incessant rambling

i was doing some work in brown cup late last night, and sitting for long periods is a major butt flattening experience. i leaned to the left to get some blood circulating around the nether regions of my posterior and without preamble, a big noisy fart came out. i pretended it wasn't me and just continued staring at the same spot on my laptop screen for a loooong looong time. why am i writing this potentially blackmail inducing revelation? just got me thinking about the rising prices of natural gas. he he he.

"You know, God bless him, bless his heart, president of the United States, a total failure, losing all credibility with the American people on the economy, on the war, on energy, you name the subject," Pelosi replied. She then tsk-tsked Bush for "challenging Congress when we are trying to sweep up after his mess over and over and over again." - Associated Press Thu Jul 17, 7:35 PM ET - Nancy Pelosi, US House Speaker referring to US President George Bush for his criticism of a Democratic-led congress that failed to pass a single government spending bill. It was unusually out of character for Nancy Pelosi as her previous reactions are usually directed at the policies and never towards the president. Contrast this with Philippine Senators / Priests / Self Righteous Personalities / Quack Religious Leaders who won't hesitate calling PGMA pandak spawn of the devil thief abortionist unano mole of asia ad infinitum... just goes to show the level of maturity these self-...

macro or eXtreme close-up photography has always been a fascinating interest for me. a vista of life is nothing more than the sum of its smaller parts. the subjects vary and the themes diverse but it serves one purpose: an invitation to look closer. here are some pictures from a square perspective. (click on read.more for notes and individual shots) badian: butterfly on a fern. these curiously interesting spotted butterflies are attracted to a certain fern growing right outside the resthouse in stuckli beach, badian sri lanka: lotus leaf. outside the temple of ganggarama flower vendors sell incredibly vibrant lotus flowers. bees constantly land to harvest pollen and nectar carcar-barili: stopover from carcar to barili, molave milkstation where this interesting iron cow fixture serve as a door banger to call the attention of the ladies tending the shop fort san pedro / cebu city: these bright yellow orange flowers grow in clusters that are slightly bigger than a thumbnail. jazz n blues...

i am still unsure as to what possessed me to decide that i'll be walking home from the gym. for a while, i was the subject of scrutiny from motorists riding in the comfort of sardine-packed jeepneys plying the archbishop reyes stretch. i resisted the urge to wave and nod my head like governor garcia in an imitation of the suroy suroy sa sugbo tour (walk walk in cebu) complete with blaring music to the theme of "mabuhi, mabuhi, mabuhi mabuhi... mabuhi ka sugbuanon!" . just in case you are not aware of this certain peculiarity, the governor has a signature song that needs to be played on cue for every single appearance she makes. the laws for taking her picture are very precise that specifies a certain angle that shows her imitation of wide-open mouth lock jaw - shocked look - devoid of wrinkles - botox treated expression. (click on read.more to read about bread, hairy brutes and make-up) i understood the motorists' fascination, it is not everyday that you see a six foo...

people with little authority take great lengths in exercising it. in a university where seven floors is serviced by one elevator (at least one that i am aware of), it is inevitable to wait in a long line for a turn. my usual habit is to fall in line with the students patiently queuing for their turn. many times i've spied school staff to cut the line and go right to the front like some sort of benefit that come along with the tag "employee". i hide my dismay at this behavior with a smile. c'est la vie . but not today. (click on read.more) the same situation, clock about to strike nine in the morning, a bit early for a meeting with a parent of one of my students dangerously close to getting axed for attendance. but that's another story. a lady came rushing trying to beat the closing elevator door, with frantic button pushing the doors opened despite the bleeping warning. without any preamble she called out to one of the students to step out so she can squeeze herse...

"may friendster ka?" - i really dread that question, people you barely know ask that as if a digital invitation resembling a tamaguchi relationship interests me. another add on to my list of on-line friends that resemble a list of guess-who is not something i am particularly happy with. some "friends" are like players in a connect-me-to-kevin-bacon game, everyone can be connected to kevin in seven degrees of separation. ha, i think they should replace him with john estrada. he's practically DONE everyone that you don't need to go far to find a wireless connection. getting back to friendster, my "friendster friends" have been very veeery friendly the past few days. usually, i get a message exactly a couple of days before, during and right after my birthday from "friendsters" who got a reminder about my birthday in their inbox. otherwise, there's not much "friendship" going on in there. not the past week though. notice after n...

this is just a short break from work - a group came in the coffee shop where i usually crunch out my client deliverables (thank God for FREE WiFi!). majority of the group are gay guys, the noisy and boisterous kind, the type that can literally raise the dead from it's slumber. note to reader - for a group of eight, they ordered one, ONE, OOOOONE cup of caffeine. am adding cheap to the description. in the middle of a very noisy discourse on practically nothing of importance, the barrista behind the counter decided to bump up the music to a blaring vocals of GLORIFY HIIIIIS NAME, GLOOORIFY HIIIIIS NAME... i strongly resisted the urge to jump on top of the table and shout AMEN! BEGONE YOU DEEEBIL FROM DEEES PLAACE! they packed their stuff, asked the waiter to transfer the OOOONE cup of caffeine to a paper cup and trooped out of the coffee shop. (click on read.more) disclaimer: gender and preference is irrelevant, what is obnoxious is an utter disregard for the other patrons wanting p...

