Gurls love to shop

This was Divisoria when we invaded it two weeks ago with our two generalissimos, Pauline & Neneng.

Mang Leo dropped us off at the Tutuban Mall. I gave him money for parking, lunch and for whatever he may need, and instructed him, "Kung saan mo kami binaba, dito mo rin kami susunduin. Tatawagan na lang kita."

The least that I want to happen to all of us was to get lost in chaotic Divi.

I don't remember the last time I was in Divisoria. Probably six years ago or less than that. Anyway, the sight and smell looks the same. Except maybe for a big sign that says: This way to 618.

I gave the two gurls their bonus because I want them to enjoy their trip to Divi. But when we were already there, I thought that I'd just go ahead and spend for some stuff they like so that they didn't have to spend their bonus. Each got a pair of shorty shorts, sleeveless shirts and something for the hair.

There, I saw Pauline haggle. And, man, the way she'd slash that price off the tag was jaw-dropping. Kung baga sa boksing, nakakalalaki. It was scary.

We didn't have to move around that much in order to carry plastic bagfuls of presents to give away, which ranged from beddings to curtains to bags to shirts.

We headed to the mall when I got hungry. Lunch was at Max's in Tutuban. It was a long wait to be seated but it was worth it because of the clean restroom and good meal in an a/c room.

Shopping wasn't over after lunch. If in the morning we "strolled" Recto at Divi, in the afternoon we knifed the crowd in Tutuban. Parang di maubos-ubos ang mga tao. Iniingatan ko nga yung tsinelas ko at baka matapakan, maiwan. Mapabili pa ko ng di oras.

After raiding Divi, the two gurls went to SM MOA. I was on way to a Christmas party at the Dampa along Macapagal Avenue. They rode with me and I dropped them off at the globe. You know, that rotunda.

Three hours later, I picked them up at the same spot.

I asked them if they bought anything for me.

Neneng was the first to answer, "Hindi. Ang mahal naman ng paninda dun."

So these gurls know how to shop. My mere act of driving or being there with them is a leisure by itself. What really fit my interest was that I was able to let them shop.

These are two people who know me up close and personal and yet I might have taken them for granted all year long except for those past pre-holiday shopping.

what a man brings to work

Hi. Got ur #... Ü Tnx.

This man didn't advertise his number. He gave it to her only because she did it first.

Over instant messenger...at work...while he chatted with Leila. And she, if you must know this early, belongs to the same department as Leila.

He need not know that she and Leila sat so close to each other that she would actually know when he was online to chat about work.

He need not be aware that she would actually find the reason (and time) to go down to his area to check on how they are doing, and then talk to him briefly about work.

He need not realize that in all their IM chats, she would always be the initiator. Anyway, the conversation's nothing personal.

On the other hand, she need not learn that she has been a mild cause of his distraction at work. And he's avoided getting close to her since the first time they were introduced.

She need not see that he would make glances, all stolen, at her from his seat. And for some strange reason, he felt that she knew everytime he looked her way because she would suddenly smile a lot, or talk a little bit louder. But then, he also thought that all of these were imagined.

She need not tell him personal stuff about her because, although he could be extremely curious about her life outside work, he really didn't want to because he wasn't ready for it.

Yes, ready.

But she would, or perhaps it was fate, little by little tell a lil bit about her life.

For one, she has a lil gurl. Eight years old.

For another, she isn't taken.

So, anyway, when she gave him her number, he wasn't ready for that. He didn't think it was necessary to have her contact info. But, so as not to show the tiny shock he felt, he told her that he'd call her up just so she could save her number, which she did.

And then, she texted him right away.

He texted back.

And then it became a series of exchanges unrelated to work. Pace was still slow, which was good.

You're still at work? she asked.

He answered yes and added that he was on his way out, unlike her who was already spending quality time with her daughter.

And then she tells him a bit of her schedule, her whereabouts the next day, without him asking.

Again, he wasn't ready for that.

This time, he didn't know what to reply. He wanted to tell her though that she's screwing his head. Incredible, incredible moves to make him forget about work.

Yea, he likes it.

A lot.

* * *

kids should know that...

The idea of adding text messaging to the services of mobile users was latent in many communities of mobile communication services at the beginning of the 1980s. Experts from several of those communities contributed in the discussions on which should be the GSM services. Most thought of SMS as providing a means to alert the individual mobile user, for example, of a deposited voice mail, whereas others had more sophisticated applications in their minds, such as telemetry. However, few believed that SMS would be used as a means for sending text messages from one mobile user to another. (wikipedia)

stimulated by a mermaid

It's a weekday on the road and you're holding the wheel on one hand and a cup of hot coffee on the other. That's a statement about your lifestyle. It says you have a fast one.

You hardly have time to enjoy morning at home with a good brew. You simply can't when the first thing that pops in your sleepy head is the time.

What time is it? Sometimes you don't want to know. You want to stay in bed but you can't afford to be immobile. So you just get up and go. Life rushes on to the fast lane.

This is me. It used to be a pain in the ass. But now it's alright.

Let's go back to that coffee on the road. It's a take out without a bagel because it'll just be messy in the car seat. Take note that this is one of those mornings that I don't have a driver.

Traffic snarls although it doesn't kill your spine that much when you're bearing it at about 8 am. This is that wonderful window hour when traffic can still be tolerable.

And yes, you might make it to the office with a slight pesky problem - where the hell do I park my car?!

So let's stay on the road for a while and deal with this ordeal called Metro Manila traffic.

Sip the coffee through the hole of your supposedly spill-proof mug. You hold it longer than expected close to your mouth, not because you want to make the other drivers envious, but because you're blowing the steam and you don't want to ruin your suit with a quick spit.

I manage to drink and drive between 35 to 40 kph. If I stay on 20, I'd be done with this coffee even before I get to my destination. Plus, the cars behind me will be waving their middle fingers at me for being too slow.

Didn't they say that coffee can make you nervous? Well, to me, it's fuel prices. If you agree, hop in.

Driving up the hills of Green Meadows, exiting to Corinthian and approaching the Temple of the Latter Day Saints in White Plains, one morning I just might hang right to get coffee from the Starbucks branch there.

I've got 6 stickers on my card. If you don't know what I mean, then you just don't. Tis the season of stickers and expensive coffee. And a planner that I simply don't need.

But the sight can be good "here" when the timing is right. Again, if you don't get what I mean, then you just don't. Maybe you devote your hang out time doing something else like napping.

* * *

* * *

kids should know that...

Coffee beans were first exported from Ethiopia to Yemen. Yemeni traders brought coffee back to their homeland and began to cultivate the bean. The first coffee house was Kiva Han, which opened in Istanbul in 1471. Coffee was at first not well received. In 1511, it was forbidden for its stimulating effect by conservative, orthodox imams at a theological court in Mecca. However, the popularity of the drink led these bans to be overturned in 1524 by an order of the Ottoman Turkish Sultan Selim I. (wikipedia)

some lmao is alrighty

This is a gift I'm sharing out to you today just in case you feel this day isn't yours.

If you have asthma, be sure to puff first before you watch this video.

Let's make you roll now.

What can you do? I'm busy. But I'm not too preoccupied to make you laugh.

