IMODO.COM -   the soaring chorus

Diagnosis

No bronchitis. But my lungs are filled with phlegm, which may or may not be an infection. Doc prescribed some prohibitively priced medicine for me and told me to drink lots of fluids, get plenty of rest, and to be in bed by 10 for at least four days. I asked him why I got this way, and he told me it was probably because I weakened my body's resistance by staying out too late.

Sadly, this is not the first time this has happened to me, as my mother so often points out. For someone who is trying to break into the band scene, this is VERY frustrating indeed. It's so ironic: I can bench press my own weight, and up until the holidays, I could count myself as being in relatively good shape. Yet I am more prone to getting sick than the average person. How the HELL can I even think about living the grueling schedule necessary for a musician?

I hate being sick.

I guess tight abs, flawless skin and dancing in a towel can only take you so far

In a newsbite that made my day despite me being sick, The PDI showbiz columnist reported that the Powerboys were indeed dropped by ABS-CBN. What's more, the writer noted, although the five himbos have an upcoming album under Universal Records, ABS-CBN owns the rights to the name "Powerboys" and they will most definitely NOT be allowed to use the name any longer.

I fully expect these guys to try and cling to their fifteen minutes of fame, but looks like their complete and utter lack of any semblance of talent has finally caught up with them. To lose the confidence of a showbiz entity that was responsible for The Hunks, the 'Boys must have REALLY sucked. Or not sucked enough, if you know what I mean.

Pardon me while I gloat.

Sucks to be me

Feb 25 EDSA celebration. Non-working holiday, everyone is out. My brother is out. My sister is Out. Nelz is out. Hell, I think even the dog is out.

And me? Sitting in front of the computer nursing a stupid cold which may or may not be bronchitis.

I hate being sick.

Ian Carandang, Pity party of one

I've been struck down by a summer cold. It started sometime thursday night as I could literally feel myself getting woozy as I sat in front of the computer. Woke up with a clogged nose, a dry cough, and my throat sore from breathing through my mouth all night. Slept all friday and took plenty of medicine, and thought I had it under control. Just last night, I was hopefully telling Nelz that I should be fine by today. No such luck.

Woke up with my nose horribly clogged, and my cough returning with a vengeance. Today was supposed to be the start of my cardio program to get rid of the weight I've put on lately, but I've had to push that back. I even went to the gym to work out becasue I took last week off to recuperate from a sprained wrist. On retrospect, that might not have been such a great idea.

Great, more forced vacation time. I'm sedentary by nature and usually avoid physical activity when I can, but even I'm getting tired of sitting around unable to do anything. To top it all off, I can't even do something creatively constructive like sing in my downtime. Today while I was laughing out loud at something I heard on the radio, my voice cracked. It's impossible for me currently to reach any semblance of high notes. It's hard to come up with melodies when you sound like a frog.

It's hard to concentrate on anything when you're unable to breathe from your nose. I so, so want to abuse that bottle of Drixine Nasal spray, but I know that it's going to make things even harder in the long run, so I have to just suck it up and sleep with my congested sinuses. I hope, hope, hope things are even just a little bit better tomorrow.

I hate being sick.

I'm sure he's going to grow up to be a real charmer

In the last bit of Showbiz news before I go, also in today's issue of PDI, there's an article on MTB refugee Amy Perez and her being let go. It's the usual thing about being sad, but believeing in God's plan blah blah faithcakes. What caught my attention though was this little story she told of her five-year old son Adi (fathered by Showbiz trivia question Brix Ferraris) and what she did when he found out mommy's paycheck was about to get a lot smaller. Upon hearing the news, the little darling ran into his room and locked the door. When she opened it, she found him praying. When she asked to listen to his prayer, he said:

"Papa Jesus, give my mom dami-dami work para I have dami-dami money for Timezone."

I realize that she found this behavior very cute otherwise she wouldn't be telling a newspaper about it, but does anyone else find that anecdote just a wee bit disturbing?

Showbiz News and Snarkiness

The place where I work has a television installed to keep the customers occupied while they wait for their orders. Sine we're located close to ABS-CBN, we get a lot of employees from there who invariably ask us to tune into their station. As a result I've become a regular viewer of their noontime show Magandang Tanghali Bayan and have become well-acquainted with such features as Ano ka, Hilo? Sing-Alis, and their endless pathetic attempts to come up with their own version of GMA's Laban or Bawi which has never needed a namechange since it's inception.

They've apparently gone through a massive housecleaning where they've let go of several former household names: Amy Perez, Dominic Ochoa, Marvin Agustin, Roderick Paulate among others. (..why do I even KNOW all of this??) After much hype, they debuted their new show last saturday with a huge extravaganza. No more was Magandang Tanghali Bayan. In it's place was...................... Masayang Tanghali Bayan.

