Beer and peanuts can make you smart???

There we were one boring Monday afternoon. It was a holiday yet we didn't have anything exciting planned at all. We discovered a new hang-out place the 'Jobsite' just along Pasong Tamo Makati. It was just the right place for us not fancy, not crowded, small open space perfect from small chitchats to big arguments while OPM alternative songs playing over the background from eraserheads to bamboo to cueshe. Perfect... with a bucket of SanMig Light Peanuts and buttered chicken.

Ryan, Julie and me the usual suspects were there enjoying the music the booze and my all time favorite peanuts!! It's funny what silly things beer can make you do... But it's even funnier hearing your friends speak in English fluently something that can cause nose bleed when they are sober or better yet talking about something that they will never talk about in a million years. Like first loves, attempted suicide, embarrassing moments or just talking nonsense like this conversation...

Ryan: "akong mama ba...."
Julie: "akong mama jud..."
Adelle: "Ah mas grabe jud akong mama..."

Small chitchats may end in a very big argument and take note, heated discussions are sometimes spoken in English... Seems like the debating club is having their dry run or a meeting of the toastmaster's club international. We are constantly bickering over something but always end up laughing the next day even with a very awful hang-over. Teasing each other's quotable quotes and word for the day like "... You just have to learn how to adjust.." or "We just live around the vicinity..." or "instance.." And for once you can say you are smart enough to even let everything in your mind out for everyone to hear.

We always have a great time wherever and whenever. It really doesn't matter where, what matters is who you're with. Well, we're just looking forward to our next site inspection at the 'jobsite' and forget work even for a night. Just unwind, relax and enjoy a good laugh with friends.

RANDOM RAMBLINGS

A college friend recently transferred work here in Makati. I really got so excited having her stay with us for a week or two while house hunting in Makati. Looking for a decent bedspace or room for rent in Makati is like looking for a needle in a haystack. It was difficult but however, we finally found the perfect one just a few blocks away from where I stay not so cheap but not expensive as well just the right one No curfews, no horrible landlady and only two people in one room.

Just like college days, two weekends ago we went to watch the Movies at Walter Mart. Since it was still early for the next screening, there we were at Time Zone ME, Julie my college friend and Ryan one of my housemates. We were like a bunch of high school drop outs playing video games, air hockey and shooting hoops at Time Zone. I think it's a good way to unwind from the hustle and bustles of the big city and our super hectic work schedules. Then, We watched 'Monster Mom' which was played by Annabelle Rama, being bisaya like herself we found the movie rather entertaining and funny. I could hear Ryan laughing so hard the entire time. After the movie we started to imitate Anabelle Rama's lingo from calling each other 'bebe gerl' and 'bebe boy' to 'mga pesteng gi-atay'. And that's how our pet names began...

When I moved to Makati I felt I was one of the housemates in Pinoy Big Brother's house looking at the same faces and talking to the same people 24/7. Eversince we bought a guitar at home, feels like we shifted from Pinoy Big brother to Pinoy Dream Academy. Everybody's seems to enjoy singing... From waking up to before going to bed one can find someone playing the guitar on our comfy couch with throw pillows that seems to have undergone surgery which the doctor forgot to stitch up the insides are already showing. Then we had the Magic Sing... if we can only sing from sun up to sun down... The showdown of the INTRO-boys and the CHORUS girls... the boys seem to only sing the intro and we, on the other hand after singing the chorus we suddenly stop the song and choose another. I wonder if how soon we can receive complaints from the noise we're making and from the on and off key singing.

I think I am finally having fun with my monotonous life maybe finally adjusted... but one more thing I need to do is have the that motivation and zest at work, I seem to have left my initiative and commonsense somewhere . after almost 8 months I am still learning and trying to get the hang of my kind of work. Kinda Slow though But what the heck life is a work in progress. Anyway, I am just so ecstatic with our badminton weekend!

My so Called Friends...

"Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value; rather is one of those things that give value to survival."

