12 posts tagged “fun”

My first writing gig for the year. (Woot!)

‘When I was 23 years old, I felt so old. Now that I’m 27, I feel like I’m 23.’

So went my chatter with a few officemates after class yesterday.

High-impact moisturizer aside, I have to hand this new chance at youth to a change of perspectives. No, charge that to a sudden gush of experiences. Better yet, to a decision to be happy.

Some years ago, I hated the image I saw in front of the mirror. Everytime I’d peek, I'd see someone who was aged by dissatisfaction, confusion, and stress. I'd love to call my early 20s the 'halcyon days' but those times just never fit the description. Those years were damn hectic; my senses were working overtime because of work and the life I built around it (which should ahve been the other way around). Not just that. I was at a point where I didn't know what I wanted in life or the kind of person I wanted to be. A lot of people I know were already sure of their next ten years when they were in their early twenties, but there I was, in the middle of Grand Central, not knowing which train to ride.

Dear friends like Charity and Liv know about this. In fact, they were behind me all throughout and could attest to my metamorphosis, this total change in outlook. Charity and I had dinner last Saturday and were laughing about how we've managed to upgrade ourselves over the last five years. Looking back, I now realize how I've worried too much about life in general and how people would think of me. Present 'me' would love to slap old 'me' for being the unnecessary worrywart. Had I learned to 'chill' just a little, I would have been able to see the world from a better view - and appreciate what and who I had in every step of the way.

But that was all necessary. My discernment is that the past few years have prepared me for today. And that everything had to happen so I could appreciate what I have now. Youth is such a big excuse slip. 

The decision now is to be happy. Which is easy because I don't even have to decide on it. I am happy. I feel young(er), too. I feel that the world is at my feet and my dreams are at my command, much like when I was fresh out of college. I feel like conquering the world, and have earned the ability to. I look at myself in the mirror and despite my eye bags - which eye cream can solve, I see who I should have been at age twenty-three.

Masaya yung palaging ganito. Bonggang-bongga lang.

Boracay. That small but terrible slice of paradise (double rhyme!) that overflows with Long Island, screams party, and encourages meditation (if you're not overflowing and screaming with the two former). How could I have forgotten?

It was my second consecutive time last November in the island for some well-deserved R&R. With the exception of Russel and Mike (fondly called Madame), it was my first time to travel with friends like B'ley, Myles, Neil, Joey, Ron, and Paulo. I also got to hang with Jongster and Paulo's fabulous girlfriends.

Being stuck to ourselves the whole five days made me realize that traveling to distant places significantly strengthens bonds and seals deals, say, our now undying respect for Petroleum Jelly. Long story

 

 

Revel with friends who give off good vibes.

Work the camera. Drink like a fish.

Enjoy the moment, as if no one's taking photos.

Start a dance competition.

Call out your illustrious lineage.

Get drunk.

Title: Temptation Island (1979)

Synopsis: Four beauty pageant contestants vying for the title of Miss Manila Sunshine were invited to a yacht party as part of the contest proper. Yacht catches fire and the girls were thrown into a deserted island, along with their men, a kooky maid, and a screaming high society faggot. The rest, as they say, is history.

Credits: For your viewing pleasure, YouTube provides us with the most unforgettable scenes from the film. I added the power lines for maximum entertainment.

Message to Voxers: I recommend these clips to all my neighbors, whether Filipino or non-Filipino. Take it at face value and have a good laugh!

Oh, and don't mind the pronunciation slips. The words were meant to be mispronounced for a better laugh!

Power Lines:

"Beech!"

"Double Beech"

"Rubadubdub...two bitches in a tub!"

Power Line:

"What are beeches for but to beech around with their fellow beeches?"

Power Line (translated):

"There's no food. There's no water. Let's just dance."

(Prelude to a beauty queen catfight catfight.)

Power Line:

"I am a croook. A damn goood croook. And I can tell another crooook when I see one."

Power Line (translated):

(While trying to catch fish using panties and hosiery) "More panty, more fish"

This was my Saturday. I love eeet.

Met up with Capi at Serendra yesterday afternoon for some catching up. We had so much fun over Chicken Sandwich and Mango Bravo at Contis, under the 3pm sun and clouds of smoke. She confessed about her being a die-hard Britney fan, which prompted me to admit how much of a Mandy-phile I am. Turns out she is a Mandy fan herself. We raved about Mandy's Coverage CD and all the songs that were masterfully recreated in the album. We both love Moonshadow and plucked out lines from the Cat Stevens original. Now I have someone who really understands me. Hehe. We continued the afternoon fun in Fully Booked and drowned ourselves in books of every genre, laughing at how sexual teen novels have become and how the sex books were 'strategically' located in front of the Computer How-To section. There has got to be some Feng Shui going on. She got herself a Wild Hope CD, too.

Bumped into old friends, too. (Btw, B'ley, you stood me up!) There was Jasper, whom I met at the office some years ago, with his Thai and Dutch friends in tow. He's visiting from Bangkok on business. I really should catch up with that guy.

