[48] The Angel Wears Prada

[48]

The Angel Wears Prada

I have no idea if Angel Locsin does wear Prada. Let's not go into that anyway.

Last Sunday in SOP, she was given the usual birthday tribute: a singing session (with Trillo and Gutierrez), video greetings from links, slide show of her show-business development, cakes and candles, and of course, a life-size bouquet. Do not naysay when I say she’s god-damn divine. Perhaps, she may be the synonym of the word "beautiful".

I first saw her on the Saturday teenybopper show, Click, in where she plays a amiable yet tomboyish girl-next-door role and had Bryan Revilla as her partner (calm down, I know it’s veryyy inappropriate). She was Charlie, from Charlotte. I know then that I liked her.

She was seen later as the goody-goody heroine. She was an aerial (literally) feathery woman in Mulawin; a gawked at with in red skimpy two piece superhero in Darna; a charming magician in Majika; and now as the adventurous daredevil in Asian Treasures. She has indeed done a lot of shows that people would conclude that she’s already nakakasuya. I do not question that, of course. But hey, what can your Bea Alonzo do? Can your Kristine Hermosa tumble and do martial arts? Your Claudine Barretto is not so cool now, you know. Excuse me for that. Insulting your ‘idols’, I don’t intend.

In a way, her movies caused my allowance to plummet down. I watched TXT last October and remarked, "Ang ganda!" Then last Christmas, I watched Mano Po 5 and cried out, "Ang ganda talaga!" Before we go further, a little reminder: I'm not yet that mad so relax!

Her asset that made me go wild was her ---eyes! If you would examine further, you would exclaim that hers was so oriental. So lovely. For now, you just can't take my admiration (almost addiction) off her. Eek!

[47] The Friend, the Fool and the F*cker

[47]

The Friend, the Fool and the F*cker

Under quasi-scrutiny, I have seemed to undergo a phase of knowing some friends better and in the end--- firmly segregating them from my bin of 'real' friends. Many of which are esoteric and insular leading to being what people call, ostentatious. In Tagalog, plastik. Worry not; I would not resort to shoving you. I am civilized and I know what I’m doing. I would not name you guys. I would not publicize your reprehensible doings.

Still, I do not plunk myself in the chart or the pedestal of "The World's Greatest Friend" for I too become at some remorseful times plastik. That is when you bedevil and backstab me, and of course when you do the same to my true and beloved friends. I think, for some, I am a good actor; to that, I know well how to act as if I am a ‘friend’ to you. Beware.

I am not angry. Or I am just writing down my angst. I am anxious. And I am getting cynical of my social life. That I would spill my trust unto people and in the end, getting close-to-betrayed.

There you go. I just do not know why they have done these to me. I have considered them as important to me back then. I am rankled.

In the title, I refer 'the friend' to those people who still continue to be, well, my friends. I know them well and I thank you. 'The fool' is of course me with an unobvious reason (take that, if you’re an airhead.) Meanwhile, 'the f*cker is of course the sort of the people I mentioned. But still, I am not emasculated. I am strong, and since these people are out of my life, lest they know, I am back and cheerful again. I wish them luck. Bad luck.

PS. Just as I typed this, I was watching SOP featuring Angel Locsin's birthday tribute. I can not help but to ease myself. My trouble was somehow deferred.

[46] The Terminator

[46]

The Terminator

Jan Margaux, a two-year old niece of mine is one heck of kiti-kiti. I took pictures of her. See all her alter egos. I know she's adorable but she's a lethal weapon sugar-coated!

Religious.

Commercial Model.

For a Horror/Suspense flick.

Constipated?

Wiz.

[45] My Cousin's Wedding

[45]
My Cousin's Wedding

I would think that marriage is much like jumping out from a flying plane without a geared up parachute on your back. It’s an ambivalent mode of fear and trepidation, as well as excitement and thrill that you're holding hands with the one you chose to grow old with. Getting married is a hard decision: you leave or limit all your bad habits like barkada outings, inumans, computer games, and etcetera, for one human who has an anatomy greatly different from yours, and practically brings out the Cornyology in you. Hey, I’m single.

Manang (Ilocanos actually use the term "manang" for politeness, as for "ate" in the Tagalog, to women older than ours) Julette was a jovial first cousin of mine, so much like a sister, who just came back in the Philippines after 2 years of nursing work in the Bahamas to renovate their house--- and to marry.

Sir Glenn, in my knowledge, was a nursing professor in St. Paul, College Department, Ilocos Sur; I saw him do theatre for 2 consecutive years namely "Annie" and "Sound of Music" (in which I was a performer too).

I did not know for a while that these people-one I know my entire life, and the other from school-reaped fame -were on.

