Dampening Sofia

The rain didn't stop me from going to Sofia city's center. I resolved that the dampness shouldn't deter me from going on an adventure, exploring a city with a very sparse tourist presence. I even had a positive post in Facebook while having coffee. Least did I expect that a series of events would affect me.

1. While having coffee, a woman in her 40s randomly approached people. I thought she was either begging or maybe a little crazy. She stopped by my table. Talked in Bulgarian. I replied in English. She replied in perfect English. Told me about how she couldn't reach for her dreams because of no money, the government being corrupt, and Bulgaria being poor. She studied social science. She thanked me for giving my time to talk to her.

She was intelligent.

2. A Syrian guy whom I'd been chatting online for a couple of days called. I agreed to meet up outside a restaurant. He turned out to be a refugee who lost everything because of the current civil war: his two shops, his house that he bought with his hard earned money, and his family whom he doesn't know if they're alive or not. I went so far as to ask to see photos of his family which he kept in his phone. It tore my heart.

He was in pain. 

3. While walking to the train station with head and heart in turmoil of the Syrian's story, I saw what I had been warned all week about: an ongoing protest outside the parliament building by Bulgarians wanting some politicians to resign, the same politicians they elected a few months back.

They rallied despite the rain.

4. I happened to sit beside a man who smelled of alcohol. A few stations past, he asked for the time. I didn't have a watch. He started being chatty. I kept replying in politeness. When he learned I'm Filipino, he started saying he heard Filipino girls are nice. He followed me where I got off. Good thing he didn't persist when I said I had a friend waiting outside the station.

I was very scared. 

------

These series of events in just one day seemed a bit too much; however, it's a nudge for me to evaluate my outlook in life, to answer questions such as: 

How quick do we judge by appearances?

How often do we take for granted the things and family within our reach?

Nalugi...

I am now officially broke... And this is one face of being broke... Don't know what to do...


Actually acting lang yan! Hehehe... And although I've exhausted all my funds with a considerable amount of credit card accountability, the last 6 months of carefree respite was well worth it!

Too bad it had to end. :(

fashion victim part 2

extreme conditions make a fashion victim:


we went for a picnic and fishing in lake gregory. since it's almost summer, i expected that it wouldn't be so chilly, though i was warned beforehand that it would be a wee bit cold there. i went there in shorts and sandals. gosh! i froze! i bought socks and a towel at a nearby shop. inside my hood, i was wearing a cap. sometimes i'd drape that pink towel over my legs. just imagine how i looked! light blue jacket with gray cap under the hood, pink towel skirt, and black socks and gold sandals!

a similar experience happened to me when i went climbing mt. fuji. my ensemble then was forgivable. this is not! fashion police, i'm turning myself over!

grrr import tool

last night i tried to import ONLY two posts from my original and main blog via multiply's import tool because they weren't automatically included here. my posts in blogspot used to be posted here after i submit them. i don't know what happened. so i decided to use the import tool to import my allison iraheta posts.

kaso!!!! grrrr...

someone told me that i posted too many things. after reviewing my entries, aba, nasali ang mga posts sa ibang blogs kung san member ako!!!! posts from epicverses.blogspot.com, from my PICPA toastmasters blog, and from my supposedly secret blog! grrrr...

thanks eric for pointing it out... it would have been a catastrophe:

1. entries to my secret blog would have been promulgated! charing!
2. i would be charged with plagiarism for posting here the poems of the very talented people in epicverses.blogspot.com
3. i'd be raising "huh" reactions from people reading about PICPA toastmasters

hay, i didn't know what happened during the import but i'm not using it anymore! EVER!

allison fans

just some proof that her fans are big time... i haven't heard of popular names being yucky gokey's fans. eww!

mtv's jim cantiello: http://www.mtv.com/videos/news/377725/allison-iraheta-in-60-seconds.jhtml#name=features&id=1605360

watch all his 60 second videos. very funny!

