T.I.N.A.nthologies

In August, I saw the beauty...

... in TAKING A BREAK from work.

I am one who feels so guilty when i have to leave my work station for a day and just relax. My officemates are the most hardworking people I know, ang hirap di makipagsabayan. Good thing my cousin and her friends were so persistent that i can’t resist their invitation to go out of town with them . And besides i just turned a year older anyway.  So, I packed my bags, forgot all about work, bought my swimsuit and went to Subic. It’s not a major trip but it has kicked me in the head and made me remember my favourite English world: wanderlust.

                                                  Subic Weekend: August 15-16, 2009



... of my NEIGHBORHOOD.

Living in Cagayan is so different from living in the city. There, everybody knows everybody else.  I have been living in the same QC apartment for more than 2 years but i still do not know any of my neighbor's name. So I jump beyond the gate of the 9-door apartment compound where I live and appreciate the many wonderful places which are only a few steps away. UP Diliman – my stress-free zone. Starbucks, para feeling college. Mc Donald’s and Jollibee, para feeling dormer. Sulu Hotel, Quezon Memorial Circle, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas – I’m close to the printing station of the Philippine peso, I love the smell of money, wahaha (evil laugh).  Trinoma, SM North, Gateway, GMA-7.  (We’re so close to everything except for, sh*t, my work.) Just recently, we discovered the colourful Lung Center Sunday Market where I get so dizzy deciding what to buy!  Organic fruits and vegetables, sushi, bread of all types, mga kakanin - - Ang sarap!

                                                    Isabel buying fruits.

                                             Bangkok Atis: Bawal po Pindutin


...in INDULGENCE.

I bought myself a camera and although Kikx insists that i could have gotten a DSLR for its price, i think my G10 fits my lifestyle perfectly. Buying stuffs like this may not be a big deal for some but since may pagka hardcore kakuriputan ko, big deal yun pare, big deal. I vowed to double my savings after seeing a thick wad of 500 peso bills gone in a blink. Dukha!



...in EATING.

They say how you begin you’re year is how you’ll spend the rest of it. In my case, how I began my month was how I have actually spent the rest of it! It all started with VT dinner date in Cibo, followed by our family’s Sushi and seaweeds Sunday routine then 2 eat-all-you-can dinners in Dad’s and in Spiral. I have to gain weight. I will gain weight!!

                                                  Dad's: August 23, 2009



And while in Spiral...

...I saw or rather rediscovered the  beauty of FRIENDSHIP and BEING WITH PEOPLE MY AGE. Nakaka-inspire! Before we drank our champagne, we each made a toast. Myrella for love. Bernard for more sex, err, love din pala (haha!).  Tin for love din. Me for money and the chance to see the world beyond the 4 walls of my office (it was a subtle work-related ranting..hehe). Abby for money din. Oh diba? Grabe sa values! But Paul had the best and most selfless toast of all: for friendship. Aaaaawwww.

                                               SPIRAL: August 31, 2009

...in ME!!

Hehe!! Over the years, I have developed kakapalan ng mukha. Last year, I planned to spend my birthday at a beach and call it my bente dos by the beach party. I just wanted to have an excuse to wear swimsuit, habang bata pa, haha! Sabi ni Papa Jesus corny daw kaya the whole universe conspired to not make it happen. This year it finally did. (But I don’t feel comfortable posting my űber sexy pictures, so i’ll keep the satisfaction to myself!);D


A toast to seeing more beauty!!!

                                     except for the young part, parang familiar 'to...




the texts read:

Dear diary,

I live a very boring life.
I can try to be amazing but being amazing takes too much work.
And I'd rather not work.

Aahh.. to be young and decisive.

P.S.

I want to post pictures but I'm starting to find Multiply weird.

July 9, 2009 will mark my second year as a working girl. I am not sure if this merits a bucket of San Mig Light in Teodoro’s grill (pero close na daw 'to sabi ni Tin...hehe) with 4 other guys who seem to have forgotten our six-month long honeymoon period...hehe! I miss them so. Also, I am turning 23 in August. Two more years and I’ll hit the quarter mark. 7 more then it’s goodbye 20’s. Oh no!!  As a gift to myself for these two momentous events (naks!), I rounded up 23 things I find amusing/true/nakakainis/wala lang notes about me. Ang sarap kilalanin ng sariling atin. Hehe.

