Life After the Downfall

After the Marcoses fell, after Ninoy so valiantly sacrificed his own life, what has become of the Philippines?

Tough question eh?

To this day, the country still bears the Marcos baggage.




How can I be proud of a government that counts people as its biggest export?

Bond. James Bond.

Saw the new Bond trailer. Can't wait til it comes out.


There's been a rumor that Amy Winehouse won't be doing the Bond theme.

Too bad.

Here's what it would have looked like if she did it for Casino Royale.

Realizations

I saw The Dark Knight today with Sam. Needless to say, I'm sure all you heard how wonderful it was--the best Batman movie ever, etc.

It is.

During the movie, I was shocked. Shocked that he put his hand on top of mine and held it there til the movie ended. I don't think I can go down that road again. I admit that for sometime since we broke up, I've been lonely.

Yes. Lonely.

I do keep busy with work as it has gotten more complex. But late at night, when I lie in bed I miss him hugging me. I miss waking up next to someone. I know things won't ever go back to what they were. It'd be all too easy to just get back together though. But I can never give him what he wants, at least not now.

Because I am a coward.

I am sorry Sam.

Announcement

I've just deleted a comment posted by a blogger that I do not know. The comment was directed towards another blogger who I read quite often. I do believe in free speech, but please keep it to constructive comments. Attacking others in the comments section is really low.

I've decided to moderate all comments. This is no democracy. This is MY blog.

If you want to read hateful comments, there are plenty of blogs who specialize in that.

Thank you for reading my dribbles.

AbFab Airhead

I first heard this song on one of McVie and the Fabcasters' podcasts. I absolutely loved it.

Then I thought I wonder if it has anything to do with AbFab?

Well duh! I found this youtube video. The song was made just for the show.

Yes, I can be a himbo at times.



Then I started watching the entire series while working on my papers and projects til 4AM.

I almost snorted out my tea while laughing when I saw this:

Independence

Right now, I feel that there are many misconceptions around the world about America. They feel that we are oppressors, tyrants, greedy, monstrous people. But I beg to differ. We have been misrepresented. From my travels around the country, I can tell you that Americans are kind-hearted, generous and fun-loving people.

It's just that the government--rather the current administration--does not reflect the same values.

This election year, I hope that things will definitely change. I feel that we will once again be friends. Change is in the air and I am ever so excited!

Honor the past. Look to the Future. Change what is needed in the present.

Hope. We live on it.

Nothingness

I've never liked taking summer classes. I really detest doing schoolwork when the weather outside is too hot and sticky. I should be lounging by the pool or on the beach reading my favorite books. I've accumulated too many books which I have not yet read.
I don't feel very fabulous lately. I am in need of some dire retail therapy.
I did just finish reading Jessica Zafra's Twisted 8.
I loved it.
It really brings Manila to a different level of understanding for me especially the short stories.
Buy it. Read it.
My next book is Murakami's 69.

~~

Texas Junket

Here are some pictures of San Antonio and Dallas. I should've posted them long ago. My impression of Texas? Big and Fun! I thought it was just as state full of cowboys and homophobes. Little did I know. Texans are proud of their state and are extremely friendly people. I started my trip in Dallas to pick up friends and drove through Austin and into San Antonio then back to Dallas again. Tiring, but fun with friends.

Reunion Tower. The Hyatt Regency is on the left.


I love this building. Looks like a rocket ready to take flight. Apparently, it was designed by I.M. Pei.





Downtown Dallas


Ate at a fabulous Japanese place. Yes. I finished it all. Except for the rice.


Once we got to San Antonio, I insisted that we take the river boat cruise. Saw these chica ladies in hats.


A long time ago, the San Antonio River flooded all the time. So what did the Government do? Control the river! Flood gates and so on were created. San Antonio's Ladies Society (from what I can recall the guide telling me) decided to create a park along the riverbanks where people can walk and enjoy themselves.





San Antonio is a very lovely picturesque city. Full of tourists and old people. Hence, the night life kinda stinks. No one told us that Austin was so much better at night.


Here's the obligatory shot of the Alamo. It looks much better at night. It's where Texas fought for independence against Mexico. Yes. Texas used to be part of Mexico. Then it became it's own independent country until annexation by the US. Read about it here.


I'll be going back to Dallas in soon. I didn't even get to see the original Neiman Marcus store!

