I.D.

Gertrude, my online buddy, posted this on her blog. It’s called 20 Questions.

I decided to give it a shot.

What is your superpower?
- Raft3r has the innate ability to be indifferent.

Who are you most like in life?
- Jerry Maguire: Good at friendship, bad at intimacy.

Do people ever tell who you look like a celebrity?
- Politician Ralph Recto. I don’t see it. But I’ve been getting that comment a lot, especially during the past election. Methinks Ate Vi would react violently. I would, too. I’m way better looking. Nyahaha. Also local stars Jolo Revilla and a nameless Starstruck kid. Waaah! Raft3r is so common looking!

What are your views on weddings?
- I think it’s great. But it’s not for everyone.

What was the last book you read?
- Do men’s magazines count? Hehe. Seriously, it’s "Pwede Na! The Complete Pinoy Guide To Personal Finance."

Who is your hero?
- Mahatma Gandhi: Live simply that others may simply live.

What are the five songs that would be the soundtrack of your life?
- Free Fallin’ (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers)
- The Promise (When In Rome)
- Why (Annie Lennox)
- I Get Lonely (Janet)
- I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For (U2)

Have you ever been burned?
- No.

What is your worst habit?
- I pick my nose while driving.

What is the best lesson your parents taught you?
- My best friend’s mom told him on his wedding night, “Son, don’t come too soon.” Words to live by, indeed. Would that count? She’s practically family.

What are the three things that hang on your walls?
- Movie poster of Jodie Foster’s Contact (Yes, I’m a geek.)
- An abstract painting from a local artist
- A vanity mirror (which I don’t even use)

Who do you think will actually win the US Presidency?
- Obama. It’s about time they elect an African American for the top post.

Is your bed made right now?
- Surprisingly, yes.

Where would you like to wake up in the morning if you could be anywhere?
- Batanes.

Do you do anything creative?
- I can hold my pee for 20 minutes and not feel a thing.

What would you like to be doing in five years if there were no limits to who you could be?
- Purchase a spanking new loft in Global City
- Have my own island in Palawan
- Become the 15th President of the Republic of the Philippines
- Eradicate poverty

Why Craiglist?
- I learned it from Gertrude. It also has a Philippine counterpart. The girls there are a bit freaky, though.

What is really the greatest thing about meeting someone new?
- There is always that thrill of meeting someone for the first time.

If you didn’t have work, would you?
- Travel more and play even harder.

What are you doing to make less of an impact on the Earth?
- I have a growing list of smoke belching vehicles that roam around the metro. I periodically send it to the concerned government agency.

There you have it. Now, it’s your turn. It would be a blast to read yours. Happy Sunday!

What's Ur Name

C’mon, admit it.

You have been called names before. Kids can be mean.

And probably until now, you are still a victim of such childish behavior. It now comes in the form of backstabbing. Welcome to the adult world.

Being freakishly thin and sickly during high school, I was a favorite target of bullies. They would call me names such as “bangkay” (corpse) or “kalansay” (skeleton).

Everyday, I dreaded coming to school for fear of being ridiculed. It was that insane. Early on, I started to plot my revenge.

A few years after high school, I ran into one of them. My bully was walking towards me. I felt my knees weaken. His first words were, “Ang gwapo mo na, pare!” (Man, you look good!)

I guess he couldn’t believe that the guy he once bullied and the person he was now face to face with were one and the same. I felt vindicated. He, on the other hand, was flabby and acne prone.

Over pizza, pasta, and gelato, I bonded with female officemates. Oh, we also had pastries from Becky’s and the “original” Lapid’s chicharon (pork rinds).

Man, was it a gab fest! I didn’t contribute much. But I laughed a great deal. Things turned really interesting when they started yakking about our colleagues, in particular those who were not with us that night.

Suddenly, I felt I was back in high school. I was weak in the knees again.

Post script: I just had about enough of backstabbing and such meaningless banter. My girl best friend and I just had a falling out because of this.

Feedback

After two full weeks of rest and relaxation, I had to literally drag myself to work this morning.

Man, was it a struggle.

Memories of Palawan still linger. I had a blast down there. I have always been a Boracay baby but my Puerto Princesa adventures were really something else.

Instead of telling you the cool places in Palawan, I would rather warn you where not to go and who to avoid.

Ready?

