People have been talking about the new TV ad of McDonald’s that first aired a couple of days ago. It is, perhaps, one of the most bittersweet commercials I’ve ever come across. While I’m no fan of McDo, the ad certainly made me go, “Awwww…” :cute:

Basically, the story goes like this: There’s this bespectacled guy who remembers every moment of the first time he met his first love, whom I’ve codenamed pretty girl, whenever he goes to McDonald’s. Their mothers, complete with the 80’s big hairdo, were old friends and crossed paths again on that certain McDo branch. He felt that pretty girl and he had known each other a long time, having the same favorites (dipping the fries on the hot fudge sundae, which, as I side note, I have to admit I’ve been doing for a long time, hehe). So anyway, bespectacled guy fell in love with pretty girl, and this love never died.

Fast-forward to many years later, pretty girl drags him to meet her family, and you just have to see the expression on the bespectacled guy’s face to know how he feels. You know, when your steps falter and your heart suddenly takes a nosedive? It becomes a little bit hard to breathe, your palm gets sweaty, you try to smile but the ends of your mouth pulls down into a frown?

The ad ends with, “At kahit hindi rin naging kami sa huli, siya pa rin ang first love ko.” (Transliteration: And even if we didn’t end up together, she still is my first love.)

Cute, huh? Doesn’t help that the song used is arguably one of the greatest Filipino songs of all time.

Have you noticed the pretty girl’s expression when the bespectacled guy dipped his fries into the sundae? Sort of, like, a mixture of nostalgia and a little bit of regret? Or maybe I’m putting color into how touched she seems?

Don’t worry, bespectacled guy. I’m here. *pats back* I can be your second love.

According to the one who posted the video, who seems to be involved in the making of the ad, here’s the Creative Team:

GADC (McDo Clients): Margot Torres, Christina Lao, Mel Montemayor
Creatives: Teeny Gonzales – ECD-Copy, Argem Vinuya – Sr. Art Director
Accounts: Tey San Diego, Wella Balagtas, Lester Obice
Producer: Irene Chingcuangco
Director: Stephen Ngo
Prod House: Provill, Sound Design
Caster: Enrich Munchua
Musical Work: “Ang Huling El Bimbo” by Ely Buendia

I applaud the team for this slice-of-life and candid bit, a very heart-warming and brilliant ad that hasn’t graced the local television in a very long time. Great concept as well. Unrequited love is something that a lot of people can relate to. The ad gets even more touching each time I watch it. Kudos! :clap:

So anyway, I’ve been doing a lot of reading and croaking singing lately. Just because. A couple of hours ago, I did a cover of one of my most favorite uplifting songs, You Gotta Be by Des’ree. I messed up on the bridge part, boohoo.

Perfect counter-song for the McDo ad.

So…I came home from the BookMooch Pilipinas New Year’s Party about 2 hours ago. Extremely grateful to the guardhouse guard for hailing a cab for me. I brought home 3 heavy bags full of books. Happy, happy moocher!

The ones I was dying to get are in bold. Basically, they’re the I-can’t-believe-I-own-them-now books. The ones I found highly interesting are in italic. May be because other people recommend them to me, or they’re written by authors I’ve read before, or I read about them somewhere, or they touch on interesting topics. Some of these books are actually brand new.

Hardcovers

• Rise Mindanao!: Stories of Peacebuilding and Development from the Land of Promise (coffee-table book)
• Ballyhoo Buckaroo and Spuds (Ingenious Tales of Words and Their Origins) – Michael Quinion
• Leadership and the Customer Revolution (The Messy, Unpredictable, and Inescapably Human Challenge of Making the Rhetoric of Change a Reality – Gary Heil, Tom Parker, Rick Tate
• Love Always, Petra (A Story of Courage and the Discovery of Life’s Hidden Gifts) – Petra Nemcova and Jane Scovell
• Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil – John Berendt
• Babyproof – Emily Giffin
• What Southern Women Know About Flirting (The Fine Art of Social, Courtship, and Seductive Flirting to Get the Best Things in Life) – Ronda Rich

Trade Paperbacks

• Suite Française – Irène Némirovsky
• A Thousand Splendid Suns – Khaled Hosseini (US edition) NOTE: I actually already have a trade paperback of this in UK version, but, *ahem* Oh, well, haha.
• Last Chance Saloon – Marian Keyes
• The Time Traveler’s Wife – Audrey Niffenegger
• Read the Beatles (Classic and New Writings on The Beatles, Their Legacy, and Why They Still Matter) – June Skinner Sawyers
• Water for Elephants – Sara Gruen
• Friday Night Lights (A Town, a Team, and a Dream) – H. G. Bissinger
• The Queen’s Fool – Philippa Gregory
• Possession – A. S. Byatt
• Blind Submission – Debra Ginsberg
• The Divide – Elizabeth Kay
• Holes – Louis Sachar
• Black Robe – Brian Moore
• The School for Husbands – Wendy Holden
• The Book of Ruth – Jane Hamilton
• An Eye for an Eye – Malorie Blackman

Mass Market Paperbacks

• The Bookwoman’s Last Fling – John Dunning
• Across the Nightingale Floor – Lian Hearn
• The Boy Who Loved Anne Frank – Ellen Feldman
• The Scarlet Letter – Nathaniel Hawthorne

Will tell the story some other time. For now, just drool over the impressive list of books. Here’s to hoping I actually get to read all of them. Haha.

Oh, yeah. Have you seen my reading challenge for 2009?

