Colleague at work loves to make memes and troll people

Sat in a meeting for four hours last Friday. I understand the relevance of said meeting but halfway through it the inevitable happened – my brain went on comatose. I don’t think I will ever have the strength to sit at a meeting where every other ten minutes somebody quips, “As mandated by law…”

Speaking of endurance,

Respect.

The 2012 Australian Open Men’s Final was historical. Ask anyone of my Twitter followers harharhar. I’m not even sorry I spammed so much and gave a play-by-play commentary. Five hours and fifty-three minutes. Rafa getting that fifth set was phenomenal. Hats off to Novak, too. It was so heartbreaking to watch the last two points and see Rafa lose after such a long and good fight. How did it go? Yes, it was like Kris Aquino – horrible but you can’t look away.

The Grand Slam dilemma is this: Fed can beat Nole but Rafa beats Fed so Novak beats Rafa. I think though that while Novak may be Rafa’s Kryptonite, his hold on Rafa is slowly loosening. This final attests to that. Nadal’s finally got Djokovic’s number yo. He’s no longer going down to Novak. Not without a frakking fight anyway.

But 2012 still may be Djokovic’s year. He’s unstoppable. I think my impassioned hatred for him stems more from his interference with my love for the Federer-Nadal rivalry. How can one not love these two:

Never fails to crack me up, this vid.

My Grand Slam finals had always been about these two. Not until last year when Novak creeped to number one. Oho, other tennis players exist after all.

Oh Novak, you.

It’s probably the sleep deprivation but Tennis is a metaphor for our lives. Cringed as soon as I typed that sentence. In the end, you are all alone with nothing but experience and skill to arm you. Focus is key. One fights to win but more importantly, one fights to stop losing with regret.

Diba? Deep shiz right there.

Went to a walking food trip at Binondo with Gly et al and ate as much as our stomachs can manage. I’ve always wanted to try Old Manila Walks since I heard there was a guided food tour of Binondo but I never had the time. It was a good thing we had our own man about town – thanks Ate Kris!

Hengdemeng tao

Apparently Chinese New Year at Ongpin is one huge street party. They closed down the street and had everybody sell their stuff. Ahhh, nothing like the Chinese and Capitalism, yes? Let’s all bring out our dugong Intsik so we can be as hardworking and rich. Nyahaha what is stereotype.

Wansapanataym in Chinatown

Wai Ying Dumplings

The food! On our first trip we went to Wai Ying for their Dimsum. Siomai Galore yo. May sabaw pala Japanese Siomai, no? Goodbye Master Siomai. I don’t think I can ever appreciate you so freely again.

Eng Bee Tin Hopia. The line for their Tikoy was a mile long.

Lord Stow's Egg Tarts

Pastries from Shin Tang Shai

We also had Shanghai Fried Siopao whose line trickled all the way down the street.

Then Dimsum (Again! One never really grows old of Siomai) and Pansit at President Tea House

They buy Birdsnest!

I wonder why they’re buying Birdsnest. Is it for Nido Soup? Hmmm. Harharhar Tubero Services. Back in College someone told me Wanted Tubero actually meant services of another kind. I wouldn’t know. Really.

There was also a Wushu exhibition!

You don't mess with these kids

Clearly, I had the wrong childhhood.  I should be so badass.

A Buddhist monk also wished us well and gave us something to guide us for the year. Told us not to waste it, too (I’m not sharing it here wahaha). Monks remind me of that short story by Arthur C. Clarke where Monks in Tibet figure out the Nine Billion Names of God. Then the stars fall out. Oho, 2012 references.

I once had a Zen phase, you know. I wanted to learn Taoism and achieve harmony with the universe…so I ended up snoring while trying to meditate. Someday I shall try monastic living. Eeeew, that sounded so Eat, Pray, Love. Nevermind.

We saw Ryan Bang, too

And some reporter I really didn’t know. Gretchen something.

Colored chicks for sale. OMG all kinds of wrong, this.

This bakeshop had all sorts of beautiful cakes and pastries. We bought the Hokkaido cake and it was perfect.

Then we had Matcha ice cream at this place:

…and it tasted like our fridge. Defrost flavor. Blech. The shop was cozy, though.

Then we capped the night off with dinner at Mr. Ube. Everywhere else was packed. I had to work my ninja skills in getting a seat.

ShabuShabu and Crispy Noodles

Binondo was busog tiring fun. Go see. But first,

Happy Year of the Dragon, People! Here’s to making our own luck and choosing your own destiny no matter what year it is. Cheers.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, ang sama ng timing mo

Faye and I decided to watch Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock over the weekend with the full intention of bashing it nyahaha. OMG I missed hanging out with Faye and her snark. I’ve been surrounded by sheep lately that it’s so refreshing to hear “It smells like brat in here” HAHAHA.

Anyway, I am judging you so hard right now if you think Ritchie’s Sherlock is even remotely better than Steven Moffat’s and Mark Gatiss’. The thing is up until last month I was actually excited to see A Game of Shadows because I enjoyed the first Sherlock movie  immensely (heeyess naman I didn’t know immense was in my vocabulary). Then BBC aired its second series last January 1 and pffft it is unfortunate because A Game of Shadows has no other fate but to suck. Like gravity.