the great melinda doolittle:
http://www.myfoxboston.com/dpp/morning/Idol_Interview_Allison_Iraheta_050709
http://mdoolittlesblog.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/mdoolittle

and ellen degeneres in her show interviewing simon yucky cowell... she pointed out to him when did american idol become a wardrobe contest? she further added that allison is special... she specifically mentioned allison of all the contestants..

what happened to simon scowl this year?

and the idol extra host claimed she's her favorite: http://www.rickey.org/?p=15614

dang!

mega upset

i'm so upset with allison iraheta's elimination! yucky gokey should have gone! remember the scary scream???? plus the smug and arrogant "i'm already the winner" kind of expression. ugh!

what makes me upset aside from the fact that she deserves to be in the finale with adam was that i voted mega ultra wild. i voted using three phones! the landline was hooked up to my bro's laptop and set to auto dial for allison's numbers via dial idol's software. it registered a total of 350+ votes for 2 hours. at the same time, my left and right hands were busy dialing: yes i had two cellphones. i dialed for one hour and a half nonstop. after dialing, i'd put both phones on each of my ears to check that my call got through. i counted that i got through 60 calls per cellphone in 30 minutes. so i had 180 votes per cellphone. that is 360 votes for both cellphone. and that is 710+ votes in total! ugh! maybe i should have voted for 2 hours straight!

i was so upset that an hour after watching the results show, i sent email to two suitors and turned them down! what the! hahaha. now i'm laughing. yeah, they're busted. they should have voted even if one couldn't because of where he is. :p

anyways, good thing my mood was lifted because of a very very good news from a dear friend! congrats again to both of you. hopefully the date is as you said. ;)

hay, allison is now out. i'll have to vote for adam and kris so that yucky gokey is eliminated next! grrr.

....

ang pangit ng araw ko ngayon.

di ko maintindihan. wala sa mood. parang meron ako kahit wala. at imposibleng mangyari. uminit ang ulo. napagtaasan ng boses ang isang baguhang miyembro sa trabaho. dineadma ang mga kaibigan. tinaasan ng kilay ang ibang tao. na-frustrate sa trabaho. muntik nang ibato ang mga kagamitan sa trabaho. muntik nang mag-resign. nagkamali sa mga ginawa. nawalan ng isang pagkakataon. lumabas ang mga kahinaan.

bakit kaya?

tapos kanina habang naglalakad pauwi naalala ko. napanaginipan pala kita. kaya pala.

ang pangit ng araw ko ngayon.

who knew by pink

i'm so crazy about this song right now... ahhh... maybe because...

---------

You took my hand
You showed me how
You promised me you'd be around
Uh huh
That's right
I took your words
And I believed
In everything
You said to me
Yeah huh
That's right

If someone said three years from now
You'd be long gone
I'd stand up and punch them out
Cause they're all wrong
I know better
cause you said forever
and ever
who knew

Remember when we were such fools
And so convinced and just too cool
Oh no
No no
I wish I could touch you again
I wish I could still call you a friend
I'd give anything

When someone said count your blessings now
For they're long gone
I guess I just didn't know how
I was all wrong
They knew better
Still you said forever
And ever
Who knew

Yeah yeah
I'll keep you locked in my head
Until we meet again
Until we
Until we meet again
And I won't forget you my friend
What happened

If someone said three years from now
You'd be long gone
I'd stand up and punch them out
Cause they're all wrong
That last kiss
I'll cherish
Until we meet again
And time makes
It harder
I wish I could remember
But I keep
Your memory
You visit me in my sleep
My darling
Who knew
My darling
My darling
Who knew
My darling
I miss you
My darling
Who knew
Who knew

Tubbataha Reef

there's an ongoing online voting for the new 7 natural wonders of the world. our very own tubbataha reef, mayon volcano and chocolate hills are included in the 77 candidates.

read about it more at:

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080302129

wouldn't it be nice to have our very own included in the 7 wonders?

cast your votes at:

http://www.new7wonders.com/nature/en/liveranking

keep on voting especially for the Tubbataha Reef!

mwah!