* * *

kids should know that...

The dog laugh sounds similar to a normal pant. But by analyzing the pant using a sonograph, this pant varies with bursts of frequencies, resulting in a laugh. When this recorded dog-laugh vocalization is played to dogs in a shelter setting, it can initiate play, promote pro-social behavior, and decrease stress levels. In a study by Simonet, Versteeg, and Storie, 120 subject dogs in a mid-size county animal shelter were observed. Dogs ranging from 4 months to 10 years of age were compared with and without exposure to a dog-laugh recording. The stress behaviors measured included panting, growling, salivating, pacing, barking, cowering, lunging, play-bows, sitting, orienting and lying down. The study resulted in positive findings when exposed to the dog laughing: significantly reduced stress behaviors, increased tail wagging and the display of a play-face when playing was initiated, and the increase of pro-social behavior such as approaching and lip licking were more frequent. (wikipedia)

dunk u know

Ang noy-pi merong Pacman.

Ang intsik naman, merong Yao.

Ipagsama natin, then we have Pac-Yao.

Parehong superman. Parehong di-merkano.

Sabi na nga ba. Napapansin ko na nun pa na magiging Rockets fan ako. Di ko lang maamin.

Okay naman si Kobe pero parang kulang to be a superman. Magaling siya maglaro. Kahit nga nakabangko, alam mong intense sya. Pawis pa lang, dagul na.

Grade school pa lang, Lakers fan na ko. Nakikipag-debate pa ko sa mga anti-Lakers. Sinasabihan ko sila na mga bano ang gusto nila. Pero nung pumasok na si MJ, tapos lumalakas yung Bulls, panay champion, tapos etong si MJ ang dalas lumipad para mag-dunk o kaya mag-shoot ng 3 points, na sa sobrang pasikat nya e naibaol ko tuloy yung Lakers at napasigaw ng, "Bull!" este, "Bulls!".

Pati yung mga bopol na kadebate ko, nakisigaw na rin. Pero mga echo ko lang sila.

Eh kaso nag-retire na si MJ. Di na masaya sa Bulls. So, balik Lakers ule. Pero di na rin katulad dati. Si MJ kasi, iniba standard ng sikat. Pati tuloy Nike parang medyo humina kita.

Tapos, merong inimport na intsik. Yao Ming. Sabi ko nun, intsik na intsik ang pangalan. Di na binasbasan ng western na pangalan. Halimbawa, Joe. Pero siguro kasi di naman sya mukhang Joe kaya di na pinag-intirisan.

Di ko naman pinapansin dati yan kahit higante sa court. Pero pag talagang magaling ka na team player, yung tipong di sinosolo ang bola katulad ni Kobe minsan, mapapansin ka talaga e.

Tapos, napanood ko pa sa TV yung Year of the Yao. Dokyu yun tungkol sa kanya.

Ang ganda ng dokyu. Gusto ko nga bumili ng kopya pero di ko alam kung san ako makakabili ng original.

Di ko alam kung mas maayos ang ingles nya ke Pacman. O kung mas malakas ang loob nya na magpromote ng videoke mic.

Number 11. Ganda ng numero. Parang birthdate ko.

(walang koneksyon)

O, Houston, we don't have a problem anymore, ha.

* * *

kids should know that...

Yao Ming is married to Ye Li, a Chinese women's basketball player, whom he met when he was seventeen. Ye first rejected Yao, but finally accepted him after he gave her team pins from the 2000 Olympics. The Chinese media reported on June 25, 2007 that Yao Ming would marry Ye Li in August in a private ceremony in Shanghai. The wedding was set on August 5, laying to rest weeks of media speculation about the national hero's wedding date. Yao settled on an exclusive guest list that did not include any Chinese basketball officials, teammates or coaches. Yao married Ye on August 6, 2007. (wikipedia)

evading

i come home from work, and it's you that i think about.

i come home from a funeral, and one of the first things that i think about is you

and you don't even know that i do.

you don't even know that i feel this way about you, you...

make me glad that i am awake in this i-me-mine planet, where i read about the things you have done or the thoughts whirling inside your head

or what makes you frown, shine or run away.

i stop myself from writing down about you.

but i end up rather ill-strong telling that this (and something else beautiful) is how it is to be thinking of you. it will just be noise because no one needs the information. and i won't let you know.

so i stay in my place, while falling stars cross your nights and the sun warms your sleeping face (at times).

you are relevant to my life. i can't explain it. i don't want to know why, unlike you, you...

want to know almost everything.

once you, in your wildest dream, find out that this is about you, i hope that in your bluest mood, it will remain a happy thought that someone like me has always been

although six-degrees is enough, we're still a rainbow apart

because i, i...

don't make the first move.

and this is like standing in a stadium where the seats are vacant but we both know that they're really not

this space is wide and vast, seems like a twin of the thoughts in my mind about you.

getaway

The things you do to be with a loved one...

Friday night, I was only canvassing for the plane fare. It's a trip to an island down south. No concrete plans really of going.

But in a matter of 3 hours, because of an sms, I had to make a decision.

So I'm going.

The airline ran out of tickets for a flight out today. It's a Saturday and I've no reservations, so there you go. But there's an early flight tomorrow morning. Buti na lang. I have to make it back to Manila on Tuesday because Cubao beckons on Wednesday.

In the meantime, because I'm not there yet, communications thru mobile phone will have to do until I arrive.

I'm supposed to feel excited about the whole trip. It hasn't sunk in, though. I don't really like to be rushed when it comes to this.

And it's not like I'm going to some private island getaway. I'm just going because, well, she wants me there.

* * *

kids should know that...

The Republic of Minerva, a failed attempt to create a sovereign state in the South Pacific in 1972, was one of the few modern attempts at creating a sovereign micronation on the reclaimed land of an artificial island. The architect was Las Vegas real estate millionaire and political activist Michael Oliver, who went on to be involved in other similar attempts in the following decade. Lithuanian-born Oliver formed a syndicate, the Ocean Life Research Foundation, which allegedly had some hundred million dollars for the project and had offices in New York and London. They anticipated a libertarian utopia wherein residents would have "no taxation, welfare, subsidies, or any form of economic interventionism." In addition to tourism and fishing, the economy of the new nation would include light industry and other commercial activities. (wikipedia)

Chill in the fall

She insisted that he say something. In reply he said, “How about ‘fool?’

One of them commits a mistake and then drifts back to the other in anticipation of the usual comfort.

So this man is quiet. He has been for days and more. And she's been hoping that she could scream at him, get him to talk and tell her what’s wrong.

To him, it’s awful enough that she can’t seem to know what’s wrong in the picture.

SHE: Uhm.
HE: Hmm?
SHE: Please say we'll be okay.

This man doesn't respond.

SHE: Please?
HE: You're asking me to say something I'm not sure of. I don't do that.
SHE: Then let's just say goodbye to each other. For good. At least now, we'll still have the good memories.
HE: You insist?
SHE: I'm scared we'll start fighting.
HE: I won't fight with you. Not even... (Pauses)
SHE: But you've never been this way with me. And it's scaring me shitless. And I don't know what to do. And I just want to shake you and ask you to make things okay but you won't, or can't, and I don't know what to do anymore, and you won't even let me cry 'cause you're being sarcastic about things and it's just... You can be so cold.
HE: Did it ever occur to you, for once, that what I could be feeling is really really bad? And I'm protecting you...myself...from whatever hurting words I might say?
SHE: You're not the only one. And it's worse 'cause there's nothing I can do. I'd rather you tell me what's hurting you, no matter how much it hurts me. Because that way I'll know we're at least doing something to fix it.