Meh.

Seeing the level of creativity involved in their shows (see aforementioned Laban or Bawi wannabes), I guess I shouldn't really be surprised. But if they wanted to have a fresh start -- and by the number of people cut this is a very new show -- shouldn't they have jettisoned the name too? Before: "Pare, 12:30 na. lagay mo na sa MTB." After: "Pare, 12:30 na. lagay mo sa MTB."

Even before the retooling, I obsevered that all of the performers on the show could be divided into a few well-defined categories. But in looking at their ad trumpeting the new roster in today's issue of PDI, they've made things even easier by actually dividing them into said categories. Let's break it down, shall we?

Group one: The Talkers
"Patok na Magic 3": Randy Santiago, John Estrada & Wille Villame - Good looking male hosts. Mixture of personality and showbiz background that bring familiarity to the audience.

"Beautiful Babes": Aubrey Miles & Mickey Ferriols - Hot female co-hosts. Can talk as well as look good in a skimpy outfit. Careers will likely not last as long as the men. Will be replaced for the next hot chicks that can talk soon enough.

"Kwelang Tiririts": Dennis Padilla, Bayani Agbayani & Ai-Ai Delas Alas - 2nd-tier hosts by virtue of looks. More 'ordinary'-looking, so us normal people can relate to them onscreen. Get by on personality rather than being pretty. Actually the most interesting of the roster and the show would fall apart without them.

Group Two: Eye Candy
Cindy Kurleto and the "Jaboom" Twins: Jaja Jaboom & Boomboom Jaboom (kill me now) aka "The Cheesecake"
Main purpose is to wear as little clothing as possible and participate in activities that do not display brainpower (idiotic games, reading off cuecards, dancing around, etc) to satisfy the more sexually frustrated segments of the audience. Like the "Beautiful Babes", career longevity is questionable.

The Hunks, aka "the Beefcake" - See previous entry. Weren't the Powerboys supposed to replace these pretty boys? The idea that there is a group of himbos even less talented than The Hunks running around loose somewhere is a chilling thought.

Group 3: Comedy Relief
Tado & Bentong - Even MORE "ordinary" (read: funny-looking) Than Kwelang Tiririts. Main function will be to be subjected to various humiliating stunts and occasionally being groped by the ultra-beautiful women of the show, allowing similarly looks-deprived members of the audience to live vicariously through them. Interestingly enough, they are the only subgroup with NO female counterpart.

So there you go! Compartmentalized fun for everyone every lunchtime! What are you all waiting for people? Watch, watch watch!!

Musing of the day

Karma is a woman.

At peace.

Saw the premiere of Treasure Planet last night thatks to the super-wonderful Nikka (thanks hon!! *HUGS*). Not that well-attended as far as premieres go, but that was probably because of the lack of buzz (news that it bombed in the states probably had something to do with it). That's depressing, because if you give it a chance, you will see perhaps the smoothest blending yet of hand-drawn and CG animation, best exemplified by the cyborg John Silver, who is BOTH 2D and CG rendered. This is a far, far cry from Titan A.E.

It's really a shame that people didn't give this movie a chance. I told Nelz that the only people watching Disney movies now were kids, when it used to be that Disney animated films were an event for everyone. That audience has apparently moved onto fully CG movies like Ice Age, Toy Story and the sure-to-be-a-hit upcoming Finding Nemo. From a technical standpoint it was a joy to see, and the designs are soooooooooooo anime. Please do go and see it if you still love animation despite it not being fashionable at the moment.

After the movie, I dropped Nelz home. It was an early screening and it was only 10 pm, and I had nothing to do. I considered whether or not to go to Big Sky Mind to see who was there, as it had been a while. But looking into myself, I felt no real desire to go, and knew that if I did go, I wouldn't be able to leave soon enough. Smoking, and boozing it up in a crowded bar was never my thing, and I was meeting the people I hoped to see that night later tomorrow for a birthday party anyway. I even learned from a friend later opn that night that Cynthia Alexander, Joey Ayala AND Imago were playing a benefit show at Freedom Bar. The premier folk artists in the music scene, ALL in one night? A year ago a would have been there in a second, but now?... I just wanted to go home.

What was wrong with me? Ever since I met Nelz, my inner homebody had reasserted itself. Little backstory: Most of my life I was a serial stay-at-home person. Around 2 years ago I did a complete 180 and was out almost every other night, mostly at a gig watching a band perform. And every friday was Big Sky night to shmooze. What I loved about the music scene was how open and accepting everyone was, and I found myself making a lot of new friends. I loved everything about it.

