Shitty xmas

Since everything this xmas is shit,
this is my new year's resolution.

Embassick

Despite the shitty feeling (colds, fever et al.), and against my better judgment, I went to the German Embassy. We arrived there 1 hour early, which means that we got bored. Me, my cousin and my brother hung out with the faux-fab call center people all dressed up for people on the other line who don't even get to see them.

Enough trash. We were trash. Ate with our aunt, the prez, who herself had an interview next to mine, at Delifrance. Interview time came and I was feeling a bit off. Especially because of the fact that the person who is about to interview me was the same fucked up arrogant arsehole who denied me a visa in my 2004 interview. Today he made me suffer. He made me design a candleholder, asked me my employment record (which was faux, due to politically correct expectations), why I was going and not a senior designer (to which I answered, "for experience, and that we were the second generation of our company") and whatever shit he can throw my way.

After the embassy, we went to greenbelt and my cousin bought himself a havaiana at *Celio. Kiqs browsed for the new iPod 30GB, and I, well, got tired from seeing people over 50.

Before heading straight home, we just chilled at Kiqs place.

Geeky Xmas

In the spirit of xmas, and xmas spending, I opted to build for myself the ultimate powerpc; creating it from scratch and meticulously checking out which parts were best suited for it to be extremely functional, especially for those power-demanding games such as my newly acquired NFS Most Wanted.

Here's the specs:
Pentium 4 3.0/3.2/3.4 Ghz LGA 775 Socket with HT Technology
Intel 915GEV motherboard for optimum connectivity and flexibilitySeagate S-ATA 80/120 GBs of sheer storage power
512MB/1G DDR 533/400 or DDR2 DIMM RAM
256MB/128-bit DDR Video Card, such as the FX 5500/5200 and the Radeon 700a Sony Dual Layer DVD/R+RW for productivitya regular Sony CD-RW, for mp3's and shit
a Samsung 153V TFT-LCD, which i already got early this year
and to top it all off, an ASUS TM551 Case for ultimate cooling

Diplomatically Challenged

5:30
the time the driver should arrive for our interview at the Botschaft der Bundesrepublik Deustcheland.6:46
the time he arrives, absolving himself of the crime and pointing it to the guard who forgot to inform a certain person that the vehicle was to be used for urgent matter.

7:00
time we left for Makati.

8:00
locked in traffic at Cubao. Driver still desperately trying to absolve himself

8:30
locked in traffic at Makati. Driver is still talking.

9:00
arrival at RCBC Plaza, new home to the German Embassy. And just in case you're wondering, driver still wouldn't shut up.

9:15
we're told to reschedule

past 9:15
starbucks... idle time... delifrance with our aunt.

11:something
went home. disappointed yet again. and the driver... well... u already know.

Jabongga

Mula gabi hanggang umaga.

Jong Jong Jologs

Last night we averted from the usual pulsating music to the kind that sends shivers down your spine. Kuya Mark was at our house while we were binging when he told us that his brother, Kuya Wally needed "rescue". Before we knew it, we were all on the Rav 4 with your everyday clothes. The twist to the story was that Kuya Wally needed another kind of "rescue". He was @ Kelly's Clark, which is a slightly upscale resto with a videoke for d.o.m.s. Our attire was perfect. Everyone there were at their fashion best. Luckily we were too numb from the red horse to care. From the sappy renditions of Just Once to drunken versions of Pare ko, we were hooked. Within an hour we finished 5 rounds of drinks and mozzarella sticks. What a freaky night.

Something to reflect on

Extravagance of a Pauper

I want a house that could withstand the weathers. I want clean food; none of that bacteria stricken kind. I want a family; not one that exploits my youth and selfishly reaps the rewards of my work. Don’t give me that uncomfortable stare when I you know I want your money, nothing pisses me off the most. Don’t act as if you don’t know my purpose. I want drugs that does not double as an adhesive, clothes that literally breathe through them, streets that doesn’t offer grime, blankets that aren’t informative, a neighborhood that befits it’s essence, relatives that don’t corrupt me, or anything that is a cause for welfare. I want to be normal like you.