1. Royal Oberoi Resort & Hotel - The pictures from its website were taken more than five years ago. So imagine our surprise when we first set foot on the hotel. Talk about false advertisement. Plus, they charged us for an extra night. We were there from 12-17March. Probably, they are not aware of the legal principle: In computing a period, the first day shall be excluded, and the last day included (Civil Code of the Philippines, Art. 13.3).

2. Pares Plaza –They have the most stomach turning goto (rice porridge) I have ever tasted. Not only was it totally bland, their goto was made of what I can only describe as extra sticky rice. In fact, it even stays glued to your spoon. Enough said.

3. Tricycle Drivers – The tricycle is Puerto Princesa’s most common mode of public transportation. Sadly, trike drivers tend to abuse tourists. They have a keen eye on separating the tourists from the local herd. When night time hits, expect their rates to triple. Avoid them like a plague. It would be wiser to rent a scooter.

4. Starfish Island – Most of the islands of Palawan are pure bliss. But this one in particular was a disappointment. Although Starfish Island is privately owned, it appears to have been neglected. Whatta pity.

5. Mosquitoes - Came back to Manila with several huge red spots all over my arms and legs. They itch like crazy and no amount of mosquito repellent has prevented these hellish buggers from attacking.

There you have it. You are now set for Palawan. Enjoy!

Truth Or Dare

I'm gonna let you in on a little secret.

I have been secretly seeing someone for more than three years now.

So far, she has been the only constant thing in my life. 

The fact that we hid our relationship with the rest of the world is probably the reason why we have such a strong connection to this date.

We met online. 

It’s has been a struggle to keep everything hidden, though. There is something very delicate about her situation that makes our so-called relationship illicit.

None of my friends know her and neither does hers. 

We would have our secret weekend getaways which are always thrilling. Thinking maybe this time, we would finally run into friends and get busted. But so far, we haven’t been caught. Eventually, we would be. It’s just a matter of time.

The thing is we’re happy and we intend to keep it that way. It’s a strange set up. But it works for us, anyways.

Then again, all good things will come to an end.

Post script: Thanks to R.S. for the inspiration.

The Meaning

I haven’t had a dream in ages.

So when I woke up this morning, I was surprised to learn I had such a vivid memory of what appeared to be a dream.

The setting was in Hong Kong. I was apparently traveling with a local Chinese kid and a British bloke.

We were on top a very tall building when the grounds shook. There was an earthquake and a big one at that.

I looked through the window and I saw cars in the highway colliding with one another. People were panicking and running outside of their homes and offices. It was almost like Armageddon.

I felt quite lucky since I was on the last floor of a very tall building and in case of collapse, I would be right on top.

I looked at my companions and I saw fear in their eyes. The Chinese boy was crying and calling out to his momma. The British stud was yelling and it seemed he was screaming his boyfriend’s name.

It appeared there were only the three of us on that floor. I was the sane one. I was calm. I embraced death. That’s how my dream ended.

I now wonder what it means.

Luv

Love, like most things, comes in all shapes and sizes.

Tom Cruise-Katie Holmes
Jules Ledesma-Assunta de Rossi

Love, like the weather, is unpredictable.

Jennifer Aniston-Brad Pitt-Angelina Jolie
Michelle Van Eimeren-Ogie Alcasid-Regine Velasquez

Love, like fashion, fades away.

Pam Anderson and her 3 divorces
Aiko Melendez and her 2 annulments

Love, like sports, is injury prone.

Tina Turner
Ruffa Gutierrez

Love, like television, has reruns.

Prince William-Kate Middleton
Dennis Trillo-Cristine Reyes

Love, like air, is everywhere.

Paris Hilton and her numerous exploits.
Gretchen Barretto and her scandalous affairs.

Post script: This, by far, is the hardest post to write. I know no shit about showbiz and celebrity gossip. Huge thanks to Mr. Google for all the juicy tidbits.

Bathroom Break

I will be taking a short hiatus from the blogging world starting tomorrow.

Raft3r will definitely miss you.

My friends and I are heading to Palawan and we’ll be there for a week.

We got a really awesome yet inexpensive deal from Royal Oberoi. Our package includes hotel accommodation, full board meals, plus tour and stuff.

Although the hotel we’re staying at has WiFi access, I have decided not to bring my laptop. Leave the urban comforts behind, I say.

Fun in the sun is the agenda. I just want to hit the beach and enjoy. Girl watching is definitely on top of my list.