I exchanged text messages with a friend about this. "Maybe you enjoy the quiet moments of being together more now" I told her perhaps, but that didn't explain how even when I am free to go to Big Sky or whatever, I find myself wanting to just go home. Her next message put things into perspective:

"Maybe you're content. :) "

And I thought about it. "Content" would be the best way to describe what I was feeling. No more need to go out. I no longer felt the drive to look for camaraderie, connection, because I had found it. I told my friend that she was probably right, but I did feel bad about seemingly neglecting the friends that I had made before Nelz. But upon further reflection, maybe I shouldn't. I was afraid that my pulling away was somehow indivative that my friendships with them weren't really 'real', that I was just using them as a placeholder for something else until I had found it.

I think that theory has to be revised to something half-and-half. Was my serial night life a search for something missing in my life? Most definitely. I was lonely, and I was tired of staying at home doing nothing about it. So I went and fricking did something. And it worked better than I ever dreamed. Does that mean then that I "used" said friends? And that I'm dumping them now that I have someone? Hell no.

These people were there for me at a point in my life when I really really needed some friends, and they provided me with something that was looking back probably vital to keeping my sanity at the time. And for that, I will ALWAYS be grateful to them. Just because my life has taken me to other directions no longer parallel with them, does not invalidate my friendships with them or make them any less real; it just means that it's no longer the same direction.

Friendship is something I take extremely seriously, and I am very careful about who I extend my friendships to. The people I have met during that stage of my life; too numerous to name here can count on me as their friend. Even if they don't see me as often, all any of them have to do is call or text me, and I will come and do what I can.

Just not on Saturdays. That's date night. ;)

Bitch, bitch, bitch

Woke up with a clogged nose and a feeling of general ickiness. Took some pills and tried to get some rest. Even went to the store to try and be of some good, but either the medication or my illness has me drowsy and disoriented.

Went home early and slept the entire afternoon away. This much sleep usually makes me feel lousy; not so here. It just makes me want more sleep, sleep, sleep. That's how I know for sure I really am sick. Will probably be off to more sleep after this.

For more added complainey goodness, I've looked in the mirror, and I believe that this is the absolute fattest I've been in months. Just puffy cheeks, and crap hanging in front of me when I look downward. Fat, fat, fat.

Ugh.

Photo shoots, Sunsets and Swept Away

After turning in at 4, I was a bit annoyed to wake up and see that it was 8, and that I had only slept 4 hours. One of the things about my Physiology that I’m annoyed at with: no matter what time I go to sleep, I invariably wake up no later than 8 am. While this can be convenient during the week on a busy schedule, on the weekends when you have nowhere to be and coming in from a big night, it can be very frustrating.

Nelz, being the hibernating bear that he is, of course was sleeping soundly. I attempted to fall asleep again, cuddling in close and trying very hard to move as little as possible, as Nelz told me that it woke him up. Let me tell you, in those scenes in movies and TV where they show the couple snuggled in close all comfortable, I have NO IDEA how they do it. When you sleep on your side, the arm you are sleeping on gets in the way. You either sleep on it (leading to cutting off the blood flow in that arm) or having to twist your arm around in awkward positions just so it doesn’t come between me and Nelz. It was times like this that I wished I was a cyborg and I could just remove my arm and put it on the side table.

Am I the only one who has this problem?? Is there a ‘Perfect’ position that exists allowing maximum cuddling contact with no body parts getting in the way? Any cuddle-happy pairs out there, help me out please! As much as I tried, I know I still moved a couple of times. I don’t know if it was enough to wake Nelz up (and if it did, the poor dear was too polite to tell me so).

At around 11 am, I decided to make myself useful and start making lunch. Both of us had respective things to attend to in the afternoon: Nelz had to complete his photo shoot of Manila; this time going to the Post office, the Clock Tower, and the Finance building (in Manila) and the Church in the reclamation area along Roxas Boulevard. I was going to meet Cedric and Joe for a long-overdue practice, as we hadn’t played in two weeks.

I've learned a lot from Nelz over the course of our relationship, and one of the cooler ones is that I’ve learned how to cook. Really cook, and not just tell someone what ingredients to put in and mix together (which is how I did things before). I admittedly know few dishes at the present, but I’m already researching recipes and looking to trying things.

There’s something therapeutic about the entire process of cooking; from the preparation of the ingredients, the actual cooking, the setting of dishes, serving of the food, to finally eating it. The sense of accomplishment you get when you’re done is not unlike working on a painting or sculpture, and end results are much more enjoyable, albeit brief. So far I’ve picked up making fried rice, and thru the course of the week I had already been experimenting fried rice with tuna or just eggs.

That day I chopped up some leftover Zabala Longganisa and a slice of salami instead of the ham that Nelz usually puts in. I also chopped up an entire clove of garlic as both of us adore the stuff, -- and can I just say how great it is that both of us love garlic? How hard would it have been if one of us couldn’t stand it? -- as well as frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrots and corn) and some eggs and made some sausage fried rice.