• Apparently, I’m off the list of must-read “political” blogs of the wayward government, a little birdie told me. I found this quite funny. News flash: this is a personal blog, so thank you for bugging off, assholes.
• I decided to add a little spice to my bookworm life by participating in Flips Flipping Pages‘ Diversity Challenge, and that’s on top of the Quantity Challenge. I intend to “expand my horizons” and try other genres and authors this year. Here’s the list of the books I’m planning to read so far. Dare I say ambitious? I’m already getting lazy just by looking at it. Any suggestions are welcome.
• About to complete SEC registration of the [insert name here] organization and my registration to be a voter, and the renewal of my driver’s license.
• I embody the psycho in psychology no longer…I think.
• Started the year right by drinking with other bloggers.
• A friend said, “You’re the densest person I’ve ever met. She was obviously flirting with you!” A statement that received a raised eyebrow. Really, if it was *that* obvious, I’d have noticed it. The friend has an overactive imagination is all.
• Fascination with Dominance & Submission (of the BDSM acronym, yes) must be tamed, if not completely destroyed (at the back of my mind, the only way to rid of the filthy thought is to experience it).

Happy new year!

I was heavily drugged during the first hour of the year 2008. Clueless that the sleeping pills my psychiatrist prescribed me was *that* powerful, I downed a whole pill on the 31st of December last year and was promptly knocked out for about 30 hours. When I woke up, I felt like I was floating on air; I was only vaguely aware of my surroundings, and even the loud fireworks were like a faraway dream. After the festivities, I went back to sleep and woke up feeling hooman again.

I don’t intend to make a repeat of that and miss this year’s celebration. New Year has always been one of my favorites. There’s something about it that always brings hope, change, and hope for a change. As the year drags on, these things become in vain, but before we know it, another year is about to begin, and the cycle repeats. It’s tiring yet necessary for us to build up on our patience and strive harder.

I’ve never set goals for myself. I join no challenges. I don’t make resolutions. Some people might see it as a fool’s tactic to avoid disappointments, but then, disappointments have always been a constant. If there’s one goal, challenge, or resolution for myself that I’d love to have, it’d be to live life as I live it. Enjoy it. Treasure it. Reach out and share it.

Thank you, everyone, for sharing 2008 with me. I’m grateful that in this little nook on the web, our paths have crossed. I hope that you’re still with me on my journey this coming new year. Let’s learn and be inspired together as 2009 comes knocking on our doors.

(Oha, oha! Ang drama! :buckteeth: )

Misteryosa.com lives on as well, all thanks to Jaypee and Massa P, two Filipinos from overseas who refuse to see a fellow Filipino blogger get toppled from the crown. If it weren’t for them, the domain would’ve been history. Thanks also to the people who’ve lent their support and aired out suggestions, kinky and otherwise.

‘Twas the day after Christmas and the last Friday of the year. Plurkers from all over Metro Manila convened at Paseo de Magallanes for some early-morning caffeine fix and breakfast. The missions were to crowd Tagaytay City, eat like a king, enjoy the cool December winds and weather, and just have fun.

Jenny was my “official chauffeur” since we’re practically neighbors. Loaded up with a hearty Hellenic lunch at Manos Greek Taverna. The interior was blue-and-white utilitarian, with bottles of Greek wine and maps of Greece on display. We left with stomachs full. The place to be if you want home-cooked Greek cuisine.

Next stop was Bag of Beans. Made chit-chat and teased the guys mercilessly. It was a forgettable experience in terms of service, which could be a hundred times better (how dare they ignore the kid that was Jeric), but the company was great so I wasn’t bored…much. :p

Stayed for a couple of hours on the view deck of Taal Vista Lodge, a must-go if you want a spectacular view of the Taal Volcano and Taal Lake (“a lake within an island within a lake”). The sun was beating down on us, but the cold wind whipping around the trees more than made up for it. A series of jump shots were taken, with Fritz having the most creatively thematic and funnest poses.

And I wasn’t emo-ing, okay? It’s just that I love the serenity that overcomes my normally angsty state, and this only happens whenever I have a panoramic view of the ocean, or any body of water. I welcome a relaxing atmosphere and a breathtaking view, which I usually don’t get in the hustle and bustle place called Manila. I’m sure someone who has led a city life since birth and never got around to travel much will know what I mean.

Attempted an early dinner at Leslie’s Restaurant, but it ended up badly. Let’s just say that if I were in their place, I wouldn’t even *think* of charging a service fee when I didn’t even render any service. Leslie’s = FAIL talaga. Such a disappointing experience.

Dinner found us at Kanin Club in Paseo de Sta. Rosa. You’re in luck if you get a table in less than 15 minutes, because the place is almost always full. No wonder, though, because their dishes are absolutely made of YUM! Much thanks to the owner for the complementary salad, which was just about the best plate in the table.

‘Twas a fun-filled day. Although I pretty much spent too much money. Heh. Worth it, though.

(First photo: Arbet. Second photo: Karla. Third photo: Fritz. Fourth photo: Fran. More photos on Flickr. )

From my personality assessment test results:

Subject is basically a self-sufficient person with a very strong need to be able to come and go as desired and to do things freely without regard as to what others may think. [...] She is quite shrewd, easily able to see thru [sic] others’ motives and anticipate their reactions such that she can readily countermand them and make sure that she is several steps ahead of them. [...] Seemingly self-centered and wrapped up in inner urgencies, she nevertheless goes out of her way to do others a good turn yet would not want to be caught doing a good act as she does not know how to react to acknowledgment and appreciation. Seeing herself full of negative attributes, she cannot seem to believe that others would see something positive and worth-appreciating in her as she has not felt appreciated for what she is by her significant others. [...]