canadian blog awards

whew! haven't been here for a while. i've got nothing to chika muna at the moment except that the canadian blog awards are here once again. and james' blog is again a nominee.

please vote for his site, gay persons of color, at http://www.polldaddy.com/poll.aspx?p=250318

you can check out his blog too at http://gay-persons-of-color.blogspot.com/

pag sinupurtahan nyo sya, para nyo na rin akong sinupurtahan. actually sinusupurtahan nyo kaming lahat! ;)

bow!

dec 17: pang-himagas

ang sarap talaga ng silk soya milk! grabeh! i just might consider moving here or not leaving because of it! hehehe

now sleep na talaga! :p

dec 16: pahabol

pumunta pala kami sa isang malaking place na factory outlets ng branded rtw. gosh! ba't ko ba nakakalimutan yung mga names nung places na pinuntahan namin??? i think it's just the cold! :p

hay, etong mga kapatid ko nahihiya pang ipag-shop ni ateh! ako na lang tuloy nakabili for me! isang sapatos na naman from hush puppies! darn! sira ang budget.

pero babalik ako dun bago umuwi! hekhekhek!

dec 16: crab galore

wala lang. gumising ako. kumain ng chimichanga. breakfast yan ha. pang-restaurant ko yan sa singapore. :p at uminom ng pinakamasarap na soya milk na natikman ko! natulog ulit. pagkagising, 130pm na. kawawa ang mga kapatid kong nag-antay. walang lunch!

pumunta kami sa anumang pangalan ng lugar na yun. basta sa fisherman's wharf. ung parang sutukil ng cebu or dampa ng manila. pero crabs lang yung buhay na pinipili namin. we got 4 rock crabs and 1 spider crab. naloka ako sa spider crab. sing-laki nya si tobey maguire! at medyo chewy din sya kainin. inimagine ko na lang na nginunguya ko ang muscles ni mr tobey! hehehe.

it was super duper late na lunch. then pecture pecture dun sa dock. may mga yachts. pagkatapos nag drive lang sa isang place na ang mga bahay ay nag-decorate for christmas. ok naman. not really as elaborate compared kung yung pinoy ang nag-decorate! although, masasabi mo ginastusan din talaga kasi ung iba may singing santa clause pa sa gate nila at mga umiilaw at tumatango-tangong reindeers!

uwi lang. then sa lahat ako lang ang nagutom! ano ka ba emman? sawa na yata ang alaga mo sa tyan! imagine, ung mga kapatid ko nag-milk lang then tulog na? habang ako nagluto pa ng hash brown and egg. tapos eto umiinom ng soya milk habang tinatapos ang kaeklatan tong blog na to! hehehe. hay, na-entice ako ng ben and jerry's ice cream sa ref. pagtikim ko, YUCK! parang sira! hay ang expiry date aug 2005!!!! ha? ano ba yan??? two years ago pa ba yan na pinabayaan sa ref??? kaso di ko sila matanong. tulog na lahat eh. eh pano ba naman? 4pm pa kaya sa nasanayang kong bansa! so bukas na lang.

at eto ako, tatapusin ko na to. iinom na lang ako ng soya milk ulit! ang yummy! :) night night!

good night v. i miss u already! hahaha. ang na-intriga, iniintriga ko lang! :p

dec 15: maganda pa rin

pagkalabas ko ng eroplano sa pang-daigdigang paliparan ng los angeles (tama ba? hala, mag-tagalog ka pa emman), otherwise known as los angeles international airport, aba umikot ang aking mundo. para akong lasing na rumarampa palabas ng aeroplane. sa isip ko, eto na ba ang jet lag? di ko kasi alam kung ano talaga ang jet lag. kalasingan lang pala? :p

napatingin ako sa isang glass door. laking gulat ko! ang ganda ko pa rin! :D talaga naman talaga! kahit saang lupalop ng daigdig. kahit anong oras. kahit anong kondisyon. ang kagandahan ni emman walang kakupas-kupas, parang papayang hindi naaagnas! wehehehe.