 

                                   (UP Diliman: scroll down to item # 19)

 

23 Things about the soon to be 23 Year Old Me

1)      I’d rather speak before a big crowd than have intimate conversations with friends and family. I like things noisy and rowdy. I shun away from intimacy.

 

2)      I am in love with Batanes! I am saving up for Mandy Navasero’s Batanes Photo Safari!

 

3)      I am a lola’s girl. Both sides!

 

4)      I once dreamt of getting married to Ricky Martin! Yuck! Sabi nga nung lola sa Pepsi commercial niya dati... Sing to me Ricky, The way you used to. (Yuck noh?)

5)      I will never have enough of Backstreet Boys songs, N’Sync, Westlife at kung anu-ano pang boy bands!

 

6)      The 90’s music I like, the 70’s fashion I like more. Thus the wide-legged pants wearing, crazy-haired, all bangle-d hippie/bohemian me!

 

 

7)      I have bought and read all of Pol Medina’s Pugad Baboy series – the comic book which saw me through my homesickness back in my first year in UP. Some copies, pinamana ko na. Some I kept. Some I lost. I have started reading Kiko machine. Basta murang komiks, solb!

 

8)      I want to be a pre-school teacher.

 

9)      I had my first kiss at 15. It may seem unbelievable, incredible and so not me because my un-lady-like personality and childish rowdy demeanour do not seem to merit a romantic lip-lock but – oh yes I did!

 

10)   I want to live in Barcelona.

 

11)   I had a theatre elective in college - played the role of an activist in my midterm practical exams, a prostitute in my pre-finals and Sabina of Majika (move over Angel Locsin) in our final exams.

 

12)   Di ako marunong mag-kwento. :c

 

13)   Given the choice, I would have given myself the name Pia.

 

14)   It takes me 30 minutes to finish my bathroom ritual. 5 minutes for shower and another 25 minutes daydreaming and dancing and singing. I once chipped my ear and was rushed in East Ave’s Emergency Room to have my ear stitched because i slipped while taking my shower. I remembered dancing to Jennifer Paige’s ‘Crush’ before that accident. Hay!

 

15)   I am selosa and sensitive. Sobra. Di ko lang pinahahalata minsan.

 

16)   I suck at sports. Because i suck at rules.

 

17)   My crush’s name starts with an R, rhymes with Lambert, Herbert and no, it’s definitely NOT Robert but his namesake played Inspector Gadget!:D  What is weird is that, I am not sure of what he looks like. I have already seen him alright, but not enough to make his face register. Basta gusto ko lang siyang maging crush. Yun lang.

 

18)   I like watching Hannah Montana.

 

19)   I cringe at Ian Geonanga’s expression of school pride but I love UPD! UP Diliman is my stress-free place. If i want to think, re-assess my goals, compose resignation letters which never land on my boss’ desk (i really don’t see myself doing this forever... i may not love my work as much as i want to but i love my workmates naman, so there...), ogle at Derek Ramsey-look alike’s playing soccer in the sunken garden, I go to UP. Buti na lang kapitbahay ko siya.

 

20)   My being prim and proper is still a work in progress.

 

21)   I have no patience for reading books (mas gusto ko komiks!) but Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love made me read again. Philip Pullman’s His Dark Material’s Trilogy (The Golden Compass, Subtle Knife & Amber Spyglass) and believe it or not, Jose Rizal’s Noli and El Fili are among my favourite novels. I had the most wonderful PI 100 teacher in UP, I read Rizal’s novels with the same enthusiasm my sister had when she read Twilight.

 

22)   My idols are all artists! Celine Lopez (writer/socialite), Kuya Kim Atienza (journalist/TV personality), Jim Paredes (artist to the core!), Amina Aranaz-Alunan (designer/entrep/founder: SOFA) and RJ Ledesma (UNO EIC/DJ/author).

