This Boy's Life

This Week's Friday Five

1. Do you like to shop? Why or why not?
Yes!!! I like to shop provided that I have the money. I am a firm believer of retail therapy. Someday, I aim to write "shopping" as my regular exercise. Hehehe!

2. What was the last thing you purchased?
I think the last item that I bought was a Madz Around the World CD by the Philippine Madrigal Singers.

3. Do you prefer shopping online or at an actual store? Why?
Well, in this country, majority of the shops still don't offer online shopping. Add to that the fact that several big stores and shops in foreign countries don't ship to my country. It sucks.

But even if online shopping were very much available here, I think I would still prefer shopping at an actual store. That's the actual therapy and not buying via the Internet.

4. Did you get an allowance as a child? How much was it?
Yes, I did. How much was it? Let's just say I'm very glad that I don't depend on my folks that much anymore for my finances.

5. What was the last thing you regret purchasing?
Uhm... so far, I haven't regretted buying any of the stuff that I bought.

Brought to you by Friday Five.

Oh Happy Gay Day!!!

Yesterday was declared as a non-working holiday in observance of the last day of Ramadan. A bit of trivia to friends living outside of the Philippines, there are several Filipinos (especially in the Mindanao region) who are of Muslim faith.

But I'm not going to talk about the history of Muslims in the country or why yesterday was a holiday. I'm just glad it's a holiday. Period.

It gave me a chance to relax.

In the morning, I attended a baking class at Chocolate Lovers. It's my first baking class ever. Before, I never thought I would learn baking but as it turns out, I found it to be quite fun and easy (I hope). To be the only guy in class did not come as a surprise to me. Attending the class with me were about fifteen to twenty women and for three hours, we watched Chef Annie work her way in the kitchen. It would have been more fun if there was class participation. Note to self: Next time, attend class at this culinary school.

In the afternoon, Hunski and I treated ourselves to a relaxing time at the Suriya Spa. For about an hour and a half, I had the most relaxing Oriental Body Work Massage, commonly known as Swedish-Shiatsu massage. It was so good that I actually fell asleep and the masseur had to wake me up to turn over. It was a well-deserved massage. With the sore muscles from my recent tedious out of town trip, I really needed to have my muscles crushed.

After the spa, Hunski and I met with his best friend, Omar. I actually wrote this entry while sitting on a plush cushioned chair here at the newly opened Powerbooks Live! (Why they called it Live, I have not the faintest idea) I'm seated next to a forty-something year old man casually reading a book on bowling. Her six or seven year old daughter then comes up to him and asks for money to a brown teddy bear. It was a nice sight.

A little further to my right are my own two little boys - Hunski and Omar (who I recently baptized as Ohmie). The two men looked like two little boys in a school library, each of them holding a large book and sharing with each other whatever interesting they found on the book.

They reminded me of my little nephews. They think they're grownups, ready to hurdle every challenge that life would throw them. But I do know that somewhere in those adult body frames are the little boys who still want to play, who are still afraid to fall in love (in the case of Ohmie), who are still finding their way, and who still cry when they fall. They probably didn't notice but I was watching them as they talked, maybe gossipped, about life and about love. They were a nicer sight.

So much for the that, I just have to say that I found the Burberry shirt that I will buy really soon. I'm excited.

Oh yes! The coming year is truly an exciting one. I can't wait. I myself feel like a little boy again.

Inday is Coming

Hi guys!!! The Book Launching of Inday Genius 2 will be on December 5, 2003 at 5 in the afternoon. It will be held at the Popular Bookstore , 305 T. Morato St., Quezon City.

Inday Genius is a Filipino cookbook featuring native and international (Inday Genius 2) recipes. The books is the product of the collaboration of Obi Mapua, Waco Mapua, Kristin Lim and Albert Roa.

For details, please call Popular Bookstore at 372-2162.

Below is a review of the book I wrote and was published at What's on Expat.com.

Another article I wrote was published at Peyups.com.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Being Inday Genius
By Angelo Morales

The newest cookbook in town was recently launched - Inday Genius. Served hot and fresh from the printing press, it is guaranteed to satisfy more than just one's palate but also one's craving for learning how to cook. The cookbook is project of the father and son tandem of Obi Mapua (former vice-president of Mapua Institute of Technology) and Waco Mapua (a graduate of the renowned Center for Culinary Arts). The book features a wide array of mouthwatering, all-time favorite Filipino dishes from appetizer to the dessert. From the ensaladang mangga to adobo to lengua to baked tahong to leche flan, these can all be found in the book.

