enough?

Wordsmiths Unite!

I am reading my copy of Stunk and White's Element of Style. I've always been bothered by the very first rule:

Form the possessive singular of nouns by adding 's.
Follow this rule whatever the final consonant. Thus write,
Charles's friend
Burns's poems
the witch's malice

I've always written possesives of nouns ending in s with just an apostrophe, for example:

He added that the tense situation is being further fueled by Justice Sec. Raul Gonzales’ “psychotic statements.”

I've been taught that it is sufficient to form possessives of nouns ending in s with an apostrope in grade school by all of my English teachers. In my university, my professors did the same, even if Strunk and White's bible was recommended reading in journalism school.

What gives? I'd like to conduct an opinion poll to get rid of the doubt that forms at the back of my head every time I need to form a possessive of a noun ending in s!

UPDATE: Thanks, to Anansi Girl, I discovered that Jessica Zafra now has a blog.
Even if I'm not much of a fan, she still is an interesting read.



NikkiAlfar

Tobie Abad

Gabby Lee

Andre Mischa Cleofe

Meat and Potatoes

Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus. Men are visual, women rely on a more compleat sensory experience. He likes to look, I like to talk dirty.

I read somewhere that men are more turned on by hardcore pornography, while women like their porn movies with a plot, a narrative, soft lights, and wholesome, un-slutty looking women. I learned that I probably am an exception to this rule!

Looking for more variety in my sex life, I picked up a pirated porn video on my way home yesterday. The box read "Kama Sutra: Six-in-one video." As soon as I got home, Arashi-Kishu, pornographer and pirate, was eager to watch and learn.

Its not unusual for couples to watch and learn from pornography. Like every male, he has his own stash of porn, though it's not enough to rival Dean's

Now, I have nothing against pornography. As long as the players in it are legal, no anal, no animals, no children, no extremely weird fetishes, fine by me. But I have to reiterate that I am an FHM , not a Cosmo girl.

As soon as we hit the "play" button, we were greeted by a worried housewife who felt that she wasn't good enough in the sack. While house cleaning, she chances upon an old sex tape of her husband banging his ex-wife.

I am unused to watching women's porn, so I went "What the fuck?" I don't like it when women in my porn are insecure about their bodies.

What totally ruined the mood for me and made me burst out laughing was the scene where the "liberated" housewife was fake-banging her husband away. Her hubby, who was the "bottom," was obviously aroused by all the wriggling on top of him. He had his legs crossed, probably to hide his erection! Since this was soft-core stuff, the actors probably would like to think that they're not pornographers.

Second story was about a well-endowed lesbian who gets aroused while she peeks at her straight roomie with her boyfriend while making out .

Him: "Ooh, she looks slutty. Maybe this would be better than the last one."
Me: "I hope so. Push the forward button! Get to the sex!"
Lesbo on screen, to her shrink: "I have never been with a man before. So you think I'm missing something?"

So Lezzie proposes a threesome to straight roommate. Roommate agrees. Cut to the next scene, where the women are wearing Jane Fonda-style spandex thongs. The most boring three-way in the history of porn commences.

Me: "Are they serious?"
Him: "What are they wearing? Her ass looks ugly!"

By the time we made our way to movie number four, which demonstrated several sex positions for ex-gymnasts, I was already half-asleep, my libido completely gone. This was waaay more boring than the Paris Hilton sex video. This was evidence that given the right treatment, even sex can be boring!

Which means, I'll stick to good ole' hardcore American porn, thank you very much.

Halloween Kawaii!

I couldn't resist taking pictures! They revamped our office condominium for the holidays, how deliciously kitsch! The cosplayer in me is giggling!



Dracula vs. Frankenstein, Round 1!



The ring girl!



Fight!



The spectators!



The mumu in the corner!



The haunted tree!

Whirlwind Mindoro

The photo that landed the online edition.

Try to see what life is like in my side of the fence.

Since Thomas wants to see all the green that we have in the Philippines, I signed him up as my "photographer" for a whirlwind trip to Calapan, Oriental Mindoro for a Greenpeace event. Honestly, Greenpeace's "radical" reputation had me nervous about embarking on this trip. Since they mysteriously sold their "big story" as a "great photo opportunity," I was afraid that this would involve trekking to the mountains and camping out. I am not Ms. Camper Girl.

I excused myself for a day from job # 1, so Thomas and I braved the pouring rain, traffic, and floods to get to the Greenpeace office in Quezon City. We were briefed by Leah Guerrero, the Greenpeace media officer who I later found out to be the fabled "Anime seamstress" of the cosplaying world. Long inactive now in the cosplaying community, she was previously employed by the Hans Seidel Foundation, another German NGO like the Konrad Adenauer Foundation where Thomas works. Since we had several things in common, I was put at ease, because I knew a stranger, who was not quite so removed from me.
--------------

7:30, my ass. It was 8 pm, and we were still waiting for the other media people who signed up for the trip. We finally left at 8:15, for a long, tiresome trip to Calapan.