 

 

23)   You want to make me happy? Give me choc nut, Nestle Yogurt (strawberry flavour) and Chuckie!

From Now On...

I'll be prim and proper. Be lady-like. Won't hug everybody. Won't kiss everybody. Won't shriek everytime I get excited. I'll keep the excitement to myself. I'll comb my hair. I'll observe the company's dress code. Meaning, I will never again wear Chucks with my business attire. I will wash my rubber shoes. Or buy a new pair. I won't say bad words. Or maybe I will, but not as frequent as I do now. No more dirty finger. I will observe proper posture. Will wear lip balm. Will update my wardrobe. Will modulate my voice. Will act my age. Won't butt in when not spoken to. Will change my wallpaper and office's computer password once it expires. My password is my crush's name. Sigh.Won't make faces. Will be polite. Will reply to text messages. Won't say hi to everybody. Won't ever get drunk and say things (and worse, do things) I'll later on regret. From now on, I'll be prim and proper.

 

.signed.

Tina

                                                    at Trinoma Powerbooks

He won me with his After Eden.

He entertained me with his Mythology Class.

He woke me with his Martial Law Babies.

Cheers to the Philippines master of Graphic novels and syempre pa to his new found fan in denial.

All hail Arnold Arre!

                                                  ( with Ate Ay, pumipila for book signing)

an excerpt:

The most shameful mistake you will ever make is to dismiss this like it was just some forgotten letter from a generation that’s grown weary with sentimentality. We are not as old or dated as you might think. Because there will come a time when you’ll start looking around, realizing that the world is no longer the same place you grew up in. Maybe you’ll even feel you’re nearing the twilight of your years.

Then, with much longing, you’ll look back on the past. To simpler times.  To us.

Maybe on that day, we’ll finally be able to share a story or two. And maybe you will see, with eyes wide open and mind full of wisdom...

...that we’re the same after all.

You have to read the entire graphic novel to appreciate this rambling. As always. And no, my copy is not available.

Tina’s 2008 Pamatay at Gaya-gayang Pick-up line:

Note: Since I am not into the guy, this was a really easy and effortless and annoyingly fun conversation. FYI, i usually clam up, get all stupid, self-conscious and red when I am trying to impress someone or speaking to somebody I like.

The Guy (TG): Hi. What’s your name?
Me: No, no. What’s your name?
TG: James. Ikaw?
Me (Nag-inarte): My name’s Kristina. My family calls me Tin. My friends call me Tina. But since your name is James, you can call me Kris!
TG: hehe. Talaga?
Me (to myself only): Sheett! I-eexplain ko ba?
Me (to Him): Talaga!! Hello? James Yap! Kris Aquino? Di ka nanood ng The Buzz no?
Me (to myself again): Sheett! In-explain ko!
TG: Hehe. Cute.
Me (to myself): Hehe mo mukha mo.
Me (to Him): Oo nga! ‘Gotta go!

I am so mean, I know - -kasi naman, what a waste of a pretty face!

                                       ******************************************

The most over-used, oh-please-never-ask-me-again 2008 question (lalo na pag text):

                                                                "Kumusta ka na?"

I want to give a really long and detailed reply but I crave for a 2-way conversation not some boring monologue on my life’s account. Instead I’ll give the most generic answer unworthy even of some pre-schooler’s interest:

                                                "I am fine, thank you. How about you."

I feel happy that in another part of the universe the thought of me crosses someone else’s mind enough to even ask me “Kumusta ka na?” but that question for me is really awkward to answer. Ka-level niya ang “tell me something about yourself”.


Puwede naman na siguro ‘tong mga opening lines na ‘to:

“Hey sexy, wanna text?” (loser!)
“Ang sarap ng kinakain ko, pero mas masarap siguro kung...” (pang-pervert naman)
“Edward here. Bella?” (asar!)
“Gutom ako. Pa-burger ka naman!”

Anything. Anything please! Wag lang Kumusta ka na. Parang Awa Niyo Na!!

