Disguised

For lunch, I had a chicken foldover meal from McDonald's. The foldover is junk food, disguised a healthy choice and the fries are Satan's bait disguised as God's gift.

I'm weak.

They will never know

I remember a conversation a from a few years back and I suddenly felt the need to write it down.

IT folks would never know what is wrong with the word INDEXES, or even BINDED.

Tinapay

For miryenda (afternoon snack), I toasted sliced bread with condensed milk. It was really good.

I swear, it could have been almost retrospective if only I hadn't used wheat bread.

Control and Enter

Something is wrong with my notebook. The control key had been bothering me for a long time. It gets stuck, and it happens in a way that you realize it not because it physically appears pressed, but because the keyboard functions change. I raised this issue to our tech guy, and being the helpful guy that he is, immediately called the notebook company for servicing.

The service technician took his time inspecting my machine, he even changed my keypad, which made me think of buying new shoe laces for a well worn pair of running shoes. That happened last Friday.

Come Monday, my enter key got stuck.

Tech guy again, came to the rescue. As the service technician from the computer company couldn't come immediately, he did his thing and got the keyboard working again.

Today is a new day that brings with it new promises. And keyboard problems.

Today, the other control key got stuck.

Run woman!

After fainting last week, I am again, reminded by my body of how important exercise is. I noticed that it is when I am most inactive that I get dizzy spells. So today, I ran.

I ran for ten minutes after which, I felt like fainting again.

Tomorrow, I'll run again. I hope I last eleven minutes.

I lost my head(band)

I had been looking for a headband that suited me for a long time. I am talking about the stretchy ones that go around your head. These are often seen in advertisements for facial products, worn by the models just before they wash their faces to keep hair from getting in the way.

Most of the ones I tried on made me look like I am losing my hair, the image of the crypt keeper comes to mind.

After months, I finally found the one. The search was finally over.

I was so excited that I wore it the first opportunity I had, which was yesterday.

My bliss didn't last long though. It ended too soon.

Somewhere between the Christmas shopping, clothes fitting and head tilting (while laughing), I lost it.

I felt like something is missing.

No more pressure two inches off my hairline. I can't believe it. How do I deal?

Something nice about Californication

Surprisingly, Californication has a fairly decent soundtrack. And for that, I rate it 1--out of 10.

Californication

I have started watching the series, Californication.

David Duchovny's acting reminds me of Richard Gere's. Enough said.

There is no chemistry. There is no chemistry between David and his leading lady, and they are supposed to be each other's greatest loves. There is no chemistry between David and his child, and they are supposed to have a very close relationship. I can list down all the relationship combinations and I am positive, there is no chemistry between any two characters. THERE IS JUST NO CHEMISTRY. I should have stopped at the first sentence of this paragraph.

Okay, maybe I am being a bit too harsh. The dog seems to be genuinely enthusiastic about David. There might be the littlest hint of chemistry there. But even then, it doesn't even wag its barely there tail. And that says something. I take it back.

I hope the one responsible for the casting quits his job soon. Very soon. Like NOW.

The script is very trite, full of cliche and is trying too hard to be profound--and witty--and sexy--and heartwarming. It seems as though the writers want to put a lot of meat into each episode, the overall effect is catastrophic, the thoughts are too cluttered. I don't think the creators had decided at this point what kind of a person the protagonist is. It is as if he is schizophrenic.

And did I mention that David's character gets to kick a lot of ass in the show? I mean, Vin Diesel could really play the part. Seriously.

Most of the traits of the characters are dictated to the audience. I must hand it to the director, maybe he realized that no one in the show could act, so he decided the emotions should be recited rather than acted out. I guess he got worried that otherwise, the audience might not get it. Pure genius.

After everything said, I have just one more thing about the writers. I think there is some plagiarism involved, there were more than I few lines that I am sure I have read or seen before. However, as I am a huge supporter of self expression and creativity, I would look the other way and just say that maybe it is not plagiarism, but actually lack of talent, originality and imagination.

