Drake In The Spotlight

• Is this your first meme? Yes, courtesy of Makoy.
• When did you start blogging? 'Twas May 2 of this year.
• What makes your blog unique? It's my ragbag of sorts! Need I say more? ^_^
• What do you hope to accomplish with your blog? I want to transcribe and eventually share my hidden thoughts, repressed beliefs and advocacies, experiences, interests.... For one specific aim, I'd want to share why Drake is queer, and how the world apparently conspired in this plan. If people can find anything that I write helpful, of good use, or even pleasing to the senses and mind, I'd be very much glad. It's always nice to have people being "disturbed" by writing in a good way.
• What's your favorite childhood memory? Probably the one when my whole family went to Luneta Park for a day of family bonding.
• Are you a spiritual person? Yes, but not religiously rigid and astute. Spirituality and religiosity are two different things.
• What is the weirdest thing that ever happened to you? Being the youngest in a class and the top ranker at the same time. For me, that's seemingly weird.
• What is your best quality? Being patient.
• What is your worst quality? Being insecure.
• If you were stranded on a deserted island what three things would you want to have with you? This is a bit hard... Let me think ^_^ 1) A healthy coconut germ that can grow and bear fruits to give me potable water and food 2) A compass 3) A boat
• What are your feelings on the "blog popularity" issue? I'm not much into it, but I don't mind if, for any reason/cause, Drake's Ragbag would be popular.

I was tagged by Makoy for this meme.

The creator of this "interview" is Christy of Christy's Coffee Break. There are a few instructions on how to answer it so please check them here.

If you haven't answered this meme and you have just read mine, then I'm tagging you to write your own "In The Spotlight". Got you! =)

Hong Kong, here I come!

Yes, tomorrow is the most awaited day of recent time - my sojourn to Hong Kong. Everything in my mind now is just plain preoccupation on what I'll bring, what I'll buy, and what I'll do in the three-day trip. Of course I have a tentative itinerary; But still, a lot of surprises await me there. It'll be my first time in a foreign world and my first time to be a stranger to most.

On this trip:
- I'll be with my 3 college friends.
- We'll be staying in a cheap hostel in the notorious downtown Kowloon.
- Disneyland and Ocean Park are the main treats! (at least for me, but not for one of my friends 'cause he's more into shopping).
- Of course, the dim sum eating doesn't get far from these two, as far as enthusiasm is concerned.
- I'll just be bringing exactly 448 US dollars and 2000 pesos (But when emergency happens, my credit card will save. Haha! Just kidding!).

I am tremendously excited! Wish me well on this trip, and my other friends too. =D

Three sunrises to pass and off I go to Hong Kong

I can't believe I only have three nights left before I embark into the islands of Hong Kong. The more I am anticipating now our (my friends and I) adventures on this Chinese territory - Disneyland, Ocean Park, the food!, The Peak, the airport, the infamous hostel where we're about to lodge in, the food!, the MTR, the people, the shops... did I mention food already? All the more I should get excited since this will be my first international flight, hopefully (With fingers crossed).

Personally, this vacation is a budget trip as I do not plan to expend a lot in shopping. I'm more into the sights and feel of the places we're going to. Of course, the food, especially the dim sums, are a given to my "to experience list". I just hope we'd get good food choices for affordable prices. I've read a number of articles that Hong Kong restaurants' menu prices can go from dirt-poor ranges to socialite levels. Anyway, the restos are a less of a concern, the street food is what I am after food. I just hope I don't get ill after binging all those buns and glistening dumplings. ^_^

Are those Hong Kong banknotes in the picture still in circulation? My maternal grandmother gave them to me from her last HK trip, which is more than a decade ago. Hehe.

(Don't!) Super Size Me

One of my colleagues told me to see this documentary about fast food eating, which was released three or four years ago in the US. The title was Super Size Me: A Film of Epic Portions by Morgan Spurlock, the director and at the same time the "test specimen" of the documentary.

Super Size Me's an experiment regarding eating fast food and if the people can actually eat fast food alone without jeopardizing health, in its different facets e.g. mental, bodily, psychological, sexual. Morgan underwent a month-long McDonald's diet, eating McDonald's food all day and night, no exception (That's so taste fatiguing! I myself can't imagine eating similar foods with fairly the same taste in a row of days. And it's fast food! Gross...). Ultimately, the film delivers a message that fast food eating is not healthy at all (Err... that's a no-brainer!) and can cause drastic if not life-threatening diseases to the organic human body.