who needs enemies when you have friends like these... that's a perfect line for some people who managed to cross the line between friends and enemies. i suppose that's what you call "frenemies". unfortunately, cebu is indeed a very very small circle that you end up bumping into people that is like anti-matter: someone you don't want to be in the same space with or something that you end up scraping off your sole when you step on it. -- click on read.more -- on a related note, i got invited to a party where i was tasked to take pictures of the celebration: short of asking the offensive "presence" to stay out of the frame, i have to come up with very "creative" ways to take them out of the picture. 1. It's all about the Angle: nothing stays "perky" forever. despite numerous visits to Dr. Jekyl and Hyde they all end up going south. be there to catch a perfect picture of jaws sagging, breasts pointing in different directions, etc etc....

tuesday is not exactly party night but i found myself partying in Jazz and Bluz along F. Cabahug for a dear friend's birthday. I half suspect that i was invited because i am "unofficially" the photographer - i am not complaining, but i sure got disappointed when the waiter took the tiramisu when i stood up to get a couple of snaps of the celebrant visiting guest tables. on a positive note, that's less calories ending up in my gut. Interiors of the place as viewed from the entrance, a glass wall with flowing water greet you at the foyer. am not much of a dancer (murdered too many toes as a result) so i decided to take pictures of the place. got some interesting pics of the interiors that complimented the ambiance of the place - perfect for listening to the blues and having chats with friends. (click on read.more for additional pics) interesting lamp pieces on top of tables, this one is lotus inspired the bar area, liked the silhouette of the liquor bottles infused with...

i started blogging sometime in November of 2004. since then i have tracked more than four hundred thousand or so visitors to my blog. i do entertain delusions that i am that popular with people wanting to catch the latest fantabulous event in my life. unfortunately, majority of anonymous visitors that end up here are referred by google and yahoo using some sort of search. that's where it gets interesting. click on read.more if you want to know what sort of search keywords use to link back to my site. warning, it can get pretty graphic! Here's a partial list of keywords used by visitors that end up in my site: is teletech gay ruffa gutierrez pussy metro madrid filipinas famous men wearing makeup chowpatchin call boy in cebu surot grand majestic in cebu city cebuanas profile www cebuanas.com surot picture sumilon barili fiesta lord of the rings gay scandal gabby concepcion gay relationship palalong resort kris aquino pussy casa verde it park cebu lakawon beach resort negros occi...

if it was holy week i would have understood. you see, my tire decided it's going to have a three inch nail go right through it. in the middle of the night. just when i had a loooong day, a really really long day. school. gym. paper work. party. work. that should have been the gameplan last tuesday. the only problem is that the neighbors who have been doing some construction for the past few months usually end up littering the street with nails, gravel and the occasional dog shit. i found myself heading off near ramos to have my tire vulcanized by one of the 24-Hour shop in the area. good thing my best friend tagged along so i had some company and a "translator". you see i can pretty much understand bisaya but am not so good when i have to deliver a kilometric line. now i know how those hispanic beauties feel when they have to communicate something deep and profound and the translator sums it up in two words. (click on read.more) the strange contraption that melted the ru...

i was literally stuck on my laptop trying to find online answers why i can't hear myself when i use the microphone. no, it is not a narcissistic desire to listen to my lovely gorgeous sexy voice. uh, that is a bit egocentric isn't it? let's just say i got tired competing with the bloody highschool teachers that insist on simultaneous choruses of "good mooooorning missss dela cruuuuz" from the poor students. and like a broken record, students have to repeat it again, and again, and again. see how irritating that is? and again. armed with portable speakers and a lapel mic, i prepared for a shouting match today that would put to shame a balut vendor. just in case, i loaded some karaoke tracks in my hard drive so i can belt out Keys Me by Alyssa Milano or probably a selection of Willie Revillame songs. i just need the sexy outfit and no talent to pull that off. except that for the strangest reason, i can't hear myself when i speak through the mic. (click on read...

venci called up saturday night for a dinner invitation. good finds are usually tucked away in the most unexpected location, labangon is not exactly known for its selection of good restaurants as it is mostly industrial and residential. red bowl is literally a box, tucked in a building with parking set close by on a vacant lot. done in yellows and reds, the restaurant resembled a jollibee or mc donalds fastfood joint. that's where the similarity ends. although red bowl serves set meals, they specialize in ala carte dishes - food meant to be shared. the menu is an interesting mix as they serve an extensive selection of standard chinese dishes but threw in popular filipino viands (barbecues, kinilaw, lechon kawali, crispy pata, sizzling pochero, sizzling sisig etc). more importantly, dishes are served fast, hot, delicious and very reasonably priced. the food we ordered (chowpatchin, steamed fish in soy sauce, yang chow fried rice and spareribs) was served hot in less than ten minutes....