When Capi and I were browsing through the trashy novels over at A Different Bookstore, I saw thesismate and good friend Iris. She was looking for The Secret but was unsuccessful in her search. Speaking of The Secret, the book's selling like hotcakes, I swear. I am hooked myself. (Been helping me with my change in outlook and mind resetting.)

Soon after Iris left, fabulous Sass magically descended from her throne up in the clouds and scattered stardust everywhere. We all had dinner at the Chelsea Market and Restaurant. The conversation was like an open bar - freeflowing and anything goes, with punches of cheap humor and pop culture trivia. We equally laughed our lungs out and talked seriously about where our careers/studies were going. Capi wants to try out another company in another country. Sass wants to venture into Organizational Development. I want to make it in New York still as a training professional. We also talked about working conditions in the country and how working could be more fun if we 'Googled' everything. later on, our conversation shifted to the beauty of solitude and the growth that comes from aloneness. In between, we talked about long distance relationships, cancer, quarter-life crisis, quitting smoking, and Inday text jokes.

Oh, you all have to try out Chelsea! The menu is delightfully eclectic, much like the NYC district the resto was named after, the portions grand, and the prices surprisingly affordable. I ordered their Angus Beef Burger with Onion Rings, which turned out to be hefty and overwhelming. Capi's Marinara was good for three. Sass' Slow-cooked Norwegian Salmon over Mashed Potato was the first to be served. How's that for slow cooking? They were all deee-lish!!! Here's a pic of Chelsea's interior:

Capi got herself a Margarita after dinner and started talking about this place in Ortigas that serves three Frozen Margaritas for only 120 pesos. (That's roughly two dollars and a quarter.) Sidebar in El Pueblo!!! I know the place! I've been there before! As if the fun isn't over yet, we drove to Sidebar to cap the night. We had eight Frozen Margaritas each. You could just imagine how crazy we became!!! Sass and I were reenacting Filipino native dances and parlor games to the tune of California Dreaming and Pink Life. The best part was that we had to dramatize with a stiff upper lip and while seated on our bar stools. We left Capi in stitches.

Turns out that was not the night cap just yet. We drove to Sass' loft and relaxed to cold drinking water, the Zodiac, and Zen Tarot Card reading. Sass played 'hostess with the mostest' with aplomb for the 2nd time (at least for me).

Capi and I were gobsmacked at Sass' readings. Her cards were so precise in revealing our life's issues and resolutions - Capi's need to travel and my exciting adventure in introspection/reaching out. The very same things we talked about over snacks and dinner. Cosmic. Fabulous. Serendipitous.

We ended the fun at 3am. I cabbed back to Makati while Capi, half-asleep, drove back home.

Reij, you were the only one missing that night. If you ever bit your tongue Saturday morning DXB time, it should be because of us. :-) Thanks for bringing us together!

P.S. Photo credits go to http://anton.blogs.com for the Serendra and Chelsea pics. I will take my own pictures very soon.

Choreography is excellent! Check out the old faggot inmate wearing a baby pink halter and his funny death.

Madonna, Greek, men in uniform. What more can I say?

Enough about work. Let's talk about something more fun.

I wouldn't have survived Cebu had it not been for my discovery and rediscovery of these shiny, happy people.

Milo - It's weird how Milo and I became close only after he left Manila in 2004. I used to just walk past him back in our days with the old travel account. During my first visit in Cebu, however, he was my ultimate tour guide and night-out buddy. He even picked me up from the airport - in the middle of his shift on that hot day in March 04. (I should have followed his advice not to wear long-sleeved shirts back then. I melted in the asphalt-driven Cebu heat.) Naturally, he was the first person I phoned to announce my arrival in Cebu. Now that he's a Team Manager and busier, we made an effort to meet up, catch up on each other's dirt, and do the 'rounds.' He took me to this place called Paseo - a venue I describe as Dish minus airconditioning. I wasn't too happy with the place but Milo's wacky anecdotes made up for everything.

Tsok - Forsyth and I always got along as far as I could remember. It was Neil Gaiman's heart-wrenching view on love and his perennial drunken, happy state that got us acquainted. He was the first person I met up with the day I flew in. We ate at East West, this fusion resto that became an instant favorite from my first visit. And what is a night with Tsok without alcohol? He took me to this sports bar called Badgers near my hotel for a few drinks. Badgers is expat country, and so a Tom/Dick/Harry, with their Marifes and Maritesses in tow, would walk in every five minutes. Tsok and I, as usual, would make fun of them. There was this guy who came in wearing a big maple leaf hat that evening. I thought it was just for kicks. Then I later learned it was Canada Day. Cool.

Rock and Pop Star - I woke up one morning to the signature banter of this dynamic duo (Win and Raymond) and found out that we were going to be roomies for a week until they got a place of their own. Fun! Being with them was like being in Project Runway/ANTM where the contestants would converge in the mansion's balcony for some smokes and laughs. And yes, because it was ANTM-like, there were photo sessions too. Check out Win's Guess-like shots in Raymond's blog.