My iTouch is now loaded with fun summer tunes. Summertime Rolls, anyone? I’m hooked!

So here I am, packed and raring to go. 

From inside my head, I can hear The B-52’s singing loudly Summer of Love. I couldn’t help but smile. Something tells me, this is the start of one hell of an adventure.

Post script: Gertrude, a US blogger and one cool chick, has posted an entry about The Deadbeat Club. Ain’t life sweet!

4 Words

Raft3r made a list of four word sentences that people love to hear over and over again.

So, here it goes:

- I love you, too.

- You have the job.

- Lunch is on me.

- I don’t blame you.

- Tomorrow is a holiday.

- You look beautiful tonight.

- I didn’t do it.

- Can’t live without you.

- She thinks you’re hot.

- Your loan is approved.

- Yes, I’m free tonight.

- I made a mistake.

- My answer is yes.

- You are the best.

- I’m coming, I’m coming!

- Your diet is working.

- He is into you.

- Thank God, it’s Friday.

- I will be here.

- You make me happy.

- The sky’s the limit.

- We have free WiFi.

- You are a blessing.

- It’s my first time.

- Your blog is funny.

Post script: Just for kicks, you may want to add your own. Thanks.

Never Letchu Go

I once appeared in a toothpaste commercial.

This probably triggered my obsession with having perfectly white teeth. I always go to the extreme in keeping my smile bright and healthy.

This brings us to my current predicament.

You know how stubborn I can be at times? 

Here’s the perfect example.

I bought this really expensive whitening toothpaste. When I started using it, I noticed I began having mouth sores and blisters around my lips. I let it pass. I thought they would simply go away.

Weeks went by and my mouth sores worsen. Plus, the blisters around my lips grew like mushrooms. To cover it up, I stopped shaving. After all, my face was my saving grace.

I told my family about the toothpaste and they were all in agreement I should stop using it. I refused to do so.

They said the formulation was probably too strong. That probably explained the mouth sores. The toothpaste cost a fortune and I couldn’t just throw it away. Mom said I was nuts.

I know buying a new one is fast and easy. But I don’t think that way. I am more into the fact I already bought one and I will continue to use it, until my teeth start to fall apart.

Blame the stars. I'm a Taurus.

Curtains

It was a last minute decision.

My friend and I decided to catch Maroon 5 in concert. So we trooped to the Araneta Coliseum with bated breath. 

Armed with only also had fifty bucks on my pocket, I rocked on.

The place was packed - mostly by girls. But I didn’t mind.

Raft3r would shell out more dough just to get a glimpse of such wonderful species.

I immediately befriended the girl seated next to me. She was wearing those extremely notorious short shorts that leave almost nothing to the imagination.

Of course, I showed interest. I asked her what her major is. The chick said she’s in junior high. I immediately traded seats with my buddy.

With only two studio albums to boot, I wondered just how much materials can the group perform for an hour or so. Maroon 5 also received dismal reviews for their live gigs.

Raft3r was resigned to the idea that the night would be a major disappointment.

Let’s face it. Adam Levine is no Brandon Boyd. I have seen Incubus in concert. They were awesome. Levine’s live singing voice sounded like Rica Peralejo’s - squeaky and high pitched.

As the curtains rose, my ear drums were almost shattered due to the heavy screaming of teenage girls. Raging hormones and puberty are not a pretty good combination.

My white Lacoste sneakers were stepped on a lot by high school girls who jumped like crazy and ran closer to the stage upon sighting the lead singer. Darn it! I should have worn flip flops instead.

I went home a little after midnight. In a matter of hours, I need to get up for work.

Whoever thought that a Wednesday night would make a good time for a rock concert is an absolute idiot.

Discipline

In honor of my wife’s new CD, Discipline, all posts for the month of March will be named after songs and interludes appearing on her smash album.

Discipline entered the Billboard 200 Albums Chart at #1. Number 1, baby! Yeah!

With close to 200,000 units sold on its first week, Janet has finally made a huge comeback.

With two previous failed attempts to overcome her now infamous Nipplegate scandal, Discipline has erased all doubts that Janet is, indeed, a true music icon.

I’m not here to convert Janet haters. Nor am I here to put my two cents work on my wife’s new disc.

The point here is simple. It’s music.

Music, in whatever genre, should be celebrated. It’s good for the soul.