                                     
                                         ******************************************

Tina’s most cherished 2008 memory:

Christmas with my family. I only get to see them once a year. I miss them everyday. I love them to pieces. I’ll never get used to leaving home. I always cry on my bus-ride back to the city. Hay talaga!

                                                   Nanay and her girls

                     the unofficial panganay's: among their 7 brats, i'm the favorite!! hehe!

                                       having fun with the Miguel clan!!;D


And for 2009, Cheers to...

...more fun at work!!

On many occasions when work seems to be sucking the life out of me, when i question why i am doing what i am doing right now, i shall keep in mind that i love the people i work with. They have been my family, my friends, my source of entertainment, my social life - - -it can be nauseating doing the same things over and over again but my first shot at what people call ‘reality’ a.k.a. life-after-college has been extremely easy because these guys made it easy for me. Thanks!

                                      Just Another day at the office....

                                                     Oh Happy Days!!!


...more weee-weeet moments!!

The FUTURA dictionary of pilosopong site engineers defines weee-weeeet as an expression used to pester/make fun of the cluster’s/company’s quasi-love teams – kasi naman wala na kaming iba pang puwedeng mapagkatuwaan. Think high school with more spunk and triple the level of ka-kornihan. Imagine serious, Microsoft excel-master, financial-savvy, inventory management-expert  corporate people and dignified (yeah right!) engineers hooting weee-weeet!!! with conviction. Love it!

                              Ma'am Gina and Tina with their Jacob's!! hehe.. weee-weeet!!!

                          the happy Magbanua family (hehe!!); Franz and Van!! weee-weeet!

...summoning the haciendera in me!

Christmas in Cagayan made me realize that no matter how long I stay in the city, nothing can ever take away the PROMDI in me! The chicken’s cry (panget kasi ang cock’s crow...hehhe;D) wakes me up in the morning and when i say morning, talagang morning, 6 am, and there’s green everywhere. Ang sarap pa ng hangin. My Christmas bonus is for my purchase of a cow – my one step towards building my own Marlboro Country or Hacienda Kristina or Azucarera de Bacud (ang panget! Haha).

                                    Kalabaw, Manong & Tina - - bow!!

                               To the turkeys: You can run, but you can't hide!

                                      Pang-rough road wheels!!; Oh My Upo!!

               My ari-arian extends far beyond what your eyes can see!! I'm soooo rich!!! Asa!!

He's sooo much more than Obama and Clinton combined! I'm lucky i have my tito Boy who has inspired the haciendera wanna-be in me! ang galing niya!

                                          I'm on top of the world!

...to crazier, bigger, frizzier, eternally magulong hair!

My tatay hates my hair and a special friend begged to have my hair straightened and though i love them both, no, thank you! Sabi ko nga kay Marco, My magulong hair? This is part of my hot and sexy look!!;D raaaarrrr! I am no Meg Ryan-fan for nothing. ;D

                                                I'm bringing sexy back!!

....travelling to B’s!

Batanes, Baguio, Bangladesh, Bohol, Bukidnon, Binondo – kahit saan! Basta B! I am super addicted to B’s – don’t know why!

...an end to the age issue.

I feel old and yet unaccomplished but the year is long to do what needs to be done, see what needs to be seen, feel what needs to be be felt. There’s no reason to be irritatingly self-conscious because no one really gives a sh*t on your pointless worries. Sabi nga ni Chase sa tatay niya (I changed some words para mag-rhyme ;D) “Have sex, be free, coz I am turning 23”. Hehe.

...Yes’s to friends’ invitations!

I miss my non-working life so much and I miss ALL of my friends!! (That includes YOU Sielyn, and Ian, and Ria whose birthdays I failed to acknowledge and to VT and my Paulinian friends which reunion with them I missed. I miss you. And I love you. Kahit hinde halata. Promise.

...shorter  blog entries.

Ngayon lang ‘to. Sige na - - indulge!;D


HAPPY HAPPY 2009!!

