One of those days

There are days when I just hate myself for no reason.

My hands are full

Me no complain. Me just say.

Consolacion

I find it weird how people react when they learn that my parents separated when I was young and it was my grandparents who raised me.

I was five when my parents called it quits and was about six when Mama left to work overseas. Since then my lolo, lola, titas and tito took care of me

Most people give me a sad, pity look, say sorry for asking and change the topic stat.

Some probe further and ask me questions until they ran out of questions, they get bored or they realize that, really, the conversation is going nowhere as I'm not going to have a meltdown in front of them.

Worst are those who suddenly turns into a shrink and psychoanalyze me - WHUT: hey, maybe that's why you're so shy and timid. WTF: you didn't have a real father figure. maybe that's why you're gay.

I always dismiss people that I must have a hard time growing up. I had a perfectly normal childhood. I say it's normal because I don't see the need to compare my childhood with that of others. Also, I really don't feel I missed anything.

If there is one person I owe for having the childhood that I had, and for what I am now, it must be my lola.

My lola, or La as I call her, attended every PTA meeting in school. She prepared every breakfast, lunch, merienda, dinner and my baons at school. She was in all three graduations that I had.

I am fond of the days when fall asleep watching TV in the sala and wake up the following morning in my bed. I remember when I just pretend to be asleep so she will carry me to our bed.

She was up every time I'm down with fever. La rubs Vicks on my chest when I have cough or colds. She rubs my back too when I'm having a hard time sleeping.

I  remember a period in my life where every night I sing til my throat hurts or til I fall asleep. How painfult it must have been for her.

I was a lola's boy through and through. I was the first apo and so I was her favorite. Nine apos later, I still am.

Disrespect begets contempt

And just as everyone thought that day 26 of the impeachment trial will be short and uneventful, private prosecutor Vitaliano Aguirre landed on the spotlight by making a gesture that irked Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago and many senator-judges and, very unexpectedly, taunted Sen. Santiago and the impeachment court as a consequence, by justifying the gesture he made.

Photo by TV 5's JournalisMO

Just some points from a non-lawyer, ordinary citizen like me:

1. Kung nabastos ka, hindi pambabastos ang tamang solusyon.

2. You speak of human dignity when what you did trampled it?

3. I am represented by senators among other elected government officials. You disrespect them, you disrespect me.

4. Dear public prosecutors, y u no handle your private prosecutors well?

5. Thank you Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, Sen. Pia Cayetano, Sen. Allan Peter Cayetano, Sen. Pres. Juan Ponce-Enrile and all other senators for citing Aguirre for contempt.

Early favorites

You guys watch The Voice?

I stopped watching American Idol after David Cook took the crown because it has gone really bland after that (though I must say I like Adam Lambert post-Idol). Then Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell leaving the show made it just really boring.

Anyhoo, season one of The Voice produced really good artists. On top of my list is Dia Frampton whose voice is very soothing and haunting at the same time. She made quite a buzz last season for topping iTunes downloads a couple of times. My other favorites are Xenia Martinez and Vicci Martinez.

Dia Frampton

Unfortunately, none from the first season has  proved to be commercially successful. Even season one winner Javier Colon, whose voice I find too common and mainstream, couldn't make it.

Season 2 started a couple of weeks ago and melikes to share my early favorites.

From Team Blake, the team with the best talents, the eccentric Naia Kete.

From Team Adam, the Glee-ish Pip Andrew

And my bet to win this season, from Team Cee Lo Green, the dorky sandwich maker Jamie Lono

Didn't like anyone from Team Christina. Methinks her team is the weakest just like last season.

Jumping the broom

So the best friend, Chaching, and I were casually texting one morning a couple of days ago about the randomest things when she mentioned that she and her boyfriend, Lance, have marriage on their mind already.

Flashback a few minutes before our text exchange started, I was browsing the Facebook profile pages of my high school classmates and was somehow disappointed that most of them are either married or have children. Well, to be honest, what disappointed me was that few have children AND are married. So there.

Anyhoo, I asked her when did Lance proposed and she said no proposal happened. She reasoned that they were too old for that or something to that effect. The two have been together for quite sometime now, four or five years, and I must say that I think their relationship is really mature, not the type most people my age have, and theirs have nowhere to go but marriage. But, come on, I'm still hoping Lance would pull some tricks and do a proposal that would further make my best friend fall in love with him. Chaching deserves it.

Chaching asked me to be the wedding planner and one of the best man. I said yes right away to the wedding planner part. I have no experience in planning weddings but having seen so much weddings in movies I think I can pull one off. Also, I have two or three years to prepare so I'm confident. Hahaha. But I had to say no to the best man part because Lance and I, we don't know each other well. The groom's best man should be his best buddy, right? So I told him that I will be one of his bride's best man, the other one would be our bestfriend Ramphel. And as the wedding planner, there would be no bridesmaid. Ha.

So there. Thought you might wanna hear from me. =)

Stella

Zola Resto and Cafe.

Baguio

The boyfriend and I went to Baguio last weekend after hinting how much I wanted to go there with him. It wasn't our first time to go there but it was our first time together. I was in Baguio sometime last year to interview scholarship applicants when I was still in my previous job. I also vaguely remember being there when I was very very young.

The boyfriend has been in Baguio, I'm guessing, many times. One of those times was when he was still with his ex. I know because I saw their pictures in his laptop and they're still there. No, I'm not jealous. Just sharing, stating a fact.

Anyhoo, we arrived past lunch without absolutely no plans. From where the bus stopped, we hauled our bags to Session Road to look for a hotel to stay. Took us almost two hours before we settled in a two thousand a night hotel. Very pricey for a mediocre hotel but we're too tired and hungry to search further. The only good thing about that hotel was it was located very near Session Road.

After settling in the hotel and cleaning up ourselves, we went straight to Pizza Volante in Session Road for lunch. We found the food bland and pricey and the service slow.

We then went to Burnham Park to stroll. There's not really much to see or do in that park except for boat riding and biking which we decided not to try. But we enjoyed walking with the chilly wind. Also, we watching people and making fun or judgment of them. Heh.

We had dinner at Zola Resto Cafe. While waiting for our food, a Korean girl sat with us and asked if she can take pictures with us. She explained she was with her family and it was a dare. After taking pictures she chitchatted a little but it was very hard to understand her English. Before she left, she complimented that we were good looking guys. Heh.

We were supposed to have beer right after dinner at 108 Session Road Cafe but things came up so we decided to stay in the hotel the rest of the night.

Good stories?

They say bad decisions make good stories. But what do we say of people who deliberately make bad decisions just to have good stories?

My own brand of catnip if I were a cat

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