If you're fond of gorging McDonald's and any fast food for that matter, and it seems to be addictive to you, you better see this film. Though the experiment is extreme ('cause people don't really eat fast food "all the time", though a lot eat fast food "more often" than they should), I'm pretty sure you'd get a good insight and somewhat an "inspiration" to slow down your eating and focus on what you take in down your gut. As the adage goes, "Moderation is the key".

Note: Photo above is taken from the Super Size Website.

Emancipation Anniversary Part 2

Best friend and I met again yesterday evening to have coffee session at Starbucks in Shangri-La Plaza mall, the same venue where I had my revelation a year ago. We were not able to get the same set of table and chairs we sat on before, so we just sufficed ourselves with a vacant sofa set, pretty much perfect for us.


As usual, I ordered my favorite Raspberry Iced Tea. Best friend wanted to eat SB's Oreo Cheesecake but unfortunately, it wasn't available. So, I just got her a Mango Ref Cake (I forgot the actual name of the dessert). As for me, I ordered a chocolate frosted Cream Puff.

Cream puffs are one of my guilty pleasures. I like their subtle sweet taste and creamy centers. As for the Cream Puff I got last night, too bad to say, wasn't at par to the other cream puffs I divinely enjoyed in the past. The bread was a bit tougher for its class ("makunat-kunat" if I'd say in the vernacular). The cream, though generously filling the whole pastry, was lacking its buttery taste. It actually tasted more of the commercial whipped cream, and wasn't gourmet at all. The epicure in me was unsatisfied. Then again, I did not let it spoil the occasion.

To console my bereft senses, I tasted best friend's Mango Cake. To my surprise, it was actually good! The taste was a tad different from that of the Sansrival, if not just for the mango.

While relishing our sweet treats, we talked about my coming to her and how I made my confession/revelation a year ago. We reminisce most of the details - how the talking started and ended. Though we both couldn't remember vividly everything, we still tried to pull out the memories we had left. It was nostalgia creeping through my veins as we tried to recap things.

Last year, I wasn't overly detailed about my revelation so as to be wary enough not to overwhelm best friend with the why-am-I-gay stuff . But yesterday, since we were just seemingly reminiscing everything, I decided to tell her the details. Of course, I asked her if it was OK with her 'cause everything I'd say required a very open mind and mature understanding. Giving a nod, I started to share with her the fragments of my incredible yore.*

We talked and talked, one piece of yesteryear segued to another. I tried to tell everything in chronology for her to understand everything well. The conversation went on not knowing that it's almost time for the mall to close. Though I wanted to extend the tete-a-tete, our personal curfews were cutting us short. So, we abruptly capped the day off and went to the MRT station, parting in opposite ways.

*I've been meaning to transcribe my past in this blog but haven't gotten the perfect time to do so. Soon is the time. ¡Adios!
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Emancipation Anniversary Part 1

Today is the first anniversary of my emancipation - my coming out! But not a coming out to the whole clan, friends, colleagues, society... no, I am not there yet. This day marks my first attempt to open up myself to a close friend, my best friend now, that I am homosexual. And not just my being homosexual, but also the profession of my heart's true desire - that my once high school best friend is not just simply a best friend, but is the person whom my heart has found refuge.

How time flies swiftly, I hardly noticed it's been a year already.

To remember this "somehow" liberating day of mine, my best friend and I went on for dinner last night at SumoSam, located at the Ledge of Shangri-La Plaza Mall. SumoSam has been a venue for one of the significant events in my life.

Marvin Agustin's SumoSam: Americanized Japanese eating place.

I haven't tried their California rolls so I opted to get them. (Yum yum!)

Best friend's Katsudon (we shared), my Green Iced Tea, and her Red one.

The California rolls were delectable to the palate - the mango tasted fresh. The only kvetch I had was that the rolls were not tightly made and sealed, and seemed to be a bit anorexic to my expectation. The Katsudon, which's often ordered whenever we dine at SumoSam, was fairly delicious, though the meat wasn't tender enough for me. Best friend thought that its taste was different from the first time we had it on our table almost a year ago. And so did I... (Probably because of change in chef(?)). Then again, the rice was still divine - glistening like sparkles of crystal to the eyes, and cooked well enough to achieve optimal pleasure while chewing.

