The Parents surprised us today. We've been planning for a Davao trip this whole week.

The Parents surprised us today. We got to the airport, and they said "Surprise, we're going to Hong Kong".

I only packed one pair of pants. Everything else is basketball shorts. Looks like I'ma go shopping.

Cool sked

So yeah... Instead of registering for this upcoming semester, I find myself in Hongkong. Astig.. they have McSiomai in the Mcdonald's here. But I was able to get a laptop with English letters to make it to my online enlistment. For the sake of conformity and so that those that may have tiny secret crushes on me may know...

Here's my sked.

EC 177 C
SESCON, JOSELITO T.
T-TH 1200-1330/CTC 203

*I had no choice with this guy. I was pre-enlisted by Meco. So at least, I can't blame myself for any mishaps, plus it took a lot of pressure from my bad random number. Most of my blockies are here as well.

HI 166 K
DACUDAO, PATRICIA IRENE N.
M-W-F 1330-1430/K-303

*I didn'y really have a choice because Hofilena had been scrapped off just after the first enlistment batch (selfish bastards). Kasama ko dito si Fie, kaya may brightside.

LS 126 D
GALURA, MARIA TERESA L.
T-TH 1500-1630/CTC 204

*again.. another result of Meco pre-enlistment. The only other female Galura I know has a moustache. Let's pray that this one redeems their family.

PH 104 F
KAELIN, LUKAS PAUL
M-W-F 1530-1630/CTC 304

*The story here was that Oli and I were supposed to be classmates. Master Go turned Judas Iscariot on me and left me all alone.

POS 100 G
BERSE, PILAR PRECIOUSA P.
M-W-F 1430-1530/SOM 105

*The thing here was that I needed the best option for the slot between my histo and philo in order to eliminate any chance of a break. Enter Polsci100.

TH 141 E
KEH, HARVEY S.
T-TH 1630-1800/B-103

*Another result of pre-enlistment. It doesnt hurt that you have a prof named Keh. I smell a lot of insulting jokes to his name after crappy LT results or something.

If you notice... I have only one break.

Awesome. Goodbye DVDs in the lib and looking for condo tambayans.

WOOHOO. WOOHOO. WOOHOO. WOOHOO. It's depressing to see myself addicted to the Sims 2.

THE ANSWER!

It's the key to all riddles! My friends, no longer am I dumbfounded on my lack of academic excellence. The answer! The mysteries have been thrown into plain sight. The answers!


You know why I suck at school?
All this time, I've always blamed myself for my own mishaps.
The laziness, the distractions, the lack of motivation.
I thought that those were the reasons...

I don't know how to tell you guys this, but it's the random numbers' fault.
That's the way it always has been
and that's the case.
I told you guys that you couldn't handle it.
Dude. Stop crying.

I couldn't drive last night so I spent the night at RJ's. I was waiting for a text from my mother asking where I was (in all caps and concluded by 7 exclamation points). I got a text from one of my blockies instead, asking me what my random number was. I never knew. I never really remembered much about Ateneo till last night. So I checked Aisis and...

GOT FUCKED UP ONCE AGAIN!!!


589


Yeah dude. 589. Out of what? 650.
You know, I've never asked for anything more than a 200, but in seven semesters at school, I've never gotten a real decent random number. I've never had the chance. And Ateneo should check on this shit, because I could've been one of the great ones. Yeah, I could've. I could've been Einstein or that guy from A Beautiful mind. But the school decides to reward its children on a basis of pure luck. There's no consistency of a person getting a high number now and a low one next year. It's the system.




It's always the system.
It's always been the system.

So now, if I apply for a job and they ask me why my grades aren't that dazzling...
I'll tell them it was my random number.

They'd understand. I mean, who wouldn't?

Boston 97 Cleveland 92

*sigh of relief* Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!

Why can't Filipino commercials be as good as the ones in the US? I thought we were the smart ones. Now our TVs are running shits like COBRA ENERGY DRINK and that goddam PCSO song all the time.

And we call the Americans stupid.

Home

I really enjoyed Iloilo last weekend. I don't recommend anyone going there cause there's close to nothing to do there except watch DVDs, see re-runs of Nacho Libre (which is too dam funny by the way) and drink with the family. 

But most of my relatives live there. They are heavyweights in the drinking game. You see a petite Ilongga praying the rosary? She probably outdrinks you.

There's a bar called Friends that my tita runs. It's practically full everynight. Full of farmers and families who simply cannot get enough of the lumpia there. Full of Aranetas and Valeras who occupy at least a couple of tables every time I visit. 