Silence.

HE: Maybe I don't want to have it fixed by you.
SHE: And you don't want to fix it either.
HE: I don't want to think about it. I want to ignore this.
SHE: By this, do you also mean me?

Suddenly, he felt a slight suffocation.

SHE: (Says his name)?
HE: Please stop prying. I just want to get under the shower and stay there.
SHE: I'm staying away. You know where to find me if you still want me.
HE: Okay.

* * *

It was great timing that the other woman in this man's life, Nicky, his daughter, called him up at work. Lately, they've been communicating with each other. He can feel that the little lady has been sizing him up. She's asking him questions that at times embarrasses him like how many women has he slept with after her mom and were they more gorgeous.

One phone call, Nicky put him on a 3-way conference with her mother, Myc. It was pretty wily because she put both of them on the spot.

NICKY: Dad, would you go out with mom?
HE: What do you mean? Like a date?
MYC: (Laughs) Nicky!
NICKY: I'm serious. Mom, you’d go out with dad, right?
MYC: I don't know. I’m not that crazy. (Laughs) This isn’t like high school.
HE: (Laughs, To Nicky) Why don't you let me handle this? Let me talk to your mom.
NICKY: Okay. Go!
HE: Alone. That means you have to put down the phone, sweetie.
NICKY: Alright. Love you! (Hangs up)

The convo was awkward until Myc popped the question.

MYC: Are you going to be man enough to at least take me to dinner?
HE: Wow! Parang malaman ang tanong mo.
MYC: (Laughs) Natamaan ka? Binibiro ka lang.
HE: Tomorrow night, we'll go out.
MYC: It’s not going to be that easy. Kilala kita.
HE: So you say.
MYC: San tayo pupunta? Where no one can see us? Ayoko nang ma-insecure. I've been there.
HE: Where do we used to hang out? Dun na lang.
MYC: Matagal ng nagsara yun.
HE: All branches?
MYC: Anong all branches? Dinadala mo lang ako sa Quezon Ave! Bumusina ka muna!
HE: We haven’t even gone out, inaaway mo na ko.

It was a pleasant date, after all. He watched his steps, rolled out the red carpet for her because she was, among other things, the mother of his child. And she noticed it, made sure she told him about it, complete with controlled laughter at certain moments.

They made fun of each other's past - together and post-together. It was refreshingly a happy dinner.

When he brought her home, Nicky was still awake. They weren't surprised because she had been sending SMS nonstop that night. She waited up, not because of the promised pastry in a bag but because she begged him to stay for the night.

And that's exactly what this man did, not necessarily in the same bed as with Myc.

In the morning, he chose neither to have breakfast there nor to wait for Nicky to wake up. Myc accompanied him to the garage.

MYC: I didn't want to ask you last night because it might be none of my business. But are you okay?
HE: Why wouldn’t I be?
MYC: (Shrugs) I know it when something's wrong.
HE: (Smiles) You’re using intuition on me. Nah. I just might be tired.
MYC: You’re a bad liar. (Shakes head) Some things never change. When you choose to be quiet, that is something. Kinakabahan ako pag ganyan ka. I hope it's not because of Nicky.
HE: (Smiles) It's work.
MYC: Are you sure you don’t want coffee?
HE: Maybe next time.
MYC: Call me up for coffee.
HE: (Nods) Take care.

One thing he realized that morning was that, at least, there was one woman who knew when to back off and let him be.

* * *
kids should know that...

Single Parents' Day takes place each year on March 21. Simply put, it's a day set aside to honor and applaud the hard work single parents do each and every day in raising their children. The idea for Single Parents' Day began back in 1984 with an article written by Janice Moglen, a single mother of two who hoped that Single Parents' Day might one day gain the recognition many associate with both Mother's Day and Father's Day. In collaboration with the organization Parents Without Partners, Moglen began to petition individual states to declare their own recognition of Single Parents' Day.

About.Com

choice of weapon

Cinematographically, it wasn't his best fight. I didn't even enjoy the battle that much. When Freddie Roach declared the champ has a secret weapon they finally perfected, I didn't see "it."

I didn't think Barrera was a threat to the champ so having a secret weapon was unnecessary. Maybe he said that to increase ticket (and bets) sales.

Let me tell you what's worth the excitement. That's going to be a fight with Marquez.

Well, Pacman conquered today. That's all that matters. For now.

My ex-client based in LA already informed me of the result even before they began the fight that was telecast on local tv.

* * *

Saturday night, after working really really hard for the past two weeks, I took my family to Gerry's Grill Sucat. It is located where Shopwise is, just across the St James School. What got our attention was the Santana, an arcade that looks like a mini-ATC, beside Showise. It is a neat place to hang out.

I don't normally use the SLEX going to work or anywhere else because I'm in that part of Sucat that's closer to SM. So discovering Santana was more of an accident last night. I originally wanted to take them to West Gate, Alabang. Pero tinamad na ko.

After dinner at Gerry's, we went to Starbucks in Santana for dessert.

Santana's 2 levels also have Yellow Cab, Tomato & Cheese, Jollibee, Chowking, Teriyaki Boy, Mongkok, Miracle Spa and Mocha Blends. Di ko na maalala ang iba.

If you're wondering which Shopwise this is, it's that supermarket where an actor had an infamous encounter with the security because she was wrongly accused of shoplifting.

* * *

kids should know that...

According to the Iliad, Mycenaean warriors included boxing among their competitions honoring the fallen, though it is possible that the Homeric epics reflect later Greek culture. Another Greek legend holds that the heroic ruler Theseus, said to have lived around the 9th century BC, invented a form of boxing in which two men sat face to face and beat each other with their fists until one of them was killed. In time, the boxers began to fight while standing and wearing gloves (with spikes) and wrappings on their arms below the elbows, although otherwise they competed naked. (wikipedia)

wanna mess up the ceiling?

I need 10 minutes of your Internet life to view the 2 videos.

The geyser was actually applauded on national tv.

Now who will bust the myth on the Stork candy urban legend?

* * *

kids should know that...

When Mentos are dropped into soda, the gellan gum and gum arabic of the candy dissolves and breaks the surface tension. This disturbs the water connection, so that it takes less work to expand and form new bubbles. Each Mentos candy has thousands of tiny pores all over its surface. These tiny pores function as nucleation sites, perfect places for carbon dioxide bubbles to form. As soon as the Mentos enter the soda, bubbles form all over their surface. They quickly sink to the bottom, causing carbon dioxide to be released by the carbonated liquid with which they come into contact along the way. The sudden increase in pressure pushes all of the liquid up and out of the bottle. (wikipedia)

this is my chill out

Memory #1.

One of the early first times I saw my dad pick up the guitar, he sang a brief Blue Moon. So naive, I wondered how he could sing a song I've never heard before. And what doubled the wonder was that he was having fun.