A Fitting End

I finished watching Sex and the City. For the first time ever, I was carded by the ticket lady. I was very flattered since I am nowhere near underage. I used to watch SATC in high school for God's sake.

Some thoughts about it:
I love how Carrie wore the fur coat from the very first episode.
I love how Carrie said "Just get me a really BIG closet." Awesome.
I love how Samantha still has sex and how love finally got her.
I love the clothes, the shoes, the bags.
Mr. Big is still one hot daddy.

I wasn't too fond of Miranda's hair.
Steve's aged considerably. We're talking crow's feet.
The product placements were too overwhelming.
The Louise character was unnecessary and a waste of Hudson's talent. It was all fluff. The whole entire assistant thing was just weird. I couldn't even imagine Carrie hiring an assistant when the show was still on. I have to agree with Jessica Zafra, Louise was put there by Louis Vuitton.

Overall it was like seeing old friends again. The final scene made me feel old and sad. It a fitting end for the four girls. I hope they don't make a sequel it'll definitely just ruin it. Sometimes things are better left alone so that we can appreciate it for years to come. Plus, who really wants to see Samantha have sex when she's like 60...

Watch it. You won't regret it. I am DEFINITELY buying the dvd when it comes out.

Tag-a-long

I've been tagged by Corporate Closet to list ten random things about me.

Rules First:
1. List ten random things about yourself.
2.Post the rules.
3.Choose ten other people to tag so that it spreads like a virus.
4. Comment on their site that they have been tagged.

Random Things About Me.

1. I do smoke, but only when I drink. There's nothing like a cigarette when drinking scotch. I really only drink when I go out with friends. Hence, I can't even be qualified as a smoker.


2. I admire Drag Queens and transvestites. I really love love love how some of them can look like the most beautifully dressed women. It takes a lot of balls for someone to go out there in a dress.


3. I hope to see people who I haven't seen someday soon. I have family all over the world. Dubai, London, Berlin and Australia--I haven't seen some of my Aunts since I was 12. Sad huh?

4. Rice is my downfall. Every time I have a week of eating rice rice rice I gain weight weight weight. I also love ice cream. I've battled with my weight since after high school when I stopped being active in sports. The Freshman fifteen for me was more like the Freshman fifty. And it got worse. I've yo-yo'ed weight-wise for years. I've finally come to the realization to cut out rice forever.


5. I fear growing old. Whenever I hear about old classmates marrying or having children I think to myself "Fuck! I'm OLD!"

6. I have special underwear to wear when I go on dates. Call it 'lucky underpants'.

7. I love the idea of being in love. But I just can't seem to surrender myself to the other person's every whim. The last relationship was all give and no take. I do still love him, but it just wasn't working out. As Samantha always said "I love you. But I love me more."

8. I listen to Ted Failon and Korina Sanchez whenever I can. They're better on the radio where they can express their opinions and make fun of politicians, but in a way that even the politicians themselves cannot decipher. I think Korina is the bomb, but her show on TV is CORNY.


9. My biggest insecurity is still about my body. I don't wear shorts because of it. But don't get me wrong, I am comfortable in my own skin and I do love love love myself!

10. Fantasy: Rough sex. Imagine when a gorgeous guy with chiseled muscles just comes up to me and asks "Wanna f*c*?" He then proceeds to have his way with me calling me all kinds of dirty names. And he just does me really good like when your head keeps hitting the headboard. Then he would force me to...well...let's not get carried away. This isn't Kwentong Kalibugan.

There you have it.

Now I tag Reyna Elena, Empress Maruja, Bryan, Q the Conqueror, Rye and Chase--with hope he will come back to blogging.

~~
On a separate note, A special thanks to Manolo Quezon for mentioning my post on Meralco on his blog. Kinda embarassed because I really write about stupid stuff. Anyway I think you are ADORABLE Manolo. There's nothing sexier in a man than intelligence and a passion for his cause.

A Bad Investment

I am sure that most people in the Philippines know of Manila Electric company or better know as MERALCO. During the past few weeks, The Philippine Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) which owns a substantial share of MERALCO have decided to try to take over the company through a proxy fight. The GSIS President, the ever honorable bag of gas that is Winston Garcia, has decided that MERALCO overcharges its consumers and have mismanaged the company. GSIS invests money into MERALCO in order to turn a profit which is then used to pay for the pensions of thousands of civil servants.