- C. S. Lewis

Life would be so lonely without having friends around... My Makati friends are not only my friends but they are also my officemates, flat mates, homies, drinking buddies, shopping partner and movie marathon pals! When we can go home early from work, nothing beats watching lobo or my girl or whatever is on tv worth watching while we are seated on each of our permanent seats on the couch and yes we don't have cable TV or else I would have so many channels to flip to during commercial breaks but unfortunately I accidentally broke the remote. ‘And Yes Ryan, It was an accident and I am not the destroyer’. We do love to eat canned goods and Korean noodles. A Home cooked meal would always mean Sinigang! Sinigang is something that can be consumed during dinner, lunch, and breakfast the next day and midnight snack day after. Even if we cook sinigang every weekend we all would not get tired of eating it. The unpleasant smell of something rotten is something that we already have gotten used to... or finding the laundry being soaked with detergent powder in the toilet for weeks... But what the heck we always have a good laugh with practically anything...

Having no parents around means we can stay up late, come home drunk, leave the dishes unwashed and keep left-over on the fridge for weeks, or just let our room be so untidy as it can get. The boys’ cabinet looks like a display from ‘ukay – ukay’ or in English ‘mix-mix’ hehehe. However, being grown-ups living together we try so hard to be a bit responsible. During Sundays, we try to clean the apartment as in wash the dishes especially the rice cooker, do the laundry, and clean the toilet. As much as we can drink and be merry most of the time, we try to avoid it. When we hang-out we try to maintain our sobriety hehehe yeah we do try but when the booze is free it would be bottoms up bai!

Our individuality and uniqueness shows in the music that we like listen to. Ariel’s ipod will definitely be all mellow and mushy pang Love radio something Ryan will definitely not agree of listening to. On the other hand Ryan often accuses me of copying his play list. And yes, he’s the one person who continually torments me with his pranks like he’ll text saying he left his wallet or he doesn’t have a key only to find out he’s already inside the apartment and it was all a joke… I am just so gullible.

Monthly grocery will always mean an argument with Weng and Ryan. Before we enter shopwise he will always remind the girls to make it fast which I think is impossible. You know how ladies are; we always take a pit stop at everything....before buying anything we tend to read what the label says... sometimes after reading we don't even put the item in the cart. Weng loves to window shop like I do or like most girls love.

We definitely love teasing each other… like Ryan and Ariel would love to tease Weng about marriage or we all love to tease Ryan about all the girls he loved before and him being a gifted child or him teasing me about my mind always being absent and sometimes staring blankly into space… My mind is always absent maybe it has gone into hibernation or how I love to tease Ariel during his call center time slot.

Each of us is an example of the complete irony of life. Ariel for example listens to mellow and love song does not like rock and alternative but on the other hand he loves to watch the movie collection of Sylvester Stallone. He has the entire sequel for Rambo, Rocky and other Stallone super action movies. While Ryan has this animated personality. One minute he’s in this lively and teasing personality and then the next thing you know he’s like a time bomb waiting to explode.

My life has become quite monotonous, waking up at 6 in the morning and spending 12 hours each day in the office which has already become a vicious cycle but a good laugh with my homies and lazy Sunday afternoon at home with my so called friends would always make my day right, completely extraordinary and insane…

Ryan and Weng
Photo Taken by Me!



Ariel
Photo Taken by Ryan's super hi-tech cam


ME!
Photo Taken by Weng

Our Abode (part of the kitchen)
Photo taken by Ryan

Live life!

I have always dreamed of being able to go to different places. Take on an adventure of a lifetime. Discover and try new things. Meet new people. Learn a new language. Backpacking on an unfamiliar territory. Friends will often describe me as "From Davao City to Any point in Mindanao", just like labels on cargo trucks. Be on the great outdoors.

But right now seems like work has been keeping me glued within the space of my cubicle figuring out how much volume should be excavated or how can I make my mind work after 12 or more hours of work. Is this what I really want to do with the rest of my life? I am not saying I hate my job. Well in fact we are all well compensated and well taken cared of but this is just a realization that I have. It's nice to be in a corporate world where you can meet people who would often discuss multi-million dollar projects or be a part of the realization of it.