Beat that! :tongue:

The recommendation is that counseling is a must as I need to “see and feel her importance as a person.” Good heavens, I never knew I was so fragile!

People, please be gentle. :rolleyes:

Seriously, though, I found it really hard when Tita Dory asked me to write my nickname and think of positive adjectives that would describe me. Took me more than 30 minutes. And yeah, I wish I was kidding. I ended up with the following:

Sensitive – I’m perceptive like that
Huggable – for very obvious reason
Amusing – I…try
Reasonable – most of the time, anyway
Intelligent – ’cause Tita Dory told me so :buckteeth:

A and R were such a bitch to complete. I was so at loss that I asked for a dictionary. Of course, I never got any. My homework is to do the same thing, this time using the letters of my complete name. Bummer. Haha.

I will be off medication because it “intoxicates” me and doesn’t provide long-term results.

Tita Dory vehemently disagreed with the findings of my former psychiatrist that Robby has mild mental retardation. We’ll get more information about that next week.

And the reason why I’m now “opening up” is because I kinda “need” to. Tita Dory says I keep too much to myself. (does some eye-rolling here…) Meh.

This is just about the most outrageous things I’ve ever heard this year. Not even Cory Aquino’s “apology…in jest” to Erap can top this off. It’s simply ridiculous to argue with people over a golf game, but it’s downright inhumane to beat them up over it. And then later file a charge against a kid for “starting” the fight…? Assholes.

Student-athlete Bambee dela Paz shares the story on her blog, saying that the world has gone crazy. I beg to differ. The world is already crazy. But even if it is, this maddening experience is simply inexcusable.

It’s appalling.

I’m posting parts of the blog entry here. This happened yesterday, December 26, at Valley Golf and Country Club in Antipolo City:

At around 1:30 PM today, at Valley Golf and Country Club, Antipolo City, Mayor Nasser Pangandaman, Jr., Mayor of Masiu City, Lanao del Sur, his father, Secretary Nasser Pangandaman of the Department of Agrarian Reform, and company, beat my defenseless 56-year-old dad and my 14-year-old brother to a pulp because of some stupid misunderstanding on the golf course.

That sounds just like a nightmare from hell, doesn’t it?

My brother and I were playing golf at the South Course of Valley. We were on the 3rd hole, and we see two golf carts going past us, overtaking our flight, and setting up to tee off on the next hole. My dad goes up to them and asks them why they would do that, why they would overtake us without even asking for our permission. Golf etiquette 101. One of the guys says that they’re with the flight in front of us. (So what? That doesn’t give them the right to just pass us WITHOUT asking.) So, we go to the 5th hole. The flight behind us catches up with us, and asks us what caused the hold up. We said that this flight just slipped in front of our flight. So we complained to the marshall. We play the 5th hole and walk towards the next hole, where there is a teehouse, and both the flights in front of us were there, talking with the marshall. The mayor of Masiu City, Lanao del Sur talks with my dad. Things get heated up. Voices were raised. But never, in my wildest dreams, did I ever imagine that someone would pull out a punch. Apparently not. He attacks my father. His flightmates, maybe 2 or 3 of them, rush to his aid and beat up my father. My 56-year-old father. My younger brother and I could not just watch. We rushed to break the fight. My younger brother pleads to the mayor to please stop it. To not hurt my dad. To just stop. His words still ring through my head…”Sorry na po, sorry na po…tama na…tama na po…” With his hands in front of his chest in a praying position. PLEADING. The mayor socks him in the face. My brother defended himself. My dad is still on the ground getting clobbered. My brother is the same way. I try to stop the fight, but all I can do is stop one person. There were 4 or 5 of them attacking now.

Someone breaks up the fight. I thought it was all over. The mayor shouts to his caddy: “Hindi nila kami kilala! Sabihin mo nga sa kanila kung sino ako!” And believe me, I had no idea who this person was. But now I know. He’s the person who, with 4 other men, beat up my 56-year-old father and my 14-year-old brother. He’s the person who sacks a pleading 14-year-old kid in the face. He’s a person who, I am sure, is gonna rot in hell.

I lash out, but my dad held me back. I was screaming my lungs out, shouting to this mayor, telling him about what he had done. I said: “Nakakahiya kayo. Singkwenta’y sais anyos ang tatay ko. And kapatid ko kakatorse anyos. Anong ilalaban nila sayo?”

The mayor looks at my brother, point to his face, and says, “Tatandaan kita!” And he tells me that my brother has a bad attitude and that I need to watch him. WHAT THE HELL?! So, my brother’s bad for defending his father?!

We leave. We walk to the clubhouse to file a complaint. My brother asks for a doctor. My dad could barely walk. Their group comes to the clubhouse, sees my brother. Once again my brother pleads, says sorry, and is crying. He was CRYING, for crissakes. But no. The relentless mayor still punches him in the face, and then sees my dad and goes after my dad again. Him and his friend pull my dad to the ground, pulls at his feet, and steps on him like he’s dirt. I run to him and try to hold him back, holding him back by his shirt, while this other guy and this girl tries to stop me. She tells me to just stop it. I scream in her face “they’re beating my father up and you want me to stop?!” I pull at his shirt–I don’t let go. All I can see was my dad being trampled on. I didn’t even see my brother getting beat up.