The ferry reached the Calapan port at 2 a.m., three hours late from the estimated time of arrival Greenpeace had told us. By this time, all the media people and photographers have become a merry band of brothers, exchanging crude jokes and stories. Thomas was practically drooping, while I had my eye on the things that needed to be done. The Municipal Agricultural Officer of Naujan, Oriental Mindoro picked us up from the ferry. Though I told Thomas that we should try to act "professional" and try to act as if we weren't related, people kind of smelled it anyway. Since the jig was up, Greenpeace set us up in the same room.

Grace, the other media officer, told us that they will pick us up at 7 am. Oh boy.
----------------

Last one in, early to rise. I was up and surprisingly un-groggy at 6:30 am. I showered and dressed, then woke up a recalcitrant Thomas, who wanted more sleep. 7 am, my ass.

They finally arrived a quarter to 8. At least everybody is ready.
------

Too bad we never really got to see much of the island. We were there to work, after all. They took us to a nearby corn farm, where Greenpeace volunteers were dressed in weird "biohazard" suits, which didn't look protective enough from what unknown danger they are shielding themselves against. Apparently Naujan officials are protesting the entry of genetically engineered BT Corn into their province. The Spacemen began uprooting the corn plants, as they explained that they were wearing the suits to prevent the spread of BT pollen. I wonder if anybody informed them that the wind can spread pollen as well.

Thomas is a good shot, and is in fact, better than me. Good thing that I brought him as well, since I had my hands full interviewing people and getting details. We left at 9 am, racing against time to catch the 9:30 am catamaran back to Batangas. Alas, no dice. We had to wait for two more hours for the next boat. Thomas and I whiled away the time with eating and playing his stupid German cards. Of course, I lost. Oh fun.
------

The three hour journey back to Manila under the pouring rain was really not fun. We arrived home drenched to the bone, and only had enough time to shower and attend Toastmaster's Club. Hm, maybe I'm not cut for the Amazing Race.



NikkiAlfar

Tobie Abad

Gabby Lee

Andre Mischa Cleofe

It's always the quiet ones, you know

I was watching The 40-Year Old Virgin with Thomas last Saturday at the Glorietta 4 Cinema when my phone beeped. It was from my college schoolchum, E.

"Cathy, E here. Have a seat. U free tomorrow 11 am? Come to my baby's baptism, St. **** Church. Mass starts at 10 am."

Me: "Oh. My. GOD!"

E, as far as I was concerned, was the 40 year old virgin. She is the kind of girly-girl typically found in Catholic schools: No boyfriend since birth, the "Eek! Boys!" sorta person.

I just had to, HAD TO be there myself. And there she was, baby and all. She had her pre-baby body back, but with new massive bosoms characteristic of breastfeeding mothers.

I felt so betrayed (because apparently, I was the last to know), bewildered, and shocked. Her dad is a lay minister at their Church, her mom the principal of a school. I also felt somewhat concerned that perhaps my tales of debauchery in University pushed her over the edge.

The story behind the baby is even more incredible. She has become the personification of an urban myth, a cautionary warning the nuns tell us schoolgirls. Apparently, the absent father is a married man. He's the first guy she ever slept with, and it was the first time she ever had sex. All it took was one hit and BAM! The Supersperm has landed!

Why, oh why, did they not wear a condom? My friends say that the guy is handsome and a known sweet-talker. But still, getting pregnant after a one night stand? Sounds like an Almodovar movie.

I also know another nice, Catholic schoolgirl who knowingly entered into a relationship with a known seed-thrower who left her three years and a son later.

I am not the poster child for responsible sexual behavior. Everyone knows that I have recklessly indulged in the forbidden. If little Ms. E can get pregnant with one hit, why haven't I gotten pregnant yet? Naku, baog yata ako!

Anyway, Jessica Simpson, E, and Nice Catholic Schoolgirl are all examples of why I believe sex before marriage is a must. When a good girl gets some dick, she goes bad. And how!

YAP! A Paradigm shift

At the risk of being flamed once again (as what happened during my first 'Yan ang Pinay! post, I will once again speak on an epiphany I had on the subject.

Since I started going out with Thomas, I realized that indeed, most Filipinas are thought of as domestic help and prostitutes abroad, since a lot of our women are willing maids or mail-order brides in developed countries.

However, I realized that the discrimination at home can be far worse. My aunt is a sad testament that we Filipinos could be just as prejudiced as foreigners are of Filipinas. Worse, I, too, was one of those prejudiced people.

Whenever I passed by Filipinas and foreigners walking side by side, I often wonder about the circumstances behind their union. Admittedly, I would sometimes snidely call the uglier women "mukhang katulong" or "japayuki" or mail order brides. However, I never took this decision to hook up with foreign guys against these women, since I always attributed their pairing to economic factors. But I would raise my nose in disgust at the men, usually aged and pot-bellied, as the sad also-rans of the West. In short, I never thought that these unions were love connections.

When I started going out with the German, I realized that now I was the subject of these judgmental opinions, as I gradually became aware of the quizzical looks of passers-by whenever we are out about town.