Memory #2.

One summer a former neighbor, Arjay, would play the opening theme song of Voltes V at 10 o' clock in the morning. He would loop it, sing along and get mad with the volume. It made me wonder why. Just why.

Memory #3.

Annapolis band sessions.

...I'm tryin' not to slip, trying' to get a grip

But each time we kiss, you're the perfect stranger

So me say, don't never you go too far away from me girl...

:never you done that, general public:

I've had quite a few people stare at me in amusement whenever an old song played and I'd blurt out the lyrics all of a sudden. From beginning to end. With all the yeahs, wohs, pauses, narration and falcetto.

...Skip the air strip to the sunset

Ride the arrow to the target-one

Take it hip to hip, rock it through the wilderness...

:roam, b-52s:

If it was British, I'd sing it like a Filipino in London.

...And it won't matter now, whatever happens to me

Though the air speaks of all we'll never be

It won't trouble me...

:all i want, toad the wet sprocket:

I sang it the way my dad sang his Blue Moon.

...I believe in love, I believe in you, things you do

I’m falling in love again with you

A broken heart can mend if given time..

:love is forever, billy ocean:

Or Arjay threw his 10 am fix one summer.

...You know I'd do most anything you want

Hey I, I try to give you everything you need

I'll see that it gets to you...

:for your babies, simply red:

Or the boys and I met behind Nepa Q for band sessions.

...Close to me you're taking out the boy in me

Your chemistry frightens all the life from me

Your honesty sometimes ain't so good...

:cold cold heart, wet wet wet:

The songs, although familiar, didn't enjoy much commercial airplay.

...He made a movie, he played the driver of a big yellow car

He is super fab and groovy, he struts and he crows

You never know where you are with him..

:wide boy, nik kershaw:

Lumalabas ang edad.

...

...

E ano.

In the meantime, watch this mtv I recently made starring Bogart.

* * *

kids should know that...

The notions of leisure and leisure time are thought to have emerged in Victorian Britain in the late nineteenth century, late in the Industrial Revolution. Early factories required workers to perform long shifts, often up to eighteen hours per day, with only Sundays off work. By the 1870s though, more efficient machinery and the emergence of trade unions resulted in decreases in working hours per day, and allowed industrialists to give their workers Saturdays as well as Sundays off work. (wikipedia)

i decided to wear rollerblades to work today...not

What do people at work who have access (READ: the power!) do when the conference room is unoccupied?

Now, coitus, although it may sound wrong as an answer, is the last (but not the least) thing in this situation.

Jayvi who arrived from Sacramento, CA recently had this perfect idea yesterday.

We had an hour and some there's-nothing-to-do friggin' minutes. First, we invaded the conference room. Second, he turned the projector on, went online and downloaded a series. Finally, I invited in about 10 of my subordinates who were also doing nothing.

On the screen, we watched Dane Cook's Vicious Cycle comedy act, the show produced last year by HBO. It was ass-kickin' hilarious and insane.

The whole thing was downloaded from IMEEM. The show was chopped into 12 parts. After watching part 6, we all went on a break-on-a-break, exited the lobby to smoke and then went back to finish the remaining parts.

Like what I said, there was totally nothing to do. But since we couldn't just leave and go home, and we didn't want to be seen by our subordinates twirling the pen in our fingers while solving sudoko, we hid in the conference room.

It was an attempt to make an impression that we were busy.

But the others soon found out the truth. Our laughters gave us away. Well, who wouldn't? And you know how men laugh, right? The walls could hardly contain the sound.

From time to time, those who were excluded from watching the Dane Cook show stood outside the door of the conference room, probably tried to figure out what the hell we were doing inside. The door is a fusion of wood and glass, making it easy for us to see people behind it.

Understood.

If you were left outside and you know people are inside the conference room, and you could hear people laughing once or thrice, you'd think it's nothing. It's pretty normal that some person would break the ice or tension by saying a blooper or rehashing a joke.

But when people inside that room are bursting with sounds of laughter every so often, you would become very curious. While sneaking up outside the door, you're wondering, "What is the meeting all about? What is so funny?"

If you've watched the Vicious Cycle, you know what the laughter's all about.

One scene that was cut from that show can be downloaded in YouTube. It's a scene wherein a gurl interrupted the show, went onstage because it was her birthday. Wrong move. You know how it is when it's your birthday and you go to a comedy club, right?

If you're lost and don't know what the heck is this about, then watch a snippet installed below.

* * *

kids should know that...

Dane Cook's first HBO special, Vicious Circle, was aired on September 4, 2006. The double DVD was released on November 28, 2006. It is a 90-minute presentation which was filmed at TD Banknorth Garden in his hometown of Boston, Massachusetts on a circular stage surrounded by the audience. The stage had on it the impression of his Super Finger hand gesture. Cook brought the same set to Madison Square Garden for back-to-back sold out shows on November 12, 2006. (wikipedia)

moving

Can I be a brat and sulk and pretend to be mad 'cause you haven't called me for two weeks now?

Oh geez.

I'm just asking permission. You can say no.

Ahm. Is it like if you don't, you're gonna be like this pressure cooker?

Nah. I don't think so. I just want a wee bit of your attention. It's been a horrible week.

* * *

Have I been that quiet?

Contemplate this.

I've been reporting to our Cubao office for a week now.

One good point is that the transition has been okay, so far. The thing that sucks right now, though, is the travel time. I use C-5 to and fro. That gives me normal driving time (one-way) of 1.5 hours sans rush hour traffic. Driving back to Sucat is only 1 hour.

Makes you think where the extra 30 minutes went considering it's the same road. The factor must be car volume + the time I go home.

Believe me, the road trip is so tiring that I end up grouchy at times.

Wala naman akong sinisigawan sa bahay pero nakakunot na noo ko. When anyone starts to talk to me, I just grunt or nod. I don't think I even remember what the convo is all about. Di na nga obvious that I'm glad to be home.

So yesterday, I finally folded and told Mang Leo to take charge of the wheel.

We've already organized a plan. Since I won't need him to wait for me at work, he will drop me off and come back to pick me up at the end of my day.

Although, I tell him to be in the parking area by 6, he won't expect me to come out until... well, let's say that I'm confident to go. I don't pack up and leave work right away at the blow of the whistle. I have to check out IM messages, sms, emails, the stuff on my table and sometimes the people who lounge after work before leaving. That way I avoid taking home my work.

Now I can't wait to have my weekend. I hope I've conserved some weekend energy to enjoy it.

The next priority in my list is to find a place in QC.

So if time will be my friend, I wish it'll let me scout around and check out prospects soonest. I don't want to be a grouch five days a week.

* * *

Hoot is home. And then again he is not.

He arrived from WI last Sunday. But yesterday he took a flight to Bacolod to participate in a conference.

One of the first things he did was to sit down on the dining table, take out his laptop and show pics of his new house. He also bragged the two new cars in his garage - the BMW AUV and a Mini Cooper.

I should quickly make a sked to enjoy dinner with him as soon as he gets back from Bacolod.

* * *

kids should know that...