People pull them away. I get my dad, and I saw my brother. His right ear was bleeding. I freaked out. I told the receptionists to bring my brother to the clinic. I pull my dad away. People were separating us.

My mom and my older brother come. I tell her Bino’s right ear is bleeding. They both look like they could kill. My dad holds my brother off, I hold off my mom. When I finally got my mom under control, my older brother gets away and I hold him off. Two of the mayor’s bodyguards pull out guns. I embraced my brother from the back, just holding him back, crying. The receptionists came to us, crying, hugging me, my dad, and my mom, whispering to us to just leave. “Maam, umalis na po kayo, may mga baril sila…Maam…umalis na po kayo please…”

I am pretty sure the Secretary of DAR did not take part in the fight, but he just watched all this happen. He watched two of his sons, as we figured out, the other guy was his son, too, beat up my father and my 14-year-old brother. He didn’t do anything to stop it. And this person is what now? A cabinet member. A politician.

I’m aghast at the employees of the golf course. They didn’t do anything to help these poor people, just because they were dealing with politicians. It’s funny that this Mayor Nasser Pangandaman, Jr. of Masiu City, Lanao del Sur has been given an award for “effective leadership.” He is not a “leader” and a “transformer,” he’s a MONSTER. His father, Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman, is none the better.

I am hoping that the family gets the justice they so deserve. No family should ever get this harsh treatment from politicians, who should know diplomacy and courtesy. In fact, no one should ever be put through it. We simply don’t take shit from anyone.

A couple of days ago, the dad said I would resume seeing my shrink. And a psychologist, who turns out to have a similar case of disorder (the one I have) during her younger years. Thanks to her crush, he was a bit successful in overcoming it. So I guess, aside from the prescribed medication from my psychiatrist, I’ll be taking this procedure called behavior modification (which was what I suggested to my mom the first time I told her about my disorder) in order to make me better.

Yesterday, I met Tita Dory, who’s been in the counseling business for 30 years. She used to work at UST, if I’m not mistaken. Anyway, after taking the psychological and IQ evaluation tests for 3.5 hours straight (and getting cramps in the process), I left with the family for Greenhills Shopping Center. Before then,

Tita Dory: I’ll text you to let you when you’ll be coming back here. Probably on the 26th.
Shari: Thanks.
Tita Dory: Reply to my text, okay?
Shari: If I don’t reply, it means I have no credits left. (and all the while I was asking myself, will she take the hint?)
Tita Dory: That’s not a problem. I’ll send you load.

She did! Haha. Never mind. I just found it funny at the time. ^_^

Anyway, we’re working on me being literally vocal about my dislike (or resentment) for my father. She says I have to learn to say to my dad that I don’t like him. It’s different from showing him — which is what I make it a point to do — and she claims that actually voicing my dislike will ease the tension. Or so she says. Meh. I’m doubtful, but it’s worth a try.

I guess my dad did good though, for finding Tita Dory. Probably because I told him something the last time we talked with each other (that would be around December 3, because we had a cold psywar going on). I made it clear that:

No matter how he says he understands, he doesn’t. He will never understand. He’s not going through the same things I do, and the only people I can trust enough to talk with are those who know what it’s like to be like me. I am so thankful that the internet has opened doors for me in terms of communicating with other trichsters, because we’re the only people who can understand exactly what motivates our actions. We have an idea about the why’s, whereas outsiders only know the what’s and the how’s. We don’t judge each other based on what we’ve done. We all know we’re more vulnerable than other people think we are.

I’ve had this “disease” for 10 years, and I’d like to think I’ve handled it better than some even if I occasionally give in to depression or inflict injuries to myself. Some people have never even managed to make it through high school, and have stayed home half of their lives in fear of being humiliated or shunned by their peers. The year 2008 has been good to me; I’ve sought out professional help and found a temporary relief. By admitting that I need help, I’ve taken the first step in finally battling this disorder.

Hell, the Philippines doesn’t even recognize it. The National Center for Mental Health has never encountered it for the past 10 years, which is too bad because as far as I know, a lot of people are suffering from the disorder. The psychiatrists I’ve talked with rarely ever meets someone like me, and only then, they can only prescribe medication to rid, to an extent, the catalyst that makes us remain this way. But taking anti-depressants can only take us so far.

So no, he does not and will never understand. He does not understand or know those play of emotions, the thoughts that go through a trichster’s head, because he is not in my place. I will rather be misunderstood by him, than hear him say he knows what I’m going through.

That goes to all of you, too.

“I listen for my muse, and I can only hear her in silence. Writing is an intensely private process. I’m afraid there’s no grand philosophical justification for my secrecy. The desire to know all about an author is a sign of laziness on the part of the reader. It’s easier to digest a work of literature when you can attach it to a face, or a set of political beliefs or life-style choices. When all you have is the text, or a body of work, you have to confront what is written.”

Meet Horace Jacob Little, a reclusive postmodernist author who has been completely anonymous for the past 25 years. His books have blank covers, without any blurbs or praises despite his numerous awards, and no one has ever successfully uncovered his identity. There is no biography, no photograph. Not even his agent has seen him, as he conducts all communication via a post office box.

He’s also the subject of Andrew Wallace’s paranoia and obsession.

Andy, a brilliant yet troubled literary genius, spends his time at the Overlook Psychiatric Institute writing his autobiography titled Confessions, an account of his journey toward the revelation of a certain author’s real identity. He’s convinced that the whole world is plotting a grand conspiracy against him, headed by none other than Horace Jacob Little. His strange and eccentric behavior has caused him his girlfriend and his confidante, two people who he suspects have turned against him with little persuasion from the evil mystery author.