For dessert, we bought each one a cup of ice cream from FIC. I was the one who suggested to have dessert so... I had to pay for our treat. Haha! Well, I actually volunteered. (^_^)

FIC Ice Cream Booth

LITE Mango and Raspberry Ice Cream

This evening, I am anticipating another meet-up with best friend. We hope to have an SB moment on the same venue, on the same set of table and chairs, where I finally emancipated myself, at least, to an important person whom I can now talk freely and confidently about anything, even if it's queer. ;)
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You got me

The start of my day was so bad - with lack of sleep, blurry vision, and a missed swim session - I was terribly out of my sanity zone. Adding up to my dismay was drizzling polluted rain on my way to the office. I was so lethargic I did not even bother to get my folding umbrella from my backpack and snap it open.

I was so not getting the feel of working and doing my planned tasks if not for the unexpected cute smile of my "chinito" officemate turned crush. Gosh! He melted me with his smile. It's a rare feat for him to notice me in a morning like this.

He is so chin-dropping mesmerizing cute! (Giggles!) He's sooo a boy-next-door guy, who'd ever think he's a husband and dad already (I didn't).

Too bad I can't share a picture of him. (^_^)

Ouch!

Ouch!
My upper back's aching, especially on the region of my right scapula. I badly need a massage! (Makes me wonder... I haven't gotten a body massage since I started swimming...)
Ouch!
My eyes are blurry. Myopic vision is deranging my sight!
Ouch!
My stomach's grouching. Maybe I should take a crap this instant. (LOL!)
Ouch!
My heart has started to heal. Though occasionally, it hurts. (Haha! Where did that come from???)

At the pool, the Internet, and Hong Kong

Today's one of those boring days when I get do nothing significant on my desk, and I just fiddled on my laptop's keys trying to suffice my drying wetware's insatiable need for input (LOLz!). Surfing aimlessly and whimsically the web was a common reflex of my antsy psyche, trying to focus itself into something worthwhile and somewhat productive task.

Browsing the multifarious dimensions of the Internet, I bumped into quite a number of web sites that merely tempted my mercurial appetite. For a while, everything just seemed to be futile. So, I thought of doing something a little less non-productive then. Since my Hong Kong trip is fast approaching, I decided to check out some travel guides and travelogues regarding this Chinese territory.

Below is a rundown of the sites I bumped into (Some of these I have already browsed months ago). You might also find them helpful if you are planning to sojourn to HK. :)

1. Discover Hong Kong - The Hong Kong Tourism Guide
   
2. Hong Kong Food Guide - It has a good collection of food shops and restaurants ranging from the budget type to the high-ends.
3. MTR Customer Website - Everything you would want to know regarding the MTR's operation through the HK Islands. This offers some helpful maps, travel tips for tourists, and other relevant and useful infos. I myself prefer to use the MTR extensively during my stay there. It's seemingly practical and cost-efficient, pretty like how the MRT is.
4. Octopus Card Website - Anything you want to know about the Octopus Card, the ubiquitous monetary transaction medium of most services in Hong Kong, is found here.
5. Hong Kong Disney - Hong Kong Disney's English Website. You may reserve tickets here.
6. Ocean Park - This is the English portal to the largest aquarium in the world. A lot of tourist information is available here e.g. how to get here?, rates.
7. Lonely Planet Hong Kong - It has a number of tourist tips concisely written for a common traveler. You might find the hotel/hostels review here reputable

Aside from these websites, I knocked into a couple other interesting ones, though not HK-related.

1. Hug Nation - This is an advocacy about the significance of hugging and what it can do to other people's lives. People needs hug, and so do I (It's just too bad my parents are not very touchy. Hence, I do not receive hugs. Huhuhu... Can someone hug me? [LOLz!])
2. Logue It! - It's BootsnAll's network of online travel guides. If you travel a lot and loves to write about your sojourns, you might be interested to apply to this website as an author. Yes, they accept writers who has the passion to transcribe their travelogues on the web. And yes again, you get paid for writing.
   

