sharing with a stranger

ever thought how easy it is sometimes to share our thoughts, secrets, and problems with a stranger than with someone we know?

and since we can't just pull a stranger out of the street to share our stories with anytime, a virtual stranger might just be an alternative.

if you want to talk with someone with full anonymity, you can share your stories with the blogger otikins. visit her at http://otikinspirationline.blogspot.com/

the small world phenomenon series

i started my memoirs of a "gay sya" series due to memorable gay experiences. my own and my friends'. i failed to realize before that i could have started another series, and that is the small world phenomenon. i've had posts about it before pero parang ordinary posts lang of experiences that made me go "whaaaatttt???" "my gaaaaaaadddddddddd" "grabeeeeeeeeeee" "ang liit ng mundoooooooo" "aaaaahhhhhhhhhhh" "ohhhhhhhhhhhh". hmm, ignore the last two. i think those expressions should have another series of their own! hehehe.

due to two small world phenomenon events recently, i'm going to start this new series. it seems like the world is closing in on me. ang dami nang small world events na nangyari sa akin dito sa singapore. i will write about them in the coming days. di muna ngayon kasi antok na. hehehe.

but to remind me and to give out some hints as well, the first recent experience had something to do with elton john. the second one had something to do with my company and my search for a new home! :D

abangan! ;)

p.s. the nihon trip account will be continued soon enough. kailangan lang matulog ngayon! ;)

nihon turipu apr 15: kyoto cute cute

i'd been waiting for this day! kyoto! being the old capital of japan, it holds many attractions: UNESCO world heritage sites, castles, temples, shrines, the geisha district, the loveliest sakuras during spring, the flame-coloured leaves of trees during autumn, and handsome guys! :D the latter i discovered when i got there!

in fact, when my trip was coming to an end, i told my friends, in retrospect, that kyoto had the most number of handsome guys! osaka and tokyo came in close second and third, respectively! :p it was probably because kyoto was smaller and the guys were concentrated in the central district where tourists went around, where i roamed around. plus there are two big universities there. so there were handsome students. and handsome tourists. but i was a beautiful tourist, mind you! :p

i will only relate two handsome experiences. hehehe. they were those that lasted in my memory. the first was when kay and i boarded a bus going to kinkakuji temple. the bus was packed; but at the back was a student sitting on one seat while his bag was also sitting on the seat beside him. he was actually not friendly at all! people were standing yet he didn't offer the seat where his bag was placed to anyone. he didn't budge even if people were looking at him, even if kay and i were talking beside him about him! well, we were talking in the vernacular so he never understood our backstabbing! hehehe. but he was handsome as hell, and heaven too! hahaha. good thing kay was sitting. i was standing but i didn't allow my bitchy side to ask him if his bag paid for the seat. i was cool because i wanted to stay standing so i could talk with kay. but my bitchy side had to surface. when a lady boarded the bus and had no railing to hold on to, i finally asked the handsome-yet-inconsiderate japanese student to stuff himself into his bag! hehehe. no, i simply asked him if he could give the seat to the lady. he threw his bag to the floor without looking up at me then vacated his seat for the lady. right then and there, he fell in love with me. that i'm very sure of. i knew when kay and i got off the bus, he was thinking of me. he would be thinking of me for the entire day, seething with anger at the humiliation i caused him. then at night i'm sure he dreamt of me. i'm sure he'd remember me for eternity! weeeee!!! :D

the next handsome experience was when kay, idel, and i had our dinner in a traditional ramen stall. i was super duper tired so when we sat on the stools at the stall, i sighed the deepest sigh of relief of my life! then the ramen guy, in all his colorful slow-motion handsomeness, exclaimed with glittering eyes that spelt love and tender loving care "tsukaretta?". what else did the awestruck emman say but "hai. aruite forever" hahahaha. ramen guy just smiled while idel and kay broke into a boisterous laughter. aruite forever! :p i didn't know the japanese of forever ne! pardon me ne! at least after that, ramen guy kept stealing glances at me! oh diva? :p

here's the ramen that ramen guy gave me. oh ramen guy, you were so delicious, este ramen pala! :p


below is a UNESCO world heritage, the ginkakuji temple or silver pavilion. it wasn't as appealing as i thought it would be, actually.

and below the kinkakuji temple or gold pavilion, another UNESCO world heritage. this one blew kay and i away.

the sakuras were indeed lovely in kyoto. i loved this one. the flowers hung like pearls from above. they dangled like earrings made of pink tears from heaven. wow! enough puwetic, este, poetic already!


we just had to pass by gion. i watched and read memoirs of a geisha and i just had to be at gion! we were only able to spot a geisha from afar but we were too tired to keep our lookout or even run after one should we have spotted one. i heard they'd scurry away if foreigners tried to take pictures of them. so there was no use. i contented myself being at the street and looking at the traditional geisha tea houses.

ahhhh. but i had to have some proof that i was really in gion! this was what i first took! hahaha. the japanese passersby were laughing at me! they must have thought who would want to have a souvenir shot of a pachinko center (slot machines game center)??? well, i had to have proof you know that i was really there! :p

ahhh... we were dead tired by the time we got back to osaka. kay suffered from muscle pains the next day. but we loved our tour! the guys were cute. hehehe. what we ate tasted cute. what we saw were cute. kyoto was a cute place! hehehe.

but there was one thing i wasn't able to do there which i planned on doing: becoming a maiko or apprentice geisha for a few hours. i was willing to pay up to 6,500 yen. aside from not knowing which shop to go to, we didn't have much time. well, this would be one reason why i should go back!