The title of the book, Inday Genius, is a playful but witty derivative of the word "indigenous". The Mapua senior shares in the preface that he and his wife were watching television one morning and the TV host pronounced the word "indigenous" differently and that was the way the book's title was born.

The ingenuity of Inday Genius is that it offers everything one needs from a cookbook. From selecting ingredients, to cooking food, to serving food, Inday Genius is there every step of the way.

The book is divided into more than 20 sections filled with recipes for each meal. Aside from breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner, there are also sections about lunch packs, drinks, bar chow and even native Filipino rice cakes. With over 100 easy-to-cook recipes, one would surely not run out of ideas on what to serve family and friends.

What is also remarkable is that the book is written in Tagalog, giving the book more than just a sprinkle of originality and a dash of Filipino character. Moreover, the cookbook makes it trouble free for house help as it is easy to understand.

Inday Genius is the contemporary kitchen bible that each cooking aficionado should use when it comes to Filipino cooking.

Taken from What's On, Expat.

What Kind of Smile Are You?


You're the loving smile,the one that is entirely
devoted to others,especially that one
person.You really can't get them out of your
head,but then,you don't really want to.


What Kind of Smile are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

And I'm Back

Hey guys! I just got back from a nine hour bus trip. Going to get some sleep first.

Will write an entry later.

Take care y'all.

Gone for Two Days

I'm leaving for an out of town work assignment tonight. I will be back on Tuesday morning.

This is so Sidney Bristow.

Til then, take care y'all.

This Week's Friday Five:

1. List five things you'd like to accomplish by the end of the year.
- Resign from current work. Gawd! I love my current work but I really need a break from it.
- Finish Order of the Phoenix. I started on the book weeks after it came out but I had tons of work so I forgot about it for quite some time. I’m reading it now.
– Look for a graduate school and begin next year.
- Submit the requirements for immigration to...
- Re-organize my things.

2. List five people you've lost contact with that you'd like to hear from again.
This is really easy…
- Darryl Gallo… my best friend from high school. I wonder what happened to him.
- Carlos Romero… my best friend from elementary school. He moved to the States after high school (or was it college?) and I have no idea what he’s been up to since we graduated from elementary school.
And the remaining three are Korean students I worked with two years ago. I wish we could get in touch again.
- Sang-taik Woo
- Joon-hyun Park
- Tae-hoon Oh

3. List five things you'd like to learn how to do.
- Scuba Dive… I’ve always had a thing for the underwater world.
- Swim… I enrolled in a swimming class a year ago but my teacher went on awol.
- Learn another language… probably Italian and French.
- Learn a musical instrument… Is this too late already?
- Gourmet cooking… I’ll do this soon.

4. List five things you'd do if you won the lottery (no limit).
Now this is really fun.
- Tell Hunski we’re having dinner… but surprise him by taking him to dinner in Paris followed by a trip around the key cities of Europe.
- Shopping spree to the max - buy the entire collection of all the major fashion houses. Oooohhh, this is fun!
- Get my family a new house.
- Start a school - quality education for a price everyone can afford.
- Build a foundation for gay teenagers and for street children.

5. List five things you do that help you relax.
- Take a nap.
- Read Calvin and Hobbes or any other book that’s funny.
- Have Hunski’s arms wrap around me although having him beside me is enough.
- Retail therapy. Never fails.
- Blog.

Friday Five Here.

Your Fortune According to this Sushi


Sushi via Global Gourmet

I'm not a big fan of fortune telling. In fact, I have never gone to a fortune teller. But I found this site through this guy's blog and I decided to have a little fun so I tried it out.

Go ahead, click here and have your fortune told.

Here's mine:

1. Love: good observer, change accordingly to please others.
2. Money: like buying your friends gifts.
3. Career: strong personality, persistent. treasure your family and colleagues.
4. Family: long for stable and warm family.
5. Wish: wish to break through yourself.

Signs of the Times

Diarist's Note: Greenbelt is one of the most popular malls here in Manila. The people who go there are usually from the A & B crowd. It is located in Makati City, one of the country's business capitals.

Greenbelt IV recently opened and I must say that I am wowed (So is this guy. Hehe!) by the string of shops the mall is carrying.

Welcoming you at one entrance is the second outlet of Miuccia's fashion house here in the country, Prada. Louis Vuitton also found a new home in the mall and this time, there's more space, more products (there are still some small Murakami pieces here) and a whole new better shop design to give any Vuitton fan the ultimate shopping experience. Then there's the other usual shops like Geneva fashion house Charriol, chichi plaid designer Burberry and stylish handbag et al maker Coach.