For what it's worth, I will continue watching the rest of the series. It is like watching Claudine Baretto. The effect on you is very positive. You look forward to watching more because you know in your heart that the next one you watch would be a hell lot better.

Just friends

I went to a friend's birthday party a few weeks back. I had been looking forward to going because it had been a while since I last hung out with her and our common friends. Good vibes.

Little did I know, that I would meet a seemingly-friendly-but-actually-creepy guy that night. I noticed that he would look at me a lot and sometimes, would even stare. He also tries to sit beside me every time I move around the house. As the one bestowed with the nicname Ice Queen, it was child's play for me to get rid of him.

But creepy boy had some tricks up his sleeve. He managed to corner me on my way back from the restroom. I looked at him with one eyebrow raised and waited for him to say something.

He immediately became very chatty and went on and on about the necklace that I was wearing. Then I realized that he was not hitting on me, he just wanted to be friends.

I wonder why the birthday girl has not realized till now that mr. creepy is one with the ladies.

Letter Oh

I got a, and I hardly say this, well-written letter from a good friend today. I was amazed at how it made me feel...something.

There was nothing dramatic about it, it was just--real.

Only, it never happened.

3 3 love

Slim? Nah!

Neneng explained to me after lunch why it took her a long time to get to me this morning. She said that the woman said "may natumba na babae dun, taga dito daw siya, yung maganda na payat" (a woman fell, she says she is from this unit, she is pretty and slim). Neneng thought of my sister in law. Neneng immediately said that there must have been a mistake because she has just talked to my sister in law, as she is in the office already, it was impossible that she was the one who fainted just across the street.

The woman insisted that Neneng look at the woman who fell, just in case. Although reluctant to go, Neneng went with the woman to discover that I was the supposed slim and pretty woman who fell.

Neneng was very sorry and explained that I was not considered slim and with that being said, her reluctance was justifiable.

Fair enough.

Faint

I was on my way to work, when I was about to cross the street from our place to the bus stop, I suddenly felt breathless, giddy and purple blotches started to appear in my line of sight. I was already at the island when I decided that I should stop for a while. Totally oblivious to the fact that my bottom might get grass stains, I sat on the grass. I was breathing heavily and very dizzy. After a few minutes that felt like a really long time, I stood up and went towards the bus stop. I thought that I was going to be okay already. I was wrong. It was getting harder and harder to breathe. I untucked my shirt and loosened the neckline and laid on the bench. At this point, I was already drenched with sweat.

A man came up to me.

M: Are you okay miss?
T: I'm not feeling well.
M: Do you want me to call you a cab or something? Should I call someone?
T: No need. I just live in that condo (pointing to our place) and will be calling home in a while.
M: Do you need any help?
T: Thanks for asking. I will be fine.
M: Okay.

I reached inside my bag the minute I had enough strength to. I could not find my phone. That is the thing with big bags, I mean you could put everything inside, but it is tricky to find what you are looking for. It did not help that I brought a couple of cereal drink sachets to leave in the office and a few packs of biscuits. Needless to say, I was not able to make a call.

A Chinese woman with a Filipina came up to me.

CW: Are you okay?
T: I'm really dizzy.
CW: Here put some of this. (she pulled out a white flower oil bottle from her purse and put some on my temples and pointman)
T: Thanks.

We had a few more exchanges but I really don't remember much.

FW: Is someone coming for you?
T: I live there (pointing across the street)
FW: Is someone at home now?
T: Yes.
FW: Okay, I will go across the street to tell them okay?
T: Thanks, our unit number is xx-xx.
FW: Okay, I will go now.

I lost track of time again, I had no idea how long it took the Filipina and Neneng to return. The next thing I knew, Neneng was rushing to my side looking very worried. There was also a guard with them, but he did absolutely nothing. He just stood there.

When I got home, I drank a glass of water, forced myself to eat something, put on a sweater as I was having goosebumps and was feeling very cold and went to sleep.