Raymond also celebrated his birthday in Cebu, so we surprised him with tiramisu with the word Rockstar on it. Mitchy took the lead in eating the cake, much to Raymond's usual asar reaction. :-)

Then came Mitchy - She needs a haircut - quick! But nevertheless, I've learned to love Mitch and her naturally sweet ways. Here's what a true friend ought to be. We would talk for hours and hours and just laugh about stupid people at work over alcohol and food. I accuse her of making me fat! Go Tea-yum!

Mel - Ooops. I think we made an alcoholic out of Mel. She used to be this quiet QA person tucked in her station and enslaved to her headset, but I think we just repackaged her into this post-shift beer-craving extrovert. Snaps for me. And Mel, don't believe the ghost stories. All you need to do is live harmoniously with them.

Willi - We were both in the pioneer batch of the program we work for and would only be hi-hello to each other until Cebu happened. Willi's a fine guy with a lot of witty comments waiting to blurted out. And he's not a party pooper! I will never forget how he and Di-Ey came to my aid when I started throwing up after some hard partying. He has my respect.

Sandy - Could I just broadcast this? Sandy, take it easy on the food! Sands and I have ALWAYS gotten along. We share the same work ethic and are both general's sons. We go a long way back but were never really aware of it until office happened. I am looking forward to working with him again. He's probably enjoying the master's bedroom at Unit 303 as I write.

Joey and Ron - It was my first time to hang out with Ron and my first time in ages with Joey. Free booze! Yipee!

B'ley and Rui - Thank God I saw fellow citizens of the Kingdom! Our reign shall never end. Loft is our footstool!  

Tata's Crew - Aiys, Doris, and Mark! Thanks for the warmth and hospitality you extended during my stay. And for giving in to my one whim - Z! Truth be told, meeting you guys was sort of a social experiment for me, as I have never really 'blind dated' someone else's crew. It all went fine, I think. I felt welcome and all that jazz. It's my turn before the year ends. Come up here and I'll play host.

My Elevator Buddies: Daisy, Iza, and Di-ey - Nothing could hold four people closer than an elevator stuck in between ground and second. Daisy's views on life and love, Iza's appeal to sexyback mestizos, and Di-ey's culinary skills made Sophia Suites a better place to be. Hehehe.

I am back in Manila, after my 30-day training stint in Cebu. Let's do a review of my southern shindig.

The Airport - Nothing could be worse than the Manila Domestic Airport. Man, our garage looks much better. It's a shame how it hasn't changed ever since my very first airplane ride some 21 years ago. The only things they probably change on a regular basis are the flourescent lamps that conk out every 30 days (the government sure knows how to allocate funds). Oh, and there's a newly-built smoking area outside the concourse BUT there are no built-in lighters in that lounge. Bad!

The Ride To The Hotel - To rid myself of the clueless tourist complex, I relied on my best memory of the route from the Mactan International Airport to Cebu City. I recalled, as much as I could, the bridges and avenues that will take me to Sophia Suites. Good thing too that I understand Cebuano and managed to grapple a few phrases to the driver. The private car service charged $7 from the airport to the hotel. Not bad at all since the car was brand new and did not smell.

The Hotel - Sophia Suites has always been temporary dwelling to most Trainers and Managers who fly in from Manila. It was my first time though to stay there. (I bunked with Russel in Summerfield Suites some 4 years ago.) Cool place. It's a residence hotel so the look and feel reminds you of home, and not some hospital repainted to look like a posh place to stay. I stayed in unit 303 together with Cecile (who hogged the master's bedroom) for a good four weeks. Our roomies and freeloading friends would change every week.

The AC was on full blast everyday and I'd smoke everywhere except the rooms. Cutlery was expensive and flatware was all Corelle (did I spell that right?). There was a laundry nook on the 2nd floor behind the front desk where most of us would catch up on work while waiting for our clothes to dry up. The hotel was right behind an old mall so groceries weren't much of a hassle. The commute to the office was fabulous. Cab rides would cost less than a dollar - if you don't make the cabbie wait.

The only thing I did not like about the hotel was the effing elevator that sentenced me to ten minutes of sheer agony. But yes, my elevator buddies and I still had the gall to camwhore. I took this picture (check out the worried look on my face):

The Office - As in our Manila locations, the interiors look nauseatingly the same. Some sort of reminder that I came there for work first and leisure second. The perimeter of the office building is filled with restaurants and bars that serve beer round the clock. I wouldn't be surprised if an agent would report to work buzzed one of these days. And there's a nice club right on one side of the building called The Loft where I became an instant VIP - but that's another story.

Here's an after-work-arte shot:

Arrival in Subic. Some lunch(ette) we had.

Trainers = Camwhores

Post-lunch leading to the beach.

Love it when it rains.

The brains behind the event and the team where the brains belong.

Photo op!!!

Till dawn we drank and danced.