When I saw Vern last Thursday in front of my office building, he invited me to go to Alchemy with Lhen and the guys. At first I wasn’t sure because all-night drinking is no longer my preferred way to spend my precious weekend. But then, it’s been a while since I last got drunk so I thought it was about time. 
Pictures after the jump.
Last night Piglet and I watched “Wanted” in Greenbelt 3. It was a full house. Nobody usually wants to take the front row seats but because it was the first night of showing, a Friday, and payday too, everyone wanted to go. Good thing I remembered to make reservations early so we got the best seats.
Sadly, Piglet did not like it because he plainly is not interested in action movies. Well, I am and this one got me hooked the first time I saw its trailer. Aside from Angelina Jolie, the zero-to-hero twist of fate for Wesley may be the thing that attracted the audience. The vindication of his taunted-geek persona is just something most people can easily relate to and we all want to slam an ergonomically designed keyboard onto an office jerk’s face, don’t we? Hehe. But there are questionable scenes that challenges the mortality of the characters (remember asking how the three girls in Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle survived after being thrown off a fast car and rolling down the subway stairs or hitting/shattering the glass wall of a boutique) and really, a bullet “may” be able to curve but can it really make one revolution inside a circular room? Well, that’s why they’re called movies. But I still liked it. Two hours of action and blood. And the story’s twist was unexpected but I knew from the start that the story couldn’t be that straightforward. SPOILER: Angelina’s character died in the end. How? Who killed her? Do you really want me to say it? Hehe…
Wanted is a nice action movie but the story is unbelievable. How could the Loom of Fate precisely weave an existent evil person’s full name? Anyway, I enjoyed the hours of being rattled in my seat by the gunshots and explosions. There was one time when I looked at Piglet and I saw him yawning. Haha! I couldn’t even mind that I really needed to go to the bathroom because of how excited I was and there he was almost falling asleep? Maybe we really aren’t for action movies so I know now I can’t take him to The Dark Knight. Wall-E will be our next movie time together, I guess.
You all know who that is! Hehe. I’m a fan of Doraemon and his very witty antics. Early this evening, Piglet and I were watching a marathon of Doraemon episodes that I bought the other day. It’s a nice way to spend a stormy Saturday afternoon and he phoned-in sick a couple of hours ago. He learned to love that blue cat too since that morning he saw me watching it on GMA – and that was the day he stopped hating “oriental” cartoons. Haha!
In the past, I never really cared about its production. It was really old (you can actually see its old-fashioned animation) but the way it was written was very smart. Even adults will love how humor and moral lessons are weaved into situations calling for Doraemon’s gadgets and I think that kept the series interesting. Doraemon’s famous among Asians and just this year, he was made Japan’s first Anime Ambassador so people will know more about the Japanese culture. Sosyal na pusa!
I wish we Pinoys can have something like Doraemon that the government will support. This way, we Filipinos will be kept aware of our roots and see the good things in us. I hate it when I hear my kapwa Pinoys say “Pilipino nga naman!” when scrutinizing wrong actions as if he himself wasn’t a Filipino. I also wish our government will start supporting our talented fellowmen who have no choice but to lend their skills to other countries’ development because they aren’t given proper attention. As I see it, our government only cares for the Manny Pacquiaos of the nation who have been winning and raking in publicity for the country. If he were to lose, will they still give them a hero’s welcome? I hope so.
When I was at the beach in Olongapo yesterday, there were kids/babies in the cottage and I only recognized one. The rest were introduced to me to my surprise that my playmate when I was a little boy already has his own little boy. Weird. This question has been boggling my mind for so long: am I really old?! Are we in the having-a-family stage already?! Well, I refuse to be part of it!
Whenever I hear about a batchmate getting married or having a kid, it freaks me out. I can’t fathom how they can let go of that reason to not take things seriously – we’re still young! So just imagine me sitting there with my cousins and their little babies running around and sometimes being grilled on the hotseat on when I’ll show them my own. In those moments, I experience a jolt that blasts my mind out of its stable state and everything around me just goes fast and I feel myself slowly sinking in my seat – that unexplainable sensation that saves me from giving out an answer – and while all this is happening inside me, the physical equivalent is just a faint smile that reads “ask me again and I’ll walk out on you” between the lines. Fortunately, they get it. And they never bother me again until our next reunion.
I like kids. They’re fun to watch when they play. But I personally feel like it’s not yet time for me, or anybody of my age who still hasn’t established their careers, to get married and start a family. I’ve seen people do that so early on and they lose the chance to experience life better or experience singlehood with career and power in their hands. Well, that’s just me and don’t take my word for it. No matter how many times they ask me about when I’ll produce a child, I don’t care. I can give them a dose of that sarcastic smile whenever they need one.
It was one of those few happy moments with Daddy. We may have had a bad past and failed to establish that father-and-son connection but we’re still trying and it’s not too late. For Father’s Day, my brothers and I visited him in Olongapo and brought him wine. That’s what I like about Daddy – he’s always happy to see us and he’s a show-off to our other relatives that he’s got good kids. He’s always that funny guy during reunions but I never appreciated how cool he was until I let down the wall that separated us. Until now, we’re still patching things up and trying to reconcile our differences that have evolved through the years. But Daddy’s still my Daddy and I’m happy he’s still with us. I know Mommy would love to see us, his boys, together. That’s what I want too.
To Daddy, Happy Father’s Day!