(at dahil na-inspire ako sa blog ni bes)I never really cared about it until my boss' secretary pointed out that those whose signatures end with an upward stroke are those who are most likely to succeed. Number one example is my boss, then my boss' boss and other FLI big wgs whose signatures are like oil that keep the machine running - no signature, no progress in project. She failed to point out that should you have any ambition to become a CEO in the future, then it is required that your signature must have only 2 strokes max. Kasi naman, 40% of a CEO's time is spent signing. That is why fountain pens make perfect gifts for the High and Mighty populace.

Unfortunately mine is not at all a CEO-signature in the making because it is easily forge-able, ganyan na yan nung grade 6 pa'ko and it's long. Good thing I don't plan to make it big in the corporate.

My signature fits perfectly in a pre-school kid's report card.

This is my brother's daughter Tanya's pic with her Freemont clasmmates. I blame her for getting me hooked in this whole pre-school thing.

And because the doctor says, “The headaches? Iha, it’s time for you to wear glasses...”

And because the boss says, “Ang tagal na niyan, ang bagal...anyway, you will be having an assistant sometime next week, OJT, from La Salle, and no, you are not allowed to make her file and make her spend 8 hours in the photocopying machine – TRAIN... TEACH... you understand?”

And because the intern says “MA’AM Tina, ano PO ang ibig sabihin...?”

I am 21 years old.

I am one hundred years old.

Old.

Buti nalang sila din. Hehe. ;D

                                                   People Power One Babies

 

                                                            .COLLEGE.  

                                                       .HIGH SCHOOL.

     ... and grade school? Di pa naimbento digi cam nun... see?

    

 

Back in first grade, I remember waiting for my share of kisses and pinches from teachers during non-class hours which some of my classmates enjoyed. I never got any.  And when I classified and grouped those kids who effortlessly get our teacher’s affection, not only do their surnames make them standout – they were exceptionally and undeniably cute. Yep! Private school.

I do not blame them. Vicky Belo would not be as rich as she is now if people do not make such a big deal out of how their belly bulges, how their skin glows and how their eyes crinkle when they smile. Plus, I am the first to admit that as a kid, I was not really that adorable.

My brother and I spent hours rolling on the floor, clutching our aching stomachs and with happy tears in our eyes when I initiated unearthing our baul of pictures one lazy night. I am so glad I did. I am sharing with you some of those pictures and try rolling on the floor in laughter yourself. Sarap nun!

 

                                           *Me and My Donald Duck Look*

 

                                                     *Kawawa Look*

This was when I won my first and only beauty title – Little Miss Sampaguita. I believe I got the judges’ nods with my wit and exceptional beauty. My brother insists that I had all what it takes to win: a grandparent who was among the judges, my tita who organized the event, and another grandparent who sponsored the event. I decided not to believe him and stuck with the wit and exceptional beauty part.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 *Me and My Red Mouth*                                             *The Annual Paulinian Ordeal*

 

        *(Kuya Bo, Tin, Say, Pol) Poster Kids for Mt. Pinatubo Eruption: Donations, anyone?*

 

                               *My own interpretation of Cagayan fassshioooonn..*  

                                                    *Proud Girl Scout*

          *Class Pic: I just realized I never changed my look since 4th grade. I'm on the 2nd row from the top between Vanessa (I wonder how she is now) and Joy (my then best-friend).:D

 

                                   (My sister in what-the-hell-is-she-wearing-get-up)

 

Hoy!

You will be putting on the yellow jacket this coming academic year and you will be what I had been five years ago – a college freshman. Since I do not have the extra cash to buy you a graduation gift, I am sharing with you a few thoughts – things I wish I knew in college, things I wish I did, things that I knew and I did which made my college life so memorable:

1. Green light means go, orange – slow down and red - stop. Jeepneys do not just stop just because you told the driver you want to be dropped off; there are proper loading and unloading stations. Php 7.50 is the minimum fare and students get discounts only if you show the drivers your I.D. and only if it is a weekday. The cute guy sitting next to you can be drooling over your phone or your wallet and before you know it, you’ll be running home in tears- phoneless and wallet-less. Be vigilant. Do not daydream in public. You do not have Kuya Alex anymore to drive you to school and pick you up whenever you feel like it. The city could be harsh to promdi’s like us – but like me you’ll get the hang of it.