The results were mixed – it was tasty enough; and the flavor of the longganisa seeped into the rice. But I’m not entirely sure that the flavor of said longganisa is actually ideal for the dish in question. I’m also unsure about the proportions of the ingredients (too much garlic? Not enough meat?). All in all, I know I can do better. To top it off, I made some Pillsbury Toaster honey buns with a Reese’s Peanut butter cup in the mix for dessert.

During the cooking, I received a pair of text messages: One from Cedric telling me that he unfortunately couldn’t make it to today’s jam because his girlfriend Aui was sick, quickly followed by one from Joe asking what time jam was. I was so tempted to use Cedric’s absence as an excuse to postpone the jam, but I knew that I had been putting it off so much already. I told Nelz about my reluctance, and even he scolded me. “You have no excuse” he warned. And I knew he was right. He didn’t want to be the cause of my musical stagnation. I tested back the reply “3:30. Cedric can’t come because Aui’s sick.” After eating, we packed up and left the apartment.

Before we were supposed to have separated, we picked up Nelz’s laundry from the laundromat and dropped it off at his apartment in Cubao. He told me to let him off at E. Rodriguez where he could catch a ride to Manila. I texted Joe that I was on my way to the house for the jam when he texted back this reply: “Ha? I thought the jam was cancelled because of Cedric!” Um. I’m not even sure I can call that crossed signals because I told him to show up at 3:30. Nevertheless, I told him that it was my fault for not making it clear enough, and that we would reschedule the jam.

Okay, now my afternoon was free, so I accompanied Nelz on his shoot. We went to the Post office where he took some shots of the building. It had a nice, classically-inspired design but was fairly new. In front of the structure was a large fountain where a rainbow appeared in the water’s spray. I couldn’t remember the last time I saw a rainbow, and spent quite a while staring at it. Very beautiful.

From the post office we took a walk to the Clock tower where he took some shots of that as well. Drove off to the Finance Building (ditto) and then got back in the car to drive to the Chapel in the reclamation area for his final shots. There were barely any clouds in the sky, and it made for great light.

When he was done with the shoot, we had some time left so we headed off to Greenbelt 1 in Makati to catch Madonna’s much-reviled flick Swept Away. Basically, we agreed with what every reviewer said about the movie. It’s not that bad, actually: Guy Ritchie did a good job, the male lead did a good job… it’s just Madonna who couldn’t act to save her life. Hell, I’m no critic, and even I could tell that she was merely playing a stereotype. As Nelz would say: ”Huwag mo na kasi pilitin, lola!” My god, I’m so happy that I’m in love with this guy, LOL!

After the movie, we finally headed home and mutually agreed that we both needed some time just for ourselves. Kissed him goodbye, went home, and proceeded straight to bed. I don’t even remember dozing off before going to sleep.

Whew. And that was our weekend. I’m tired just from having written about it. I am SO burned out from going out. This week it’s just going to be work and house. Even next weekend I told Nelz, I just wanna spend it all indoors: Watching videos, cooking, eating; just cocooning.

For a change.

Road trips, Volleyball, and Dancing in Laguna

Had a busy weekend.

On Saturday, picked up Nelz at the office and drove off to his friend Skyjockey’s place. He had promised to take his picture na pang-portrait, and this was long overdue. Skyjockey showed off his adorable new German shepherd puppy, who he proudly proclaimed had housebroken herself. Female dogs really are easier to train than males, who just go to the bathroom wherever and whenever they want.

While Nelz took SJ’s pics, I lounged in the latter’s bedroom watching TV. He had Destiny Cable, which still had TechTV. I always loved that channel, especially that one specializing in video gaming (Instant Replay? Game On?) and never understood why SkyCable/Homecable took it out of the lineup.

Finished at around 5; the three of us hightailed it to Celebrity Sports Plaza where Gaypinoy had a volleyball game scheduled. I sat on the sidelines, being as I had no inclination in volleyball (or ANY sport, pretty much) and merely watched the action. But it wasn’t boring for me, because I got to drool at Nelz running around in his short shorts which showed off his long long legs. (heh heh)

Of particular interest: Nelz’s ex S. ALSO showed up to play. Although they had already spoken on the phone once (after 2 years of silence) they most definitely did NOT address each other throughout the entire game. Because of that, I likewise did not greet him, though I would have if he introduced himself. (Which he did not)

It was tense in a very casual sort of way, quite odd. There we were, both of us sitting on the same bench separated only by Bong, another friend of Nelz who knew both of us. I would talk to Bong; S. would talk to him. We were very much aware of each other’s presence, but said nothing.