I enjoy not texting people to make kwento. This barrage of experiences I've had in the last couple of months is now shared amicably amongst my cousins who I haven't seen in a year. And thus starts the chismis machine. Suddenly a tita who just came in knows that I sprained my leg last summer. It moves fast here.

My titas aren't the typical definition of proper ladies. They want you to drink like it's some kind of birthright. They think you're weak if you don't. They shove Colt 45 down your lips and say that it fights cancer. 

My uncles are ageless. They make kwento the girls who had crushes on them during the "good old days" when their wives are sitting right beside them. They still ask how many girls I've fucked and they promise not to tell my dad. 

We have reunions where 60 people are in sandos, drinking and playing majong and tong-its. They bet in 5's and 10's. This is the family I have. And although I disappoint my titos and tell 'em I'm pretty much a gentleman towards "tsiks", I gotta say that being an Araneta does have its perks. 

Out

So yesterday, I went to the office to receive my final paycheck. It's a far drive, but frankly, I was so eager to get the hell out of there. I even cut the Boston game.

I talked to Merv and he gives me the "Last day mo na", "Pa-libre naman" speech. It's cute, and he's such a good guy anyways. Though, I still hurriedly ask him what I need to do to get out of here. He turns me over to Miss Anne and she gives me a sheet where I need to write down my attendance based on my cards. So I do. It takes 3 hours to complete it. Don't ask how. But, I had to stay for lunch.

Globe. Even towards your interns, you reek of inefficiency.

So, I finally get my certificate. Which means I can get the receipt for petty cash. But Mervin makes a mistake in signing it and I have to wait again for about an hour before another one lands in my lap. 

By the time its all done and all the requirements are in place, it's 4:07pm. Why is that important? Because the cashier closes at 4 o'clock. 

Which means I have to go back there some other day. Which can't be today because I'm leaving and will be out till saturday. Which means all my spending plans have just been fucked up by 7 FUCKING MINUTES!!!!!! 

I repeat. Globe. Even towards your interns, you reek of inefficiency.

Note to self

Do not do attempt Hip Hop abs in front of a mirror.
It spares you from witnessing the epileptic jerking mistaken as exercise.

In fact.. go back to jogging.
It's a more inspirational image.

Atlanta Hawks

You know... only people in Atlanta actually like you.
Everyone else wants to see the Celtics fight Lebron

To do lists

Hello May 2 2008. This is a day right after a holiday, which means that half the people in the office are gone to make good use of the free day yesterday and the weekend coming up. It's pretty quiet now, as if it wasn't before. 

This is the day I was going to quit my job. I was sitting outside Mervin's office getting ready to show my disappointment and how much of a waste of time this whole OJT thing was. I had a speech prepared with all the important words that could pour sympathy into his heart. Words like, "Youth", "friends", "family", "orgs", "studies" and "last summer vacation" were included. 

I open the door and he's there with his boss. "There's my man" he says. He points to me and his fingers shoot out as much guilt a person could swallow. I give the smile of defeat. The smile that says "At your service sir". The smile that won't let you down. The smile that'll keep me here for at least another four days. 

This is the day I failed to speak to Bea again. She's as good as its going to get, working in Globe. She stands way above the rest. But amidst the winks, the "good morning" smiles and the eyebrow-raising we give each other, there's nothing there. There's no bridge to build on. There's no common ground or situation that could force us to talk. She's there always busy, I'm way over here on the other side trying to be busy. We need to bump each other in the corridor. Her papers must drop and I've got to help her pick them up. Isn't that how it always goes?

Fucking torpe. That's why God doesn't want you to leave. Ask Bea out na.

Bumming guide

If Muntinlupa has the smartest homeless people in the country, then Baguio has the friendliest. It makes sense: After all, bums in Baguio have the good fortune of being homeless in a cold and cheap paradise. Just the other day when Ramon and I were at Burnham Park, a homeless guy came walking down, trudged onto the benches, plopped his house-bag down and just laid there in the relaxing mist of air.

The only problem with this laid-back homeless mentality is that it’s not the best attitude for begging for money. In Muntinlupa, homeless people will sing, tell you a story, make pretend to be crippled, put a cat in a baby stroller – anything to garner a sympathetic peso. They’re always thinking of entrepreneurial ways to get by, like collecting cans for recycling or robbing other bums while they sleep.

In Baguio? Not really that much. I passed a homeless guy and he just gave me a warm "hello". He didn't ask for change or shove a baby right down my throat hoping that I'd feel pity. Now, I'm not really sure if he just forgot to beg or if he was a very poorly dressed and very poorly bathed rich man, but either way it was both refreshing and disconcerting - mostly for the homeless people here in the South of Manila. The poor down here, it seems that they're working so hard to get by with all those gimmicks. And those in Baguio are enjoying what seems like a homeless paradise.