What surprised me were the arrival of three new fashion giants into the country, namely Bottega Veneta, Yves Saint Laurent and the most uppity of all, Gucci.

I begin to wonder if the landing of these über-luxurious brands on Philippine shores could be an indicator that the economy of the country is doing good. I mean seriously, if you are observant enough and if you would relate fashion to the economy, you'd begin to notice that the wealthier a country, the bigger the names of the fashion house investing in that country.

Take for example, Japan. The small island just cannot seem to have enough stores of Vuitton, Dior, Hermes, Prada and all the other fashion giants. Bangkok, in a way, is similar. With the huge number of tourists visiting the country, the presence of Dior et al is also seen in the country.

If I remember correctly, Gucci and Dior used to be available here in Manila in the early 90s until it was pulled out leaving Gucci and Dior fans teary eyed (okay, I'm exaggerating). But now, Gucci's back and she's looking fiercer and more aggressive than before. Is this a good sign? Will these new shops be able to stand against the heavy torrents the Philippine economy is facing?

On the other hand, another way of looking at the whole situation, although a bit dismal, is that the economy might be improving only for the A & B crowd. For the entire Philippine population, life is still difficult, the economy is still depressing. And the burgeoning of these designer labels in the capital of the country could also be just a evidence of the great divide between the affluent and the hard up majority.

Oh well, I just hope that whoever wins the presidential elections next year will do something to bring the two groups closer together and not further aggravate the current economic situation.

P.S. Believe it or not, crazy as it may sound, surreal as it may seem, I composed the skeleton of this entry in my dreams last night. Do you think this would qualify for Ripley's?

Stupid Weather

The weather's crazy right now.

I'm not feeling well.

Pinoy Trivia of the Week:

In the previous Pinoy Trivia of the week, I told you about how diverse the dialects in this country are. This week, what I'd like to share is still related to the diversity of the dialects of the Filipino culture. This is actually an experience I had last year and I must say that it is one of the most unforgettable and richest experiences I have had. I'd like to share it with you guys.

One of the huge indigenous groups in the country is the Mangyan tribe. The group is spread out on the whole island of Mindoro. Mindoro is composed of Mindoro Oriental and Mindoro Occidental.

In the past two years, I got to visit about four Mangyan communities in Mindoro Occidental. I was handling the Summer Immersion Program of my organization and part of the preparation for the immersion is to conduct site visits in potential areas of deployment.

For about two or three days in each community, I was able to catch a glimpse of just how rich and how interesting the Mangyan culture. Staying with a family, I got the chance to be part of the family - eating with them and having a taste of the Mangyan cuisine. Then, for half a day, became part of the community by joining them in harvesting rice under the heat of the sun. On another occasion, I visited an informal school the Mangyans set up. The teachers were also Mangyans. One subject of the students was Mangyan music, dances and culture. The conversations with the community people were also a fun and learning experience. It was really interesting and the whole thing was an experience.

Here's a trivia. The Mangyan tribe is composed of seven sub-tribes. These are the Alangan, Buhid, Taobuwid, Hanunuo, Gubatnon, Ratagnon and Iraya. And although the sub-tribes reside in one island, each sub-tribe has its own dialect and own culture. A Hiraya would not understand a Hanunuo's dialect and vice-versa.

The culture of the Mangyan group alone is so diverse and it would be an interesting field of study. I hope that the government is doing something to document the traditions of the group, as well as those of the other indigenous groups.

Isn't it saddening to think that, in the future, the only place where we will learn of the ways and cultures of Mangyans and other indigenous groups are on the sad pages of a book?

Weekend Report

Saturday
I had to go to work last Saturday.

Here's a bit of trivia. In this country, all men used to be required to undergo two years of military training during freshman and sophomore year in college through the Reserved Officers Training Corps (ROTC)

Last year, the ROTC was replaced with the National Service Training Program (NSTP). Under the NSTP, both male and female college students are now required to take this up. Our office is handling the Literacy Training Service (LTS) component of the program where the students are deployed to public elementary schools to provide tutorial assistance to the pupils having academic difficulty.

Last Saturday was the orientation about the program and the first of three pre-deployment training days. The topic for the day was the Philippine Educational System. It was pretty tiring primarily because there were about three hundred students attending the orientation-workshop-training and there are only a handful of us. It was just so exhausting.