The Pareto principle (also known as the 80-20 rule, the law of the vital few and the principle of factor sparsity) states that, for many events, 80% of the effects comes from 20% of the causes. Business management thinker Joseph M. Juran suggested the principle and named it after Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, who observed that 80% of income in Italy went to 20% of the population. It is a common rule of thumb in business; e.g., "80% of your sales comes from 20% of your clients." (wikipedia)

snapper

I've forgotten why I took my parents to the mall the other day for a quick snack. While constructing this sentence, I'm still at a lost as to what was the itinerary that day.

I remember though that it was my car that we took with Mang Leo on the wheel.

At this very moment, it's not important at all to remember. I have only one feeling: excitement.

I'm also uploading a program while blogging.

And now, a window blinks with this message:

If images have previously been saved with PhotoLoader, performing a data migration here allows you to combine them with these for storage and use.

Click "select migration folder," and select the storage folder (folder with the name Image Library).

Date migration can also be done later from the Start Menu.

Huh?!

English please. (Nevertheless, thank God it's not info written in English by a Taiwanese manufacturer. If you don't know what I mean, then skip the pondering.)

Maybe if I read the message ten times, I'd know what it means. This excitement is making me impatient.

Ah! I'd better decide now and click the select migration folder.

*click*

There's a new pop-up window. Shoot!

I click to cancel. The pop-up closes and then I choose the option Migrate Later.

Are you sure to cancel migration? Yes? No?

Pucha! Nakikialam pa. I frown.

So I click No, am led back to the first window to select a folder.

Of course, I don't know what's going on. Basta click lang ng click until finally, it's time to register online.

Hmm. Register.

Now, I'm tempted to name it.

The "it" is slim, pretty at 10.1 mp and promising with its 3 optical zoom. I'm not a cam enthus but a mangmang like me is unabashedly excited to test this new Exilim Zoom.

I bought it on impulse. My plan was really to buy a new Nokia for my dad as a wala lang surprise present. But when I was in the gadget store, I ended up purchasing "it" as well. What really captured my attention is the maximum 7 shots/second high-speed continuous shooting. Sarap paglaruan!

Plus, when it's sold at 0.0% interest rate, swipe na.

Di naman ako masyadong excited, 'no?

About two weeks ago, I was given a German-made dvd player courtesy of a client. You didn't know that because I never mentioned it until now.

This only shows that I...

Ay wait. Tapos na uploading.

Time to test drive this snapper.

* * *

kids should know that...

Casio was established in April 1946 by Tadao Kashio, an engineer specializing in fabrication technology. Kashio's first major product was the yubiwa pipe, a finger ring that would hold a cigarette, allowing the wearer to smoke the cigarette down to its nub while also leaving the wearer's hands free. Japan was impoverished immediately following World War II so cigarettes were valuable, and the invention was a success. After seeing the electric calculators at the first Business Show in Ginza, Tokyo in 1949, Kashio and his younger brothers used their profits from the yubiwa pipe to develop their own calculators. (wikipedia)

bee season

Visiting flowers can be a dangerous occupation.

That's what entomologists would say about the bee @ work. Like so to man.

This morning I woke up and realized how much of a bee I've turned into. My life so far has been this way.

Weekends are either for going to the supermarket or simply staying at home.

When at home, I relax by updating my mp3 collection, although this entails sitting in front of the pc (again!) and LimeWire-ing.

At this point, I feel that getting a new hobby will be good. Anything that doesn't involve the pc. Cross-out gardening. I only have a greenthumb when it comes to weeds.

As for Sundays that used to be "hanging out" with the "babies" in the garage, I'm completely out of it as of the moment. There's my dad who helps me out on this part. Still, I miss it. There's nothing like personally checking up the hood.

I haven't experienced IMAX. And to think that the MOA is only about 40 minutes from my place.

A gurl in the office invited me once to go the IMAX Theatre with her. Pinalagpas ko. Maybe she made it there with someone else. And to think she's from far San Pedro.

Anyway, the only "secured" quality time that I have for my family is...ahm...hmm...let me get back to you on this item.

Meanwhile, the gym beckons. Bummer. In the meantime, pumping iron at home is a quick resolution.

Business sms/calls come in anytime, anywhere. They invade personal moments like when brushing my teeth or peeing.

Eto medyo pathetic.

One time I was told by my special gurl of a grand mall sale. I said yes, but then completely forgot about it. When the weekend sale passed, I apologized and promised that I'd make it up next time. With all sincerity she said it's alright because, anyway, she knows how busy I am.

Right.

When even your loved ones are so used to your crappy sked that your absence has become acceptable, then that's disturbing.

On a lighter note, I didn't know who or what Kokey was until Monday.

And what's up with Heroes? I remember liking the show when it first started. Ngayon, di ko na alam ang istorya.

For 8 weeks, I sported anime-like hair until I finally found time to have a haircut over the weekend. Now I look like a schoolboy. Hopefully, it won't take another two months.

But this takes the cake.

At 3 am yesterday, I was waken up by a call. Because of very pressing matters, US clients arriving very soon, tekkies fixing the equipment and what not, I had to go to our Cubao office to...guess what?

Sign papers.

Wala pa nga akong dalang pen kahapon. Basta I was like this zombie who got up from bed, took a quick shower and drove to Cubao. After getting out of the car, I realized that I haven't combed my hair. Nakakahiya. Naka-park pa naman ako sa VIP area.

Siguro naman it's fine when I declare that I want to go on a vacation beyond the island of Luzon to avoid the monsoon. Almost everyday I read the ads of domestic airlines with cheap fares. It's so tempting to just book and disappear.

Unfortunately, even my timing of disappearance has to be convenient for both me and the office.

Don't get me wrong, though. Despite this observation and quasi-rant, I'm very happy with my job.

So is visiting flowers actually a dangerous occupation?

Any kinky bee would agree.

Time to buzz off.

* * *
kids should know that...

Bees have a long proboscis (a complex "tongue") that enables them to obtain the nectar from flowers. They have antennae almost universally made up of thirteen segments in males and twelve in females, as is typical for the superfamily. Bees all have two pairs of wings, the hind pair being the smaller of the two; in a very few species, one sex or caste has relatively short wings that make flight difficult or impossible, but none are wingless. (wikipedia)

rain in the city

Suspended po ang klase sa lahat ng antas sa Metro Manila!

A tropical typhoon won't only flood the streets of the cities but it can also make the distribution of power spotty.

Pauline, my little generalissimo at home is one of the first to complain about this. And she does it with, as her title suggests, authority.

She'd voice out: Patay-sindi! Patay-sindi and ilaw! Ililibing ko na ito!

One time, I overheard her talking to a customer rep of Meralco.