ahhhh, the handsome guys will go gaga over me when i become a maiko. how much should i charge for my mizuage? probably, i'll beat sayuri! read or watch the memoirs of the geisha folks! you'll want to go to kyoto after that :)

memoirs of a "gay sya": dyke sya

conscious ang paglalakad ng isang girlalou. mabagal at mahinhin pero alam mong conscious. dahil na rin siguro sa bago nyang hairstyle. maiksi. kulay brown na may highlights na blond. hindi naman sya mukhang igorota, ang kinatatakutan nyang itsura kapag sya ay nagpakulay ng buhok. papunta sya sa kanyang hairstylist.

hairstylist: antayin mo na lang ako sa labas.

girlalou: o sige.

umalis si girlalou para ikot ikot habang antayin ang kaibigang hairstylist na nagkulay ng kanyang buhok.

boss ng hairstylist: is your friend a lesbian?

hairstylist: huwahahaha. you should tell that to her when she's here lor!

boss ng hairstylist: she looks like a girl who tries to be a boy.

hairstylist: wahahaha.

dahil na siguro sa pagiging conscious sa sarili nya at naging awkward ang mga kilos ni girlalou. ok na rin. at least nasabihang babae si girlalou. besides, patok ang mga lesbiana sa pantasya ng mga lalaki!

j & j

not johnson's and johnson's mind you! :p but jackie and jet as in jackie chan and jet li. ;)

i grew up watching jackie chan. my favorite movie of his was snake in the eagle's shadow. i couldn't forget the scene where jackie chan witnessed a fierce fight between a cat and a cobra. he and his master being users of snake kung-fu couldn't win against the antagonist who was an eagle kung-fu user. since eagle ang gamit ng kalaban nila, nililipad-liparan lang sila while nasa lupa lang sila. eagle against snake nga! eh prey ng eagle ang snake di ba? upon witnessing that the cat was winning against the cobra, jackie chan studied the cat moves and eventually used it against the eagle kung-fu bad guy. the claws of the cat won against the talons of the eagle; however, in the final scenes when the bad guy was about to be killed, jackie chan used the cobra style. perfect combination! :p

on the other hand, i became fond of jet li's once upon a time in china series when i was in high school; however, i found his legendary fighters of china to be the best. (hmmm, i think the movie title legendary fighters of china was only used in the philippines. it might be different in other areas.) i liked it a lot kasi naman yung kalaban dun (originally totoong lalaki) upon getting hold of the forbidden magic scroll gradually became a woman. :D can relate di ba? hehehe :p he was powerful and invincible until he fell in love with jet li's wong fei hung character. his transformation into a woman was completed when he fell in love. it's ironic that something as beautiful as love can be the cause of someone's downfall. well, in a way ganyan din yata sa totoong buhay. hehehe. talo na sana nya lahat ang mga bida. tsk tsk tsk. hehehe. in a way kumampi ako dun sa kontrabida (nung naging babae na sya) kasi i was amazed at her powers. imagine, nakaupo lang sya at nananahi while ung mga bida (around 5 kasama si jet li) ay iwas ng iwas sa malaking palayok na tinapon nya sa kanila at sa mga maliliit na karayom na ihinihagis nya sa kanila. o diva? divang diva! di man lang sya pinagpawisan habang ang mga bida ay walang tigil sa pag talon talon at lipad lipad sa pag-iwas ng kanyang kapangyarihan! viva talaga! :p

so what about j and j? there's good news! they have a movie together titled the forbidden kingdom. it crossed my mind many times before if there would come a time that two of my kung fu idols would ever come together on scree. and they have! read about it here: http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/entertainment/news/20070517p2a00m0et012000c.html.

weeeeee!!!

i'm a sucker for kung-fu movies. no matter how old the movies are basta may talon talon at lipad lipad, i'll be glued to the screen.

hay, gusto ko rin palang maging kung-fu fighter ala chun li of streetfighter! :p

pangarap

after years of contemplating what i want to do with my life, eto na. alam ko na!!!

gusto kong maging supermodel!!!

seriousness!

bakit?

kahapon at ngayon marami ang ipinaparamdam sa akin. tsk tsk tsk.

i love elliott's song! can relate kasi eh! :p

hahay.

wait for you by elliott yamin

I never felt nothing in the world like this before
Now I'm missing you
& I'm wishing that you would come back through my door
Why did you have to go? You could have let me know
So now I'm all alone,
Girl you could have stayed
but you wouldnt give me a chance
With you not around it's a little bit more then i can stand
And all my tears they keep running down my face
Why did you turn away?

So why does your pride make you run and hide?
Are you that afraid of me?
But I know it's a lie what you keep inside
This is not how you wanted to be

So baby I will wait for you
Cause I don''t know what else i can do
Don't tell me I ran out of time
If it takes the rest of my life

Baby I will wait for you
If you think I'm fine it just aint true
I really need you in my life
No matter what i have to do I'll wait for you

It's been a long time since you called me
(How could you forget about me)
You got me feeling crazy (crazy)
How can you walk away,
Everything stays the same
I just can't do it baby
What will it take to make you come back
Girl I told you what it is & it just ain't like that
Why can't you look at me, your still in love with me

Don't leave me crying.