Aaaanndd I was right. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is a sickly shade of anemia in comparison to BBC’s Sherlock. It is not a detective movie. We get people throwing punches and trains blowing up instead of Sherlock mind-fucking us with his deduction skills and sheer intelligence. It panders to our cheap sense of entertainment. It was self-fulfilling prophecy at its finest: it will suck ergo it sucked.

Then, there it is. Suspension of disbelief. Once you accept this Sherlock is different from the brilliant that is The Other Sherlock, you actually start enjoying yourself. I found myself laughing at the urban camouflage, the blatant bromance, and how can one not love Robert Downey Jr.? The guy is magnificence personified. Robert Downey Jr. is who we want to be. Plus did you know Jude Law used to be my by default British guy? (Now it’s James McAvoy, fyi). Jude and I go a long way back – Closer, Alfie and Music from Another Room. I liked him once.

This Moriarty has his own brand of crazy too

I was also pleased with the James Harris’ version of Moriarty. What is that fighting in their minds hahahaha. It reminded me of that scene in Zhang Yimou’s Hero where they go “let’s fight in the rain” then closed their eyes. And Stephen Fry’s Mycroft! There are no words. A Game of Shadows is not that all bad. Go see. It had its own interpretation of Reichenbach and The Final Problem. Here’s to hoping that Steven and Mark had Series 3 in mind when they wrote theirs.

(My Sherlock Series 2 Episode 3 The Reichenbach Fall is now 99.4% completed. I am watching this tonight. Somebody hold me.)

Series Three. My life needs a Series Three. 

Anyway.

How was your 2011? Mine went something vaguely like “The days were long, but the year was short” and “the bittersweet realization of learning things you’ve always known”. For instance,

I hardly had the time to ogle at things in spacious hallways. Managed to catch the Picasso Suite Vollard etchings at the Met though because one never passes the opportunity to see Picasso. Also caught up with the Myth of the Human Body exhibit before their run ends this February. We are all but meat and bones, I always thought so.

I know I always say how the world is the smallest thing but apparently, my life is even the smallest of the small. I didn’t travel as much as I wanted last year and came up with a bajillion of excuses to show for it – I’m too broke, too busy, too picky. My adventure, it is still out there.

Still. I am happy I managed to squeeze in something in-between. I accompanied my Mom to Manaoag, Pangasinan on a Palm Sunday. Clearly, I believe in my Mother. Faith is a funny thing.

There was the customary summer beach thing at Subic and after that, whatever travelling I did last year had to do with school and work. I dropped by Sta. Maria, Laguna; Pulilan, Bulacan; and San Fernando, La Union. Halothar, mandatory photo-ops. Insert government official and munisipyo background. It was very informative, I must admit. One sees the gaping difference between first-class and third-class municipalities. I’m stopping myself here before I go into full MPA mode. Aha, but I also got to go to Thunderbird Poro Point and hung out at my classmate’s beach house in La Union. For free heeheehee. Thank you, classmate-who-refuses-to-be-named. Your beachfront digs is of UZ quality. I also went to the Bataan Special Economic Zone in Morong for work. Three days with almost strangers. While the place was a pleasant return to nature, the trip itself was interestingly boring.

I’m consoling myself with the idea that I at least went somewhere last year apart from Gateway mall wahaha. You always learn something when you leave your daily confines and the most glaring lesson for me, thus far, is this: Ang jumpshot, walang pinipiling edad.

Ouch. Failure. I also tried out for a post which I failed spectacularly at achieving. I can rant how it was so difficult to get into anyway but the sad truth is that I didn’t work hard enough. Hell, I thought I could get in by winging it – which is what I do, really, 80% of the time. This clearly fell into the 20% category hahaha. I needed the reminder. You know how you realize you actually want something so bad because you can’t get it? I know that brings me ten points down the maturity ladder but…challenge accepted! I refuse to wallow in failure too much because how does it go? “That way leads to depression…and insecurity can go hang itself.” I shall try again. What are tomorrows for if not the second chance to swing at life.

Hindi ako masyadong nag-enjoy sa paggawa ng collage wahaha

SuperShow3 can only be appropriately described as HNNNNGGGG KADJASKJFAKDFJA and then there’s this gig with two kids from SS5O1. I didn’t know them but Frances (Thanks ) had  free tickets for 5k seats oyea. I won a signed poster and I gave it to my then-boss Ingrid who was way up front in the VIP area. The fandom does not discriminate with age nyahaha.  Also saw 2NE1 which, while they were amazing as usual, was a total rip-off. It ended up being a concert for everything opening act imaginable.