pero ha, nalusyang ako sa trip na yun. akala ko kasi maluwag ang mga upuan ng eroplano. eh kasi naman 12 hours kaya ung byahe so medyo high ang expectations ko. hay naku, tulad lang ng regular na airplane seats and spaces. imagine? good thing na lang at bakante ung gitnang upuan at may napatungan ako ng aking mga faa. in fairness, masarap ang fagkain. subalit, nakakainis ang nasa likod kong mag-ina kasi mega tantrums ang anak maya maya. parang baka kung umiyak at parang lindol kung sumipa ng upuan ko. hindi ako nag-reklamo kasi bata nga naman at napaka-uncomfortable nung upuan.

nung nasa immigration na ako, mega ang aking kaba. syempre baka i-deport nila ako. baka bawal ang exotic and erotic beauties. baka ayaw magkaron ng gulo sa bansa nila. mahirap pa naman magkagulo ang mga amerikanong lalaki. mga aggressive. lalo na yung mga guapo! :p anyways, dun ko napatunayan ang aking androgenous beauty. kasi habang nakapila kami ng 48 years (equivalent to 1 hour human time), mainit so hinubad ko ang aking jacket at naka-sleeveless na lang. may dalawang babaeng mexicana (feel ko), na tingin nang tingin. at nagbubulungan. ang nakuha ko lang ay "hombre"... di ba lalaki yan? so bale, nag-gue-guess sila actually kung anong kasarian ko! hay naku, 0.5 points lang maibibigay ko kasi half lang ang tama nila. of course, i'm half-man half-goddess! :p

come interview time with immigration officer, simple questions. what are you doing here? how long are you going to stay? how many times have you been here before? after that, you can go na ang sinabi. huwow! praise heavens! ;)

ang next na challenge ay paghahanap ng aking bag. gosh! iba ang kinuha ko na kamukha nung bag nina sue. grabeh mega bigat pa naman. na-mroblema na ko kung pano ko ibalik. di ko na sya carry. siguro within 5 minutes na naibaba ko, nagmagandang loob ang isang pinoy (although nag english sya) na ilagay ung bag kasi malamang hinahanap na daw. ows? style! nagandahan ka lang sa kin eh! hehehe

at nung nahanap ko na, hay pila na naman sa customs bago lumabas. may interview portion din. are you bringing any meat, poultry or fish? no, sir. i come in fish, este, in peace only. how about seeds and plants? the seeds have been planted already in my stomach sir a few nights ago! don't worry, it will only grow babies. how much money did u bring? secret! :p

pagkalabas ko, wumawagayway ang aking ina, ama, at mga kapatid. at no sue, walang mega drama. ngiti lang. siguro glint of a tear or two. ;)

then off we go. aba, ang sasakyan bago at maganda. kakabili lang nung dec 19 in preparation for my arrival. gosh! puede ko bang iuwi yan? :p

nag-dinner kami sa denny's which is just behind nung tinitirhan ng pamilya ko. first time nila dun kahit nasa likod lang ng bakuran nila. ang damages? 80USD including 15% tip. ang laki noh? for meals na pang-breakfast ang dating (bread, toast, hash browns, etc).

hay nung home sweet home na, syempre labasan ng pasalubong, tingin tingin sa paligid (sobrang okay), at ang ref punong puno ng pagkaing dito ko lang yata makikita sa 'tate. yun ung okay for me. ang food. pero sa drive drive at gala gala namin, nothing really special. just very wide roads. wala pa kong super guapong nakita.

mega ang aking tulog. di ko maintindihan ang oras. nalilito ang aking katawan! :p

sikat

tau-tauhan: big boss, mystery girl, kaibigan ni mystery girl, officemate.

boss to mystery girl: how do you know each other? (referring to the kaibigan of mystery girl) did you work together in cebu?

mystery girl: ah, no. but we come from the same school. we just met here at our company.

boss: ahhh...

sa kabilang bahagi ng mundo.

officemate to kaibigan ni mystery girl: oh, so you went to the same school?

kaibigan ni mystery girl: yes.