Still for me working in a corporate world is equivalent to NO TIME for other things but work. I am just speaking for my case. Sometimes I feel so trapped... so restricted... On the other hand, this a good experience for career growth and stuff like that. For now, I'll just do more than what is required of me at work and save save save. In time maybe before I will turn 30 I will pursue what I have always dreamed of. Begin the adventure of a lifetime. I don't want to enslave myself on work, we only have one life to live and to think we don't get to live a hundred years. I don't want to be 60 years old, look back and wonder what if or regret that I should have enjoyed life more and spent more time with the people who matters.

Live life... Enjoy life!

There's No Place Like Davao...

Canibad with Burong mah friend
Samal Island

I just miss the laid back kind of life I have had in Davao.... the late friday and saturday nights at MTS taboan with Anne, burong and buloy over a couple of ice cold san mig light, sisig and spicy wings from Mamo's chicken or a serving of aling froping's special halo halo while gin blossoms is being played by the night's featured band. There were saturday or sunday morning's where out of the spur of the moment decision we suddenly find our selves in Paradise Island or at Isla reta eating kinilaw and grilled tuna belly and panga cooked by the boys. Or just having a picnic at Loleng's with my family during one of those lazy sunday afternoons after early morning church service.

A bad day in the office is equal to videoke night at Cats and Dogs or K1 where we can unwind while singing korny love songs or having the guts to sing 'Better Days'. I might say we can have a great time without having to spend so much money. Diba Anne?

Living here in Makati, I find myself spending so much time in the office. The 24-hours in one day is not enough. As they say, so little time so much to do. I find myself always in a hurry unlike in Davao when I wake up I can still have a few moments to spare watching sponge bob, CatDog, and Blues Clues with ellana, my niece, before getting ready for work. Well, I hate to admit it but I am a 26-year old who still loves to watch cartoons. A bad day at work here is equal to overtime, good food from kaya and me wishing to be able to lie down in bed and have a good night's rest.

Although I myself can cook, I still miss my Mom's cooking. It's different. I miss my Mom's pancit canton because here we've been eating a lot of instant pancit canton and korean spicy noodles almost every single day. I really love her home made pork and beans where the beans is outnumbered by the pork hehehe or Nilagang Baka. Hmmm yummy!

I miss my friends but atleast I made a few here. I might add my flatmates are also my officemates and the good thing is Bisaya mi tanan cool huh? My flat mates are the most unique individuals. I am having a hell of a great time with them.

Looking back during my first few weeks in Makati, I think it was just so funny. I was really homesick... I missed everyone including our dog. The worst thing was every morning Ryan was constantly playing Daughtry's song 'Home' makes me wanna cry. I was so pathetic. Well atleast now I am getting the hang of my life here... It's just Makati, not some other parts of the world and I can go home anytime. Yeah right, I can go home but I just don't have the time....

Maybe it's about time for me to grow up. Discover and be able to find a sense of fulfillment. Even though how much I wanted my life to revolve around the people I have loved, I have grown up with, my puppy, my dogs, my cousins or just maybe live my entire life in Davao, but I have to move on, move away... and find my place in this world. Maybe Davao is not the place where my dreams will be fulfilled but Davao will always be the place I will call home...

At Isla Reta with Anne and Billie

Videoke Nights with officemates

Lazy Sunday Afternoon at Loleng's

Me singing at some piano Bar
in Davao

Wasted at Retro Bar

Makati Officemates

Housemates!

"Road not Taken"

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveller, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference

...Robert Frost

Kimchi and More...