Jake Burnett is a journalist for an alternative to an alternative to an alternative newspaper, The Ledger. His boss assigns him on a mission to reveal who Horace Jacob Little is, and this assignment leads him to Overlook, where he meets Andy and develops an awkward relationship with him. This is not helped by the fact that both of them are [still] in love with the same girl they fell for while in Princeton, Lara Knowles, who is heartbroken over Andy’s lapse to insanity and tries to cover it up by projecting the feeling contentment she doesn’t really feel.

Jake eventually finds Horace Jacob Little and blackmails him into granting an interview. He later learns that everything begins at Overlook, otherwise known as The Muse Asylum, a residential treatment facility for the mentally ill yet artistically gifted people. It is the link and the key to the mystery. One question remains unanswered until the end: Who is Horace Jacob Little, and why is he hiding?

The Muse Asylum by David Czuchlewski is a delightfully complex read that keeps the reader hanging until the last pages of the book. While Czuchlewski’s prose is certainly not poetic and sometimes even bordering on technical, it flows seamlessly and with elegance. I personally think there’s no dull moment in the novel as the plot develops rapidly with few distractions. It is not without faults, though, because I find the supporting characters quite flat and dull, even Lara. And for an award-winning writer, Little surely doesn’t impress me with his writing.

The story switches from Jake’s account to Andy’s memoir every two chapters. This can be quite confusing at first, but as the reader delves deeper into the book, this oddity becomes natural, at some time even brilliant. I admit I find Andy to be a disturbing character. The way his mind works makes me stagger back. He is crazy, but as the story progresses, I find it a little difficult distinguishing what is crazy and what is not. Czuchlewski subtly approaches a climax that many people have found unnerving and utterly intriguing.

It is a clever, well-written and well-plotted postmodern novel that’s definitely worth a look. It leaves the reader with more questions than answers, which is exactly what I like about it, and no one is entirely sure what’s really going on, which adds to the tension and mystery that is sustained throughout the novel. An intricate and terrific thriller. A quick yet deep read that will surely leave the reader reeling and fascinated even after the end. One thing is for sure: nothing is quite what it seems. If you want details spoon-fed to you without any room for reader engagement, this may NOT be the book for you. (This is actually an “invisible” jab at Twilight, hahaha!)

Sidenote: I only bought this book because of its cover and the glowing praise from Joyce Carol Oates, who turns out to be Czuchlewski’s advisor. And it was selling for only P40. I couldn’t resist. I opened it any chance I could, finishing it just before the NaNoWriMo TGIO Party last Friday.

I’m glad it did not disappoint.

In the Philippines, there’s a Christmas tradition called Simbang Gabi (“Misa de Gallo” or “Night Mass”) where people go to church at dawn for nine successive days, believing that a special wish would be granted to them if they never miss a day (of course, this is a twisted definition — but true nonetheless — because Simbang Gabi is foremost a pledge of devotion). This popular tradition starts at 4am today, December 16, and is always my cue to start singsonging my wishes to the fishes.

A couple of months ago, I made a wishlist for my birthday just for the heck of it, and I ended up getting some of the books I was mooning over. I decided to try it again this time. Might work, might not, but maybe I’d be lucky enough to get at least three.

• Money, Money, Money – I am perpetually broke, an effect of occasional book splurges I engage in. I hate shopping next to the president and a boxer, both of whom I prefer not to name, but when it involves books, you can be sure to count me in. Ironically, these splurges tend to happen only during sales. Most of the time, I go home with only enough money for transportation. I have a Paypal account.
• My PDA phone back – I accidentally broke my phone last month during my mom’s confinement in the hospital. I still haven’t gotten it to a Palm doctor because — surprise, surprise! — me no have money. I’m hoping to get it fixed before January ends, because I am simply heartbroken not having it by my side.
• Books, Books, and More Books – No need to explain, right? I’m not fussy about specific edition and book condition as long as there are no missing pages.
  • The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
  • The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
  • Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich
  • The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
  • Time of the Eagle by Sherryl Jordan
  • The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
  • Martial Law Babies by Arnold Arre
  • Paper Towns by John Green
  • …will be added to eventually…
• New shelves – I’ve been out of shelf space for the longest time, and not even selling books has helped. My family is breathing down my neck because our little house looks like a huge bookshelf itself.
• Yu Yu Hakusho – This much hasn’t changed at all. Anything and everything YYH, I love. Especially if my dear Botan-chan is present.
• Acer Aspire – Just to up the ante a little, heh. Just so you know I do love to have expensive things once in a while.
• World Peace – After all, it wouldn’t be called a wishlist if not one item was next to impossible to happen, right?

Do you know how it feels to make a complete and utter fool of your miserable self, and do it in front of a bunch of intellectual people, no less?

Surprise, surprise! Now I do!

I was asked to speak on a seminar in UST about writing, taking the blogger’s viewpoint as a storyteller to share tips. It wasn’t as if it was a hard topic at all. Any blogger would’ve hit the nail on the head. Hell, I even made notes…which served no greater purpose than to be displayed because I didn’t use them anyway. I also mentally prepared myself by turning in earlier than usual and getting five hours of sleep. I ate one of my most favorite sandwiches — peanut butter and strawberry jam — and watched porn the early morning news.