Sometimes, I am tempted to answer back, "Excuse me, mas mapera pa ako sa lalaking ito, " since in reality, we really are equal in the relationship. I am older than him. I am financially independent. I have my own opinions. We did not hook up because of money.

In several instances, Pinoys would right off the bat ask "How did you meet? Sa internet?" Though there is nothing wrong if Thomas and I had indeed met on-line (we didn't), I personally am annoyed, since it makes me feel that the comment implies that I was trawling the internet for a foreign boyfriend. This, too, could mean discrimination on my part, and perhaps I need to revise my views on internet pairings.

We are the immediate target of mendicants, hawkers, street vendors and their ilk, who would assume that he is moneyed.

The weirdest phenomenon happens whenever we eat out. Waiters would be more attentive to him, but talk to me to explain things. Perhaps, because they depend on me to interpret. Thing is, Thomas can speak intelligible English. I am not sure whether this is an insult to his intelligence, or a lack of confidence in speaking the English language on their part.

I do notice that Asians are more opposed to inter-racial romances. I noticed that usually, family or religious prejudice in marriages are only set aside in Asia whenever money is concerned. I may be wrong, but I have a sneaking suspicion that any objections to these unions are overcome if the Asian is perceived to be marrying somebody economically better-off than they are. But then again, these financial objections apply to any family in the world. My family have their apprehensions about Thomas, but his mother is eager to meet me and wasted no time in welcoming me to the family.

My friend, Kestrel, who i studying in the UK, said the same thing. Generally, she and her Japanese boyfriend Miki are not hassled in the streets of London. However, his family is against her because she is a Filipina, and all Filipinas are japayukis who wear used clothes from Japan, in their opinion. His family is so racist, even if Kestrel's wealth can rival that of Miki's.

I am starting to fear that I will be subjected to the same prejudicial treatment in Europe or elsewhere in the world when I am with Thomas, even if I speak better English than the German. Even if he assures me that inter-racial pairings are common in Europe, I still cannot feel settled about whatever lies in store for me in his side of the world.

Perhaps, we need to re-educate Pinoys and Asians on YAP. It seems that even our own countrymen and women need to look at themselves with more love, respect, and self-esteem.



NikkiAlfar

Tobie Abad

Gabby Lee

Andre Mischa Cleofe

Tooned!

Thanks Jac!

Obsessed

I'm scared of my aunt. She called my dorm on Saturday morning just to check whether I slept there. She called my cellphone while I was in a cab on my way to Paranaque. I refused to answer her.

When I got home to my parent's house, I unmindfully answered the ringing phone.

"Where did you sleep last night?"

I replied, "Not in my dorm."

She demanded that I tell her where I slept. I kept my mouth shut. I told her, "I was hurt by what you said to me, so I don't think I want to talk to you right now."

War.

"Ano ba, binabastos mo ba ako? (Are you being rude to me?) Just answer the question, where did you sleep last night? Talagang kinakalaban mo ba ako? (Do you really want to fight me?) Ang cheap mo. (You're so cheap.) Ang cheap cheap mooooooooo!"* the last word becoming a shrill note.

She began sobbing.

"Bakit mo ba ako ginaganito, Cathy? After everything I've done for you, ito pa ang gagawin mo sa akin. Ang taas ng tingin ko sa iyo. (Why are you doing this to me? After everything I've done for you, this is how you'd repay me? I think so highly of you.) You just gave up your virginity (?) to a guy who is not worth it."*

My grandmother began to tag-team me, warning me of the risks of pregnancy and HIV. "If anything happens to your aunt, if she dies, it's your fault!"

Calmly, I explained that I am an adult and that they need to let go of me. I am not responsible for her life, as she is not responsible for mine. No dice.

She's blaming Thomas for my "attitude change" and is threatening to fly home for a battle royale. I warned Thomas about it.

Frankly, what's my business is my business.I guess I am partly to blame for this, since I led her to the mistaken belief that I am still a virgin, just because I kept mum about my boyfriends to her. My aunt is the sort of person who only hears what she wants to hear, and has now made it her personal mission to make my life a living hell. She calls my dorm incessantly to check whether I slept there. She threatens and pesters my family so I would obey her.

I understand that all she wants is to ensure that I am in good hands, that I am not being used by Thomas. But even so, whatever happens between us is OUR business, not hers. If I am being used, so what? I know she cares for me, but I am not that stupid to not be able to rise after every fall. Nor to jeopardize anything I worked for. Does the fact that Thomas and I share expenses for everything mean that he doesn't respect me? I'm looking for an equal, not a servant. I will not solely date a man because of his ability to take care of me.

She and my mom are begging me to return back to Paranaque. Hell NO! I was miserable when I lived with my parents! Have they forgotten that?

*sigh* Somebody give me an aspirin. Gosh, I never thought that my aunt was this attached to me. Does anybody have an idea of how I can handle this?

"Think Cathy, think, why I am reacting this way?"

Because you love me too much.

Life is NOT a Beach: Trip~Marinduque

I am a horrible aunt.

