In pursuit of a Muse

Destination:Glorietta

We dropped by a couple of days ago to (possibly) purchase Havaianas flip-flops. But due to the small space of their boutique, one needs to fall in line in order to get in and choose what they want. The cheapest I heard is 700php, while other designs may reach 1200php and above. I was headed home and crossed paths with a kid selling newspapers at busses and saw his Bantex with holes at its soles.

Equation: 1 Havaianas=14 Bantex

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Destination: 168 Shopping Mall

Purchased gift items and haggled with its Chinese owners. Decent yet cheap, and I consider it a steal. Everything in one roof. From fake Centrums, iPod with a weird apple logo, soccer jerseys, plastic faucets, large snout Lacoste, and an interpreter in case the Chinese owner never understand a thing you say. The huge crowd made our bodies feel like we just came from a wrestling match.

"Wait  are those dvd movies? Awesome! 50 bucks? More awesome!"
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Destination: Metrowalk Ortigas

It was a concert event thrown by Winston Cigarrette on a Friday night. All these yuppies surround the area. Beer was overflowing at the scene. Beautiful women were part of the crowd. Carlsberg promodizers left me in awe just staring at them. The scene was right. Everybody seems to have a blast that night, except for one person. Guess who?

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Destination: Dad’s Restaurant

We stuf fed our bellies with their wide selection of dishes and delicacies. But what caught our taste buds, which eveyone agree on was the sashimi of Saisaki. Dip it in wasabe, and you might just lose yourself for a few moments. Their house band, who sings from table to table, belted out a samba in radio-like quality. Very impressive.
"Could you change my snowman stuffed toy to a dog?"
"It’s not a dog it’s a reindeer. See, it got antlers."
"Those aren’t antlers they are ears bitten by another pitbull."

On his way home, Optimististic can’t stand not to smile and be proud of himself. After all, her daughter, Nightlife, was about to finish college. It was all planned out from the very beginning…

Optimistic and Hesitation, her wife, strived during their early years just to have a stable day-to-day life. When Hesitation gave birth to Nightlife, Optimistic proclaimed that her daughter would be the next barrio doctor. Everyone who knew Optimistic was so excited, for the words coming from his mouth, was hard as oak. Hesitation always warned Optimistic to watch his words carefully and not to loudmouth his plans. But Optimistic was so proud of Nightlife that for every achievement Nightlife acquires, he brags about it during his drinking binges with the townsfolk.

Nightlife was unlike the other kids. She was below average. Although her comprehension was low, she was beautiful and soft spoken. Her hair was gold as cornhair while her eyes were blue as the ocean during the summer afternoons. The respect that people has for Optimistic, was carried on to her. Thus being favorable to her peers and teachers. When she came to age, flocks of men awaited at her doorstep, hoping to swoon her by giving expensive gifts, letters, jewelry, and fine arts. But she already had an eye on someone–Goodtime.

Not long enough Nightlife and Goodtime spent most of their time together. Goodtime relying on allowances provided by Luckily, her mother, used his money on wine, and a few misadventures with women. This he was proud to tell his friends. Nightlife knew those stories were true, but Goodtime promised her that he would change his ways. She believed.

A few months later, after countless unprotected sex and sleepless nights under the same roof, Nightlife got  [read more]

Bittersweet arpeggios from Niccollo Paganini’s violin:
We danced naked on the damp bare grass.
Feet sensitive from its coldness.
Waltzing amidst the fast moving earth.
Haunting Prelude by Bach in D minor:
Sitting at the confession box I rocked my body
back and forth. Hands tied back.
Eyes covered sensitivity doubles.
Prancing to Vivaldi’s Summer:
Descending from the heaven’s
A chariot of fire incised the clouds.
Driven by a golden haired woman
Left aghast from her laughter.
Capricho Arabe on Tarrega’s guitar string:
Warm breeze after a Sunday mass.
The baby rests its head at the woman’s bosom.
Woman serenely closes her eyes smelling a rose.

As my queen renounced her throne.
Diamond tears filled sleep.
She said she had enough,
took enough hurt from me.
She held fire but she felt pain.
This kingdom would never be the same.
Save me from my falling reign.
For our royal vows would still be same.
Shower me with your scent.
Be still my breath until my death.
Burn this hate filled castle!
Bury the scepter in this heart!
Stone me to death, black and blue!
Smitten. Naked. Blessed.