officemate: is she famous there? (more of like a rhetorical question)

- abangan ang susunod na kabanata -

career change?

i had a brief chat with someone whom i encounter almost on a daily basis:

she: are you in advertising?
moi: nope. why?
she: oh. well, you look like you are.
moi: ah. hehehe.

gosh! my look is so advertising! hmmmm.... napapaisip tuloy ako! :p

gay news

November 21, 2007

archbishop tutu criticises churches’ 'gay obsession’

By News Editor

Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu has criticised his own church - in a BBC radio programme to be aired next Tuesday - for being "obsessed" with homosexuality at a time when the world is beset with other pressing problems such as poverty, HIV and conflict.

South Africa's retired Archbishop Desmond Tutu has criticised the Anglican Church and its leadership for being "obsessed" with homosexuality. He told the BBC’s Radio 4 in an interview last week he was ashamed of the church for its attitude toward homosexuals. The 40-minute radio programme, to be aired next Tuesday, will focus on the conflict over homosexuality in the worldwide Anglican Church. One of South Africa’s most outspoken critics of apartheid and winner of the 1984 Nobel Peace prize, retired Archbishop Desmond Tutu He said that the Anglican Church had appeared "extraordinarily homophobic" during the debate over whether Gene Robinson - an openly gay priest - should be allowed to be the Bishop of New Hampshire. One of South Africa’s most outspoken critics of apartheid and winner of the 1984 Nobel Peace prize, the 76-year-old said God "must be weeping" at seeing that the Church had such misplaced priorities. He further criticised the present Archbishop of Canterbury for not demonstrating the attributes of a "welcoming God." "Our world is facing problems - poverty, HIV and AIDS - a devastating pandemic, and conflict. God must be weeping looking at some of the atrocities that we commit against one another. In the face of all of that, our Church, especially the Anglican Church, at this time is almost obsessed with questions of human sexuality." "If we are going to not welcome or invite people because of sexual orientation, yes. If God as they say is homophobic I wouldn't worship that God." Reiterating what he had previously expressed, the Archbishop admonished religious conservatives who say that homosexuality is a choice that gay people make: "It is a perversion if you say to me that a person chooses to be homosexual. You must be crazy to choose a way of life that exposes you to a kind of hatred. It's like saying you choose to be black in a race infected society."

kayrami...

hay naku!

there's friendster. there's myspace. there's multiply. there's tagged. there's sms.ac. may facepic. may wayn. may guyslink. ngayon may facebook. at may odesk na naman!

hay naku! ang dami! naloka na ko sa mga network sites na yan! ayoko nang gumawa ng profiles. nauubos yung oras ko!

ayang facebook na yan. accept lang ako nang accept kasi parang ang daming naloka maglaro ng kung anik-anik!

hay, gawa na lang ako ng emmster! tingnan ko if mag-grow yung network ko! :p

tama na muna ang mga sites na ganyan... kailangang mag-concentrate sa ibang activities. kailangang panindigan ko ang aking pagiging presidente! ahem! :p

kung ano man yan. akin akin na lang! :p

mahirap pala maging pinuno. lalo na pag ang pinagpre-preparean eh para sa 900 na katao sa singapore! ssshhhh!

puede na nga ako gumawa ng emmster. kayrami na din pala akong puede ipa-subscribe! :p

ostracism

do you call it ostracism when you stop inviting someone to gatherings which he was almost always present in just so you can give yourself the chance to heal and move on?

i don't think so especially if other people in your group have the liberty of inviting that someone.

just a thought to ponder coz that's how a friend penned a situation, long over, i described to him.

anyhow, despite having at least one hurting in the past because of that, i think everyone's happy now. that's the most important thing. :)

at the top

pag unti unti ka nang umaangat at na-expose sa maraming corporate angles (whatever that is), you'll encounter a myriad of personalities. the worst thing? well, the worst ones of course!

at ngayong araw, i met an asshole! they do exist pala! promise!

sabi nga nila, it's lonely at the top. no wonder he's like how he is.