I got the call center job. After I looked for Carlo (the guy who promised to call me, but didn't) in the Unionbank building in Ortigas, I was given a final interview schedule for 5:30 in the afternoon so I rushed to school just in time for our reporting for my ACDC class. I don't go to my Eco class anymore, which was supposedly for 12 noon, because I've already decided to drop it.

Pre-empting my Thermo and Machine Design class, I went back to Ortigas and met with the Recruitment Manager, who conducted the interview. It went fine and swift, contrary to what I've been expecting. What only puzzled me was her answer to my question (I was trying to really impress her, you know):






The bastard hasn't called yet. That guy who has given me the Skills examination for my application in ICT promised to call me today and give me my Final interview schedule but he didn't. Im feeling nervous already, I think he's not going to call anymore. I'm going there anyway on Wednesday, (I'm still giving him tomorrow to remember me) and ask him personally what on earth had happened.

For the meantime, I'd have to finish the video about Motor rewinding due on Wednesday afternoon, with Rj and the rest of my group. I just want it over and done and hopefully we will be able to finish it tomorrow coz really, it's not a very clean job.



Isn't it odd how the pinoy perception of beauty is defined by what's new and what's hot? Just like in the celphone industry, do you remember the time when nothing could be more techie-savvy and more fashionable than large-sized analog phones? Then as the digital phones cropped up, no one ever paid attention to analog phones again. You are not considered 'in' if your phone is not equiped with a camera.

In fashion, wasn't it considered sexy for a time when you wear large colorful belts and paddings right on your elbows? Try doing that today and for sure all eyes will be on you as if you have killed someone's mother. Then do you remember those ridiculous elephant pants? I swear to god, you're gonna laugh your heads off when you see yourself wearing a pair of that in a picture five years from now.

It's also funny how the Philippine Cinema and Television dictates what looks great and what doesn't, what's hot and what's not or what's in and out. Back in the early decades of the Philippine development, when the colonial mentality is truly rampant, nothing more than a mestizo or mestiza can be allowed to be called a beauty. Us filipinos, being commonly dark-skinned, doesn't really belong to that category and it's really strange that we ourselves back then don't consider our own self a beauty. We have inherited the notion that we are indios and just because of that we had always considered a sunburnt skin in constant inferiority to the whites.

Take the case of my bestfriend, Jules. In the mid-90's, when Mexican telenovelas dominated the Philippine Television airtime and Thalia was the most beautiful woman alive, he hitted for girls with hispanic beauties which eventually lead him to Vanessa, his first real love, who really has the look of a Spanish soap opera queen. Their dramatic love story ended in tragedy just as the flair for Mexican telenovelas did, and just in time for the birth of another epoch, the Asian drama series.

The new 'mania' really didn't offer any difference except that the Asian invasion (Philippines not included) also dominated the worldwide cinemas with the consecutive showings of different Asian films almost always having the same genre: horror, that some of the movies produced were even remade in Hollywood, indicative of the fact that Asian movies, indeed gained a lot of notice. Though some have also succesfully produced romantic Asian flicks, such as the phenomenal My Sassy Girl among others, the drama type was given more attention on television.

And subconsciously, as if on cue, Jules began looking for girls with rosy pearl skins and eyes that disappear when they smile, almost in perfect resemblance to the 'hot item', Sandara Park. And currently, he's going out with Shiela Marie, a girl he knew from way back in grade school and who exudes the beauty of a Korean chic, purely Asian- a trait considered beautiful just recently.

Then I began to wonder when the true Filipina beauty will get the spotlight on her or if that will ever happen, knowing that Filipinos are combination of mixed races. And now that our own local dramas have been replaced with Asian 'canned' telenovelas, I don't feel certain anymore if the Filipina stands a good chance to get noticed. I don't even know who among our local celebrities gives out the true Filipina beauty.