Things took a nosedive from there. Traffic was bordering on awful, perhaps an effect of Pacquiao’s victory mass at Quiapo Church. I got lost inside the UST campus. I was having a bad hair day (not that it was anything new, really), no thanks to the sun, as all hair strands went astray. And then I pathetically spoke in front of a crowd, all the while feeling like an idiot because my PowerPoint presentation was like a chart out of bounds.

(Keep in mind: As Regnard said during the first mini conference organized by the Philippine Web Designers Organization, a safe bet for minimum screen resolution is 1024 by 768 pixels.)

Darn. I never said nor pretended I was an effective speaker, right? That’s the main reason why I write. I tend to lose my “stream of consciousness” and go off on a tangent while speaking because my mouth can’t keep up with the deluge of wicked thoughts in my head. I usually think three steps ahead, but stupid brain waves are not fast enough.

Enjoyed the seminar though. I learned a lot, especially from the last speaker, who delivered a pretty cool presentation that drew chuckles from everyone for its dry humor. I would’ve given anything to speak as eloquently and coherently as she did.

I wanted to give away two copies of the latest Philippine Genre Stories volume, but I’ve had little time in my hands since arriving from Mindanao last week and was unable to buy one. So I compiled some of the “I have no use for this” “stuff that blogging brought”: ROAM Magazine (I’ve already my own copy anyway), Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf voucher (expires today, heh), Google mobile phone dangle (which, by some stroke of luck, I won during WordCamp Philippines), WordPress and Ubuntu stickers, SPOT.ph notebook, blah blah blah. (Question: In what year did the first known Filipino blogger start blogging? Answer: 1996. The blogger is Lauren Dado.)

I also “raffled off” my copy of the Blogging from Home book. While it’s certainly a gem, I think people who are just starting out and wanting to learn more will find better use for it than I do. I’ve had thoughts of giving it away since I finished it. And quite happily, might I add, because I learned a lot. I firmly believe that it’s meant for sharing, not for keeping. My apologies to Janette Toral, though, because it seems I have forgotten to take a picture of myself holding the precious book. Such blasphemy on my part. (Question: What’s the website I always open first before anything else? Answer: Gmail. And I had to give a clue before anyone guessed it correctly. Nyah!)

Oh, well. All’s well that ends well.

Got to meet the author of Every Girl’s Guide to Heartache, Marla Miniano. She informed us that the second installment of her “Every Girl’s Guide” series, Every Girl’s Guide to Boys, should be out now soonish. Her first book was launched the same time Vince’s Life: The Next Chapter – Getting Over Andrea (which I fell in love with, for real!) was. I’d be buying her books the next time I hit the bookstores.

Much thanks goes to MM for inviting me, plus the staff of CASA Chronicle, and, of course, the attendees.

November 29 was far from uneventful as Fully Booked, in partnership with Yehey!, organized a fun-filled day with bloggers and book enthusiasts alike held at TopShelf in Fully Booked, Bonifacio High Street. About 150 bloggers were given a VIP tour of the 5-storey building and a satisfying catered meal courtesy of Hizon’s.

It’s no secret that I’ve been quite a big reader since I was in my diapers (ooowwws, haha). My taste in books is eclectic at best, but I’m a big mystery buff. I do read a lot, and it’s my first love, second only to…well, none. I’m sure the same is true for my acquaintances in BookMooch and Flips Flipping Pages. And this is something I had waited for for a very long time: a bookstore opening its doors to bloggers and giving them free books! Considering that only a few days prior the event, I visited and bought a book from Fully Booked Gateway when I was with Lexie and Aja a couple of days ago, it was a curious coincidence.

After a visit to the veterinarian (my dog Boomer’s tail has fungal infection, the poor thing), Robby and I deposited all the pets to my grandma’s mini zoo house in Marikina and hurried on over to Taguig for the much-awaited event. Of course, grandma was aghast and couldn’t stop her expected amusing blabbering (Putragis kayo! Ginawa niyong zoo itong bahay ko! Ukiniman! — the house was left with 4 dogs, a rabbit, a hamster, and numerous aquarium creatures, not to mention the usual insects and rodents and birds every house has), but we got out in one piece. In effect, Robby and I were late, but tagging my little brother along sure had its perks (aside from having someone to order around, heh)).

Fully Booked categorizes its over 100,000 titles into five main categories: Lifestyle, Children, Design, Humanities, and Professional. When I first visited a branch a few years ago, it reminded me strongly of Borders, a bookstore I fell in love with back in Singapore, with its cozy ambiance and a wide range of book choices. Fully Booked’s flagship store in Bonifacio High Street was one of the biggest bookstores I’ve ever been to, and it would take anyone more than a few hours to browse through the shelves for something to buy. The basement that houses a considerable amount of comic and graphic books and mangas also has U-View, a 62-seater movie theater that not many people are actually aware of. What I love most about Fully Booked is the stylish interior of the stores, and, of course, the nice organization of the books.

The event ended on a light note, with everyone getting a chance to go home with at least 2 free books. The selection was good, even when I was only in the 2nd batch to look over the titles in the tables. I was extremely happy with my loot, suffice to say. The first two books were the ones I “won” in answering a trivia question (What is the most common phobia among the choices given? Benj and I agreed it was agoraphobia; claustrophobia was too usual a thing to be the correct answer, haha. Kidding. Seriously though, I had an idea it was the answer so it wasn’t a lucky guess at all.)