The management of a company's number one priority should be to increase shareholder wealth. They are in fact owners of the company. To this effect, I believe that MERALCO's current management has held its end of the bargain. Only when the government has started to talk about a takeover is when the stock price began to plummet.

Hence, I am still VERY hesitant about investing in the Philippines.

Whenever government dabbles too much into the affairs of business, it ends into a tangled mess with politicians pocketing profits more than the shareholders. When a friend or a business associate asks me if I hold investments in the Philippines, I reply with a consistent "No."

I am sorry to say that the stock market has not fully matured. There are too many backroom deals with companies exchanging hands through a drunken night of mahjong. The corruption of government regulators is rampant and my confidence has continually eroded. Winston Garcia's current theatrics has added to the reputation of Philippine capital markets as being volatile and corrupt.

It doesn't end there. Several politicians have proposed that all text messages be free so as to alleviate the situation of the poor. The government should think long and hard before mandating this preposterous proposal. It would be another blow against private enterprise at the guise of helping the poor.

Then again, can anyone be really surprised?

Elections are coming soon and the dogs must be given their bone. Harsh reality. But sometimes we all need a reality check.

American Boy

I love love love this song!
Am not sure if it's new or old.
I guess I'm no longer hip :(



Whenever I hear this Danity Kane song, it reminds me of high school.


Nostalgia's nice once and a while right?!?!
Speaking of nostalgia, Sam and I have talked and have remained friends...or something like it. I did sleep with him last night. No sex though. We just slept. Blame it on a pitcher of mojitos. But it was nice waking up next to him again.

Deadwood

I'm currently watching a Deadwood marathon. Seasons 1 to 3. I feel sooooo macho with the cussin' and fightin' and cussin'. I swear I haven't heard the words shit, fuck, motherfucker, cocksucka etc. so much in my entire life.

Here's a clip:


Goddamned cocksucka!

Oh. wait.

I am one.

Ciao!

Guess What I Got!

I bought them on a whim during my holiday in Dallas. They were on my list and I finally gave in and bought them. J'adore!

I wore them the very same night I bought them and I must say that I got plenty of compliments especially from T-Boy, my one night stand in Dallas.

Pep Talk

"...Pain or damage don't end the World or despair or fuckin' beatings .
The World ends when you're dead.
Until then, you got more punishment in store.
Stand it like a man and give some back..."
-Al Swearengen

Scared

The past few days have been crazy.

I have not been myself.

Work, school, exams, are just taking up almost all of my time.
My relationship with Sam has been suffering.

The trip to Texas has led me to question certain things about my relationship with Sam.
I know he wants to take it to the next level, even hinting at meeting my parents.
That's something I'm not prepared to do.

To further exacerbate things, I met someone in Dallas.
I'm not one to have sex with a guy I just met.
But it just happened. It was only a one night stand.
Yet, he has called me several times.

I guess I'm not ready for a fully drawn out relationship.
That's something I cannot give, at least not now.
Sam and I are in a "cool off" period.

It's obvious that we're no longer on the same page.

Flying

I'm currently waiting for my flight to board.

I'm going to Texas to visit some friends and relax for a few days.

Sam's not with me.

This is ME time!

I'll post pictures of my trip.

Rumors

There's been a rumor going around at work.
They say that I had been dating my friend Janny and fathered her child.

Little do they know.

When I told the story to Janny while holding my Goddaughter she laughed uncontrollably.

So did her husband Gary.

They know about me and Sam.

The easiest way to spread company policy and new directives isn't by memo or text or email. It's good ol' fashioned gossip through the grapevine. What's interesting is that before I heard these rumors of me having an affair and fathering a child, there was another rumor that I was gay. Of course I neither confirm nor deny any rumors. It's more fun that way.

I like to think that others think of me as a mystery. Plus, it's really much easier to manage people if you don't reveal too much about yourself. Almost all of my subordinates know very little about my personal life and I'd like to keep it that way. I like to keep work and home separate as much as possible. Never mix business with pleasure as they say.

There was also another rumor that one of the department heads, Carrie, was pregnant. After all, she was a big woman and it was hard to tell.

As I approached Carrie, I rubbed her large, protruding belly and said, "Congratulations on the baby!"

With a quizzical look and a raised brow, Carrie replied "What baby?!?! I'm not pregnant."

I turned beet red and apologized.

Good thing she was a sport about it all.