Although I’ve been told as much about what happened during their breakup, I can only imagine how much pain Nelz went through for him to still have issues over this. But it’s not my place to say anything more, and I’ll leave it at that.

The only other time I had ever seen him was at last year’s Gay Pride parade, and even then only a fleeting glance, I couldn’t resist getting a closer look at him: He was thinner than when last I saw him. Looked youngish. Nice skin. Definitely good-looking. Better looking than me, I admit. (sigh) I can see Nelz falling for him.

One thing though: his voice. I heard him speaking to Bong, and he was, simply put: Very, very gay. High pitched voice with every stereotype bading inflection you can think of. Nelz has always inadvertently attracted the more naturally straight-acting men *ahem*, so the idea of him and S. together was difficult to fathom.

The game, which was scheduled to go from 6 to 7 pm, ultimately went on until 8. Nelz tried to spike one towards S. that would either make him trip or hit him in the face, but alas, he lacked the power to do so. Maybe next time, honey. When the game was over (I think each team won 2 apiece) we quickly got dressed into something more formal and headed off for yet another engagement, Ipe’s birthday party in Laguna. Ipe is the significant other of Eddy, who is Nelz’s twin. They’ve been together for more than two years, and they still look good together.

Drove the entire length of South Super Highway and into Calamba, Laguna. Arrived at Ipe’s house past ten, where an array of Fishballs, Isaw, Pork Barbecue, Balut, and other cardiac-inducing goodies awaited us. Every year it seems, Ipe has a theme for the party, and this year it was Street Food, other alternate names for the theme were apparently “Nobody Lives Forever” and “Clog up your Arteries”.

It was a relatively small affair; only family and a handful of close friends (namely, us) and I have to say, compared to large gatherings where I run around from table to table spending maybe five minutes at a time, this was more relaxing. There was dance music playing, although dancing isn’t really my thing I pulled Nelz to the floor and began gyrating my hips to the beat.

Gay Men and club dancing is one of the most prevalent stereotypes, and I guess it was high time I actually fulfilled one of them, for a change. We boogied to oldies like C&C Music Factory, Cece Peniston, even fricking Vanilla Ice for crying out loud. We boogied (is it still acceptable to call it that?) until we were sweaty, and by the time we sat down to rest, we noticed it was just us five left: Ipe, Eddy, Nelz, me and Eddy’s friend Rico.

There were some benches set on the lawn which gave a perfect view of the night sky -– a lovely idea, actually. I’ll have to look into doing something like that for the house or in Quezon Avenue -- and talked the night way. While Nelz caught up with Eddy over topics ranging from mutual enemies to Eddy’s ultra fashion-conscious brother (think P10,000 pants), I talked with Ipe and got to know him a little better. I had known Eddy since High school, but had never really spoken to Ipe beyond token pleasantries, so it was good to get to know him.

You know how some people just rub you the wrong way through no real fault of their own? I’m happy to say Ipe was kinda the opposite of that. I still can’t say that I really know the guy, but from what I’ve seen it looks like he’s a pretty decent sort. I only hope I made a similar impression on him. A bit touchy-feely though. Put his hand on my thigh as he spoke, and as my arm hung over the couch behind me, I could feel his fingers brushing up against mine. If I didn't know he was totally devoted to Eddy, one might think he was flirting with me.

Talking to him, it was interesting to discover that as Nelz and Eddy shared similar characteristics (thus the “twin” moniker) Ipe and I also had many things in common: both of us were swarthy, vain, a penchant for bodyfit shirts (although as of the moment I concede that only he has the body to pull it off), definitely the more libidinous ones in our respective relationships (heh) and a tendency to let our imaginations get the better of ourselves if left alone for too long. Ah, the perils of loving a Dyoza. ;)

We talked on until 3 am, when we decided to finally leave and start back for Manila. I was a little daunted by the driving I thought I’d have to do, as the day’s events were starting to finally catch up with me, but Ipe assured me that we would be home in an hour. I didn’t really believe him as I swigged my double-strength coffee to keep myself alert for the trip back. We bade our goodbyes and left to give Ipe a chance to enjoy his final birthday gift of the day, hee.

Lo and behold, however, we went through the entire South Superhighway in half an hour, and I wasn’t even speeding. It’s amazing how much traffic slows you down pala. In another half hour we were back in Quezon Avenue where we wearily dressed down, showered, and crawled into bed. By the time we got tucked in, (no hanky-panky; even I had my limits) I wasn’t planning to skip Church choir this week, but I had already been admonished once about coming in ngarag, so I decided to just sleep in the morning. And so endeth our Saturday.

Next post: what happened on Sunday.

Which sounds better, 'Nelz & Ian' or 'Ian & Nelz'?

According to Blue Arden's blog, The Amazing Race 4 will begin airing on March 13! All together now: Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyy!!!