Of all times my sister could give birth, she had to go into labor on Sept. 8, 2005, on the day Thomas and I planned to go to Marinduque, an island a couple of kilometers from Luzon. She was not due until Sept. 15.

I was frankly, torn between my sister and my boyfriend. I sincerely wanted to stay, but I was worried that the German could not hack it on his own in Marinduque.

I tried to justify to myself reasons that I am not necessary in the scheme of things.

One, this is baby number three.
Two, I was also not present during the birth of baby number 2.

On the trip side, I knew the German could survive without me.

So we went to the hospital, and the German asked my sister if she would be mad if I went to Marinduque. He knew that I wanted to stay. My sister gave us her blessing to leave. Off we went.

She was born on a stormy day, Maria Cristina Clarisse Apolinario, at 5:30 p.m.
--------

I received the news via a text message as Thomas and I were racing to the Dalahican port in Quezon. The jeepney dispatcher tried to rip us off by charging us P 290 so we could leave before the last ferry for Marinduque leaves at 7:00 p.m. Of course we said no.

When we got there, we were drenched, miserable, and abandoned. Damned driver.
-------

We stayed at the Roadside Inn for the night. It was not bad for a motel, P 540 for 12 hours. The amenities were acceptable, the room was air-conditioned, and the food was accpetable. Overall, the room was worth the price, especially if compared to the P 400 room we got at the pagsanjan Garden Resort. Thomas was tickled by the idea that we were in a "sex hotel." We dried ourselves off and slept early so we could catch the 4 a.m. fastboat, the first trip to Marinduque for the day.
------

We got to Marinduque at 5:30 am. We were met by the staff of VIce Governor Leandro Palma, our host during the visit. We got to our room, safe and sound. We had a full day ahead of us. No time to rest, as we wanted to survey the island.

We went to the Provincial Capitol before lunch, and we were treated to a Putong ceremony! Thomas and I were crowned as king and queen for a day, I think. Flowers, dancing, and a rattan crown were placed over our heads. It was quite a welcome! I was also overwhelmed. That afternoon, we also went on a tour in the island, especially in the parts heavily affected by heavy metal pollution.

We gathered data from the Provincial Tourism officer and the Provincial Agricultural Office, and photocopieed maps. We ascertained that the southern part of the island was ideal for the project. At the center of the island is a national park, and a mountainous region. Thereby, off limits. The Southern part had extensive grasslands and rice fields. Since the mines were located at the North part of the island, we were assured that the rivers at the south were not polluted by the waste that killed the Mogpog and Boac rivers, both located at the northwest quadrant of the island.
----

We discovered the extent of how badly polluted parts of Marinduque are because of the irresponsible mining of copper in the area. Until now, I am not certain whether only these areas in Marinduque are affected. Maybe the whole island is. Until now, people do not know whether their drinking water has been contaminated by heavy metals. I think they prefer not to know. The Boac river has become a sandly trickle of a tributary, and the Mogpog River has become a reddish muddy field. Green water oozed from both rivers.

We went to Calancan Bay at the north area of the island. where most of the silt from the mines were dumped. There was a guard who suspiciously asked us questions as to why we wanted to enter the beach. He wanted to know if we were the pesky journalists or environmentalists who keep on making trouble for them. Most of the Vice Governor's men were employees of Marcopper. Each camp eyed each other with animosity. Good thing I didn't bring my big-ass camera. We were eventually allowed in. The place looked clean and beautiful. However, we knew otherwise. We saw fishermen hauling in their catch. I wonder if the fish were poisoned as well?

That night, we met with Elmer, the Provincial Agriculturist. Luck smiled on us. Elmer used to be part of the Philippine Dairy Corp., and had extensive experience with cows and dairy farming!
-----

The next day we roved the circumference of the island. We saw in greater detail the southern part of Marinduque, the target of the cow project. We were taken to the white sand beach in Torrijos, the southernmost municipality in the island's six towns. It is also the poorest and least developed part of the island. We frolicked for a bit, and returned to our survey.

Later that night, we met with the Provincial Veterinarian, who was tired after a day of insemnating cows. It was part of the provincial program to improve the local breed of livestock. He was the most pessimistic and defeated man I've ever met. All that came out of his mouth was "it's hard," "it can't be done," and so forth. A good thing came out of our meeting, however: We knew that that we had to focus on educating and prepare the farmers socially for dairy farming.
---------

We woke up for an early Sunday mass at 8 am. We had to leave Marinduque early to catch the 11 am ferry for Manila. The Vice Governor's family was based in Manila, and he was eager to be reunited with them.

We arrived in Manila at 5 p.m., and I got to see my new niece for the first time.