Apparently, that's what had transpired in my 9-hour stay in this cold office....
I get paid to do my own stuff here, who gets the luxury of that? (LOLz!) Kidding aside, it doesn't feel good and it's not always nice to be like this. Next time, I'll do something more productive. Hehe. (By the way, I actually did some "work", if I'd say, just an hour ago. Hehe.)

---<<--- Before the start of my day in the office, I went swimming again! Woohoo! It was a fine morning at the pool, with cloudy, shady skies and intermittent rain fall. There were pleasantly few people, with no kids around. In the dressing room, there was this weird guy who seemed to be looking at me for most of the time. I don't know why but he seemed to assimilate the gestures the voyeur had when I encountered the latter.

I was pretty much successful refining my freestyle this morning. The body twisting and balance problems I had last Saturday were gone, and I had determined the causes of my difficulties then. Also, it was my first time to do a 30-meter fly without ever panting. It seemed that my body undulation was improving.

I just can't wait for my next swim! :)
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After a fortnight of hiatus

Last Saturday was a satisfying fine day for me. After such an ostentatious week in the office and consequent lapses from my regular swim routine, I finally got the chance to swim again. Aside from that, my best friend and I rendezvoused again.... I missed these in the past fortnight....

My best friend and I met at around 1 PM at SM Megamall to have lunch together. We took our afternoon repasts from Pho Hoa. I ordered a small serving of Seafood Pho (Pho is Vietnamese noodle soup) and she had Grilled Chicken and Fried Spring Rolls. My bowl wasn't very delectable with it's bland mild taste. I was expecting a more brined soup since it's flavored seafood. Then again, it was still satisfying as there was a generous addition of fish fillet, shelled shrimps, and cuttle bone balls (a.k.a. Squid balls). Also, the bowl was relatively large despite the menu's averment of a small serving.

While we were serving our individual appetite, we started the conversation to catch up for the past days. Well, I did not much to talk about but I still managed to crack up some thoughts. Most of my talking revolved around Shane. I just gave my best friend an update on my current status/feelings regarding him. We talked about it as we finished our dishes. (I don't want to expound on the details. The mere point was that "I am moving on"... moving on gracefully.)

After paying the bill, we went for a short stroll to help the food inside our systems dribble down. We went to this garment stall to do my best friend's quick errand then went straight to Starbucks.

We ordered a Split Venti Azuki Blended-Coffee Frappuccino, the newest seasonal frap from SB. I never knew what's Azuki until I sipped the cold drink from my cup. Azuki's just simply red bean, which pretty much assimilated the taste and texture of the common red mung bean. (The drink reminded me of the red bean cold porridge my paternal grandmother used to cook divinely.) We also tried the new Azuki Scone (If you'd use your wild imagination on the Azuki toppings of the scone, you'd suspect them to be roach eggs. Eeeewww!).


I appreciated more the scone than the frap. The scone was what I expected it to be - two crumbly layers of biscuit sandwiching a spread of sweet Azuki paste. The Azuki frap, on the other hand, tasted bitter and "burnt" after a few sips, most probably because of the coffee. Maybe if it were a blended-cream, the taste would have been more pleasurable. Nevertheless, it wasn't really displeasing.

If you plan to get an Azuki frap, be warned that the Azuki beans are gritty on the tongue and palate. If you don't like such sensation, be wary not to enjoy the drink.

Talking about each other's recent experiences, from her encounter to her former-crush-turned-annoyance to her , to my nonsensical butt-ins (Haha!), segueing to unprecedented topics we did not intend to talk about, we finally capped our tete-a-tete at around 4:30 PM. From there, we bid goodbyes and parted ways. She went to the direction of Shangri-La Plaza Mall and I went straight to Cubao to get a bus going to my hometown - my usual weekend retreat from the bustling metro - to see my family once more.
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Give me a break

This week's such an awkward and unusual week for me. It's not that it's Independence Week. It's because of the unprecedented influx of high-ranking managers lingering the office. They're like bees flying, i mean pacing along the corridors, surprisingly showing up without me noticing them (That gives me the creeps!). I'm not really used to them.