2. I was Bill Gates then. I was richer as a student than as an employee. I bought my own desktop computer, then a laptop, then replaced two stolen cell phones through my own savings – depleting my bank account. You will have that privilege now. Tito’s and Tita’s and both our Lola’s are generous to a niece or a granddaughter on the road to pursuing her dreams. They will be your limitless source of un-taxed net income. Save. Invest even. You are never too young to learn how to manage your finances.

3. People may say that grades do not really matter and it isn’t all about the honors or recognitions you will be receiving. Do not listen to them. You must understand that there is a process towards achieving that uno or that space in the list of college or university scholars (or in your case, dean’s list). Grades may not be everything but they sure do reflect your discipline and your interest in what you are learning. Many are given the chance to excel; only a few manage to grab that chance. Be among that few. Never drop subjects and then get underloaded – take it from me. I learned my lesson the hard way.

4. Go outside your circle or at least widen it. I am pretty sure there are as many interesting people in UST as there are in UP. Join organizations – one college-based and another, any org which might have piqued your curiosity or interest. Paranormal society? Association of Stargazers? John Loyd and Bea fans club? Who cares? Be interesting. Be bold. Join batch parties so you will not feel left out and when people mention your name, they will not have to ask “Sino yun?”

5. Speaking of boldness, it would not hurt to change your look just to give you the feeling of say, internal newness. A new haircut perhaps or a new set of wardrobe? Wear sun block with SPF 50+++ before going out. A sprinkle of vainness does not hurt. UP taught me to bring my umbrella everyday. You should do the same. Plus boots and a boat. I think by now you might have heard of España’s flooding tales.

6. Get a part-time job or get into an internship program – not for the paycheck but for the experience. Believe me, there are far more interesting things to learn beyond the walls of your university. Read the newspapers, and find time to go over Jim Paredes’ column every Sunday. Or read his daughter Ala's blog. I have learned so much from him and so will you. Your college bulletin board is one treasure trove - be on the lookout for probable international scholarship and other learning opportunities.

7. There is nothing like the UAAP to unleash the tiger in you. Recite with your heart your school chants, cheer for your basketball team, bash the UP Pep squad (I’ll bash yours too!) and be yellowish for the entire UAAP season to express your school pride.

8. Be in touch with and treasure your high school friends. They have known you first. They will have a lot of stories to share from where you can learn a thing or two and they will be most willing to listen to yours too.
   

9. Enjoy, be true and dream with your college friends. You will have to go through many things together and they will keep you in one piece. Strike up a conversation with someone a few batches older than you. You will learn so much from them.

10. Learn a new language and be good in it. You’ll never know when you’ll make good use of it. Enroll in interesting PE classes. There’s nothing like an interesting class which will take you away, even just for an hour, from academic harassment – whatever that is.
    

11. Feel free to have your share of Kevin’s, Mike Falgui’s, Lucas’s and Franz’s. They will give you the weird abhorrence to holidays and weekends because at these times you will not get to see the likes of them. They will give you the strange fondness to Math or Econometrics not because you like these subjects but because you have to sit right next to the likes of them for an entire class period. They will make you happy, make your heart leap and yes, even make you cry. Whatever it is that they make you feel, know your limitations and know how to love yourself first.
    

12. Have a ready (and genuine) answer for “When was the last time you did something for the first time?”. Only then will you realize how much of your youth you have taken advantage of or how much have you been missing.

13. Wallflowers do not have a place in the world. It’s not enough that you are smart. It’s not enough that you are beautiful. What will make you stand out is your confidence and self-esteem.

14. Make the most of your summer breaks, sem breaks, holiday breaks and the seemingly infinite college free time. You’ll never get any after graduation. Maximize your number of allowable cuts, use the privilege to accomplish or pursue something which you believe is worth missing your class for. Like a mall wide sale or something.

15. Remember the Nido commercial’s latest slogan? Expose. Explore. Experience. That’s the best way to spend your college life – and beyond.