Baby why can't we just start over again
Get it back to the way it was
If you give me a chance I can love you right
But your telling me it wont be enough

So baby I will wait for you
Cause I don''t know what else i can do
Don't tell me I ran out of time
If it takes the rest of my life

Baby I will wait for you
If you think I'm fine it just aint true
I really need you in my life
No matter what i have to do I'll wait for you

So why does you pride make you run & hide
Are you that afriad of me?
But I know it's a lie what your keeping inside
Thats not how you wanted to be

Baby I will wait for you
Baby I will wait for you
If it's the last thing i do

Baby I will wait for you
Cause I don't know what else i can do
Don't tell me I ran out of time
If it takes the rest of my life

Baby I will wait for you
you think I'm fine it just aint true
I really need you in my life
No matter what i have to do I'll wait for you

I'll Be Waiting.

AI elimination patterns

the top 4 eliminations had had a history of shocking results. season 1's tamyra gray started it out and probably started the pattern. she was a favorite of the judges and was constantly called a superstar whose star quality was compared to big names such as whitney houston and celine dion. then there was season 3's la toya london going home on this round after stellar performances showcasing disco music. and the biggest shocker of all was in season 5 when chris daughtry was eliminated.

this season, though, the top 4 elimination wasn't a shocker. although lakisha had been a strong contender in the beginning, the other 3 simply outshone her in the later part of the competition.

so it was the top 4 eliminations in seasons 1, 3, and 5 that had surprising results. it's a series number!!! 1 - 3 - 5. see? there's a pattern!

another pattern has surfaced, though. the top 3 elimination seems to have started to become a jinx for the most vocally able and endowed singers. we had to say goodbye to melinda doolittle earlier despite her powerful performances and unanimous praises from the judges. not everyone may like melinda (like my friends in japan and perhaps cebu hehehe) but there's no doubt that she had the vocal prowess unmatched by the other contestants. she is probably even, arguably, the best singer to ever grace the american idol competition since it started in 2002. the pattern was probably set off by my (ahem) personal american idol elliott yamin in season 5 when he was ousted during the top 3 elimination. elliott was, by far, the best vocalist of the three remaining that time.

with that said, melinda doesn't have to worry about anything. if i'm not mistaken in pointing out this pattern and should it be valid, then it would be safe to say that she has a bright future ahead of her in the music industry. elliott has started his career with his self-titled debut album landing #3 in the billboard charts and his first single "wait for you" getting constant airplay and appearing on the charts including in billboard's top 100.

and weeeee, i got to see my idol elliott perform at the elimination show earlier. the hairdo bothered me at first. the new perfect white teeth were noticeable. the singing was even better than last time i remembered and heard his voice. and the personality that i like was still there.

ahhhh, i loved the song "wait for you"! it's kinda fitting for me at this time! hehehe. i've got to get my hands on the album soon! hear and watch his mtv at: http://youtube.com/watch?v=MEskpfHOTAk

plastic beauty

arrrggghhh!!! naiinis na ako sa ginagawa ko at sa mga katrabaho ko! puro feeling!

sa meeting lahat magsasalita ng sabay sabay kasi alam nilang lahat ang ginagawa at sinasabi nila! actually, hindi naman ako over na naiinis habang pinapakinggan ko ang kanilang mga pagtatalo. natawa ako actually kasi puro nila dinidiin ang points nila. ang hindi nila alam, kaya sila hindi magkasundo kasi iba na ang pinag-uusapan ng bawat isa. hindi na sila pareho ng subject! ayan sige magmagaling pa kayo!

so anong ginawa ko? nakatingin lang sa kanilang lahat. pangiti-ngiti. pasulat-sulat. patagong nag-dra-drawing. nag-fla-flames. uyyyy. nag-po-pose ala america's next top model kasi may reflection sa glass wall ng meeting room. naglalaro ng bracelet ko. nag-co-compose ng poems sa isip. at nangangarap! :p

kung nasa labas ka ng meeting room at makikita mo kami, ang tingin mo sa kanila ay magaling silang lahat. kasi nagsasalita na may kasama pang wagayway ng kamay sa himpapawid. pag tiningnan mo naman ako, ay mamangha ka, kagandahan ang makikita mo kasi nag-pa-pout-pout ako ng lips at nag-po-pose-pose nga sa harap ng transparent glass wall. hihihi.

syempre tinatanong din nila ako. at para hindi sabihing bobo at hindi nakikinig, nagbibigay din ako ng opinion. buti naman at sound and valid din ang mga opinions ko. ;)

at syempre may mga times na hindi ako sang-ayon sa mga sinasabi nila. pero nakakapagod makipagtalo sa mga taong ganito. yung alam nilang perfect na yung mga isip nila. kaya kahit naiinis na ako sa sinasabi nila o binibigay nila sa kin, oo pa rin ang sinasabi ko. okay pa rin ang sinasabi ko. nginingitian ko pa rin sila.

ganyan ang nakasanayan ko eh. ganyan ang naging training ko sa buhay. mahirap talaga maging isang beauty queen! :p

FLAMES

we started out as Friends
and almost became Lovers
i've always been your Admirer
dreaming of someday Marrying you
though recent things have made us
act like Enemies, cold and unbending
part of me is still hoping
we'll end up as Sweethearts for eternity

we have all letters covered
in this rollercoaster relationship of ours
but when we do everything by the rules
you remain my Admirer
while i act like we're Enemies
but we'll still end up together
as Lovers for ever after
weeeeeeeeee