And because of their presence, I need to make myself look and "be" busy. Oh damn! I need work load, so give me some to occupy my lallygagging mind! Hehe. Besides, the company's paying me so I should do something for it. Harhar. Well... good riddance I get to have intermittent (at least) work loads, just like now (I am so stuck fixing this elusive code bug; Maybe I'll just call the day off and just continue tomorrow morning). Yey, tomorrow is Friday, the end of the week! No more bosses after that. ;)

Enough said about work. Lately, I've been missing a few things...
- I miss going to the pool. I haven't been in the water for the past two weeks. That's a sin to my weekly routine! And it doesn't feel good not having enough physical work. My body's already demanding an explanation!
- I miss going out of the office and meeting bestfriend to talk about our recent chronicles. I miss the coffee sessions too!

Gosh! It's 11 minutes before 7 0'clock. I better get going now 'cause I need to rise early for tomorrow. I still need to bear 2 hours of road travel just to get home. Adios!

A cheap tip for a cheap treat

I just want to share this to fellow frappuccino fanatics out there, especially those who have a penchant for Starbucks'. My bestfriend told me a month ago or so about this "split-frap customization" a Starbucks customer can avail of. What I mean by "split-frap customization" is that a larger size frap, a Venti preferably, can be "split" and contained in two Tall-sized cups. It's like purchasing two Tall fraps for the price of a Venti! Isn't that an ease on the pocket or what?

Who would have guessed that I can get a 70-peso* frap from SB? (I'm such a fall guy for cheap treats!) As long as I have someone to share with the split Venti, there's no problem! (Except that we both should agree on what frap to get. Hehe)

Reaching the second year of work life

Today marks my second anniversary of a working life in the so-called software industry arena. Such a milestone it is to be celebrated by a typical one; I am half-hearted about it. Well, apparently I am employed in this not-so-locally-known-but-internationally-acknowledged company in its Software Engineering Department. I would say it has been a pretty slow-paced, on-the-average, and intermittently-stressing-and-boring stay in this office. My liking and motivation to persist and do my best has gradually degraded since the day I joined. Even my will-boosted and often faux interest to the work loads I've had and are currently dealing with seem to have reached half-life. Simply put, I am on the verge of resignation.

Why? Chiefly because this is not the ultimate goal that my psyche has constructed way back three years ago. I've known myself to be very persistent in most of my endeavors. Even if an attempt lacks interest to me but seems to be compelling, I'd boost myself to be enthused and do things well in as much as I'd do something of my liking. I think this is one attitude that kept me going in the past years (aside from the bigger starting salary I had then).

But recently, my batteries seem to be discharging faster than before....

Being in this company, I would say, is an endeavor of an amateur yuppy to have a quick satisfying taste of the wild world of corporate life, and to feel the sensation and enjoyment of withdrawing an above-average monthly salary from the passive ATM. I think that's very typical for most aspiring fresh grads - to eye for big-salary-giving companies. In this third world country, it's very common to put financial gain over the top of the priority list, even if one's passion is compromised. And I am guilty of that.

I decided to foray in the software industry (the sensible thing to do, given that I am a Computer Science graduate) partly because of my loved-ones, especially my parents, whom weren't very much supportive to my passion; and partly because of my being the eldest in an average middle-class family in a provincial town. My being a top student of my contemporaries was seen by my parents as a big advantage to land on a satisfying job and not using it to our benefit would seem to be wasteful (Well, they were just being practical, and I totally understood that. Besides, not all parents are "fortunate" to have an academically acclaimed child). Ultimately, I needed to decide; And I decided to give the software industry and this company a try....

I know I sound bitter telling all of this. Well, my life here [in this company] hasn't been all unpleasantly experienced. I have had my dose of good happenings too - I have good colleagues and a pleasant environment. I am even friends with some. It's just that, to blatantly aver my mere dismay, I am not anymore happy with what I am doing.

Well, I guess this is just a phase I need to deal with determination and conviction, with less compromises to burden. At the end of the day, when my resignation comes, I still need to decide on what to do next, 'cause that's what life's about - making decisions.

P.S.
If I would not have been employed by October of 2005, I would have been living my dream by now - teaching my students the best way I can! Then again, I would not be the person I am now if not for the things I have learned and experienced in my life as a software developer.
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Tidbits of the past days

... Last Friday, Shane finally replied to my most recent SMS to him. I thought he'd not care to reply but he did. Hehe. It's good progress for me to be reestablishing my lines with him again as good friends.