It is extraordinary how God finds a way to save us everyday.

Whoa Mr. Strange

Can hardly believe it, this is my third blog about Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. I don't think I have written that many entries on any other book.

Anyways, I think the power over me is getting stronger as time passes by rather than the other way around. I was reading a few pages last night and fell asleep around 1AM; I woke up at 2:45 PM today. Initially I thought that my watch had stopped and that I should be getting it a new battery, but upon reaching for my mobile, it was confirmed, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell were at it again!

Sleep little two eyes, sleep.

I've only advanced 100 pages in Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell over the past week. That is not even a fifth of the book. I actually looked to find how many pages there are, something I never do! It is 1008. If my resistance to the sleepiness magic spell it has doesn't improve and I continue at this pace, I will finish the book between Christmas and New Year's.

I guess Haruki would have to wait.

Sleeping Pills

I discovered recently that the novel Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell has special powers. It makes the reader fall asleep.

It is not unreadable, it just isn't a page-turner--at least not the first sixty pages. It really doesn't help that the author is so fond of writing footnotes that sometimes take more than half of the page. I always thought that good writers could incorporated these ideas into the story, hence no footnotes.

For the past three nights, every time I start reading, I fall asleep. I slept as early as 9PM yesterday, and I was not even tired!

Specialists should start prescribing this book to insomniacs.

3 men for the lady

A psychic once told me that I would marry my third boyfriend.

As I am not one to base my decisions on trivial things, I was not reluctant to break-up with my third boyfriend when I realized that it was time to move on.

I was reading a Murukami book the other day. It is called Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman, a collection of short stories.

I had been a fan of Haruki Murakami for a very long time; in fact, I have read almost all his books (although I have no plans of reading After the Quake and Underground: The Tokyo Gas Attack and the Japanese Psyche).

As I was saying, I was reading a particular story from the selection, The Kidney–Shaped Stone That Moves Every Day that is like all of his stories, strange.

It is about a 31-year-old lad who had practically no relationship with his father. He is however, constantly reminded of something that his father said years ago, when he was still a boy, the three-women theory.

"Among the women a man meets in his life, there are only three who have real meaning for him. No more, no less"

The story goes on about how he somewhat finds himself constantly deciding if the person he was with would be one of the three.

You could read the story at http://www.bookofjoe.com/2005/09/the_kidneyshape_1.html

Reading this reminded me of the prophecy. I somewhat felt that I am part of yet another short story being cooked up in Haruki's brain. Maybe the my psychic believed the same theory, that a boyfriend is not a boyfriend unless the relationship reaches a certain level of meaning. This could be what we could call, a technicality.

Currently, I'm neither past three meaningful relationships, nor am I married. Given the situation , I could say that there is still a chance that the psychic predicted correctly, the skeleton key being a certain technicality.

Metro cheese <-- no such thing

T: I really like that cheese with apricot and almond bits. I think I like it more that the one with mango and melon.
M: Yuck.
T: It's really good.
M: It's gay.
T: How can it be gay?
M: When cheese is mixed with other things, it becomes gay.
T: So parmesan and cheddar are safe?
M: Those are plain.
T: Okay.
M: And there is no such thing as a "metrosexual" cheese.
T: No metro, gay or straight only.
M: Yes. Gay or straight only.

Lasalita na Engboy

It's passed twelve and I should be sleeping. I can't sleep. It is because I am thinking about something. I'm thinking that I did not need three cum laudes to answer the aswang query.

If I had approached any random Engboy from DLSU, I would have gotten the answer without much ado. I am confident that the answer would not only be the definition and sub-categories, but also related urban legends, history, trivia, sighting and maybe, even names.

And because he knows how to acknowledge his sources, he would tell me that if I need more info I could read tabloids such as Bandera, watch the last 15 Magandang Gabi Bayan Halloween Special Episodes as well as the Regal Shocker Series, and either talk to Nards, the parking attendant/yosi vendor stationed in front of the Benilde Chowking or a friend's maid from Capiz.