After work, I went home to get some sleep. I had to. Otherwise I would be cranky all night and to be a wowser is the last thing I want to be. At ten in the evening, I left the house to meet with Hunski and the rest of the gang. As was our custom, we started the night off with some drinks at Komiks. We then headed to Bassilica, a sing-along cum comedy bar, which I have to say has the best gay singers. Step aside Mariah and Christina, these “ladies” can take your crown.

A little after midnight, we made our way to Bed. Boy, the club was packed – 95% gay men and 5% lost or curious straight men (?) and women.

I still don’t understand the logic behind going out late at night. I don’t see anything beneficial out of it. I mean, really, you’re tired, you rub bodies with a hundred sweaty men (Bleh! This has never and will never be a turn on for me), and you’re out of cash, and yet we do it. Why? Why do we do it? And then, I think for a moment, maybe there’s no need for me to find meaning in it. Just have fun. I should enjoy this now while I’m still young. Because by the time I’m thirty-five or forty, I would just want to have coffee with my friends at a cozy lounge.

I got home at three in the morning.

Sunday
In the afternoon, Hunski and I met up with Kendi and Eden at Starbucks to plan our friend's wedding shower. I had a grand time meeting with these girls. Seeing them is always a happy moment for me. After the meeting, Hunski and I went shopping. Got myself a new pair of charcoal pants. Hunski got himself a checkered blue long-sleeved polo that makes him look cuter.

In the evening, I had dinner with my family at California Pizza Kitchen in celebration of my parents' 25th wedding anniversary. Gawd! We stuffed ourselves with sumptuous Kung Pao Spaghetti, Bolognese Penne and Thai Chicken Pizza. If I didn’t have that dinner, I would have attended my first lesbian wedding. Fire and Barbie, good friends of Hunski and me, tied the knot. What made their wedding more special was that it was a Wiccan wedding. Very interesting.

Oh well, that's my weekend. Hope your weekend was just as great. Cheers.

Of Flower Beds and Old Villas

Despite the heavy rains that showered the metro last Friday, I watched Under the Tuscan Sun last Friday with Hunski.

The story revolved about the life of writer, Frances Mayes (Diane Lane), how she found a new life in a small village in Cortona.

The story begins when Frances finds out that her husband was having an affair. Her lesbian friend, Patti (Sandra Oh) who's having a baby, give Frances a plane ticket bound to Tuscany. Somewhere in Cortona, she chances upon a villa “Bramasole� (something that yearns for the sun) and impulsively purchases it .

Away from the city, away from the divorce, and in a very different world, Diane begins to lay down the foundations of her new life at the same time rebuilding her new home. She meets Marcello (hottie Raoul Bova), who she thought would be one of the cornerstones of her life, but he only becomes a mild tremor to the new foundation of life Frances has been building. With the help of Patti who surprises her by showing up, Frances continues rebuilding her life. Little does she know that with the short time that passed by, her life has already been rebuilt again and is now starting to be deeply rooted in this new world she is living in. As she opens her eyes to her surrounding, Frances sees that everything that has happened to her in this new community has given her a second chance at life – the marriage of Pawel to FIorella, the birth of Patti's baby, water finally comes out from the faucet on the wall, the old man who offers flowers daily to an altar of Mary finally smiles at her, she finally finds peace and happiness.

One of the things that I loved about the film was it offered something different from the usual skyscrapers of Manhattan and the hustle and bustle of the city. Seeing the lush flower beds, the panoramic side of the Italian countryside, not to mention the hot Italian men, was definitely refreshing. Four words people.

Go watch the movie.

This Week's Friday Five:

1. Using one adjective, describe your current living space.
Comfortable

2. Using two adjectives, describe your current employer.
Extraordinary, Fun

3. Using three adjectives, describe your favorite hobby/pasttime.
Addicting, fun, productive

4. Using four adjectives, describe your typical day.
Busy, tiring, challenging, interesting

5. Using five adjectives, describe your ideal life.
Happy, Progressive, Fulfilling, Loving, and Fun

Winds of Change Are Coming

I can feel the breeze of the winds of change.

I'll be shifting careers soon. I won't elaborate on it for now. The only thing I can say is that my new career prospect is totally, completely, wholly different from the field I am currently in.

This should be exciting. Wooohoo!!!

Getting What You Want

Have you ever been in a situation like this? You want something so badly. The problem is there are obstacles making it difficult for you to get whatever that thing you�ve been wanting. (Why is it usually like this?) But, with your persistence and determination and notwithstanding the presence of all obstacles, you continue to try to get that thing that you want at that moment and triumph.