On a whim, I decided to see if the official website for AR4 is up yet (it's usually up before the show begins to let viewers have a peek at the teams competing). Instead, what they had was an online application form for hopeful contestants. Alas, only US citizens are eligible, but I figured it would be fun to see what kind of questions I'd have to answer if, in an alternate universe, I was eligible to apply. Below is the actual questionnaire:

EACH MEMBER OF YOUR TEAM SHOULD COMPLETE THIS APPLICATION SEPARATELY. BOTH APPLICATIONS SHOULD BE SUBMITTED TOGETHER. PLEASE RESPOND COMPLETELY AND HONESTLY.

CITY Metro Manila RELATIONSHIP TO TEAMMATE: Lover
1) YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION
FIRST NAME: Ian
LAST NAME: Carandang
NICKNAME (IF ANY): the ian
STREET ADDRESS: *
CITY: Metro Manila
STATE: NCR
ZIP: 1500
PHONE NUMBER * (HOME): *
(WORK): *
(CELL): *
FAX NUMBER: *
E-MAIL: graceoverkarma@hotmail.com
GENDER : M
AGE: 27
DATE OF BIRTH: May 30, 1975
SOCIAL SECURITY #: n/a
MARITAL STATUS / SIGNIFICANT OTHER: yes
DO YOU HAVE ANY CHILDREN? PLEASE LIST THEIR NAMES AND AGES: no
NAME: AGE:
____________________ _____
____________________ _____
____________________ _____