NikkiAlfar

Tobie Abad

Gabby Lee

Andre Mischa Cleofe

The Anthems of My Youth

Ahh...1996. I was a nerd in high school that hung out with my hopelessly cool sister, who was at the time, with her hip-hop loving posse. Parañaque is hip-hop country, with Andrew E at the helm. I decided to re-visit my musical past after reading Jonas' blog. I felt a bit nostalgic going through the list. I decided to remove some of the songs I didn't know to give way for my comments.
Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix), Los Del Rio- Thomas is annoyed that I compulsively dance to this. I still know the steps.
One Sweet Day, Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men-Luved this. She was still not as skanky as she is. Loved her Honey phase! and her Fantasy video! I still know the steps
Because You Loved Me, Celine Dion- I liked the Rob Redford-MIchelle Pfiffer movie better.
Always Be My Baby, Mariah Carey- "And you wil linger on, because we're still going strong..."
Tha Crossroads, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony-sing with me! "See you at the crossroads!" Damn memories of house parties galore!
8. I Love You Always Forever, Donna Lewis- Just as I was graduating *sniff* I also liked "Baby, now that I've found you I won't let you go, I built my world around you..."
Twisted, Keith Sweat-you know you wanna dance this with me
Missing, Everything But The Girl
Ironic, Alanis Morissette
Exhale (Shoop Shoop), Whitney Houston- Ergh.
Sittin' Up In My Room, Brandy
How Do U Want It / California Love, 2Pac- They played this non-stop at the clubs at the time. Do the Westside hands for be 'brutha! WS4lyf!
It's All Coming Back To Me Now, Celine Dion-I wanted to cry--in AGONY
Change The World, Eric Clapton
Hey Lover, LL Cool J
Loungin, LL Cool J
Insensitive, Jann Arden
Be My Lover, La Bouche
Name, Goo Goo Dolls
Who Will Save Your Soul, Jewel - I liked Paula Cole better, even when she went disco
Where Do You Go, No Mercy
I Can't Sleep Baby (If I), R. Kelly
Counting Blue Cars, Dishwalla
You Learn / You Oughta Know, Alanis Morissette - Ay! anthem ng mga sawi!
One Of Us, Joan Osborne
Wonder, Natalie Merchant - I recently saw the video for this again, and couldn't help but think how long ago that has been already.
Not Gon' Cry, Mary J. Blige
Gangsta's Paradise, Coolio -Hoooo yea!
Only You, 112 Featuring The Notorious B.I.G.
Down Low (Nobody Has To Know), R. Kelly
1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin' New), Coolio
The World I Know, Collective Soul
No Diggity, BLACKstreet (Featuring Dr. Dre) - and sing now! Heyo-heyo-heyo-heyooo!!!
Anything, 3t
1979, The Smashing Pumpkins - poignaant, since I was 16 at the time
Diggin' On You, TLC
Why I Love You So Much / Ain't Nobody, Monica
Fantasy, Mariah Carey - I still know the steps!
You'll See, Madonna
Mouth, Merril Bainbridge - this song made me want to make out., since I hadn't been kissed yet, I made out with my hand.
The Earth, The Sun, The Rain, Color Me Badd
All The Things (Your Man Won't Do), Joe
Wonderwall, Oasis
Woo-hah!! Got You All In Check / Everything Remains Raw, Busta Rhymes
Tell Me, Groove Theory
Elevators (Me and You), Outkast -D pa sila sikat.
Theme From Mission: Impossible, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen
Just A Girl, No Doubt
Lady, D'angelo -whatever happened to him?
73. Nobody, Keith Sweat
If It Makes You Happy, Sheryl Crow
As I Lay Me Down, Sophie B. Hawkins
Un-Break My Heart, Toni Braxton
This Is Your Night, Amber
Runaway, Janet Jackson
My Boo, Ghost Town Dj's- I still know the steps
That Girl, Maxi Priest Featuring Shaggy
Beautiful Life, Ace Of Base
Back For Good, Take That -great video

Belly of the Beast

As regular readers of my blog know, my favorite aunt has not been a fan of the Cathy-Thom pairing since day 1. I love her to bits, I really do, and she has been very supportive of my endeavors. However, I only lately have realized how much she thinks of me as an extension of herself, and how highly she thinks of me.

You see, she married her on-off boyfriend of 20 years (with 7 years of separation, with 2 marriages on his part) when she was 40. She prides herself for having 'high moral values.' She has pushed unto me many of my present activities like Toastmasters, living alone, and voice lessons, all which I agreed upon because I thought these endeavors are in my best interest. She doesn't appprove of my cosplaying, and so I keep her in the dark about my hobby, and other extra-curriculars, specifically those mentioned in this blog.

Like with all my endeavors, my family is tolerant of my relationship with Thom. My brother and sister are especially cool with it, while my parents have adopted a wait and see attitude. My aunt's opinion on anything is a constant specter that haunts our family life. Though she is in the US, she still has a tight reign over family affairs, and she has the ability to sway people with her opinion, mostly due to her deep American pockets.

She has disapproved of my going on trips with Thomas, and let me have it last Sunday. Gosh, the things she said were so hurtful that I started crying. Worse, Thom was beside me to witness it.

We were in my home in Paranaque for a visit. My aunt's husband is home for a week-long vacation. After a heavy lunch, we were lying down side by side in my sister's bedroom.