The other week I told Kaye that I wanted to go swimming every week for my physical fitness and also as my off-work activity na din. I searched the Internet for a nice and clean pool around Manila to visit (by the way, I still haven’t found any – if you know of a clean place and doesn’t charge 500Php per visit, please tell me) and stumbled upon Ace Water Spa in QC. When I saw it, I liked it and asked Jeyelle if she wanted to go with me one day. I also realized I’d seen it before (when I viewed their Hot Herbal Pools) on TV but I wasn’t paying attention. And so, the schedule was set.
Late this afternoon after paying my bills, I met up with Jeyelle and Harvey and went to Ace Water Spa. It was nice but it felt weird to actually smell the chlorine in the lobby when it’s also their cafe. But other than that, the whole establishment was clean and nice. I observed that around (or more than) 50% of the spa-goers were Chinese and they brought their family. If you’re going there, be sure to bring your own towel because renting it is freakin’ 150Php. And also bring your swimwear – I bought my swimming trunks there for 350Php but that one’s okay because Speedos cost much more than that. Also, don’t go there hungry or you won’t really enjoy it. We tried every service they had on but my favorites were the hot herbal pools, the bubble massage, the bubble bed, the rainfall accupuncture and the waterfall bath. There was this cold pool that you have to take a dip in to balance your temperature after the hot pools, and it was crazy! It was freezing. The others were okay but they tickle and I did not feel very comfortable with them. The lazy river was cool too but they got boring after two rounds. We stayed there for almost three hours having fun with the water. It was a relaxing.
After our time there, they wanted to go to Guilly’s but I declined. I just felt it was inappropriate to party after going to a spa – I went there to relax and then I’d exhaust myself again with booze and smoke and a sleepless night? Hehe. We just had dinner in Morato and then went our separate ways.
Now, I feel tired and sleepy and I just wanna hit the bed. We plan to go there regularly. Also, I wanna take Piglet and my family there. I just wish Piglet will enjoy it because there are a lot of kids there – he doesn’t like kids. Hehe. I’ll just take my fourth meal for the day and I’ll sleep na.
I love the beach and I love to swim. Playing in the water gives me that sweet feeling that makes me forget all my worries. And the morning sun amplifies the already-blissful mood. It’s the perfect way to cheer me up, you know. Even with just pictures. That’s why when I arrived early at work today, I really felt sleepy and uninspired so I browsed pictures of my dream destination: Bora Bora Island.
I first found out about Bora Bora years ago when I saw it on TV and since then, it’s one of the places I always think of when I’m asked about my future plans. Ooooh… I can really imagine how it feels while hanging out in those over-the-water bungalows or how I’ll keep swimming until I turn coal-black. It’s just so beautiful and there’s nothing else you can wish for when you’re there (as long as you got a laptop, a fast Internet connection, a music collection and good speakers – oh, also an iPod in case you wanna bring your music outdoors which feels great, by the way). But, like the other best places, this luxury island comes at a great price starting from $3600 for a 7days/6nights vacation package. Cheap? Put******mo!!
I told you I am ambitious! Haha! Yeah. It’s one of the places I plan to visit when I finally get out of this limbo. It would be fun to take my family there. And Piglet will surely like it ‘cos he loves going places. Hehe… Family vacation in Bora Bora for a week? That would cost me more than my whole 20+ years of living at this point. But one day it’ll be easy. I know. 
Hahaha! You see where my love for beaches take me? Daydreaming is fun, you know!
She was the first person I became very good friends with during the time when I was still discovering my true self. I actually deviated from my old geek persona because of her – she was a bad influence. Haha! I’ve always known we’d always be friends because even in college, we went to the same school. When we graduated, we grew farther as I became more into my career, my relationship and my family. But then whenever I looked back, she’d always be there. She’d talk to me with the usual nonsense, be with me and just lighten up my mood. The same funny girl I met in high school.
After last Sunday, I didn’t wanna look back because I knew I wouldn’t find her. But I’m happy she decided to leave the country. “Career move” as she put it. And I admit I never thought she could do it because moving around Manila was a challenge for her. Well, she did it and I won’t see her again for a long time. It seems longer now that I know it’s impossible to just call her up and talk all night or meet up. I didn’t cry, though. This is what I want for her and crying would be a selfish act. My goodbye messages would’ve been long but I spared the time to deliver so I could hold back my tears. I just believe she’ll find happiness and one day come back with more stories to share.
So until that day when I can see her smiling face again, I’ll keep looking ahead. She’ll probably be coming from that direction anyway. Good luck Christine. We will miss you.
A couple of hours ago… I, together with my two brothers, had a very late dinner. It was the first after a really long time. I never felt as much as a big brother to them than this evening. We had the chance to talk about our future plans and what we pray for at night and I felt the togetherness that I’ve always been looking for in my family. You see… We grew up distant and dependent on the luxurious life that our parents provided and I never thought it would all end while we’re still this young. But then, it happened and I had a hard time reaching out to them to hold us close together. That’s why tonight, I felt happy to find out that they’ve coped with this new lifestyle and have grown smarter. They’re young adults now. And I never knew they appreciate what I do for them.
Just a simple evening that feels so special to blog about. 
Very very busy guy. Very ambitious. Developing workaholic. In a committed relationship. At continuous work towards achieving goals. Firm believer of positivity and determination. That works all the time! Trying to mix it all up without losing sanity, sparkle and fun.