it is said that most catholics go to church at the very least, twice in their lifetime: christening and internment ; everything in the middle is optional, even weddings. i got the chance to visit Lupit Church in Bacolod City for a wedding ceremony. i met the groom-to-be the previous day and got my first and last hello with the bride during the required ritual of having each table go up the stage where the couple sat for a photo op. i ignored the bride's blank look that said : uh, who is this again? which means that i am exempted from guilty feelings of walking out the ceremony and having a look around the lot. Lupit church is uncommon as it features a belfry that sits on top of the entrance to the church, it's massive pointed tower stretching to the skies in what you can probably imagine to be a direct antenna to heaven. it was hard crouching low and getting a perspective shot to get the whole front fit in the camera lens. (click on read.more) stepping back would have meant unw...

tarzan would have found a second home in bacolod city. g-string, spear and a club are perfect accessories in forest park. this green patch in the middle of bacolod city is a perfect getaway from civilization to reconnect with nature. winding paths, man-made lakes, bridges over streams and green spots litter around the 30 acre property that's filled with green living things. and i don't mean the Hulk. the property is actually a residential development but the owners have decided that 70% of the property should remain green with very few choice lots for residents. i am guessing that the Sy's are not part of this development, otherwise the only green thing you'd see would be the fake potted plants that dot any of the SM mall properties. this is definitely going to be part of my must-visit-places in bacolod in every trip.

renovations were ongoing when i checked in sugarland hotel. to realize that your happity-feeling-good feeling is the result of thinner paint fumes is a disappointment. and here i thought i am naturally a jolly-bee person in stark contrast to the expressionless receptionists that must have had too much botox. loved the square pool that is flanked by hotel rooms overlooking the space. felt like an oversized tub if you ask me. then again, orca and free willy are distant relatives so it must have been just me. that aside, aesthetic changes to the hotel included repainting jobs that used browns and whites throughout gave it a sleeker look and opened spaces that otherwise would have felt narrow. or the perfect color combination for a monastery. the restaurant space called "Twist" featured interesting light fixtures that looked like floating UFOs overhead. cozy and sufficient but nothing spectacular. don't get me started on the food. bleeeh! (imagine me sticking out my tongue, s...

the breakfast buffet in Sugarland Hotel is nothing spectacular. to prove a point that life sometimes does a poor imitation of art, i did some food photography that transformed the most mundane dish to something sumptuous. (click on read.more) glazed sweetened ham, ham and cheese sandwich in wheat bread, omelet and beef tapa (beef jerky). dentures and beef tapa don't go well. for the additional price of Php 200 you can avail of the breakfast buffet. My suggestion is to simply get the room and take the breakfast value meal in jollibee: cheaper, better and you don't end up with the guilty feeling of eating your year's supply of omelet in one sitting. better yet, get a cab and head off to bob's cafe in lacson. the coffee, pastries, sandwiches, panini, pasta are all excellent. The Sugarland Hotel www.sugarlandhotel.com Address: Araneta St., Singcang, Bacolod City, Philippines Tel. No. 6334 / 435.2690 to 99 Fax. No 6334 / 435.2645 Email: contact@sugarlandhotel.com

my fondest food memories of bacolod is bob's . they serve arguably the bestest (if there's such a word) burger in the philippines. considering that i am not a burger person, you probably have a good understanding that it is THAT namit ! (that means delicious in ilonggo) i had memories as a child jumping up and down with joy every time i visited my grandma in riverside hospital because that meant crossing the street and ordering bob's classic cheeseburger. imagine a medium sized plate, that's how big the bun is and the juicy meaty perfectly seasoned beef patty is probably half a pound - cooked. who cares if you have lettuce, tomatoes, dressing and cheese stuffed inside the bun? the namit namit burger patty tastes like meat, REAL meat and not stuffed with extenders. unfortunately, that was about twenty years ago. (click on read.more) i recently visited bacolod and grabbed the chance to run to bob's right across La Salle Bacolod University, my old high school. i place...

they finally retired the old bacolod city airport and recently opened the Silay Domestic Airport to service northern negros occidental. narrow and short are perfect adjectives for the old airport, with the take off end literally ending a few meters from a gorge that plunges down to a river. many times i have recited prayers with increasing speed and fervor as we approached that point. many times i have practiced my aaaaieeeee as i imagined the plane overshooting the end. at least that would have been a dramatic ending hmmm? you can say i was curious as to how the new Silay Airport looked like when we flew in over the weekend (June 27-29). curiosity turned into pleasant surprise as i spied a sleek looking complex that can accommodate four 747s in its landing bay. (click on read.more) surprise surprise , the baggage claim area had working conveyor lines with digital signboards indicating flight numbers. that made me nostalgic remembering how the old porter boys used to throw the luggage...

i got a text message from a friend inviting me to attend the 2nd year anniversary of their business with a specific request to bring scented candles as part of the celebration. here's a true-to-life account of the text messages i sent to my friend: "i have some durian scented candles, would that be okay?" (click on read.more) i got tired fiddling my thumbs waiting for an answer, i guess durian is not in season. so i sent another follow up text. "hmmm, what about candles with bagoong essence?" hmmm... am still waiting for the reply. and that message was sent like two hours ago. darn.