Since I started going out with Thom, I had avoided conversations with my aunt, because I knew she disapproved of us. Thom and I were also in Paranaque on Saturday, and he had a Yahoo conversation with my aunt in the States. I thought everything was settled. Our phone conversation the next day proved otherwise.

"Ano, sanay na kayo matulog ng magkatabi, ano? Tarantada ka! Siguro mag-katabi na kayo matulog. Narinig mo ba yung sinabi niya kahapon? Ni hindi man lang niya sinabi na mahal ka niya! Ni wala man lang siyang sinabi na 'Oh, Cathy is so great and amazing!' Ang sinabi lang niya, pumunta ka sa Germany para magtrabaho. Gusto ka niya gawing sugar mommy. Masyado yang bata, wala pa sa isip nyan mag-asawa. Ikaw pa ang lalabas na susuporta sa kanya. Ang swerte naman niyan, may maid na siya, may ka-sex pa! Ni hindi ka yata niligawan niyan! Ipakita mo naman na may dignidad ka, na may values ka, na hindi basta-basta ang Pinay!"

(You're probably so used to sleeping together. You bitch! You heard what he said yesterday? He didn't even tell me that he loved you, that 'Oh, Cathy is so amazing!' All he said that is you need to go to Germany to work. He wants to make you his sugar mommy. He's so young, that marriage is not on his mind yet. You will end up supporting him . He's so lucky, he has a maid and somebody to fuck! I don't think he even courted you! Show him that you have dignity, that you have values, that a Filipina isn't easy to get!)

Thom was so mad. He never experienced being discriminated against. He said that from someone who claims to be Christian, that was the most un-Christian display of behavior he has seen.

I do understand where she is coming from. I know that she has a point. The thing is, this is my life and even if she says that she doesn't want me to end up crying in the end, her shrill speech showed that she doesn't trust me as someone who is capable of running her own life.

I have had a good life so far. I, too, have reservations about moving to Germany. It means that I will start over again, at a time my career here is booming. But we will see. All I know is, I want to ride this out. Screw her. I don't think I want to talk to my aunt ever again. Thank you for being my guiding light, but sorry, Tita, you have pushed me too far. Just because you helped me through some tough times doesn't mean that you have a grip over me.

I think Thom and I have a chance together. Over dinner last night, I told him that I was going to attend a press conference in the American Embassy today, in "the belly of the beast." I thought that he would get this idiom, since he has been outspoken about President Bush's policies. However, he asked me to explain. I told him that this means, I will go to the house of the devil.

Wide-eyed, he goes, "Oh, you mean your house in Paranaque?"

And I laughed at the face of the devil.



NikkiAlfar

Tobie Abad

Gabby Lee

Andre Mischa Cleofe

Giving a Cow

It all started with fresh milk.

Thomas was frustrated that he couldn't buy fresh milk in the Philippines. He is used to drinking 3.5 percent fat fresh milk, and all the "fresh milk" sold in the country are really full cream milk, ultra heat-treated milk, and evaporated milk. Being a typical occasional-dairy drinking Pinoy, I could not really tell or taste the difference. For me, milk is milk.

In the various conferences he has attended because of work, he found out that Philippine importation of dairy is one of the biggest sources of budget drain in the country.

I also found out that Filipino farmers can supply only one percent of the local demand for dairy! Lack of government support has doomed efforts to establish dairy farming in the country.

We are now in the initial phases of the COW PROJECT. We are group of people who want to change all this. We are in the process of trying to establish a mid-scale organic dairy farming community in Marinduque. This would also address the employment problem in Marinduque, which was devastated by the Marcopper mining accident years ago. The loss of the mining industry in the town has dealt a harsh blow to the provincial economy. We hope that we could establish a profitable exterprise that would be owned by the people of Marinduque, and keep them from falling prey to abusive companies.

Its all very heady, these talks about how to secure grant funding from the ADB, the German government. We are still kind of clueless on how to go about it, so we are talking to several NGO experts on how to go about it.

I am also inspired by the success of Dr. Justino Arboleda, the inventor of coconet. I feel that his struggles to push for his coconut husk products to the world and his desire to help coconut farmers should be a lesson in never giving up. It took international recognition for our government to finally fund his endeavors, after 20 years of rejecting his entreaties for funding.

It took a German for me to see that I, too, can do great things for our country, and shake me out of my apathy by "looking at the big picture." It took a German for me to shake my feeling that the country is a hopeless case. Can you imagine how great our country would be if more Filipinos care for our country as much as he does? And can you imagine, he's only 20!

Trip Part 3-San Pablo

After the incident at the falls, we headed to San Pablo, a two-hour jeep ride away. We were smashed. Thom promptly fell asleep. while I remained awake for the rest of the trip. We actually wanted to go to San Pablo on Sunday, but our bout with the boatman and substandard room forced us to leave Pagsanjan earlier than expected.

I tried making arrangements with people from San Pablo to find a place to stay there. Alas, it seems that the people of San Pablo were, citing a resident of the place, "tourists in our own city"!