Painting by Rose Freymuth-Frazier

A Deep Divide

In reading Jessica Zafra’s blog entry “A Condensed History of the Rich”, Zafra contends that the oligarchic tendency of the Philippine social structure as well as its penchant for bossism and nepotism ultimately contribute to the cycle of poverty. The end result is a wide and deep income inequality. That is to say, that those at the top earn disproportionately more compared to those at the bottom of the economic barrel. This inequality cycles itself therefore not allowing the country to prosper as a whole.

Got that?

This can certainly be seen in the case of many industrialized nations. For instance, look at the United States. A strong middle class brought about by the industrial revolution allowed the country to prosper. But this was not always the case. So-called robber barons of the late 1800’s dominated America’s industries. Then the income tax came about. The progressive income tax is seen as a leveler of inequality. Tax the rich more than the poor. After all, they can afford. Furthermore taxes such as the Inheritance or Estate Tax ensured that family wealth would not stay “in the family” for generations to come. In this way oligarchies were broken. New entrepreneurs were encouraged and the country benefited as a whole.

If income inequality is the root of the problem, then government has the power to fix it through a progressive income tax rather than the regressive consumption tax known as the VAT. It is unconscionable that the Philippine government tax the poor at the same rate as the rich.

How is this possible you ask?

Let’s say there is 1 peso a tax on sardines. Since the poor would essentially consume the same number of cans of sardines as the rich (theoretically), then the same tax rate of 1 peso per can of sardines would apply to both of them. Proportionately, the 1 peso tax would hurt the poor man more since…well…he’s poor.

Then why oh why is GMA proclaiming that the RP will be a first world nation within a generation? It’s an estimate that is premature and certainly unrealistic given the current situation. The GDP did grow 7 percent, yet most of the gains were garnered by the rich and the poor felt little. Trickle down economics has not worked. A lot of work needs to be done before anyone can proclaim the Philippines as first world. Open your eyes and see the poor in Baseco, Tondo, Payatas, and a myriad of other “informal settlements”. Look at those living beside the antiquated railway.

It’s time for a revolution. The patchwork solutions of former administrations have not worked. Wake up and smell the stench from the Pasig River running right through your backyard.

Oh Bother!

When in a relationship, things have to be decided together. Certain liberties that you once took for granted are gone. The days of carefree and inconsequential decisions are over. This was the case the other night.

As many of you know, I lead a very busy life with work and school full time. Certain luxuries like spontaneous dinners or lunches must be scheduled. I adhere to my schedule religiously. Last weekend, I got an unexpected call from an old college friend, Maria. She's a fabulous European exchange student from Greece who I met at my old alma mater. During her stint at school, we went club hopping, bar hopping, shopped together, and ogled cute boys on the beach. When Maria met her boyfriend Vlad and moved to LA with him, I was so sad. So naturally, when she came to town I dropped everything and accepted her invite to go to dinner.

We ended up in Ybor City at the Acropolis Greek Taverna where they served really great Greek food.They even had belly dancers gyrating to music. It was like being in a Sultan's Harem. I had such a good time that I left my cellphone in the car without knowing it.

When the night was over, I took Maria back to her sister's house and opened my cellphone.

Twenty missed calls. All of them from Sam.

I called him back, but he didn't answer the phone. So, I naturally shrugged it off and figured that I'd call him in the morning.

The next day my phone rang at 8am. It was him and he was pissed.

Sam: Why didn't you answer your phone?

Me: Sorry. I left it in the car. I didn't realize it 'til later. I was with an old college friend, Maria. I hadn't seen her in like a million years.

Sam: Well that was really inconsiderate of you. You couldn't pick up the phone and tell me where you were? You know you always do this. You always think about yourself. You never think about me.

At this point in the conversation, my ears started ringing and I was starting to get mad.

Me: You know what. I'll call you later when this is out of your system.

I promptly hung up the phone.

In analyzing the situation, I must admit that I was wrong. I should have called him. I should have said I was going out with friends. But he didn't have to get all loud and aggravated at me! Relationships do take a lot of work and patience. Sometimes I think he's worse than my Mom. He calls me on his breaks, during his lunches, on my breaks and lunches, when I go home, when I wake up, not to mention all the text messages.

It gets tedious.

Then again I guess it's a small price to pay for having someone who you can say loves you as much as you love them.

As for the fight, don't worry. It all blew over a few days later. Literally and figuratively.

We always seem to have the best sex after fighting.