... Last Saturday I watched the grand finals of Pinoy Pop Superstar Season 3. The production numbers were pretty amusing and were highly embellished, especially the first production number of the grand contenders. Regine Velasquez never failed to burst her lungs out during her numbers as she always belted each climactic note (somewhat annoying to the ear). Good riddance she's devoid of the unflattering and perennial breast-peeking gowns (Kudos Regine!). Congratulations to the Top 2 finalists, namely Maricris Garcia and Bryan Termulo. The former was crowned the new PPS champion. I was quite disappointed on the result given that during the grand showdown of the two, it's so apparent that Bryan delivered a better rendition and interpretation of the song "One Voice" (the deciding song of the finale). Also, Maricris had some few glitches in her version. If I were to accept the criterion of "back to zero" scores for the last round, Bryan would have won. Then again, the decision had been laid down.

... Yesterday was an awfully painful, stomach-purging day! I couldn't believe I had to defecate four times. The culprit - the tangy and delicious Indian and Carabao mangoessssss (I mean a lot of mangoes here) I devoured last Sunday. They were so ready-to-be-eaten, I wasn't able to resist their charm (Yes, I love to eat mangoes, especially the tart ones!).

A Lover All Alone

As I was aimlessly browsing the Internet yesterday, trying to mitigate the boredom I was feeling while doing my blunt office work, I bumped into a Clay Aiken-dedicated blog. Reading along the blog's top entry, I found out this new song of Clay entitled "Lover All Alone". The author's blog opined that it's the best song in Clay's latest album, noting that most of the song is written by the artist. Intrigued by such comment, not to mention by the title of the song, I started downloading the song from a reliable source. Soon enough, in minutes, I got a clear copy of it. The song went...

Maybe I've convinced myself
I've really been in love
And I've been wrong
All along

For all I know
The feeling and the picture
That I've tried
So hard to find
Isn't mine

Could be
It's all just a waiting game
Wanna share my everything

And on my own
It's hard to tell my heart it will be alright
This love it holds will one day find a home
As hard as love can be
It's harder still it seems
To be a lover all alone
Without love

Picking up the pieces makes me wonder if
I only build it all
To watch it fall
The faster it can go away it means the less of me
Is gone to stay
And I'm okay

But lonesome tomorrow comes anyway
I'm alone for another day,
Another day

And on my own
It's hard to tell my heart it will be alright
That this love it holds will one day find a home
As hard as love can be
It's harder still it seems
To be a lover all alone
Without love

And on my own
It's hard to tell my heart it will be alright
That this love it holds will one day find a home
As hard as love can be
It's harder still it seems
To be a lover all alone
Without love
A lover all alone
Without love

Maybe I've convinced myself
I've really been in love
But I've been wrong
All along

Listening to it, I was set aback, touched and speechless, as soon as the first line of the song went through my ears and into my psyche, I told myself "This is my song!".

Lover All Alone is truly hauntingly beautiful. Clay remarkably exudes the emotions that the song wants to convey trivially because it's his song.

Clay surprises me a lot. I can't believe I'd be admiring him and his song this much. And I am simply surprised that such song that expresses myself is written by him. Thanks Clay for such a heartfelt meaningful song!
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Love's contemplation

In the past nights I had been thinking about my feelings towards Shane and how I was dealing with the process of moving on. Well, in the past couple of months, to pathetically aver, I wasn't really moving on. Rather, I was stubbornly clinging on to what seemed to be futile from the day of its conception - the deep-seated love that's been aging in my heart and never expressed fully to its rightful owner.

And so, one night... after earnestly convincing myself that nothing will work out between the two of us, I finally made a decision to choose a path. A path that most hopeful lovers would not want to walk along, the path of letting go...

I would be a hypocrite to say that everything's fine now with me - that I have completely recovered and redeemed myself. As I have said before, something so engraved in my life would take some amount of time to corrode. All I know is that now I have made a decision, and I am sticking to it no matter how difficult or painful it can get along the way. If not, I would end up nothing at all because I know for a fact Shane is and will only be a friend as we have been nine years ago. One thing is for sure, that after I cross this path I've chosen, after the journey's culmination, I'll end up a better stronger person.