Ooooh also went to the Incubus concert with two of my gig friends. We frequented anything concert-y back in College and what can be more apt than to hang out again with Brandon Boyd crooning I miss you. Seriously, how can Brandon Boyd not age at all? He is as hot as I remember him from high school. Then AC (whoop thanks thanks ) scored some VVIP tickets for the MTV Exit concert and I learned how the VVIP rolls. They get a free drink, a raincoat and a shirt. Apparently this is what my GenAd ass has been missing all this time.  Saw Jay Park (Abandonnnneeedddd), Internet action star Ramon Bautista and Jason Mraz. His concert was scheduled the next day and he found out about the MTV concert against human trafficking and felt the need to drop by and say something. I used to say that I’m Yours has been replayed enough to make my ears bleed and that if I hear people singing it again I am going to pull their larynxes out but I’m making an exception. Mraz can sing it live in front of me anytime. That concert reminded me of College, too, I guess. Itchyworms belted out Akin Ka Na Lang and Pupil sang Alapaap. Worth the night.

From the tenth floor

Balloons from the office

The sun. After a particularly crappy rainy day.

And it’s been two years since the Maguindanao Massacre. We as a nation have always been accused of forgetting but this, we choose to remember this. Remember, remember, the 23rd of November.

Thing of the Past

Tonight I dropped by Fully Booked to accompany Meg. I felt both immensely guilty (because I haven’t read a book in weeks) and immeasurably sad (because bookstores like these will probably last another five years. Or less.).

Last month I walked past Orosa and saw a street vendor peddling books. I had to stop.

The times. How they’ve changed.

Yesterday, I experienced crushing failure. My heart cracked into more pieces than it was ever made of. I had no one to blame but myself. It was maddening to know you could have done better but you didn’t because you allowed yourself to be distracted. The reality is I fear living in regret. I almost never regret anything because there’s always something to gain from mistakes. To paraphrase Thomas Edison, I didn’t fail. I found 2,000 ways how not to make a light bulb; I only need to find one way to make it work.  I have always tried to maintain this outlook in life. But yesterday was different. Failing hit me hard.

Today, he remains as relevant in my life as ever:

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

I needed the reminder.

A toast to the man who made us geeks the new cool. Steve Jobs, it was a life well-lived. All hail.

Kiddie pool party! I haven't been to a pool party since 7th grade in Valley Golf where I almost drowned but that's another blog entry

Caught up with Sharl, Louie and Carla for Skyrose’s first birthday party yesterday. We spent the whole afternoon mourning our age and gossiping on how the others are doing: A is going to take the bar exams soon, B is on another Euro trip, C is on a grad school scholarship at NUS, D’s kid is turning one too, etc. I suppose this is the way to gauge how we fare in life now – see how others are doing. We relived memories of years past because what are old friends for but to remind you of your youth? Louie quoted me verbatim too. I could not deny the craziness that was College hahaha. The waiter then offered us beer and sheesh maybe we should have turned that party into a drinking session instead and tell the kids to enjoy their childhood while it lasts. In a few years they’ll be turning to alcohol for comfort too. Am I quarter-life stricken or what. Here’s some pompous wisdom though: I have lived long enough to know life’s too short to be miserable. Avoid settling.

Louie just got her first journalism award and her articles are frequently on the front page of her broadsheet, Sharl is a breast-feeding mom (That cleavage! Carla and I are jealous nyaha) and works at an NGO for Food Security and Carla is on her second job at a top secret post. Seriously, it’s top secret. You already! I’m so proud of these people. Why who would have thought. That Louie would be an ass-kicking reporter, one of our cum laudes would be the first to get knocked-up, and that Carla would even work there. Funny, how life turns out. Or maybe I was just too young to expect it to turn out exactly like I thought it would. I blame literature harharhar.

Bubble tea is the new froyo

Then we went to Moonleaf at Maginhawa Street for milk tea and it is filled with even more kids. We can’t even hang out peacefully anymore. We are at that age where we rant Kids These Days. What’s with the milk tea craze anyway? They all taste the same to me. It’s who you drink it with that makes the difference, you know. Choz. Spoken like a true oldie.

Chatime so haytetch

I also tried Chatime with Frances, who, coincidentally, had a similar dilemma with grasping old age last night. She texted how she was in a debut and felt so old as a back-up Tita for the celebrant’s 18 shots. Frances said people look at us oddly at bars now. It’s hard because I feel we’re either too old or too young for almost everything. You know what I can’t wait for? Genuine old age retirement. I will be the crabbiest old lady ever. I shall spend the afternoons on my rocking chair with a huge pamaypay and bite everyone’s head off mwahaha. I know the future scares me big time but sometimes, I feel I cannot get there fast enough.

I didn’t get into the whole fandom because of the music you know. It was really Heechul with his snark in Full House that got me hooked in the first place. It was him. All him. Like with first loves, one never really forgets about their first bias. Aysusginoo Heenim! Why leave so abruptly? Ikaw na ang diva. You pulling a Heechul like this is just so you. My Kpop universe is left with this gaping black hole until your return. All the best. Be safe. Live strong. Tweet me back.

See you in two years my Heedictator! I may be too old for the fandom then but I’ll probably check occasionally just for you. O-o-only for you. Only for you.

Ahaha this is what happens when I choose to stay home alone on a long weekend to work on my acads. Ang cheesy ko talaga. Can you imagine when it’s finally Hyukkie’s turn? I’d be a bawling mess.