Most of the information we have, we got from our travel book. The book, and our friend, Jac, who unfortunately could not meet us in San Pablo that Saturday, all pointed us to Coco Palace, reputedly the best hotel in town. I was hesitant to enter into any other hotels, as they sounded like sleazy 12-hour hires for illicit affairs, if the descriptions in the travel guide were to be believed.

Though we were weary, Thom was adamant that we had to be in a place that overlooked the lake, a feature that the Coco Palace didn't have. I just wanted to get into a nice, comfortable hotel, with a nice, comfortable bed. We wandered by the lakeshore, where we hoped a place for travelers would be open. We were pretty sure something of the sort had to be open.

Remember those movies and short stories where people are lost in the woods, then suddenly a bright, spanking new house appears in the horizon, like an oasis or a mirage with the promise of food and shelter, and hints at either good or sinister things to come? That's what we felt like when we saw Tahanan ni Aling Meding, a newly-opened 11-room hotel that feels more like a bed-and-breakfast. With reasonably rated rooms, Thom picked out P 2,000 de luxe room with a view of the lake. Perhaps as an apology, but he said that he was really tired and wanted a nice, comfortable bed.



Plopping down our bed, Thomas said, "See sweetie? As long as the place is worth the money, I am willing to pay big."

We woke up early the next morning to catch the sunrise. It was glorious. The vista from our balcony was worth much more than what we paid for.



The next day, Thom and I met Jac, Raipo and Gerry for a Komikero meeting. We had a very interesting discussion with Raipo on the COW PROJECT. We stayed a while because it was the Komikero's anniversary after all. Gerry introduced Thom to Google Earth, marking the beginnning of Thom's current obsession with it.

We were met with the pouring rain when we got home. Exhausted, we promptly slept a deep sleep, as we dreamed of future travels.

Next stop: Marinduque



NikkiAlfar

Tobie Abad

Gabby Lee

Andre Mischa Cleofe

A Public Service Announcement

The hypocondriac in me would like to express my profound sense of relief for getting a negative reading in my Hepatitis B, Syphilis, and HIV tests. Hooray me!

It may sound a bit distasteful, but I would still like to urge each and everyone who is entering a relationship or who engages in risky sexual behavior to get yourself tested. That goes to you, all single Filipino men who read my blog. Yes you, who don't like to wear condoms, who refuse to wear condoms at the point of no return.

I would like to stress that I am aware of the consequences all of the sexual activities I mention in my blog, and therefore, I take regular pap smears and gum stain tests from my gynecologist. I took a Pap Smear test last March, and a Gum staining test last August. They also came back negative, again to my relief. I would also urge all the women who read my blog to take responsibility for their sexual behavior. Please, please, it is for your own good.

For the longest time, I postponed getting an HIV test because I was afraid that I would be HIV positive. Now I feel that I have the peace of mind to go on with my life with Thom, who has tested HIV negative as well. God bless them foreigners, who refuse to take sexually risky behavior!

My medical technician/gyno intern friend encouraged me to take the test. He said that in his line of work, he has learned that HIV is not the big problem in the Philippines, but Hepatitis B! Apparently, Hepa-B is endemic in the Philippines. Syphilis is next in the list of top STDs in the Philippines. I decided not to take the Hepa-C test, since the probability of my acquiring it is low.

For all those who want to get tested, Here's everything you need to know: I had myself tested in Makati Medical Center. If you want to take the cheap route, donate blood at the second floor of the building, where the blood donation center is. I think the minimum donor amount is 600 cc of blood, and you get the results of your lab test and a blood donor card if you test negative for malaria, HIV, Syphilis, and Hepatitis B and C after 12 hours. If you are not able to donate blood because you smoke, weigh less than 110 pounds like me, drank alcohol 12 hours prior to bloodletting, or are menstruating, then get yourself tested at the Laboratory on the First Floor. Results for the HIV and Syphilis tests come out after a week, while the Hepa B tests will be released at the Nuclear Medicine department at the second floor after three working days.

The TPHA test for syphilis costs P 860, HIV Elisa test is only P 600. HBSAg test for hepa B and the test for Hepa-C is P 900 each.

Tomorrow, details of our San Pablo trip. Ta-ta!

Updates+Trip Part 2-Pagsanjan

Welcome to my blog! Yes, I've done some re-decorating, in commemoration of my first year in blogging. Thanks to Nikki Alfar, the interior decorator who executed my vision, and gave me some more features! Talented, beautiful and famous, what can I say? She rocks!

Doppleganger update
My elusive double has re-appeared again! She's eel-slippery I tell you, escaping from the grasp of my friend Leslie. read all about it in her blog

Please, please people. Everytime you run into her, y'all are so stunned speechless that you couldn't work up the gumption to approach her even if she's staring at you in the face! Get over yourselves. Slap yourself. Splash water over your face. No it's not me and you know it! Unless I had the the ability to either teleport or the gift of bilocation (I wish), or suddenly had the personality of a mouse, then it couldn't be me! Please help me solve this mystery!