Just last Saturday, their close-to-majestic marriage took place in Bantay Parish Church (or is it Cathedral?) with a motif of leafy green and Father Paderes as the celebrant, at 3 PM that I willingly absented myself for Friday in my NSTP-CWTS. It was a mass assembly of SPCIS nuns and teachers from the well-known, infamous to the unknown. Before that, I was handpicked by the bride to take pictures from her digital camera being a photographer. I thought of it as my photojournalistic career debut and it actually stimulated me! But with such disappointment, I ended up missing the "you may kiss the bride" portion. (All together now) STUPID BARRY!


After the sacrament, we proceeded to the St. Paul Atrium as the venue of the reception. I guess it was a little family reunion that all my relatives bring together to project support and bliss for the newly-wed couple. The family members either form Manila or somewhere else sprouted out. The weather cooperated not as well as Margaux's (my niece) mood and the microphone of the host too. Though, I had so much fun indeed that I had never regretted that one tally mark in my attendance in class. Besides, this can be the last reunion. I just hope not.

The Reintegrado clan and some relatives. As you can see, I was informal. Gee, I was a photographer; I can't run around and taking pictures in barong or long-sleeves or whatever.

Bantay Church (or is it Cathedral?)
It's located strategically in a hilltop. It's pretty cool here.

[44] It's Burning, Man!

[44]

It's Burning, Man!

The heat is on, and I'm being literal here. Bikinis, curves, tans and (salt or chlorinated) water are not enough to level with the scorching, blistering and searing weather that is currently settling unfavorably in the metropolitan, as well as in the other localities in the country. As obvious evidence can be the moments after I take a cool bath --that I get soaked in pure sweat, fast. Indeed, this is one adverse "gifts" of the sun which we basically had dealt with since birth. In a tropical country, Jose Rizal once said that we Filipinos have the potentials of getting tired easily (of course, as a justification of our languor as speculated by the Spaniards). Our perpetual dream to get rid of the sun in the Philippines is somehow proportional to that to have snow to shower upon us. But still I love the sun, occasionally.

The strategic geography of the PI excludes us though from the sub-zero temperatures, amusing snow angels, seasonal winter, ubiquitous ice skating and of course, fun. Almost everywhere in the country, the umbrella is used as safeguard from the sun’s rays. Though in Baguio, "The Summer Capital of the Philippines" ironically one of the areas in the archipelago with a tolerable cool temperature, you could put into overuse the quilts that your Lola stitched you and be likewise, cool. You also get to utilize your heater and chimney for-crying-out-loud, and start having hearth as make the entire experience as memorable as you wanted to be for God's sake. You see students with jackets and sweatshirts as part of their school attires. And now that the said place has been exploited gradually, we shall need another 'Baguio'. But how? Call Prospero Pichay. He’ll do the rest; when he questions, recite his illustrious quote thrice. If he still questions, claim yourself as one of his fans. And if he still questions, repeat first step and so on.

Now, how can we really solve this consistent problem? Take a look at my research from Microsoft Encarta (with my proceeding bobbing comments):

"First aid for heat exhaustion begins with removing the affected person from the source of heat to a cool place, preferably near a fan or air conditioner."
Translation: Allocate yourselves away from the PI. Let’s say, in Japan or Greenland.

"Elevate the person’s legs to improve blood circulation to the brain; loosen clothing; and cool the body with wet compresses or ice packs, but not an alcoholic rub. Massage the arms and legs if cramping occurs"
Translation: Enroll in a spa for a lifetime. Don’t worry about the fee it’s practically free! How? Collect all your garapons at home and contain your sweat in it. Those will constitute your alternative fee.

"If the person is responsive to conversation and not nauseated, give electrolyte beverages or water that is slightly salty. If neither of these is immediately available, give cool water alone. However, do not give the person alcohol or caffeine, which interfere with the body’s ability to regulate temperature, and do not administer any medication to reduce body temperature. Also, stop the person from cooling too quickly to prevent shock, a reduction of blood flow to body tissues that can cause increased anxiety; pale, cool, clammy skin; rapid, weak pulse; possible fainting; or in more serious cases, coma or death. A person who experiences heat exhaustion should be checked by a doctor after several hours of rest, and should not engage in strenuous activities for one or two days."
Translation: huh?

Perhaps heat is inevitable (this does not actually make an excuse of why we're lazy); it’s just a balance of nature. Worrying about the weather is senseless if we stop there. I know it’s beyond our power that even PAG-ASA is so much far-fetched to believe in. The heat is just an obstruction to what we can attain dramatically. The point is that it’s just one of the skull-drilling environmental issues concerned. In reality, we Filipinos love to complain (ang init, 'tang ina!) and yet we subside upon done immediate lousy action where in fact, it can be drawn a solution. And the first is actually done more than solving.

Surely in the meteorological cycle, it will rain but I am a Filipino, thus I shall certainly again complain.