• The God Machine (Hellboy) by Thomas E. Sniegoski, mass market paperback
• Happiness: Lessons from a New Science by Richard Layard, hardcover
• A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby, hardcover
• Trickster’s Queen by Tamora Pierce, trade paperback
• Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood, trade paperback
• The Big Over Easy by Jasper Fforde, hardcover

Maaan, and I haven’t even started on the books I brought home from the BookMooch get-together, all 17 of them. Aaaand that’s not even counting my numerous BookSale finds (Lex, I was lucky enough to find an Ingrid Bergman autobiography! Hah! I love BookSale!).

Want some useful information? The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga, The Man Booker Prize 2008 winner, is about P100 cheaper in National Bookstore, only P265 for the mass paperback copies. Fully Booked sells the title for about P350. Pooh. I also find it interesting that the books discussed by FFP for the past few months are being sold by Fully Booked, fresh from the box.

The next day, I left for Cagayan de Oro and Camiguin, but that’s another story.

Galit na galit ka talaga sa akin, ano? Sana inintindi mo rin yung buong post bago ka nagmura-mura dyan sa tabi-tabi. Sinulat ko bang lahat ng tao, ganun? Sinulat ko bang yun nga ang ugat ng lahat? Isa pa, porque ba wala ako sa hanay niyo ay di na ako pwedeng maki-simpatya sa ibang tao?

Ang kapal ng mukha mo.

Kung ayaw mo ng mga sinusulat ko, bakit di ka maghanap ng ibang blog na pwede mong basahin na di puputok ang ugat sa utak mo sa sobrang galit? Bakit kailangan mong bumalik-balik dito para inisin ang sarili mo? Bakit nga ba naman sa akin ka pa nakatutok, eh sigurado naman akong may iba pang blogs dyan na pwede mong bisitahin na hindi mo kamumuhian ang nagsulat at ang mga isinusulat? Na pwede mong insultuhin ang nagsulat at ang mga isinusulat? Ganun naman ang siste dati, diba?

Hindi ko alam kung bakit nagpapaapekto pa ako. Marahil dahil na rin inakala kong nagkaroon tayo ng isang espesyal na koneksyon. Eh ano naman kung masaktan ako sa mga sinasabi mo, diba? Pakialam mo? Nasa akin na yun. Pagkakamaling siguro’y habambuhay kong pagsisisihan ang makisama sa inyo, dahil sa buktot na ugaling ipinakikita mo.

I have to admit something.

I’m absolute in loathe with Zac Efron. I mean, come on! He’s so not a good actor. He can sing, I’ll give him that, but act? Eh? With one expression on his face? Meh.

It’s probably the reason why I hate High School Musical to death. And it’s possibly the reason why I didn’t bother seeing the Hairspray release last year when I liked the 1988 movie version just fine (I only watched it because Divine was there, seriously). As soon as Efron appears on my TV, I get the chills (in a completely bad way) and have to stop the video. At first, I could’t get past his first scene. And the 2007 movie is a musical. Who can bloody resist a musical?

I can! If Zac Efron’s there. ^_^

(But then, I don’t like Vanessa whatchamacallit of HSM as well, so there. Efron doesn’t take the whole blame. I don’t know why the antagonistic feeling, so don’t ask. )

I went to see Hairspray The Musical staged by Atlantis Productions at Star Theater Sunday afternoon. It was with pure hot luck that I won a ticket from Gibbs Cadiz for the show a couple of days ago. Apparently, an Ateneo alumni, Jepoy, in support of his college theater organization Ateneo Blue Repertory, bought two tickets all the way from the US and gave those tickets to Gibbs, who gave the tickets away to two lucky “good Googlers” who could enumerate three BlueRep productions in which Madel Ching, who plays Tracy Turnblad in Hairspray, appeared in. (I have to thank Anton Diaz’ blog post for that, by the way. Hah! The wonders of technology.)

So I brought my muse with me to the theater, excited to see a live stage performance again after so many months (the Eraserheads Reunion Concert doesn’t count, obviously). I met Dale, the one who won the other ticket, who bravely introduced himself to me after an usher, uh, ushered me to my seat. We were both pretty early so we talked our mouth off until the show began.

It was colorful. And retro. And fun. And vibrant. And simply outstanding. There were very minor technical issues, and the fact that the sound of the orchestra was being heard in only one direction was a little bit distracting, as pointed out by Dale. But overall, it was a fantastic stage play, put into life by excellent actors.

…with the exception of the one who plays Link Larkin, who stuck out like a sore thumb. It’s not that he’s bad, it’s just that he’s…bad. Uhm. I mean, not that good. He pales in comparison to his colleagues. Which should probably explain why I mentioned (well, ranted, really) about Efron in the beginning. Both dudes’ acting is less than impressive. Geez. Good thing Efron can sing, because this certain actor certainly sounded like he was croaking all throughout his songs. Well, not really. But you get the picture. He’s like a male version of Vanessa watchamacallit with the cockroach voice. Only the actor is way better than Vanessa watchamacallit. I find him better than Efron in the acting department as well. Or maybe I really hate Efron. Whatever.

Come to think of it, the role requires for the actor to do just two things: smile and look pretty. So yeah. I guess they were good actors after all.

(Before Link sings “Without Love,” he has this, “I can’t sleep, I can’t sing, I can’t eat” line that I found hilarious. I couldn’t help myself. I leaned over to Dale and whispered, “See? Even he knows he can’t sing.” I knoooow, I’m such a meanie. )

But that fact didn’t take away the fun in the play. My favorite in the cast is probably Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo, the talented actress who plays Velma Von Tussle. Great acting, great singing voice — hell, great voice, great body, great butt clad in those black panties… Really. Just great.