That's what happened to me yesterday. There was an ongoing protest just a block or two away from TIGI. The anti-riot police force was not allowing any vehicles to pass the whole stretch of the main road. I had a 5:30 salon appointment and it was already almost 5 p.m. on my watch.

I was irritated not by the possibility that I might miss my appointment but because I was confused why the protest rally was there. I mean who do these people expect to listen to their sentiments when there�s no government office in the area. Why the heck are they rallying in the city's central business district. Shouldn�t these people be at the Malaca�ang Palace (our version of the White House)?

Not succumbing to the time pressure, I kept my cool and made my way to the salon. And guess what? I arrived at the salon several minutes early to my appointment time. So amidst the ongoing roars and yelling, I took my seat at the chic salon. While the protesters yelled out their sentiments (I don't know to whom), my silently stylist cut my hair. In the peaceful and relaxing confines of TIGI, I got my badly needed haircut. Yes, it is badly needed. You should have seen my hair the other day. It was so thick that it's good enough for any bird to make a nest on it. Not to mention that I was getting cranky because of my hair.

As I was leaving the salon, passers-by were saying that the protest was already over. It was thirty minutes more before Hunski got off from work. I made my way to his office but they lobby was closed (because of the rally). I decided to go to the adjacent mall but again, they weren't letting people in because of the rally. My last resort was the Starbucks outside of Hunski's office. Thank God it was open.

I got myself a short Peppermint Hot Choco (Wayne, are you reading this?) which I am currently loving, and waited for Hunski. For the next forty minutes, the creamy and delicious chocolate, accented with peppermint, topped with whipped cream and completed with a chocolate swirl and red sugar sprinkles kept me company until Hunski arrived.

Let's just say that that was my treat for myself for not letting something stop me from achieving my goal.

A Few Years Back...

It was November. The year was 1978.

As the rest of the world went about with their daily grind, a woman in her thirties was getting herself ready for one of the most monumental events in her life. She was about to march down the aisle. The woman, looking radiant in a traditional wedding gown, was the eldest of seven children. She was the daughter of a middle class couple. Her family traces its roots to the province of Pampanga.

At another part of the church, a man was also preparing for probably also the biggest event of his life. The man was fifteen years senior of his bride-to-be. He is the youngest child in a brood of three. The man was the son of a teacher and an elderly businessman. The man was working for an insurance company but his true passion is the arts. It was clear from the numerous paintings that the man had a gifted pair of hands.

In front of God and in front of man, the man and the woman exchanged �I dos� that blessed day and promised to love each other for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do them apart.

A year later, the couple was blessed with their firstborn. The baby boy brought joy and light to the household. Two years later, the second child of the couple was born. Another baby boy was brought into the world. The couple, along with their growing two boys, led a happy life. From time to time, they were tested by circumstances but they hurdled over every obstacle that came their way.

Twelve years after the couple married, their two boys now in elementary school, the two boys were given a surprise by their parents when the mother announced that she was having another baby. Nine months after this joyful expression of news, the third child was born. The child had the XY chromosome again. The newest member of the family became the center of the family. The baby brought tons of delight and so much laughter in the house.

Much has happened to the family since then. The eldest son graduated with honors the country�s top university. The second child, blessed with an artistic ability, finished a degree in the arts. The youngest child is now in second year high school. But still he is the baby of the house.

As for the man and the woman, the man was now retired. He just stays home, sometimes helps out in the business, attends to the kids, and most of the time paints. The woman, on the other hand, has just opened two canteens at a prominent university in the city. Little does she know that her children are amazed with her because in spite of the work she does, she still has time for her family. From what I�ve heard, the family is doing well. Each member of the family has high hopes on what the future holds for them.

Friends, on this memorable date in 1978, Antonio and Maribel married each other. They are my parents. And I am their eldest son. Today, they are celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary. I am simply impressed that they were able to keep their marriage working for the past 25 years and I am hoping that this will be the same for the next 25 years or so.

Happy 25th Anniversary, Mom and Dad!!! Congratulations!!! We love you both!!!

Pinoy Trivia of the Week:

In this country, the respect for someone who's older than you are, whether by just five year or fifty years, is significantly important.

One proof for this is the tons of honorifics and courteous titles found in the Filipino language.

Some examples are: kuya (older brother), ate (older sister), diko, ditse, ineng (little girl), totoy (little boy), iho, iha, Ingkong, Apo, Manang, Manong, Aling, Mang, etc.

Most of these words have no exact translation in the English language, but all of these connote respect, deference and the value placed on kinship.