------

hehehe. i feel so teeny bopper today! :p

nihon turipu apr 14: the center of attraction

i started apr 14 on the dot. as in at the strike of 12 midnight on apr 14 (tama ba? 14 na pag 12 midnight?), i was rhythmically gyrating to disco music at arty farty in shinjuku with roland and our newfound friends kazuya and jun. i think it was around that time that i became drunk that i started to dance with people i didn't know. hehehe. people around were looking at me. instant star si emman! :p

although i was drunk, i was still sane enough to ignore those guys who were giving me more than either admiring or disgusted looks. (hey, you can't please everyone with your dancing! hehehe). some were giving me the "come on baby. you're too hot to be left alone. you need to cool down. come here to be wetted!" hwek hwek hwek. of course, i went there to dance with roland lang noh! :p

roland wasn't overshadowed by my exotic beauty and groovy moves at all. my friend is a hottie so he got a lot of attention from everyone around us as well, especially from the japanese guys. but we're not easy to get or, worse, sluts, so we had to ward off all those temptations around us. somehow, without planning or really talking about it beforehand, we started introducing ourselves as lovers to the guys coming up to us who were either not our type or were just plain nuisance. hehehe. besides, naibigay ko na kay roland si kazuya. aba! ba't bigla kang nagtagalog emman? eh kasi po, baka mabasa ito ng mamang kaibigan ko at magalit. masyado syang sensitibo na ipagkalat ko ang mga ginawa namin! hehehe. pero wala naman actually eh. hindi dapat big deal pero alam nyo na, mahirap nang magtampo pa sya. baka di na nya ako padalhan ng sustento para sa ginawa naming bata, este, mga regalo pala tulad ng libro at tsokolate at postcards. :p

nakilala lang pala namin si kazuya nung gabing yun. actually, ninakaw ko sya sa isa pang kakilala ni roland na kasayaw ni kazuya. yup, patok na patok itong si kazuya sa mga caucasians! buti na lang kasama nya si jun at may kasayaw ako habang ang kaibigan ko at itong si kazuya ay sumasayaw sa sarili nilang mundo na masyadong masikip at madikit at mabagal kahit ang tugtog ay pang-warla! :p buti na lang at game si jun sa lahat ng kalokohan ko sa sayaw. masaya! :D

at past 4am yata, the four of us with the addition of shinichi (kaibigan nina kazuya and jun) went for early breakfast at jonathan's, a famous 24 hour restaurant in japan. nawala na ang kalasingan ko but that was the first time that roland heard me sing. eh pano ba naman? ang mga pinapatutog sa restaurant were songs that i knew how to sing like "what if" and "my heart will go on". lumabas ang pagiging showgirl ko! hehehe. aba, titig na titig. di makapaniwala na aside from dancing diva eh, singing diva din pala ang kaibigan nya! :p sinabihan na nya ako the previous week nung una naming disco na gusto nya yung pag sayaw ko. eto na naman, namangha sya sa pagkanta ko. plus plus ganda points! :p

at around 6am, we went our separate ways with jun keeping on asking me when i was going back. uy, na in love din! hehehe. i told them kasi na i was going to osaka and the whole week i'd bee travelling to different places. i promised him i'd meet them the next friday. we bid adieu with a hug! charing! at around 8am i was in ueno retrieving my trolley bag from a locker and getting a bullet train ticket to osaka. my departure was 11am pa so i had to sit in one of the seats in the waiting area inside the station and slept. wala kaya akong tulog since apr 13 ng umaga!

i arrived at osaka at past 1pm. kay met me there. we went to her apartment and rested for a couple of hours. at 4pm, we headed off to umeda to visit one of my castles. :p


the sakuras in osaka were beautiful!!!


at night, we still went to the sky garden, much like an observatory, to get a view of osaka city at night. lovely!

surprisingly, i wasn't too wasted despite having only about 3 hours of sleep na putol putol pa! tingnan nyo, maganda pa rin di ba? :p hehehe. that view is still at osaka castle.

this day was filled with attractions at the start of the day pa lang like at the strike of 12 midnight! this was one of the most memorable days during my trip! ;) too bad lang, i couldn't go back to tokyo anymore to accompany roland at james' party. i was looking forward to getting to know james pa naman. sayang! di na talaga kaya ng powers.

on the bright side, i got to get to know better someone else who proved to be one of the good friends one can make, my host kay. i thought of her kasi dati na a bit reserved and mahinhin. hay naku, buhakhak kung mokatawa, tabian pa sa tanang tabian, and just so much fun ikuyog! hehehe. what was most touching was kay really showed me around. good thing pud na nagkasama kami kasi her eyes were opened to the wonderful past time of boyz looking and admiring! hehehe.

thanks for the hospitality kay and rose! ;) (rose was kay's amiable housemate who's as sweet as staying at home hehehe) mwah!

dream salary

ang sarap magkaron ng 90k USD na annual salary noh? very tempting. pero sayang. walang IT! hay! hehehe

http://pinoyjobiraq.blogspot.com/

apply na! :p

missed connections

it is no mystery that there are people whom we connect with. some happen instantaneously the moment you meet someone. some are nurtured over time through constant communication. and some are a combination of both: you click with someone on the first meeting and your affinity towards each other grows and deepens as you get to know each other. it is no mystery because it happens. we all establish connections with others, may it be friendly, romantic, or familial. these are the connections we deem special compared to our relationships with ordinary acquaintances.

but it is a mystery why some of these connections, at some point, lose their strength or, worse, become severed. there might be reasons why the waning or the cutting of these special kinships happen such as distance, misunderstanding, neglect, or cowardice. at the moment it starts to wane or when it is cut, it is no mystery; but over time when you try to remember and re-trace all the things that transpired leading to such dis-connections, it becomes a mystery. sometimes you fail to understand whatever happened. even if you recall the reasons, you miss what used to be there brought by the good times and even the bad times that were never allowed to bring the relationship down. mystery, after all, is characterized by confusion and uncertainties.