Female lecher. Haha.

And — my gosh!!! — DULCE! Betchabygolly WOW Motormouth Maybelle! She was bloody fantastic! Her voice was just so…undescribable. She sounded way beyond great. You could practically hear and feel the hush that fell over the crowd as she sang. “I Know Where I’ve Been” almost brought tears to my eyes. The song, lyrics and all, was as soulful as Dulce’s performance, and it was by far the best and my most favorite scene in the show. Edna and Wilbur Turnblad’s “You’re Timeless to Me” runs a close second. “Mama I’m a Big Girl Now” is third.

Michael de Mesa — on drag — is an effective Edna Turnblad. Funny, too. Meanwhile, who’d have thunk Nyoy Volante is a decent dancer? Certainly not I.

With a powerful cast and an award-winning play, Hairspray is definitely a must-see for everybody. If you have a few hundred pesos to spare, spare them. The groping and sexual innuendos are too funny to pass up on.

Oh, yeah. This post is not a “hardcore” review nor a critique, but merely an observation of a freeloader who appreciates good art but not pretty boys, haha.

(I really hate Zac Efron.)

Technology, you just have to love it. Halfway around the world, and we could still find ways to hurt each other.

Vince O. Teves is back with another disarmingly candid, subtly romantic book about his life after Andrea, his ex-girlfriend, left for the US. Vince’s Life: The Next Chapter – Getting Over Andrea is the sequel to the highly successful title Vince’s Life that was published four years ago.

Vince is finally taking the first step toward the two dreaded words after months without Andrea — moving on. They still communicate frequently through emails, and he has been demoted from boyfriend to buddy, but that’s okay with him. The important thing is that he’s got himself a job at an award-winning ad agency, something that he has never really expected. Soon after, he is introduced to the agency’s “Charlie’s Angels,” one of whom becomes his love interest as the story progresses.

A lot of elevator pranks (which consisted of things from catty to just plain crass), beers at Yakuza (a bar the agency dudes hang out at frequently), heart-breaking email exchanges (between Vince and Andrea), a successful account (a product of overtime works and a sleepless night), and an old high school crush later (with whom Vince has a textbook-perfect date…sans the magic and fireworks), Vince hooks up with Cat, the hazel-eyed, “kinky librarian type” of the three angels. They have stimulating conversations, and they find a common ground with their love for books.

They become close, but an awkward moment befalls upon them as Vince’s mouth gets the better of him, and Cat ends the call with, “You make me believe in magic again. And just when everything is so beautiful, you go and break the spell.” Even after that, they become even closer still and the magic remains, albeit not one of them acts on it. All is well and dandy, until Andrea tells Vince that she’s coming home.

Confused, he is left to choose between an old flame and a new one. The beach, or the Ad Congress? Should he win Andrea back, or continue what he’s started with Cat?

“I have to see where this is going,” I said, trying to explain. “Andrea and I were serious for a long time, and it just doesn’t go away so quickly. I’ve known her for six years–”

“Four,” Cat interrupted.

“It’s six,” I explained. “I’ve known her since first year college–”

“Four!” Cat insisted, her anger flaring again. “She’s been gone for two years. And for those two years, you and her have been nothing. And you know what, Vince? You can’t love someone who’s never there.”

I’ll be a heartless bitch and spoil everything for you. He chooses the latter.

On a sidenote, that “magic” and “fireworks” stuff will stay with me forever. And I’m not going to write pages 90-92 here, but trust me, it’s a must-read. It’s probably the part of the book where I first got teary-eyed. Granted, I’m such a crybaby, but the letter that was never sent just gave my heart a little pinch, and I felt the hurt, if you know what I mean. Pages 139-140 are a gem.

“[...] I won’t be stuck in the past, holding on to our yesterday, waiting for something that won’t ever come back.

“And I’m happy. You don’t know how happy I am now that I’ve straightened all of this out.” I laughed, I don’t know why. It wasn’t particularly funny. “We gave it our best shot, and we loved hard. It was beautiful. And now we’re both free–and whole–and we can do whatever we want to do.

“You’re leaving again. But I won’t ever lose you. Some people think loving someone is a waste when it doesn’t work out because you can’t take back the love you gave. But I don’t think it’s like that. You’re a part of me.”

I remember back then, right after reading Vince’s Life, I told my friends, “I think I’m in love.” With Vince, I thought. I’m a sucker for guys who can write beautifully. Besides, every girl deserves a Vince in their lives. And in this second installment, we see a growth in Vince here, and, even if it doesn’t exactly precede the first book, I like it better.

What I love best about Vince Teves is that he writes in a simple yet beautifully lyrical manner that makes you feel as if you’ve witnessed firsthand the things he went through. Unlike most of the Filipino-written chick lit books I’ve read, his words are simple and honest. There’s no need to use a dictionary or thesaurus to look up big words, and the way his sentences flow is easy to follow. Vince is expressive just as he is sensitive, and it shows.

Both Vince’s books are perfect for an afternoon break at the park. They’re short and sweet. They are for people who are in touch with their romantic side. They’re for girls who take guys for granted, and for guys who take life for granted in the name of love. They’re about falling in love, moving forward, moving on, falling out of love, and falling in love all over again. In short, they’re incredibly cheesy, but I like them all the same. Vince’s life may very well be a glimpse, or a mirror, of our own lives.

Give the books a try, if you haven’t done so already. Who knows? You might like them just as much as I did…and that’s a lot.