People, may I also remind you that we are talking about just one language here? The Philippines has over 100 regional dialects.

Yes, it is amazing.

Reminiscing Old Times

So I met up with my college classmates last Friday. Except for Eden, Charmy and Thea who I regularly see, the last time I saw most of the people who showed up last Friday was ages ago.

We had dinner at Giligan's Island, a grill/restaurant in Makati. The place was okay although I think we could have gone to a much better one. While the food is good, the service was just so b-a-a-a-a-d. But that was okay since the company I had that night can only be described by one word - perfect.

Lovelynn was the one who organized the get-together. Geoff, her boyfriend of seven years, was also there. It was really thoughtful of her. The others who showed up were Christy (who gained more weight but still cheerful as ever), Tina (who'd look prettier if she would just remove her glasses), Bea (who's just as articulate as she was three years ago), Scarlette (who looked sexier in her corporate attire), Dulce (who lost some weight and looking in love), Ella (who lost some weight and happily working for a TV network), and Jen (who’s still as bubbly as she was just like the last time I saw her), Trish (who's now attending graduate school and looking HOT in the tube top she was wearing), Charms (who brought current beau Erik along with her). The rest of the block couldn’t make it because they a.) were trapped at work, b.) are in their home provinces away from Manila, c.) in another country working or studying. Just so you know, my college class of twenty-four people is composed of twenty-four women and only two men. (Can you just imagine how crazy it was?)

For about three hours, we all tried to catch up with one another and reminisce the days we spent together at UP Manila. It was really fun talking about the crazy things we did in class, the unforgettable professors who taught us, the activities we joined or organized, and the personal lives we shared.

While everyone was chatting away, I sat there and watched the people I spent my college life with. Just a couple of years ago, we were facing the University life. We attended classes together. We laughed with each other. We cried with each other. We cheered with a member of the class who made it big. We mourned with a blockmate who lost a parent. We celebrated life with a classmate who’s having a baby. We were more than classmates. We became bonded together like brothers and sisters.

In my head, I was thinking, "It seems that nothing much have changed, huh? Jen still has that unique sense of humor. Ella is as high pitched as ever. Christy is still attached to her Church activities. We may have gone our ways after we marched up the stage but we are still the family that we are."

I have a strong feeling that it would always be like this. That thought alone just brings the biggest comfort.

What's in A Name?

Here's something I got via Friendster. What does your name mean? Mine is about 95% true.

A - You can be very quiet when you have something on your mind.
N - You like to work, but you always want a break.
G - You have excellent ways of viewing people.
E - You are a very exciting person.
L - Love is something you deeply believe in.
O - You are very open-minded.

Now, be a sport and try it out.

A You can be very quiet when you have something on your mind. B You are always cautious when it comes to meeting new people. C You definitely have a partier side in you, dont be shy to show it. D You have trouble trusting people. E You are a very exciting person. F Everyone loves you. G You have excellent ways of viewing people. H You are not judgemental. I You are always smiling & making others smile. J Jealousy. K You like to try new things. L Love is something you deeply believe in. M Success comes easily to you. N You like to work, but you always want a break. O You are very open-minded. P You are very friendly and understanding. Q You are a hypocrite. R You are a social butterfly. S You are very broad-minded. T You have an attitude, a big one. U You feel like you have to equal up to people's standards. V You have a very good physical and looks. W You like your privacy . X You never let people tell you what to do . Y You cause a lot of trouble. Z You're always fighting with someone

Thank God It's Friday:

It's Friday!!!

Woo woo woo!!! I'm having dinner with my blockmates from college tonight. Some of them I haven't seen for months, even years. Really excited to see them later.

Will tell you about how the dinner goes tomorrow.

Have a great weekend everyone!

You all have a good one.

This Week's Friday Five:

1. What food do you like that most people hate?
Are you guys familiar with the vegetable "okra" (also known as gumbo)? I like okra. Whether it's just boiled or mixed with other veggies, I enjoy eating this green vegetable. I've met several people who don't like okra because of its slimy constituency once you start chewing on it.

2. What food do you hate that most people love?
Steak that falls within the rare to medium well-done category. I am not one of those people who find partially cooked meat to be an enjoyable dining experience. I can only imagine the live little things in that piece of meat.

3. What famous person, whom many people may find attractive, is most unappealing to you?
This is easy. Brad Pitt, definitely. Men with really long hair and lotsa facial hair have never really turned me on. Travis Fimmel hair is acceptable but Brad's. Hmm, may we call the Fab 5 in?