we miss our connections when we remember them. we miss our connections when time has healed all there is to heal. we miss our connections when we feel lonely. we miss our connections when everything in our lives are turning out perfectly well because behind that seemingly perfect life we know the connections that were lost. whatever happenstance that brings us to missing our lost connections, something tugs at us to rekindle those connections for they were, are, and will be lovely. not beautiful lovely but love lovely. all we need to do is reestablish the communication. even those connections that were lost severely due to grave misunderstandings or quarrelling can be bridged. all one has to do is reach out. the wonderful connections can be regained. that is no mystery because that can be done by choice as long as pride is stripped away.

nihon turipu apr 13: pressing matters

i was tense on this day. i couldn't decide what to do. i only had two sure things. first, i had to leave sendai on this day, be at kita-senju, and have dinner with old friends: kobayashi-san and yuko-chan. second, i had to meet roland afterwards.

my dilemma was, or rather, my dilemmas were:
1. after meeting roland would i be able to catch the last bullet train to osaka? what time was the last train???
2. if i stayed all night until the wee hours of the morning with roland, where would i sleep??? what time was i going to osaka?
3. if i went to osaka in the morning the next day, april 14, will i ever be able to make it back at around 8 pm to tokyo to attend a party where roland invited me??? would i still be able to tour osaka if i did that??? waaaahhh...
4. do i attend the party on the 14th? or just watch roland's choral performance on the 15th instead?

kakalito!

you see, roland told me earlier in the week that he had planned two surprises for me. one was he'd bring me to a party on april 14 where i would be able to meet james whom he introduced to me via the latter's blog (http://www.gay-persons-of-color.blogspot.com). the other was he reserved a ticket for me to his choral concert on april 15. i'd been bugging him about letting me watch him sing when i found out in 2005 that he's in a choir. he planned for it, pala! gosh! laglag me that day! :p eh? wasn't it supposed to be a surprise? why did he tell me that, you may ask. it was because i told him of my plans of staying in osaka on april 14 and 15. he had no choice but to tell me his surprise plans so that i could make some adjustments. ang lolo nyo nga naman. he was probably thinking na everyday sa kanya ako. tsk tsk tsk. hehehe.

i was calculating my days against the places i planned to go to. my plan was shaken because of his planned surprises. i wanted to meet james and i'd been waiting for the moment that i could see roland sing on stage! i was finally going to be able to get what i demanded because, apparently, he's too shy to have his friends watch him sing! but i also promised my friend kay in osaka that i'd be there on a weekend. osaka and tokyo are 2.5 hours away from each other by bullet train. gosh! what was i to do?

hmmm... you'll find out in the next posts... hehehe :p

what i did on april 13 was i left sendai. waaaahhh, bye bye na kay auntie si ea.

i went to kita-senju to meet kobayashi-san. i arrived at the meeting place first! wow, that was something new, emman arriving early! hehehe. i knew that a certain mr. zambi was also coming with us. while there, i saw a filipino guy na nagpapa-cute. ilabas ko na ba ang pepper spray ko??? hehehe. he turned out to be zambi who told me that he recognized me as we've met before in 2004 at his training center. i told him i didn't remember him at all! hahaha.

before going for dinner, zambi, kobayashi-san, and i went to an exhibit featuring the bombing of tokyo in 194gotten (read as nineteen forgotten) hehehe. i can't recall the year actually. sowee.


then we went to an exhibit on the art of pressing flowers, fruits, and leaves. sugoi ne! the frame below is just one of the many framed collections of pressed flowers, fruits, and leaves.


below, we were trying our own hands at pressing flowers and leaves in a postcard. zambi had a better flair at it than moi! how embarrassing for a girl! hehehe.

then dinner with two old very good friends, kobayashi-san (leftmost) and yuko-chan (the lady sandwiched between the two other ladies) and three new friends. :)

after dinner, went straight to shinjuku to meet roland. i found out from the station that the last train to osaka was at 9pm. i was going to stay overnight at the disco with roland after all! weeee!

so what happened next? it's for the apr 14 account. teeheee! :p

will i ever be there?

i guess i have to remove mexico from my list. but thailand? well they're road accidents. but avoid ladyboys??? gosh! are they as dangerous as pirates and rebels??? why avoid them when they're lovely??? hehehe.

to know what i'm talking about, visit: http://www.nmg-uk.com/blog/holidays/10-most-dangerous-holiday-destinations.html.

nihon turipu apr 12: auntie's love for birdies

it was one of the most memorable days during my trip. with otik and ea in matsushima bay, around 30 minutes away from sendai. matsushima is known as one of the three most scenic spots in japan due to its pine clad islets. the islets looked like big rocks to me protruding out of the water. they didn't look special really to me. probably because i'm used to seeing a lot of islands in cebu because of my wanderlust that brings me to different places. the matsushima islets would have probably looked sublime in winter when the they're covered with snow. thats' what i saw in the postcards. hehehe. hmmm, siguro partly why i didn't get to see the beauty of these islets was because i got so engrossed with a lot of birdies: the seagulls of matsushima bay.


they were following our ferry due to people feeding them. i tried to feed them with fries. nakatingin yan pero actually they never bothered to catch the fries i threw at them.