Hello. Ako yung tumawag kanina. Si Pauline. Jua. Di ba ikaw yung kausap ko kanina? (Pauses)
Ahhh. Kay (Cites homeowner info) ito. Kanina pa walang kuryente dito. Ano bang nangyari? Patay-sindi ang ilaw! (Pauses)
Ano? Rosary? Rosary street? (Talks to me.)
Malapit ba tayo sa rosary street? (Pauses.)
Ano? Rosal street? (Pauses)
Ano? Mother Earth Subdivision? Ano ba ung pinagsasabi mo? Di ko alam yung sinasabi mo! Malayo kami dun. Ibang planeta yan! Dito kami sa (Cites barangay, pauses).
O sige. Tanungin mo. (Pauses)
O, hello. Ano daw ang nangyari? (Pauses)
Ano? Imer-- Imerdyinsi layt trobol? Ano yun? (Pauses)
Ah...imerdyinsi layt trobol. Eh kelan ba magkakaron ng kuryente? (Pauses)
Ah. Eh kelan nga magkakaron ng kuryente? Alam mo magpaplantsa pa ako eh. (Pauses, I laugh in the background)
O sige ha. Tatawag ako uli pag wala pa ring kuryente.

* * *

I've never ridden a shuttle in the city (nor the MRT) to take me to work (or anywhere else for that matter) in the morning. So when I finally had the opportunity of observing what happens at a terminal, I found it fascinating that I just had to capture the whole thing on cam.

So there's a man in a blue shirt who is the barker and also the fare collector. Before the van leaves, its driver approaches the barker to remit the money.

A van as large as the one on cam will accomodate 17 people, excluding the driver. Meanwhile, a smaller vehicle (I think it's an L-3) can fit in 14 butts.

This is a ride going to Ayala. A single fare costs forty bucks.

You see? There are still things to learn even when classes have been suspended.

* * *

kids should know that...

The Thames Barrier is a flood control structure on the River Thames, constructed between 1974 and 1984 at Woolwich Reach, London. It is the world's second largest movable flood barrier. All the gates are hollow and made of steel up to 40mm thick. The gates fill with water when submerged and empty as they emerge from the river. The gates are normally left open to allow ships to pass through, but can be rotated and closed to stop water travelling up the Thames through London. (wikipedia)

test broadcast...

***

kids should know that...

The American Bulldog is a breed of working dog developed for catching livestock and for protecting property. The Standard American Bulldog does resemble the pit bull-type breeds on many points, such as being muscular dogs that can be all white or white with patches. However, the pit bull's head is in the shape of a wedge coming to a more rounded point at the muzzle, whereas an American Bulldog's is box-shaped. The American Bulldog's ears are also typically uncropped, and its head is heavier and a little bulkier. (wikipedia)

born

I become an adult today. Again.

Yesterday I renewed my driver's license. The whole process took me about 2 hours. But I spent more time in the drug test center than in the LTO counters.

I shouldn't have peed before going there for the drug test. Gawd. I had a tough time filling up the container for my urine sample. It was like undergoing water torture. I had to force myself to drink one bottle of mineral water and wait for half an hour to release it out of my system.

With me was a 61-year old man who underwent the same predicament. Fortunate for him, because of his age, he was asked to fill only half of it. I kidded him and said maybe it's a senior citizen discount.

Renewing my license means that it's my birth month. So, yes, today, I'm an adult again.

It's a happy factor that my brother and his family are staying with me temporarily. They've been occupying two rooms in the house and will be here for about a month. Their house is under renovation.

I opted to celebrate a birthday lunch at home instead of going out today because it's more private and convenient.

Right. That's the official press release.

Actually, work makes me want to stay home on a weekend. In short, nakakatamad lumabas.

To compensate for not treating the kids out, I had "happy meals" delivered - food that they want to eat heartily like for instance a barrel of KFC (leg and thigh parts only), a party tray of baked lasagna from Greenwich and choco mousse from Red Ribbon.

I didn't pay for the lasagna, by the way. The Greenwich rider delivered it 30 minutes late. And since the store has a guaranteed delivery time, any late delivery will be on them.

I've received lots and lots of greetings since Thursday. People at work just didn't know when to stop that I already felt embarassed.

One of the special greetings I got came from my 2nd mom (the actor). She made me speechless with this message:

Happy birthday my Beloved Angel. You are always in my heart. I miss you very much. You know where to find me. I love you forever.

Absolutely, I miss her more. It's a good thing that she's now relaxed about our relationship. She is less matampuhin. She understands that the only reason that keeps me from seeing her is my work. And not because I'm...well...as she may put it, denying her existence in my life.

(It's actually strange when I mention her as my 2nd mom when she IS my mother. It took us so many long journeys, many birthdays...)

Nga pala. Don't ask me about my wish.

I already have what I want. *winks*

***

kids should know that...

Birthday cakes have been a tradition dating back as far as the Middle Ages when the English would conceal symbolic items such as gold coins, rings and thimbles inside their cakes. Each item was associated with a prediction. For example, a person finding a gold coin in a birthday cake would supposedly become wealthy where a person discovering a thimble would never marry. (wikipedia)

arms folded behind the head

She's into old glam rock bands that don tights. This man's into Greenday and the like, the few that wear eyeliners.

When his taste shifts to R&B, she'd be polite for a minute or two with a hush until she speaks up and asks for alternative.

Wonder how they get along?

He'll easily let her be a brat to her heart's content. Fortunately, she can be sensitive and will, although oftentimes her realization has to be paired with his patience, apologize when she goes too far to make him "uncomfy" already.

It's crazy, even maddening when they begin to banter and it seems like he has the power to make her say,"I hate you," because those are simply her last words.

But it works for them.

They get along pretty good. Better each time.

SHE: Mahal na mahal kita hindi lang dahil sa mga bagay na ginagawa mo para sa akin pero dahil din sa kung ano ako dahil sa pagmamahal mo. Now go figure out what that means.

HE: Whew. Okay.

Five minutes later...

HE: Okay. I got it. Because life is short, I'd rather show how much I love you now in case I run out of tomorrows.

SHE: You are simply one of the most wonderful things I've got in my life now.

HE: You like loving me back?

SHE: Very much. It's not just loving you back. I actually like you as a person. I like being around you. It's not just because I love you but being around you is light and happy.

HE: (Smiles) Now that's gonna shut me up.

SHE: Done fishing? (Laughs) I really truly like and love you. After all, I did consent to be your girlfriend in spite of all the tears, right?

HE: (Nods) I don't fish as much as you do. Your still the Fish. (Chuckles)

SHE: You can't after all beat the master!

HE: Okay. You're basking.

SHE: In your love? Most definitely.

They weren't this cool before. Not for a major long time.

He's not even sure what or how it happened but, somewhere around the bend, he stopped being scared and just let go.

She noticed the changes, too. This morning, she told him she couldn't believe how much he's been loving her these past days.

He's been loving her all this time but he didn't realize that it mattered a great deal to be a little bit more showy and still maintain genuine about everything.

And he's doing it now, instead of procrastinating.

* * *

kids should know that...

The tense-afraid type of procrastinator usually feels overwhelmed with pressure, unrealistic about time, uncertain about goals and many other negative feelings. Feeling that they lack the ability or focus to successfully complete their work, they tell themselves that they need to unwind and relax, that it's better to take it easy for the afternoon, for example, and start afresh in the morning. Usually have grandiose plans rather than being realistic. Their 'relaxing' is often temporary and ineffective, and leads to even more stress as time runs out, deadlines approach and the person feels increasingly guilty and apprehensive. This behavior becomes a cycle of failure and delay, as plans and goals are put off, penciled into the following day or week in the diary again and again. (wikipedia)

behind the examination light

I've been under the weather for nine days now. My doctor said I have bacterial infection of my sinuses. One of my meds is a downer. I hate taking it because I end up sleeping almost the entire day. And if I try to fight it off, I become lethargic. When I'm a bit awake, I catch up on my sms, which average about a dozen everytime I open my inbox. And how many of those do I send a reply? Barely one.