2) TEAMMATE INFORMATION
TEAMMATE'S FIRST NAME: Nelson
TEAMMATE'S LAST NAME: Agustin
HOW LONG HAVE YOU AND YOUR TEAMMATE KNOWN EACH OTHER?
- 8 months and counting.
HOW DID YOU MEET?
- We met through a mutual friend. I was just coming out of the closet and my high school classmate (and his friend) fixed us up.
WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT OCCUPATION?
- Entrepreneur and restaurant manager.
IN WHICH OTHER OCCUPATIONS, IF ANY, HAVE YOU BEEN EMPLOYED (PLEASE LIST THE LAST THREE (3)?
- Animator trainee & Inbetweener, Freelance Flash Animator, Freelance Artist
WHAT IS YOUR LEVEL OF EDUCATION AND WHAT SCHOOL(S) DID YOU ATTEND?
- College Graduate; UP Diliman (College of Business Administration, bachelor degree in management & College of Fine Arts, bachelor degree in visual communications, major)
- La Salle Greenhills (High school and grade school)
NAME THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE HOBBIES.
1. Surfing the net
2. Watching Television
3. Playing music
NOT INCLUDING YOUR CURRENT PLACE OF RESIDENCE, IN WHICH OTHER CITIES AND/OR COUNTRIES HAVE YOU LIVED AND FOR WHAT PERIOD OF TIME?
- None
HAVE YOU BEEN TREATED FOR ANY SERIOUS PHYSICAL OR MENTAL ILLNESS(ES) WITHIN THE LAST THREE YEARS? IF YES, PLEASE DESCRIBE IN DETAIL, CITING DATES, DIAGNOSIS AND ANY ON-GOING PROBLEMS:
- No
ARE YOU CURRENTLY TAKING ANY MEDICATIONS? IF YES, WHICH ONES?
- No
PLEASE LIST ANY ALLERGIES YOU HAVE (MEDICATIONS, FOOD, HAY FEVER, DUST, ETC.) AND YOUR CURRENT TREATMENT FOR THEM:
- None
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ARRESTED? IF SO, WHEN, ON WHAT CHARGE(S), AND WERE YOU CONVICTED?
- No
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN SUBJECT TO ANY NON-JUDICIAL DISCIPLINARY OR ADMINISTRATIVE HEARINGS OR TRIBUNAL(S)? IF SO, EXPLAIN THE CIRCUMSTANCES AND THE OUTCOMES OF SUCH HEARING(S) OR TRIBUNAL(S).
- No
LIST THREE ADJECTIVES THAT BEST DESCRIBE YOU:
1. Good-natured
2. Impulsive
3. Analytical
WHAT IS THE ACCOMPLISHMENT YOU ARE MOST PROUD OF?
- Hasn't happened yet.
WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR OF TRAVELING?
- Being alone and losing my all my money and passport in a foreign city.
WHAT MOST EXCITES YOU ABOUT TRAVELING?
- Seeing things I've never seen before and trying new foods.
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ON TELEVISION BEFORE? IF SO, WHEN AND WHAT SHOWS?
- No
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE TV SHOW?
- The Amazing Race (natch!), Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Boston Public, Friends.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE?
- Spaceballs by Mel Brooks
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MUSIC TO LISTEN TO?
- Opm rock (Sugar Free, Imago, Fatal Posporos, Twisted Halo, Itchyworms, Cynthia Alexander etc.)
DESCRIBE YOUR PERFECT DAY:
- Wake up late, eat a big breakfast of scrambled eggs with cheese, garlic rice, bacon, spam and hotdogs. Meet Nelz and spend the day together; just lying down, reading, watching DVDs and cable tv. At night, we go out to catch a live band performance. Afterwards we grab a barrel of KFC mixture of original recipe and hot & crispy for dinner and we retire to my apartment where we eat the chicken and spend the rest of the night cuddling.
WHAT IS/WAS THE MOST EXCITING MOMENT OF YOUR LIFE?
- Finally coming out of the closet.
DO YOU BELONG TO ANY AFFILIATIONS OR ORGANIZATIONS?
- Powerpoets
WHAT ARE YOUR PHOBIAS?
- Spiders, Heights
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT YOUR FAMILY? ARE YOU CLOSE?
- I love them but sometimes I feel that I don't really know them.
WHAT IS THE BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT YOU HAVE EXPERIENCED FROM YOUR TEAMMATE?
- None yet.
HOW DID YOU RESOLVE IT?
- N/a, but I imagine it would involve a lot of talking and communication.
HOW DO YOU BLOW OFF STEAM?
- Lose my temper: Scream, yell, punch things. Feel horribly guilty afterwards.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE TOPIC OF CONVERSATION AT A DINNER PARTY? WHAT TOPICS ARE OFF LIMITS?
- Gossip, tsimis, chika. Nothing is off limits, Hehe
WHAT IS YOUR OPINION OF FOREIGNERS?
- As long as they treat people and the local customs with respect when they go abroad I have no problem with them.
ARE YOU GOOD AT GEOGRAPHY?
- Hell no.
ARE THERE ANY LOCATIONS IN THE WORLD THAT YOU ABSOLUTELY WILL NOT TRAVEL TO AND WHY?
- Africa, Zimbabwe in particular. For their digusting human rights violations, particularly against gays.
WHAT FAMOUS PERSON REMINDS YOU OF YOURSELF?
- Jack Black. The guy is husky, manic, with an in-your-face, twisted sense of humor, and an acoustic rocker to boot!
WHAT FAMOUS PERSON REMINDS YOU OF YOUR TEAMMATE?
- Madonna, duh. Tinatanong pa ba yan? ;)
WHAT TYPE OF ACTIVITIES DO YOU LIKE TO DO WITH YOUR TEAMMATE?
- Travel, cooking, eating, Fooling around.
WHAT IS THE MOST MEMORABLE TIME TOGETHER WITH YOUR TEAMMATE? WHY?
- When we first met. Everything clicked, and within a week of meeting we were officially a couple. Because I thought that I would have to go through a truckload of losers before I met someone who was everything I ever wanted in a person.
WHAT IS THE WORST EXPERIENCE YOU HAVE HAD WITH YOUR TEAMMATE? WHY?
- Um, our first argument. For obvious reasons.
WHAT ARE YOUR BIGGEST PET PEEVES ABOUT YOURSELF?
- Overly analytical. Moody. Tendency to brood. Overactive imagination if left alone for too long. Insecure. Lazy. Lacks motivation. Slow thinker. Memento-level short-term memory.
HAVE YOU EVER TRAVELED OUTSIDE THE U.S.? IF SO, TO WHERE?
- Sydney, & Brisbane, Australia. Hong Kong, China. New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Charlotte, Orlando, USA. Tokyo, Japan.
HOW ARE YOU AND YOUR TEAMMATE MOST ALIKE?
- We both have a passion for life and don’t let anyone else’s opinions affect how we choose to live it.
HOW ARE YOU AND YOUR TEAMMATE MOST DIFFERENT?
- He has much more life experience than me and is a bit jaded. I am more sheltered, but also have a more innocent outlook on the world.
DO YOU SPEAK OR READ ANY FOREIGN LANGUAGES? IF SO, WHICH ONE(S)?
- Tagalog
WHAT COUNTRY AND PLACE WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO VISIT AND WHY?
- Japan, because I’m interested in so many aspects of their culture, both pop and traditional.
WHAT PART OF THE WORLD IS LEAST INTERESTING TO YOU AND WHY?
- Asia. Because I’m exposed to it so much already, I guess. (And yes, I realize the irony of Japan being a part of Asia)
DO YOU GET SEA, AIR OR CARSICK? IF YES, PLEASE STATE WHICH.
- Carsick only when I read.
WHAT SPORTS, HOBBIES OR SPECIAL SKILLS DO YOU HAVE?
- I make my own ice cream. I sing and play guitar. I also lift weights.
WHAT IS YOUR PRIMARY MOTIVATION FOR BEING ON THE SHOW? WHAT IS YOUR SECONDARY MOTIVATION FOR BEING ON THE SHOW?
- To show that 2 gay guys can kick ass and look fabulous while doing it. To travel together with Nelz and go places neither of us have ever been to before.
DO YOU KNOW ANYBODY INVOLVED IN THE PRODUCTION OF THE PROGRAM?
- Nope.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU NEED OR WANT TO TELL US?
- I can’t promise that there won’t be any PDA between us for the duration of the trip. ;)