kaya pala! they didn't want any other food other than the prawn crackers being sold sa loob ng ferry. aba, kinontrata yata ng ferry owners yung mga gulls na huwag kumain ibang food para bumili yung mga tao ng binebenta nila. business partnership yata eto. tsk tsk tsk. hehehe. so i bought one na lang. pero bakit ganun? feel na feel ko ang paghahagis pero walang kumuha!!!


dinaanan lang nila ako. hmph!


bigay ko na lang kaya sa hapong to. ready na sya o. naka-nganga na eh! hehehe.

sa wakas at napansin na rin!!!


tukain mo na birdie! :p

after the ferry ride, the otik, ea, and i surveyed the surroundings of matsushima. we went to temples, bridges, trees, and shops. ea took hold of her mommy's camera and just started shooting at us!!! buti na lang magaling kaming mag-pose ni otik! at nakapasok kami sa karamihang shots ng isang 3 year old. hehehe.


one notable characteristic ni ea is how she refers to herself as a third person. she doesn't use the first person pronouns like "i" and "me". it's always ea. she'd say "mommy, punta si ea duon?" or "auntie, ea wants to play" or "daddy, gutom si ea". hehehe. kakatuwang bata. i guess she got that from her parents who would always use her name in all things they say like "gutom na si ea?" or "uu si ea?" hehehe.

at syempre pag mahaba ang araw ng lakwatsa at may batang kasama, ang bata ay susumpungin ng pa-cute with matching pa-cry-cry. hehehe. buti na lang, ice cream always hushes a chikiting like ea.


the day was fun but tiring. good thing we had a very heavy dinner of gyuu tongue or ox tongue! i eat lengua estofada in the philippines so kinaya ko naman ang grilled ox tongue! masarap sya in fairness especially i paired it with sparkling wine! gibati og ka laishu si emman! :p

hay, that's one of those experiences that makes me want to go back there and do everything all over again.

vote for danton remoto

philippine elections is coming up. i haven't registered here. have i become apathetic? i don't think so. more of forgetful really and just engrossed with my own world inside my head. hehehe. so a little selfish, probably, but not apathetic to the affairs of my ever so beloved country. i still listen to those who rant about philippine politics and throw in my opinions from time to time.

whether i'll be able to vote or not on may 14th, i'd like to promote one candidate: danton remoto. apart from his running contemporaries, he's the only and the first openly gay candidate in the philippines who'll be fighting for gay rights. we already have a number of politicians who have similar promises. whether they keep those promises or not is a different story. we should add someone who will do something for the minority. and it is not just any someone. danton remoto is a u.p. professor who had been actively involved in gay movements in the philippines. that just shows his dedication as well his track record of getting things done.

here's a short article about him: http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/07/04/01/10115203.html.

and oh, we already have a representative actually in the government. he hadn't confirmed it even though jokes have been circulating around about his hybrid nationality being half filipino half filipina. it is sad that he hasn't done anything for his sisters (of the rainbow flag). he has busied himself, instead, bickering with our petite governor in cebu. they enjoy calling each other igat (malandi) in public. you know what they say, in the philipines the politicians provide the entertainment.

be sure to vote for danton! :) para naman maging free na ang mga girlalous na gawing mas lalong makulay ang pilipinas. kasi imagine na lang natin na wala ang mga girlalou...

or imagine natin na suppressed or reppressed si emman...

...

...

...

...

...

hindi carry di ba? unimaginably sad! hehehe. kaya vote na! pero pangalan ni danton remoto ang ilagay nyo sa balota at hindi pangalan ko ha! :p

reason to rejoice and be gay

in singapore, sexual acts between men is punishable by imprisonment; but, there's good news. lee kuan yew has pronounced his intentions of introducing an amendment to the bill banning gay sex. late last year, the law against unnatural sexual acts between straight people had been removed. (unnatural daw ang oral sex and excluded pa rin ang mga diyosa)

this is a good step. people will be coming out. singapore will be filled with colors!

can't wait to make this place gay! teehee!

read more pala of the report at http://www.365gay.com/Newscon07/04/042307singapore.htm

nihon turipu apr 11: auntie arrives in sendai

from nagaoka, i went back to omiya in tokyo to go to sendai as there aren't any trains that go directly from niigata to sendai. my plans of travelling on late nights or dawn (like 12 midnight to 2 am) so that i could arrive at my destinations on early mornings (like 5 or 6 am) never happened as the last bullet trains going anywhere are usually at 9 pm. so i ended up sleeping at my friends' houses at night and travel the next day at noon time even if i woke up early.

at sendai, i was graciously welcomed by the the wing family: the debonair wayne, the gorgeous otik, and their loveable daughter ea (pronounce it as ee-yah people and not e-a hehehe), who is a carbon copy of her daddy.

i was treated to a gastronomically appetizing and fulfilling meal in a fresh seafood restaurant which cost my hosts one laps (isang lapad hehehe or 10k yen in figures wow!)

the raw fishes tasted great! but i had to taste the shrimp too. it was sweet and slimy. i really wouldn't do it again if you ask me, although the taste wasn't really bad.

i think i just wouldn't be able to take it anymore after tasting them raw shrimps while i knew that their kins were swimming in some aquariums near us. i'd rather have them cooked in butter next time, thank you!

ea brought much of the laughter that night. first, when she was looking at the live seafood an the side of our table, she suddenly exclaimed "SPIDER!!!" while pointing to a group of crabs. i wonder if tobey maguire would still look hot if his spidey costume included pinchers as his hands and eyes that pop out and move like antennas right in front and above his forehead. wehehehe.