I went back to work last Friday, against the advise of my doctor, of course. I had to. Why? One, details are unnecessary for a workaholic. Two, I missed the office. Three, the office missed me too long. And lastly, a big change is happening soon that I really needed to show up.

I'll be overhauling my responsibilities at work two weeks from now. We have a new major client from Florida. I'm simply wrapping up my commitments with our LA-based client.

This also means that I'm relocating to Cubao very soon.

I still don't have a place to stay in the area. So, in the meantime, I'll be driving from south to north and back until either I get tired of bonding with my driver, Mang Leo, or everything falls into place.

* * *

Karl just took the UPCAT yesterday.

Shoot.

I'm terrified. I want him to pass it.

He has to pass it.

It's been a tradition in my clan that everybody passes the UPCAT. And I mean, everybody.

Karl is the unang apo. He represents the next generation.

He must be more terrified than I am we are. I know I was during my time.

* * *

kids should know that...

The UPCAT (pronounced "oop-cat") is considered to be one of the most competitive college entrance exams in the country. The five hour exam covers language proficiency, reading comprehension, mathematics, and science. UPCAT questions can be in English or Filipino. The UPCAT is usually held on a Saturday and Sunday in early August with two batches of examinations per day in the morning and in the afternoon. Close to 30,000 applicants take the UPCAT in UP Diliman alone. Because of this, and that the campus is open and connected to major public roads, heavy traffic is expected at this time of year. Food stalls and other tiangges set up shop everywhere around the Diliman campus, especially the Academic Oval, to take advantage of the numerous parents and guardians that accompany and wait for the applicants taking the test. (wikipedia)

what a man-thing fears

For the second time, in just three days, he's come face to face with fear.

It began over the weekend.

He brought her an early Saturday morning that was torturous. He wanted to speak his mind but he couldn't find the right words. The thing was that he was more angry at himself than at her. It seemed like there was only one thing driving him nuts.

That she had the capacity to unmake him.

In so many jargons and perhaps some strong words, he insinuated that he's done.

She cried, tenderly at first, and started to pour out her heart. She listed a million things she wanted to do for and with him, the difficult realities she had to be content with and what she has to go through just to protect whatever they have.

Still, in the end, he asked her, Why don't you just break up with me?

She couldn't. Instead, she tossed back the question.

Quickly, he fell into the gape without really thinking and stated, I'm breaking up with you.

Her sobs were quicker to fall.

This time, when she cried, it was so intense that it scared him. She coughed in between her tears, a sign that she was forgetting to breathe.

I take it back. I'm so sorry. Please stop crying, he pleaded. There was an instant realization that he didn't have it to crush her heart. Or suffocate her with his rudeness.

He never intended to be harsh. The truth was that he was rotting in his own silence and that made him the bad fellow.

His insides were slowly being eaten by jealousy. He wanted to run away from it. It's just not him anymore.

Fortunately, they sailed through that Saturday morning storm. Still together.

Looking back, if things didn't turn out alright, this man would be missing her little demands.

Kiss. Hug. Spoon.

She'd ask these cute favors from him as soon as they get together. Soemtimes, these favors would come in that order.

SHE: I love you.I love your grin.I love your voice. I love you listening to me sleep. I even love you when you're growling at me in anger. I know what you and I have. And as you've said, no matter how we try to escape this, we can't. So I've stopped running away.

HE: Well, just walk. Walk with me.

SHE: Yes, I'll walk with you. No more doubts. No more jealousy. No more fishing. That goes for you too! No more being quiet when something's eating at you. Agree?

HE: Okay.

SHE: I've also stopped fighting. Jealousy will only kill me. I'm thinking that as long as I love you, and show you how much I do, you won't do anything to hurt me. And for the record, that includes that girl you've been thinking about non-stop.

HE: (Smiles) What girl?

SHE: Good answer.

Hours later, on his own again, this man felt strange about the whole thing. He remembered that the other day he told her how happy he is. And that's true.

It's a different kind of happiness. It's like everything's brand new.

And then, he found his demon.

Suddenly, he wasn't sure if exposing his emotions was the right thing to do. It'd make him vulnerable.

If it's changing him that way, then he's going to be defenseless.

That scared him.

She was probably caught by surprise when he told her all of a sudden that he doesn't expect her to advise him when she goes out with someone else. In his mind, it was something rational to say, a gesture she'd appreciate.

Well, at least, he prayed she would understand without probing him.

He was wrong.

I'd rather tell you. What brought this about again? I thought we're good. You're just too scared to cross the line and make you and me official, she reacted.

Damn, she's good.

Is there anything wrong? Now I'm scared. Why are you scared? she continued.

The least he could do was to be honest. Slightly.

I'm still figuring it out, he replied cowardly.

* * *

kids should know that...

It has been pointed out that men and women live in different worlds when it comes to emotional expression. From early childhood most boys are exposed to fewer emotion-oriented conversations and are not encouraged to express emotions verbally. Yet, for example, the expression of rage if personal possessions or status is threatened, is seen not only as typically male, but in some situations encouraged and admired. The point is that men appear to experience exactly the same emotions as women but their expression is often and typically very different. (About.com: Men's health)

cruel games

It's either she doesn't trust him or she thinks she knows him too well.

It didn't take long until he received a large dose of disapproving sms from her. She was, per admission, insanely jealous at all irrational costs.

So what's new? He thought.

The sms convos lasted from morning to evening, with a break in-between working hours.

What prompted the barrage was his decision to simply go out with someone from work. And, of course, she didn't approve of it.

No, they're not together at all. There's nothing official about their relationship. No exclusivity. If there is any existing relationship between them, it is something undefined yet evidently special.

Alright.

Clearly, it would've been them together if only there weren't a lot of things people on both sides who might end up beaten. Cliche-ish but there's no other way to tell it.

And so she's a special friend.

I really want to go out with her, he said.

She went quite ballistic, became paranoid at one point and asked him whether he was doing it out of revenge because she's dating other men.

He laughed it off and assured her it wasn't in the agenda.

It was cute for a while, despite the slingshot accusations that it is a date with a prospect, rather than mere dining out with a possible new friend. But when she was sulking too long, it eventually switched off his patience.

He didn't want to drag it out in the open. But he thought that perhaps when he reminds her that not once did he react negatively to her engagements, she'd lighten up.

Not once did he let her know how affected he was when she cited some boy as the love of her life. And when she went spiralling down the heavy emotions, ached for a little bit more attention from what's-his-face boy, he was there to boost her ego.

It was shaping into monogamy on one side while one end is open. Whose end remains open? It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out.

Still, this man didn't complain. He kept everything to himself.

Why?

Because that's how he loves her.

Anyway, now that he will, for the first time, have a pleasant harmless dinner with an interesting lady, he doesn't think she should mind.

You are on a girly frame of mind. Am not. So it's NOT A DATE, he corrected.

He was already irritated, found her reactions outrageous.