Ever since I Started working for a korean construction firm in Makati, I have been to korean restaurants numerous times. From 'kaya' the ever famous korean restaurant with so many branches in Manila to 'Le jo', 'Korea garden' and 'Masan' all located at the heart of Makati. Korean Meals are known for its number of side dishes. The first time, when the 'banchan' or the side dish was served I ate a lot of it only to find out later that it was just the appetizer. I think Korean cuisine is very healthy since it is primarily with tofu, meat, rice, noodles and vegetables a lot of it i might add. There are more protein than carbs. Oh and before I forget... they have a lot of spicy dishes on their menu...

the 'kimchi' - the most common side dish
made of fermented vegetables
usually spicy

One of my favorites is the Bulgogi... made from marinated beef usually it is being cooked right in front of you...

'Bulgogi' - grilled beef
Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia

Another dish is the Samgyeopsal-gui (Grilled Side of Pork) with the stove in front of you, you cook the thin strips of pork belly the way you like. Well, I love it slightly toasted and I eat it with lettuce.

'Samgyeopsal-gui'
Photo courtesy of my Korean Kitchen

Hmm what else do I like? aside from sojo... I like a few other side dishes and bibimbap but I forgot what the other dishes are called but what i love most is the experience... seems like a ritual of some sort where you can commune over a healthy hearty meal.

big bosses

Fourth

Lately I am really hooked on listening to Colbie Caillat's Song. For me, her songs are some sort of make-you-feel-good songs or something you'd like to play while on a road trip with your friends or just listen to unwind from a long and hectic day.

I really liked this song ("Battle")... I also like the video uploaded by 'WalkingMiracles'

THIRD

"ALL Dogs Go to Heaven..."

Today, my heart seems to be broken into thousand pieces. I have just lost a companion, a protector and a friend. For the last eleven years Gino has lived with our family. I could just remember how happy and excited I was when he arrived in our home that cute eyes that seems to always say hug me. Even though I am allergic to his fur, I would let him sleep in my room. I really don't mind sneezing a lot in the morning. When I leave home for school I would pat him on his head and rub our noses together. I would always tell him "Gino Kiss Ate.." and immediately he would lick my hand or touch my cheeks with his nose. He was a sweet dog, a faithful companion... he was like a brother I never had. How I wish I could have been there during your final hours but I know you are no longer in pain now. My heart is filled with tears but I am just thankful that for all those years you have filled it with so much joy. You will always have a special place in my heart... I know someday we'll see each other again...

SECOND

Even though how much we plan our lives something always comes up sometimes a little diversion from what we've plan or something far-out from what we've envisioned our life to be. I'm not saying that we stop planning or making a goal for ourselves... It is important that we have a goal at least we know where we're heading but along the way we are always faced with a choice. A decision that will define what we will become in the future.

For the past few months living on my own has given me enough time to think about myself, about life, about friendship, about family... and about love. Life as we all know is a mystery... Although how much we try to explain its mystery we always end up going deeper into the abyss... we are left with more questions unanswered, more things to discover, and we sink further into confusion.

Haay life!? me? I am always confused, sometimes bored, and most of the hopeful... hopeful that life will turn out well for me.... but you know, i also find life so amazing because of its little surprises, unexpected events, cherished moments and the unforgettable adventures. Life is so lame, but you know what makes it worth living and amazing at the same time? It is the people that we're with. They are the ones who gives us purpose in our puny existence in this universe.

Come to think of it, In this life we were born then we die we already know the cycle but it is the journey in between that matters... finding a true friend who will share the saddest and happiest moment of your life, achieving a life long dream, Meeting someone whom we will spend the rest of our lives with, becoming a mother, mourning for a loved one, embarking on the adventure of a lifetime, finding your purpose... living life....

SO Slow...

It's funny how I always have delayed reaction when it has something to do with work especially with instructions and other stuff while how fast I can easily get a joke, very contradicting isn't it... That's the reason why I am sometimes tagged as slooowww. There's more than meets the eye you know... I am a smart-ass pretending to be dumb. Well, I don't really act dumb with my boss of course. It's always the best foot forward with him but with everybody else it's the other way around. Weird though, hehehe.

FIRST

I'm just so excited to post my first blog. It really took me so long to find a blog name that would best describe my personality. I am not that creative but well this blog name surely works for me.