secondly, while i had to endure the pain of hearing ea's mommy teaching her cute daughter how to regard me like "oh, ea smile at uncle", "ea listen to uncle", or "ea, go to uncle", this very bright chikiting, when we left the restaurant, just suddenly called me "auntiiiiieeeeeeeeeee"

weeeee! i didn't know if should jump for joy with that as i felt old being called auntie. ba't di na lang tita, ea ha? buti na lang wala tayo sa singapore! hehehe. but i guess it was better than uncle! :p

of course, i had a great meal (raw shrimps included) with great people (uncle references included) hehehe :p

thanks wayne, otik, and ea! mwah! :D

japan pics

no post lately as i'd been busy with uploading more pics at my multiply site due to popular demand! hehehe... actually, i already uploaded about 204 pictures there but since there were some requests to add more, then i'd been editing some captions here and there, and selecting those photos which are worth sharing. i couldn't share all as it would drive multiply crazy having about 1400 pics uploaded at one time! yeah i have over 1400 pictures during the trip. i only uploaded only a little less than 600 shots. they're the interesting ones naman. so visit my multiply site at www.emmanv.multiply.com for the pictures.

tataaa...

nihon turipu apr 10: lone wanderer started to wander

this day started my lone wandering in the different sites of nihon. from nagaoka, i went to niigata. tooooooooooooo cold! but the place was beautiful! it was like tokyo minus the crowd.

the sakuras lined along the canal are found at the back of the nagaoka station. my friends who lived there didn't know about it but the gay who stayed there for a night only discovered the beautiful blossoms! and what else did i discover there? well, nothing much except that a lot of young guys were stealing glances at me.

oh, no wonder! i was a fashion victim again! ang lamiiiiiigggggg super! nakangiti yan jan sa baba pero numb na ang kamay. i had to wear everything i had in my day travelling bag. in niigata, i went to their observatory to observe. ano pa nga ba? hehehe. i walked for about 30 to 45 minutes from the station to that building behind me.

career change

i've been contemplating it for some time already. there are signs! ang dami kong pinagpipilian ngayon. the opportunities are just right in front of me. all i have to do is choose. but alin ba dito?
1. technical/application/production support (nandito ang moolah eh)
2. qa tester or qa lead for a gaming company (huwow!!! i'll get paid for playing games in all imaginable consoles and platforms! waaaahhhh... this will be a dream come true!!! yeah, there's an opening!!! kaba. kaba. kaba.)
3. software engineer with 75% travel overseas (frequent travel??? frequent travel!!! FREQUENT TRAVEL?!?!?!)
4. google (need i say more??? they're opening an r&d here!!!)

so alin ba jan? ha? can't i just be a game tester at google travelling 75% of the time and paid like an application support in a swiss bank??? waaaahhhh, libog! ahhh, sa mga tagalog, i mean libog to be gulo sa isip!

gosh! i have to decide! az if matanggap noh? :p

bye bye love

hay, he's out. i saw it coming, though. and i'm not sad unlike when elliott was booted out last year. siguro na rin because the four left are very deserving to be in the top 4. anyways, i'd like to retract what i wrote kaninang madaling araw na i'll die if chris is eliminated! hindi pala puede! aside from hindi pa ko ready, sino mag-aalaga kay chris pag wala na ang soulmate nya??? :p

so it's down to four. the three divas and the beat boxer. i'm expecting even more votes going in as the four are really good! go jordin! and melinda! and blake! and lakisha! hehehe. sino ba talaga? :p

to chris, don't worry. you're my american idol! heck, you're my universal idol! my galactic idol! i love you TOO! mwah! :p

joke muna

hihihi... wala lang... read these from one of the mailing lists i subscribe to... tawang tawa ako sa tatlong to! :D

Isang pangit na babae, hinoholdap
Holdaper:Holdap ito!Akin na gamit mo!
Babae (sumigaw): RAPE! RAPE! RAPE!
Holdaper:Anong rape?Holdap nga to eh!
Babae:Nagsa-suggest lang.

Pare 1:Pare parang malalim ang iniisip mo!
Pare 2:Nanaginip ako kagabi kasama ko 50 contestants ng Ms. Universe
Pare 1:Swerte mo! ano problema mo?
Pare 2:Pare ako nanalo!

Sa isang mumurahing airline:
Stewardess:Sir,would you like some dinner?
Passenger:Ano ba ang mga choices?
Stewardess:Yes or No lang po

nihon turipu apr 9: the start of the vagabond life

this day marked the start of my vagabondish trip: wandering from one place to the next, crashing at friends' places or wondering where to wander or, worst, where to sleep next! hehehe. i went to nagaoka to visit two very good friends, mae and rizza. :)

and i got to see my grown inaanak, danna, once more. how the time had passed!

i stayed at rizza's place and slept a bit earlier than usual (12 midnight ms rhyze?) to prepare for the big things the next day. there were five things that were extra memorable this day:
1. it was the first time i boarded a shinkansen (bullet train) which had comfier seats than airplanes.
2. i got to see mae, danna, wawang, and rhyze.
3. i discovered that a walk along eerie dimly lit streets on a very cold spring night will make you blow cold steam from your mouth as if you're smoking just to keep yourself from getting scared.
4. i discovered that japanese men never check out on you (your eyes, lips, face, body, legs, etc) no matter how hot you are! :p
5. the best itlog maalat i had in my life was had at mae's house during dinner. it was courtesy of ms rizza!