Gear up for one of the most exciting rides of your life! We’re just waiting by the sidelines in case you need anything. Good luck!

Love, (eeewwww!)

Your ate Tin before. Mrs. Pitt now.

(Pictures usually make the write-up more interesting. I hope THIS one got you interested! And I hope these guys would not mind having their picture posted. Just guess who Harry is. ;D)

 

 

There was shuttle #32, shuttle #33 – then shuttle #40. Then #36. But our shuttle assignment was shuttle #34 and we found it at the tail of a long line of more or less 50 shuttles. All throughout the hunt, I was tugging my brown miniskirt, lugging some three pound-heavy backpack and desperately covering the length of my legs (naks!) with a supersize Watson’s plastic bag. But I wasn’t complaining. I was with Harry.

 

“Ganyan ba dapat kaikli?” He asked chuckling, referring to my skirt.

 

I gave him an awkward smile and let out a timid “hehe”. He offered to carry my things which I politely refused. He insisted. I gave in. My things were really heavy. And being the gentleman that he is, he gave me his shirt so I can wrap it around my waist. Hay!

 

When at last we found our FX-shuttle (damn it! Haha!), I suggested we sit in the back so we can make use of the space for my things. I struggled to lift my legs (and keep my butt from showing) to get in the car – I never realized miniskirts can be so binding. He assured me he will look the other way and even coaxed our driver to do the same. “O kuya, dun sa kabila tayo titingin ha!”, he said, as if enjoying my girly ordeal.

 

There were only three passengers. Me. Him. And that unremarkable third person who was dropped off just three blocks away from the venue of our company’s Christmas party. I had Harry all to myself for the majority of the trip. Merry Christmas to me! I feigned fatigue and sleepiness but I could not resist the urge of observing him really closely. He sang along with “We’re the king and queen of hearts…hmmmmm” playing in the background. “Pang Prom no?”, he said. “Oo nga” was all I could reply. Lame. Really Lame.

 

He was enjoying the song so much that he even played with an imaginary drum set. Cute. He showed me his disco ball necklace and congratulated my group for having placed second in the dance competition. I congratulated his group for being the FIRST. His Michael Jackson moves which had all the FLI girls shrieking and screaming replayed in my thoughts. He said it was a last – minute choreography and he’s ecstatic it worked out well.

 

Silence.

 

I have a fuzzy recollection of what we did or talked about but a few minutes before I got dropped off our East Avenue apartment came the kind of conversation which sets Harry apart from the rest.

 

“Diyan kami nagba-badminton”, he said, gesturing outside the translucent FX-window from where I vaguely saw a medium-rise building with what seemed like blinking lights. I nodded even if I wasn’t sure I got his badminton-building right and told him I am unfamiliar with the place. He was genuinely surprised.

 

Harry: Taga-QC ka di ba? Di ka nagpupunta dito?

Me: Di ako mahilig lumabas. Good girl ako eh.

Harry: So kapag mahilig ka lumabas di ka na good girl? Ang gusto ni Lord lumalabas tayo. Ang gusto niya pro-active tayo. (…Went on with a drawn out God-discussion)

Me: Alam mo bang di ako spiritual?

Harry: Si God, gumagawa siya ng paraan para mapalapit sa atin. It is sin which bars us from keeping a wonderful relationship with Him. (…More discussion)

 

I can not give justice to how spontaneously he revealed God, how he talked about Him with so much enthusiasm even after a physically-draining and super-fun party which had all with youthful vibe thumping and grinding with the 80’s music and having their generous fill of booze. Harry’s version of a post-party celebration is different. That is his magic. He is not afraid to be branded as, I don’t know, what do you call someone who openly talks about God, initiates conversation about Him, whenever, wherever anyway?

 

I remember one instance in the UP sunken garden when a bible-carrying, eyeglasses-wearing, curly-haired girl walked up to me and rattled off bible passages and Divine lectures. I got turned off then afraid and all I did was say sorry then I walked away. Harry’s approach is effortless and natural – and his charms make him all the more tolerable.