Are we having a fight? she asked.

He didn't answer and opted to let it go. Instead, he assured her that she'll hear from him the next day.

The next sunup, innocently he told her, I can't stop thinking of her.

Colossal blunder.

That sentence detonated a bomb.

This man slapped his forehead for chatting with her on bestfriend-mode without checking her vital signs.

And then he made another huge mistake.

HE: Ganon talaga. Pag andyan ka, eh di tayo. Kung wala ka, eh di hinde.

SHE: Ano?!

HE: Shit! No, wait. Mali yung tagalog ko. But you know what I'm trying to say, right?

She, fortunately, gave him time to explain what he meant. Nevertheless, she came short of telling him that she doesn't trust him.

That's how you started with me, she said.

So more talk, which was good. It turned out that's all that she needed to calm down.

Eventually, the restlessness died down. They survived another day and night. Thank heavens, they patched up things in a fashion that needn't be detailed here.

* * *

Why do you love me? he asked.

Because you take care of me, she replied.

Hopefully, she won't forget that this man will remain the same, come what may.

* * *

kids should know that...

By the late 1960s and the 1970s, jealousy — particularly sexual jealousy — had come to be seen as both irrational and shameful in some quarters, particularly among advocates of free love. Advocates and practitioners of non-exclusive sexual relationships, believing that they ought not to be jealous, sought to banish or deny jealous reactions to their partners' sexual involvement with others. Many found this unexpectedly difficult, though for others, conscious blocking of the jealous reaction is relatively easy from the start, and over time the reaction can be effectively extinguished. Some studies suggest that jealousy may be reduced in multilateral relationships where there is a clear hierarchy of relationships or where expectations are otherwise fixed. (wikipedia)

bend

This man didn't feel the connection the first time.

Maybe it's because he's set a rule for himself: Never work your way to any lady in the workplace.

Emphasis on the word maybe. Currently, he's not sure anymore.

She would occasionally initiate to chat up with him. Each time, he'd be strong enough to give abbreviated reactions with either a nod or one short sentence. He didn't find her boring at all. As a matter of fact, she is terribly interesting.

He gets easily attracted to the right interesting woman and has a hundred and one insane ways to check her out without being obnoxious or obtrusive. He may choose to be naughty and fun and could get away with it.

But not here, he'd mumble over and over. There exist boundaries and he doesn't plan to cross any.

Add to that that the place and timing are not right.

But she intoxicates his curiosity slowly every time they meet at work. So he evades. Avoids. Turns around. Smiles and walks on.

Doesn't work.

She lingers. And then, he limbers.

So he'd take time now to converse. It's not a lot of minutes but it is still time. He doesn't even kill her with sweetness or brainwash her that he's a better fool than the rest. On the other hand, he lets out tongue-in-cheek comments in an attempt to bring out the ire in her.

There's a word for this behaviour. Front.

SHE: Why aren't you nice to me?
HE: I am. Considering you have this personality...
SHE: Screw you.
HE: Yes. Please. That'll be heaven.
SHE: (Smiles) I hate you.
HE: Hey. You wanna go out with me?
SHE: (Pauses. Raises an eyebrow.) You're asking me out on a date?
HE: No. If I wanted to date you, I would've asked if you wanted to go out on a date with me. Sabi ko, do you want to go out?
SHE: Are you gonna take me to McDo? Or Starbucks?
HE: Pasta. Then maybe, coffee.
SHE: Uuuy. You're totally asking me out. Bumabawi ka, no?
HE: Ang tagal naman ng sagot.
SHE: Sure! Ako pa, tatanggi. Ay! Can we take those two with us? (Points to two ladies who are our colleagues.)
HE: No.
SHE: Di ba, it's not a date? Eh di isama natin sila.
HE: I will not ask them out with us.
SHE: (Smiles) Why not?
HE: Because it's a trap waiting to happen. I'm not going to dine with three women who will just spend the night talking about shoes, bags, boys and...I don't know.
SHE: (Laughs) Eh di, we won't. We'll talk about you.
HE: Naku! Lalo na. I'm not going to pay dinner for my own roasting.

She stares at him with a silly smile on her face.

HE: What?
SHE: (Shakes her head) Wala. To think inaasar mo ko palagi...
HE: Unintentionally.
SHE: Suplado ka kaya, no! If I don't approach you, you won't talk to me.
HE: That's not true. Kanina ako ang lumapit sa yo.
SHE: Alam mo, yung mga pinsan mo sa St. Scho, they look aloof pero din naman talaga.
HE: So? Anong connection?
SHE: Does it run in your family?
HE: Pinansin kaya kita kanina. I even chose to approach you.
SHE: (Softly) Liliparin ata ako.
HE: (Pretends didn't hear.) Huh? What was that?
SHE: Nothing.

* * *

kids should know that...

Interpersonal attraction can be thought of as a force acting between two people tending to draw them together, and resisting their separation. According to a personality psychologists' view, interpersonal attraction is a person's qualities that tend to attract by appealing to another person's desires. When measuring interpersonal attraction, one must refer to the qualities of the attracted as well as the qualities of the attractor to achieve predictive accuracy. (wikipedia)

the hero doesn't always get the gurl

He's not the least confused. It's just the way it is.

She's turned him into some kind of a masked hero because she doesn't speak or write about him to anyone.

They're together but then again they're not. She'd call him "boyfriend" but only at rarest occasions when she's finally had it keeping her jealousy inside. It's her way of conquering her insecurity.

And she is easily jealous, most of the time for irrational reasons.

Don't get her wrong. It's not like her whole world is fixated on him. She goes out with other men, and sometimes hope that it's the right guy for her.

He, on the other hand, would not say anything about it. Heroes have feelings but the world has no interest in it.

In any case, he's already learned the stages of her changing moods from happy to sad, or from love to jealousy.

So has he gotten used to it by now?

It has taken them both considerable time to know each other. And when they finally proved to each other that no matter how much in love they are with each other, they're simply not meant.

That no matter how much she pulls him closer, takes advantage, kisses and rips him of his self-control, he could never be persuaded to give her...

"Just one child," she'd say.

Their life together and yet, not really together, would have spotty "break-ups." Funny when they're not really.

But he'll tell you what is real.

He's sad when they're "quiet" and he does suffer when he chooses not to make the first move.

It's happened that they've been "strangers" for a week and, in slightly serious cases, more than a month.

And then, perhaps when she can no longer stand it, she'll drop a note.

And to him, no matter how ordinary that word may be, the sound of that word would radiate in his life like the sun peeking behind the dark cloud.

But he, of course, would never tell her that. There's no need.

Then again, she'd vehemently disagree and tell him that she needs to know.

So he'd tease her because he knows that she's simply fishing.

And she'll still insist so he'll just say it.

It's cute. Maybe. But half of it is really sad.

* * *

kids should know that...

Intimacy is both the ability and the choice to be close, loving and vulnerable. Intimacy requires identity development. You have to know yourself and your innards in order to share your self with another. Knowing yourself makes it possible to stand for yourself in an intimate relationship without taking over the other or losing yourself to the other. This ability to be separate and together in an intimate relationship and being okay with that is called self-differentiation. (wikipedia)