4. What famous person, whom many people may find unappealing, do you find
attractive?
Uhm, right now, I'd have to say Liya Kebede. The Ethiopian model may not be that pretty to some people but I think quite the contrary.

5. What popular trend baffles you?
Here in Manila, I think it is safe to say that more than half of the city population are so crazy over Taiwan boyband, F4. Yes, the boys are cute. That's acceptable. Yes, the TV series was dubbed in Filipino. That's also acceptable. But playing F4 songs over the Philippine airwaves? Hmm, the sound may be catchy but do we even understand a single word of their songs? What's more baffling to me? There are people who even memorize the songs sung in the foreign language.

So Long, Dawson's Creek

A couple of weeks ago, the final episode of Dawson's Creek was aired on Philippine TV. (Yes, friends from the other side of the planet, just a couple of weeks ago.)

Tuesday. Eight in the evening. I made sure that I would get home in time to watch the concluding episode of the series that I have grown to love. Does this sound weird coming from a twenty-four year old man? It does? Would it be less weird if I wrote that the twenty-four year old man also happened to be gay?

After how many seasons of watching the teenage series, I found it a bit saddening to say goodbye to Dawson, Pacey, Joey, Jen, and of course, Jack. The series made me laugh. It made me cry. It inspired me. It gave me some optimism the way only a TV series can give. And I’m quite sure there are other people who feel the same way.

The only thing I didn't like about the series was that I found it to be teeming with so much drama. Or maybe that’s exactly the reason why I loved the show. Because of the drama that existed in the lives of the group.

I remember I got more addicted to the show during the season when Jack McPhee was out-ed to the entire Capeside High. At that time, I was still having an interior struggle with my sexuality. In some sort of way, the Jack McPhee episodes provided some comfort to the teenager in an identity crisis.

And need I mention the volume 1 soundtrack of the series. It's the perfect companion for those who purposely wallow in the pool of depression.

Gawd! I even remember subjecting myself to the dreary soundtrack during my low times. I would thank Curtis Stigers for telling me that I deserved to be loved. Ha ha! Pathetic as it may sound, yes, on some occasions I did that. But I was a teenager back then. Teenagers have a license to be pathetic.

But for a time, I stopped watching the series. Not that I intentionally did it. I got busy with my thesis, university graduation was nearing, I needed to get a life. Har har! Aside from these, the series started to get dragging. Man, inside my head, I was thinking that if I were in the shoes of any of those kids, going through all that emotional stress, I would have gone crazy already, or at least become jaded even before my 20th birthday.

I’m just glad that the Dawson's Creek kids have transformed into adults in a span of two or three episodes. Too bad it was Jen's death that had to be one of the primary driving factors for the boys and girls to get on with their lives. But it's all good. Joey is happily in love with Pacey. Pacey has the woman she has loved and been fighting for the longest time. Dawson, on the other hand, achieves his childhood dream of meeting and possibly working for Steven Spielberg. He may have lost Joey, in the romantic sense, but he has found solace in knowing that he and Joey would always be connected. As for Jack, he is in a relationship with Pacey's older brother, Doug. I had an inkling even before that these two would end up together. It's just really pleasant to see that he’s finally become comfortable with who he really is. That's a nice ending to leave the audience with...

Here's something to bring back the memories – Jack's poem

Today. Today was a day. The world got smaller, darker. I grew more afraid. Not of what I am but of what... I grew more afraid. Not of what I am but of what I could be. I loosen my collar to take a breath. My eyes fade. And I see... Him. The image of perfection. His frame strong. His lips smooth. And I keep thinking. What am I so scared of... I wish I could escape the pain, but these thoughts invade my head. Bound to my memory, they're like shackles of guilt. Oh God, please set me free...

Fashion News: Tom Ford Leaves Gucci


Tom Ford via Infomat.com

After more than a decade of serving one of the world's giant fashion houses, Tom Ford, Creative Director of Gucci, will be leaving the company. Aside from Ford, Gucci's Chief Executive Officer, Domenico De Sole, will also bid goodbye to the company come April 2004. The men's and women's fall 2004 collection will be Tom's last season of designing for Gucci and its brand, Yves Saint Laurent.
Mr. Ford, 42 (and still looking hot...whew!), and Mr. De Sole, 59, were very instrumental in giving Gucci a new lease on life from its sinking popularity in the early 90s. The two men were also behind Gucc's acquisition of other fashion houses such as Saint Laurent, Sergio Rossi, Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Alexander Mcqueen, and Stella McCartney.