The breeze this morning made me realise that Chrismas is getting closer. The anticipation is slowly builds up my excitement each day. At the office, Alvin and the Chipmuks’ Christmas carols are blaring at our speakers.
When I was much younger, our family used to go shopping at Cubao and be spectators of C.O.D.’s Christmas presentation held at their facade during the evenings. Parents and kids of all ages watch in awe. We attend mass an hour before Christmas, wearing new clothes. And when Media Noche(12a.m. of Christmas day) culminates, my cousins and I, hold on to the biggest box of gift given to us, and open it at the same time.
Now, our family has a new reason anticipating Christmas, for my sister and her husband, now from Caticlan, takes a vacation at Manila. We scour through the tiangges of Greenhills and Tutuban, from the morning ’til our feet are sore.
Being with my family is the best gift I always get from God during Christmas. And nothing makes me feel complete than having my family seating at our small round table eating to our heart’s content.

P.S.: Dear Santa, if ever you’re reading this blog, I’ve been a good boy this whole year. Hope you grant my wish…

I got a new blog entitled "At the right side of the brain".I’ve been pondering a lot about being an artist and how it affects me as a person. During these past few years, I was blessed with the gift of wisdom on how to be better with my craft. And what better way to be understood by the community, than through blogs and sites.

Initially, I thought of starting a webpage. Unfortunately, it takes more time time to conceptualize and set it up. With little time that I have I have to resort to something else. So why not begin with a blog and keep the ball rolling? You’ll never know what lies ahead.

See you, guys

Blogging is a keyhole for undiscovered talents. I really enjoy doing wildcard searches at blogger and not surprising to find so many talented people around. These guys could express themselves so well that I find myself smiling, nodding, or reflecting while reading their posts. I just hope such talents would continue to write and inspire people by sharing their thoughts.

A bald man took a seat in a beauty parlour.  "How can I help you ?" asked the stylist. "I went for a hair transplant." the guy explained, "but I couldn’t stand the pain. If you can make my hair look like yours without causing me any discomfort, I’ll pay you $5,000. "No problem, " said the stylist, and she quickly shaved her head.
All deaf

Familiar with Mr. Clean? Yes. It’s the detergent with that sinister smiling bald guy with humongous arms, and blonde eyebrows. How about the eccentric friend of Jerry Seinfeld George Costanza? LL Cool Jay? Vin Diesel? Michael Jordan? Find anything common? Yes. Baldness. Self-inflicted or biological setbacks.

Having a bald head or having ones hair cut to look quite bald, is common to men here in Manila. I give you a bet, for every establishment, you’d probably find one or more of the likes. Some of them in a suit, while others  in a monkey suit complete with their bling blings. Making eyes burn, [more]

Kazakhstan’s sixth most famous man Borat, came to be no.1 in the US Box-office with his movie Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan on the US-charts.

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The 2005 movie Pinoy Blonde would have achieved same prestige as Borat if..[more]

Have you been bitten by the rush?

There’s a Filipino myth that when a a young person already drinks coffee he/she won’t grow up to his/her potential. Which is why at an early age I was not allowed to drink it, leaving me with no other choice but choco.

During the late 70’s and eary 80’s you could hear people proudly say "…yes, he even took me out for a coffee at the Manila Hotel," Probably due to the extravagant price of coffee at that place, coffee became a recreational activity and at the same time a status symbol. But nowadays, coffeeshops grew like mushrooms. So when you’re going to meet someone, this came to be the best place. Or when you don’t wan’t to be disturbed, want to enjoy bossa, read a book, and all the hundred personal reasons we find ourselves heading for that cold cup of iced latte, or the brewing steam of hot moccha.

I realized that some of the important things in my life involves a huge amout of coffee.  It served as the paint in my canvas of life.

1979, Province of Pangasinan, 4 years old
I greeted my Aunt Linat the usual pleasantries and found her busy managing the coffee pot at the kitchen. The coffee was made of roasted rice grains wherein its aroma filled the morning air. She took out an old jade-colored cup and filled it halfway, reminding me that I should not take too much, for I’m too young for it. I felt a jolt and found a new friend.

1982, at home
My first coffe cup was from the container of a Blend 45. My parents made me use this glass for me not to drink

1998, college student
Le Couer de France, SM West
Brought Liza,(not her real name)my girlfriend, to run away from our peers and have a private conversation on our own.

1999, college student
Cafeteria beside the University, theater class
Our theater class converges at this cafeteria where we enjoy cheap instant Nescafés prepared by an old couple. It’s there where we hangout with our peers with coffee and smokes in hand. Aspiring to be another Brocka or Bernal.

2001, at home
Bought a coffee maker and tried to imitate the taste of The Coffee Experience with Liza. After a few months we broke up.

2002
Have a new relationship with Andrea. She just can’t stand more