* witheld to protect my privacy

Promise

What you whispered to me the other night as we held each other in the dark simultaneously broke my heart and strengthened my resolve to love you no matter what. It was also the closest you've ever come to telling me that you're in this for the Long Haul. I felt deeply honored to know that in a way, the fate of your happiness now rests in my hands. In my whole life, I've never had that much responsibility for someone else.

In my 27 years, one of the few things that I can say for certain about Life is that it very rarely follows the plans that you make for it. To declare any sort of permanence is usually tempting fate, and just begging to be proven wrong. Knowing myself and the stakes involved, I should be more apprehensive than this, but I'm not. On the contrary, I've never felt more calmly sure about something as I do about this: It's going to be You and Me.

I'm not going anywhere.

It's the next Asereje, I tell you

Just click on this link. Words cannot do it justice.

When you post something on the internet, don't be surprised to see it show up and passed around by people you've never even heard of.

There are people watching, so you HAVE to forgive me

There's this new segment on ABS-CBN's noontime show Magandang Tanghali Bayan where if a couple has had a fight, one of the lovers (usually the guy) can go to the show and get some of the celebrities to try and win her back. They do the whole shebang: the stars sing to her, there is flowers, and even a cake. Then the guy makes this heartfelt apology to the girl, complete with tears running down his face. And it's all broadcasted on live television.

There's something unsettling about the whole concept. The fact that it's something that should be a private affair is laid bare for the entire nation to see. And the girl is really put on the spot there. It glosses over whatever the guy did that made her so angry to begin with, focusing only on how "sweet" he is for going on the show to try and win her back. If she doesn't take him back, no matter his trespass, she'll look like an unforgiving, unromantic bitch on national TV: "Oh honey, it doesn't matter that you slept with my best friend and gave me a black eye, you got Marvin Agustin and Dominic Ochoa to sing for me! Let's make up!"

I know if I EVER pulled this sort of crap with Nelz, he would proceed to kick my ass up and down all over live television for trying such a cheap and manipulative stunt. This is local networks' attempt in miniature to cash in on the whole reality-TV craze, and while I'm a huge fan of shows like Survivor and The Amazing Race, I find myself squirming uncomfortably when I see this debacle unfold in front of me every lunchtime.

Just once, I'd like to see one of these women refuse to take him back and just dump the loser, right there on camera.

What's the first thing you think about when you wake up?

I've been trying to get back into the creative groove, just working on some songs. I've narrowed it down to one, and the hooks I've come up with are promising. This morning when I woke up, before I was even fully conscious I found myself already playing the song back in my head; trying out possible lyrics in the music. I can't even remember the last time that happened.

That felt really good.

Ice Cream for grownups

On a whim, and to test the Cuisinart Ice Cream maker my aunt got me, I made a batch of homemade ice cream, substituting Shakers Chocolate Mudslide for milk.

Yummmmmmmmmm.......... I can't wait for it to harden. Hee hee....

Is anyone really surprised?



What Is Your Animal Personality?
brought to you by Quizilla
Sooooooooooooooooooo appropriate. Especially the last part.

On second thought...

Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to tell Nelz to "Go for it". Now I won't be able to wear tank tops for a week....

All Apologies

I'm not proud of the way I was last week. An tag-team assault of simultaneous mood swings and a communications breakdown ultimately led to me brooding (one of the worst aspects of my personality) when I should have been talking. The result was the parade of anger and self-pity of recent entries.

In person, I was even worse: I was abrasive, needy, moody, depressed and whiny (did I miss anything?). In short: a frigging Drama Queen. A few years back in one of her articles, Twisted! columnist Jessica Zafra came up with one of the best curses I ever read: "May you become what you hate the most". For a couple of days there last week, that certainly was the case for me.

I like to think that generally, I'm pleasant enough to be around. But when I allow myself to get in a bad way, things tend to get really ugly. I'm not making excuses for the way I was; I admit that I wasn't a very good person to be around last week.

I'd like to publicly apologize to the people who were subjected to that side of me. I promise to try and not let things get this far again, and if they do, I'll try to keep it to myself. Thanks to all the people who put up with me the past week, and again, I'm sorry.

You all know who you are. :-)