Yet another 24 hour day

I was awakened to the sound of that irritating insinuation that I'm 1 hour late for a meeting with the Philippine Furniture Training Seminar. My cousin and I went and got the "ooh... Golden Cane is here" greeting from Mr. Rino Datuin, head of the PFTS, being the industry heavyweight that we are... or were. Tony Gonzales, a design exemplar was also there, showcasing all the work he's done in Locsin and abroad. His vision is something to be coveted, being that he doesn't close his mind when it comes to creativity, even when challenged to make the 1 peso chair. Anyways, we arrived there at 9 am (late 1 hr already) then left at lunchbreak. Datuin even quipped at us "sige, ok lang, kung ano ba ung priority nyo e, wala akong magagawa" when we told him that we were late for another engagement with the Undersecretery of Finance, Mr. Teves, while holding our lunches from Chowking. We headed straight to Golden Cane, then to Nepo Mall where we checked out photography stuff. Home was our last stop. Nighttime came, and Kuya Mark bought a case of Red Horse with Kuya Karlou and Pogs came with Janice, another one of his girls, with another case of Red Horse as did JP. I went to fetch my brother at the terminal, being the spoiled brat that he is at 9 pm. Then later in the evening, just as Kuya Wally, Ate Donna, Reese and Chi from SB arrived, another case of Red Horse came, plus a case of SML and chop suey, duck meat, prawns, beef with vegetables, and fried rice from Luk Foo. I might say that it was fully filling.

24 hour day

As soon as I woke up, my brother and I went straight to the dentist for my root canal maintenance. There was heavy traffic on the streets of Angeles due to the Sisig Festival that was recently held at the Nepo grounds. After the dentist, we headed straight to Smash Power badminton court at San Fernando to flex our muscles a bit. We played for two hours and our muscles were sore. After that, we hung out a bit at the gas station to rest and smoke.

The afternoon came and we invited Kuya Kris over to go with us at Angeles' favorite watering hole named Curved. We drank a bit and our eyes wallowed over the look-rich and eye-friendly environment of Balibago. After that, we tried to get in at Sax but Kuya Kris was wearing flops from Germany (which we made as an excuse for the stringent guard) but we were still denied entrance. Well, fuck em.


So we decided to try our luck at Halfway Lounge, and luckily, the sandals got in, after some very careful spy work. We hung out then drunk till our livers can't take anymore and partied until the wee hours of the morning.

The dawn was almost breaking when we got home and also our cousins got home from SM (Sophia Mae, located in the angeles red light district) with three more-than-your-average looking paypals. We ate ice cream then slept at 6. Our muscles were already sore before, but this takes it to a new level.

Heavy

Dead serious. The Phillipines has been 'rigging' the 23rd Sea Games. A number of the games either inherently put the Philippines atop the competition through unfair competition and unfair play. As I watched the billiards competition between the Philippines and Vietnam, it was undoubtedly apparent that the Philippines put international billiards superstar Alex Pagulayan and Orcullo against need I say, weaker, and more inexperienced players from Vietnam. Pagulayan has been championing the international billiards circuit long before the SEA games itself. He has played with the likes of US' Earl Strickland, Mika Immonen (who recently enjoyed time here in the Philippines), Taiwan's Fong-Pang Chao, and our very own Efren "Bata" Reyes. It's like pitting a giant against midgets, and rest is assured that no David and Goliath story will prevail. Thai's are crying out that we should not be hosting for medals. Unfair cry, right sentiment. The hypocrites that we are, will never understand this supposedly non-offending statement by Thai PM Thaksin. It's as if he told a fat woman to lose weight or die. Again, Unfair cry, right sentiment. It's depressing how the corrupt Philippine politics has overshadowed even the most diplomatic of events.