Based on some reports, the creative tandem could not reach an agreement on a new contract with its French owner, Pinault Printemps-Redoute, the company that acquired two years ago.

The question now is where would Tom Ford go after he leaves the house of Gucci. Although the idea of coming up with his own brand is possible, speculators feel that Mr. Ford would not make this move but instead find another fashion house to reanimate. As to what fashion house this is, I guess we just have to sit back, relax and wait for things to unfold.

Read more about the article here. Username: angelomilco Password: angelomilco

Pinoy Trivia of the Week:

A lot of people, even Filipinos themselves, have this notion that the oldest university in the Philippines is the University of Santo Tomas, founded by the Dominican Fathers during the Hispanic period.

Not.

The oldest university in the country is located in the Queen City of the South. The University of San Carlos in Cebu City was founded by the Spaniards in 1595, about seventy years after the first group of Spaniards set foot in the Philippines.

Here's more. The said university is not only the oldest university in the country, but also in the whole of Asia. In fact, it is even older than Harvard University. The University of Santo Tomas was established in 1611 only, making it Asia's second oldest university.

There's Always A First Time


Following a hearty dinner last Thursday (prepared by yours truly), I asked Hunski to delay washing the dishes for a while and remain seated for a couple of minutes so we can chit chat for a moment on two. Somewhere during our discussion of fashion, Hunski paused for a moment before saying,

"I have a confession to make."

"What is it?", I replied, trying to look as cool as possible.

"I went to a Louis Vuitton shop to look for a wallet as a present for your birthday.", Hunski said to me.

"And...", I said to him.

"@&#*$&^!!! It was so expensive!!!", he casually told me.

I was like Whoa!!! Hang in there for a moment and allow me to let what you just said sink in. In case you guys are wondering, I'm not overly surprised by the fact that my Hunski thought of getting me a Louis for my birthday but because I heard him utter a very foul Filipino word...for the first time. Not that I had any problems with it. I was just surprised.

Woohoo!!!

Hunski would lovingly chide me everytime I would casually say that foul word and now, here I was hearing my beloved Hunski cuss for the very first time. All it needed to make him cuss was a $200 wallet.

Heh. heh.

It was like a Mastercard Ad moment for me.

Marks and Spencer Long Sleeved Polo Hunski was wearing - P1,500

Marks and Spencer Black Flat Front Pants Hunski was wearing - P1,750

Louis Vuitton Wallet Hunski was thinking of giving me for my birthday - P20,000

Hearing Hunski cuss for the very first time - PRICELESS...

What can I say?

I love my Hunski.

Happy Halloween


HappyHalloween

Oh boy!

What a night it was! Went out with Richie, Suki, Edsel, Joseph, Richard, Jofer, and Hunski last night. As was our Halloween custom, we headed to Malate to party the night away. The sight of the Malate party area that night was something. There were more than the usual number of people that night and we're talking about an early eleven p.m. here.

I was not to be disappointed as I saw that the people who dared to get themselves into a costume. Among the most impressive costumes I saw were a gay couple who dressed up as mummies (Gawd! I can't imagine what they would do when they felt they need to take a leak.) and someone who dressed up as a clone from Star Wars (Leave it to gay men to come up with the best costumes.)

The group headed to Bed for some drinking and dancing. I was extremely surprised with the amount of people, about 95% gay men, inside the club. We made our way to the second floor of the club where they may have been less smoke but still very little space for some dancing. We had to satisfy ourselves with watching what was happening downstairs, and every now and then, fooling around with each other, dancing, with our drinks in one hand.

Believe me when I say that all the physical laws on proxemics and space defied that night. The club was literally jampacked with more than a hundred, maybe even two hundred, sweaty male bodies (Bleh!) all moving to the pounding music.

As for me, I haplessly tried so hard to have what small personal space I could have. Forgive me for saying this but having someone's sweaty body getting close to me is not really very appealing to me. Anyway, I also got to say hi to a number of people I rarely see aside from the friends I was with.

It was really great.

I dunno what it is about that night but I found myself going home at past three in the morning. Had it been an ordinary Friday night, I would have left the club by one so that I may be in bed by two. Yes, I could be a wowser sometimes.

Anyway, you wouldn't believe it but I still managed to help my folks cook food for their visit to the cemetery today. I had to. I promised my Mom I would cook spaghetti sauce. After that, I went upstairs to my room and got into my bed.

Well, this was my Halloween. Hope yours was just as great. Take care everyone.

Happy Halloween!!!