 

I regretfully cut short his homily as I had to give our driver directions to my place. The ride was really bitin. For him, maybe he was not able to share enough. For me, maybe I have not heard enough.

 

We exchanged goodbyes, goodnight’s and ingat’s. He moved to the front seat to keep manong driver company. I was kind of hoping to meet his eyes before I completely turn my back and lock our gate. But when I looked back I saw him smiling and shaking the hands of our driver, looking eager to share more of his stories. I hope manong driver enjoyed and more so appreciated his company. The same way I did.   

 

 

 

 

  

**Harry is not his real name. Blame it on his Daniel Radcliffe – features. **

 

Note: An officer from Chinabank once told me that if money’s not an issue, she will find herself   writing just about anyone whom she finds interesting and has a story worth sharing. He does not have to be larger than life. I’m copying her idea and I hope Harry will not mind his being my first uhm, subject. Good stuffs. Promise, mga ganon lang naman isusulat ko. Good stuffs.

 

I got in a business course because I thought it was practical. And it is! But I am a total misfit in the business arena as:

a)      My math skills are questionable.

b)      I have no interest in interest rates. (haha!)

And last but not least…

c)       Please read item a again

My business-related education got me a business-related job and I am doing business-related responsibilities. How predictable. I pray to God that this does not go on forever. But for now, as I am in desperate need of cash to get me a new pair of shoes and uhm, to pay my rent and my endless monetary liabilities, my business-related job is perfectly fine. FOR NOW.

What if I had taken the road less traveled? I would never make a good architect as my artistic capabilities are limited to that small circle, small circle, big circle form of art. I would never be accepted in the Theatre Arts program because I am not the kind who feels comfortable being in the spotlight. Journalism and Music always raise the money issue. See? That’s the problem with me. I do not have the guts to actually pursue things that could probably make me happier because even before trying, I magnify the difficulty and the wrongness in my pursuits until I resort to embracing convention – which sucks. Or maybe I’ll never really know what I want or who I want to be. Two weeks ago, I had the ardent desire to go back to school to study pre-school teaching. Even if it doesn’t show, I like kids. Kaya lang, baka lalo silang maguluhan kung ako ang teacher nila. Yesterday, I wanted to continue my foreign language classes (Port 10, German 10 – they never reached 11) and work in international institutions which require knowledge of a third language.

Today, I want to be a rockstar.

Last Thursday, I was a chef.  

Here are a few of my Rachel Ray moments:

 

 

I don’t know if this will reach my friends in high school whose names are historically written in the Philippine Daily Inquirer for being among the smartest guys who aced the nursing board exams. Way to go! And I insist that I will never make a good nurse.  Not patient enough. And the white uniform? I don’t think I’ll ever give justice to it. 

 NBI agents. CIAs. Singer. The Religious. The Business Developer. Mr. Lovah-Lovah. Ms. Hopeless Romatic. Ms. Package. Ex Mrs. Franz. Sir Gan Jr. Pudpod Baba. Rocketship. KD. KX. MK. Bernard. Blossom. Osbourne. Come on! Let’s join us! Bucket fist. Shot gun. Taho. Fishballs. Kuya Carlo. 5:48 pm.

Gets niyo?

Kami, OO!

 

To ate Van, Kuya Marco, ate Tin and Kuya Mark,

It’s been one hell of a ride and as excitement, disappointment, happiness, stress, confusion, drive, gratitude and most especially, pagka-umay sa gift wrapping sessions get all mixed up in our bowl of emotions, we have the next two years (or more…or less yata for me? Hehe ;D) to share even as the whole stretch of EDSA (or even the 2 floors of Festival Mall) keeps us from gobbling together that one whole box of buttered Nagaraya (yung yellow po) as you squeeze yourselves tight in that sleep-inducing CCCO sofa while I make tambay in Sir Jay’s desk (hehe, joke lang ;D).

Love,

Tina

P.S.

Patulong sa financials at PDMC please at subdivision name nadin…;D and Mark, pakibantayan nalang boys ko. Harhar!