i'll stand by you

- by the pretenders -


Oh, why you look so sad?
Tears are in your eyes
Come on and come to me now
Dont be ashamed to cry
Let me see you through
cause Ive seen the dark side too
When the night falls on you
You dont know what to do
Nothing you confess
Could make me love you less

Ill stand by you
Ill stand by you
Wont let nobody hurt you
Ill stand by you

So if youre mad, get mad
Dont hold it all inside
Come on and talk to me now
Hey, what you got to hide?
I get angry too
Well Im a lot like you
When youre standing at the crossroads
And dont know which path to choose
Let me come along
cause even if youre wrong

Ill stand by you
Ill stand by you
Wont let nobody hurt you
Ill stand by you
Take me in, into your darkest hour
And Ill never desert you
Ill stand by you

And when...
When the night falls on you, baby
Youre feeling all alone
You wont be on your own

Ill stand by you
Ill stand by you
Wont let nobody hurt you

Ill stand by you
Take me in, into your darkest hour
And Ill never desert you
Ill stand by you
Ill stand by you
Wont let nobody hurt you
Ill stand by you
Wont let nobody hurt you
Ill stand by you

i've heard it twice on american idol already and love, love, love, love the song! maybe because i could have sung this to someone. awwww! but it actually goes out to all of you my beloved friends out there. MUWAHHHH!!! :D

here's a lovely video of this song! but oh, gosh, just great! two american idol hopefuls on it both of whom remind me of two other people i know so i find it quite weird; nevertheless, chris is oh so handsome! :D http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZ31Qgtym0o&mode=related&search=

and oh, i watched tonight's performances and was quite disappointed with jordin's performance. i'd been banking on her since she sang "i who have nothing" but tonight she was the worst! blake and melinda were the best! chris was adorable and i hope he stays. i'll die if he doesn't! hehehe. phil had a good voice but didn't like him. lakisha's was so-so. the latter two should go home. i'm still rooting for jordin! :p

memoirs of a "gay siya": straight

suzie: uhm, to starhub bldg...

uncle driver: ohkay... hmm, so your friend doesn't work with you?

suzie: sorry?

uncle driver: i mean, you don't work at the same place?

suzie: oh.. nope, i'm working at starhub.

uncle: straight?

suzie: hm yeah.. (sinabi ko na nga na starhub bldg e..)

uncle: oh really? i thought your friend was more of a girl rather than a guy!

suzie: oh you were asking if my friend was straight? i thought you were asking if we should go straight!

uncle: yeah, no wonder! but i think i don't need to ask. i know already.

suzie: ok. :)

________________________________

a verbatim et literatim retelling

of a timeless dialogue

written by

suzie cutie!

:D

a walk in an untrodden path

i walked and talked with a friend a while ago. haven't done that with him for some time now. it's refreshing to get to do that once in a while with people whom you connect with, with people whom you share your thoughts with, unbarred and spontaneous, and who, likewise, share everything about themselves with you.

we talked about how things here have become "the same" to past situations. it's actually just the monotony of everything. once you get so used to the place, everything seems routinary. even for someone like me who constantly seeks new things to do, new people to meet, and new ideas and emotions to explore, there comes a point when where i am becomes humdrum.

after i sent off my friend at the station, i continued walking on past the place where i live just so i could have an exercise, ponder on things i did this year, and reflect on what my friend and i talked about. i treaded the path i haven't used before. and i treaded it on a late night. it had helped me put things in perspective. there's still so much to experience.

i've known it like forever ago, but i have to be reminded of it once in a while because our zest for life tend to wane in the midst of perplexities and adversities. it's the same case as love that starts to lose its flavor when you don't see your beloved, but it still beats in you. it runs the risk of being lost when it shouldn't be because it's too lovely to be forgotten or cast away.

once, a friend told me that he planned on dying at the age of 40 because he didn't want to get so old. someone else once told me that 70 would be the right age for him to leave this world as by that time he would become bored with life. but i think that a thousand years to live wouldn't be enough for me to experience everything that there is. there is just so much. places to go to. cultures to experience. food to taste. songs to hear. people to love. people to hate. feelings to relish. there is so much that even in the things that may seem similar to us are not at all similar but vary in one way or another. for example, one's feelings for someone cannot be the same for another one even if you call it love for both. if we are able to relish our experiences, i think we'll be able to hold on to a life that's vibrant, never dull, and never boring.

when i went to japan, my senses were alive due to the new things that i was experiencing. when i came back to singapore, it was like i turned back to my routinary lifestyle. my senses became passive as everything around me was familiar. what i failed to realize was that even in a very familiar place, new things abound waiting to be done and discovered. even in your regular companions and friends, there are things that can be learned.

walking an untreaded path tonight reminded me of this. in a place that i've become used to, i can take on paths i haven't taken on. i can take a walk with old friends and discover things that are new with them. i can even dream new things. that would still be something new. there's just so much to do in life that not a thousand nor even a million years would afford me to experiencing.

nihon turipu apr 8: araw ng pag-ibig

SECRET!!! :p

hehehe. well, it was just an afternoon of coffee and strolling with roland at roppongi. a night of dinner with roland, nobu, and rob. and a late night of dancing at arty farty with (who else?) roland, kazuya, and hiroshi. i just met nobu, kazuya, and hiroshi that day. very nice gays indeed, not to mention, good looking! :D

L to R: moi, roland who doesn't smile coz he said
he looks better not smiling, nobu (good looking and
good natured), and rob the wacky