Back to our story

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I woke up at 8 am, ready to face the day. I took several photos of the lake, and woke Thom up for breakfast. After a lackluster meal and a bath, we checked out of our stinky room and booked us a rapids ride.

The ride itself was uneventful, as our boatmen skillfully navigated our way through the river. We had many stops along the way, and Thom and I rolled our eyes at the noisy Korean and Japanese honeymooners that constantly streamed from the opposite direction. He was impressed by the foliage and scenery, which miraculously remained intact.

We got to the falls, and I was honestly less than impressed. Commercialism was everywhere. Locals did everything to milk a few bucks from the tourists, selling food and even altering the landscape, at the expense of the pristine beauty of the place. The boatmen even charged 90 pesos for an overloaded raft ride through the falls, into a cave behind it. Koreans apparently had to be "decently dressed" even while soaking wet. The women still had their jewelry and high heels on, while the men wore slacks! Thom decided to take a dip. I was not confident enough to do the same, because the current seemed too strong.

What we really wanted was to swim, not a view of the falls. Our boatman took us aside and said that we could swim at a spot off to the side of the falls. The path there was extremely rocky and unpredictable, and the waters were a little too deep, so we had to leave our equipment behind as we went to the direction he pointed.

What we discovered was a small pool, a trickle of a waterfall, and two or three rapids that led into a small dipping pool. It was perfect.

The best pictures I took were the ones not captured by my camera.
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The trip downstream was faster than the way to the falls. Upon disembarking, the boatmen demanded that we give them extra money.

Thom felt that the money we spent for the trip was enough, and that they didn't deserve a tip. He said that he had a policy of not tipping anybody who asked for it.
At this point we had an argument, because I felt bad for not tipping the men. I could hear them again make snide comments.

The boatmen heckled us on our way out of the resort, up until we reached the road, waiting for a ride out of Pagsanjan. All that time, I tried to convince Thom to give the boatmen money. He stubbornly argued that the money could be better spent somewhere else, as we could have unforseen expenses in the trip.

In a wounded voice, I told Thom "We should have just given a tip, even if it was just a hundered pesos. It is better to give them money that have them harass us like this!"

I let the boatman take a jeep ahead of us, so we could be rid of them.

With a sigh, He admitted that he may be wrong. We agreed to bring separate wallets in future trips.

I know that I will now avoid going to commercialized "nature" destinations.

Next Stop: San Pablo, Laguna

some of the pretty pictures



NikkiAlfar

Tobie Abad

Gabby Lee

Andre Mischa Cleofe

Trip part 1-Pagsanjan

Thom decided that he needed a breather, away from the city. "I want to go someplace green," he said. So off we went to Laguna, armed with nothing but a guidebook, our wits, and P 7,500 in cash. I wanted to see if I was hardy enough for that sort of thing, since I wanted to go into travel writing, after all.

Backpacking fun.
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I decided that I wanted to go to Caliraya, Laguna. But since the prices of lodgings there were out of our reach, we decided to go to the city next to it: Pagsanjan, Laguna. We set out at 2:14 p.m. from Buendia.

After a 3 hour bus ride, we arrived at the boundary to Pagsanjan, in Sta Cruz, Laguna. Immediately, locals offering us boat rides and lodgings swarmed us like flies. I knew why we were subjected to this harassment: Because Thom was white, and I was Pinay, and thought that we had money (more about this in a later entry). I was already at the point of losing my temper, and began snapping at the people. Thom, being an experienced backpacker said that this was normal, since tourism is their main source of livelihood. I should keep calm, since remaining irritated would do nothing. I decided to heed him and let him go through all the trouble haggling.
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We set our sights at the Pagsanjan Garden Resort, which the guidebook said had "pretty gardens, a swimming pool, and was right by the lake." Accomodations for a room with a fan started at P 400. We considered this reasonable, and took a tricycle to get there.

We arrived at 5:30 p.m., more than ready to eat and rest after our journey. The gardens lived up to the guidebook. However, We were informed that we could not use the pool, since it was located by the guesthouse, which rents out for P 8,000 a month, and since the guesthouse was occupied, we could not use the pool.

Strike 1.

We looked at the accomodations. The room was depressing. It smelled of stale sex, and was furnished with one single bed, another double-deck bunk bed, and the walls were covered with fake wood panels. The air-conditioned rooms, which cost P 1,200 a night, were of the same depressing quality, with the air-conditioning. We both wanted out but since it was too late to look for another place, we decided that we could withstand the stinky room and spent the night there. We had no private bath, and had to use the public dormitory restroom. Thom argued with the management to give us discounted rates since their rooms were substandard, but management won.

We ate dinner at their restaurant. their prices definitely did not deserve the quality of their service and the food. I noticed that the employees were talking snidely about us behind our backs. I told Thom that it would pay for him to be nicer or to be less argumentative. "I just smile sweetly, bat my eyelashes, and they give me what I want, with something extra."

"No chance of that sweetie. I'm white. They'll never give us anything at the right price."

to be continued



NikkiAlfar
Tobie Abad>
Gabby Lee
Andre Mischa Cleofe