And if you will look at it geographically, you will see that the Pinoy perception of beauty has been getting nearer and nearer. From Latin America (Mexican Telenovelas), we went to Taiwan (Meteor Garden) then swerved a little bit to Korea (Lovers in Paris, Full House). I just hope it would go a little bit back to the Philippines and give the Filipina her time of day before it heads further to the Bollywood of India. Oh, God forbid.



You can never really be too happy in this life. One moment your on top and on the next, things get out of hand. Jules and I together with Rj went to the ICT group office in the Unionbank building in Ortigas to apply for a part time job in the call center.

Then after the nerve-wracking initial interview and after Jules' declared in the Interview room, in front of a group of other applicants including me, that he doesn't want being pressured and god knows what happened to Rj on the other room, I was the only one who passed.

I was then asked to go back at 2:30 in the afternoon for the second level and since it was only 11:00 am, we went to Makati and dropped off our resumes at the Sykes Inc.

In the afternoon, I went back alone to the Ortigas and luckily passed the Call Simulation, where I was interviewed over the phone. And later, I underwent Skills examination which I surely failed. On the first set of the exam, a message box appeared on the screen of my computer telling me that I've exceeded the minimum allowable wrong answers. DAMN.. I went on with the other two, not being able to finish the last after I have exceeded the time limit. Aaah!!

They have given me my Final interview schedule for Monday but I have requested to make it Tuesday, since I can't afford to absent myself from school again since I wasn't able to go to school yesterday.

I proceeded to Jules' house and agreed to meet Mench there because I don't have money anymore. Then about an hour after she arrived, we left for home. She lend me 50 bucks and on my way to Edsa, it became two 20-peso bills because I had to pay 10 bucks for the tricycle.

On the bus on my way to Guadalupe, I've realized that the remaining 20-peso bill have ripped off right in the middle. So for the first time in my life, and very shamefully, I begged a stranger for 5 bucks with a promise that I will pay him if I ever I see him again. Dyahe!!!!



Mama seemed really upset about Cody's death. After adopting three askals, er, Philippine dogs I mean, they went home from Batangas with another dog again. Then with the arrival of Dagul's son (by another Dachscund), the dogs in the house have now outnumbered the humans even with Hansel, now also living with us.

I don't know, but little by little, I can see the whole household is being transformed into a canine orphanage. Now, I heard she's gonna get another one. (sighs..)



Conversation over lunch before my Parents and my sister left for the Pastoral (Church workers) Outing.





Jules and I were planning to apply for a part-time call center work so when he messaged me to call a number he had given and simply told me that I will earn money just by doing so, I assumed it was connected to the call center agency that has called him a few nights ago.

As soon as Mench arrived, I curiously (and stupidly) called over the payphone the number that Jules had given. And to my horror, it was the ABS-CBN's number and since our channel 2 isn't working, I hadn't the slightest idea what it was all about. The next thing I know, I was being inteviewed and I am now a certified contender to be one of the 12 contestants for the Filipino version of the famed Big Brother reality show! What the...?!!.

I just might be in the Filipino version scheduled to air on June 2005.

If you're in for a wild-smashing action flick, filled with some good laughs and one-liners this summer, the xXx 2: State of the Union is the perfect movie for you.

Ice Cube plays the role of the new xXx after Vin Diesel's character died (as we're told in the movie). He was a wrongly imprisoned soldier who was then forced to escape with the help of his former platoon boss, played by Samuel L. Jackson, to assume where Vin Diesel's character left off. Then the action begins.

The president of the USA's life is in danger after the US Defense Secretary plotted his assassination which was of course impeded by Ice Cube and led them to the highlight of the movie which was in the US president's bullet train.

Almost every scene is filled with shocking sequences, and I mean shocking. My sister could attest to that. She got so affected and so seated-over-the-edge all throughout the movie that there was a scene where she got so surprised that she inadvertently spilled half of her soda over the guy in front of her.

After falling sick for the past days, it was really a comfort to be paid a visit by one of the people I truly miss. Ranna dropped by the school today, constantly ranting about her broken computer.

She was looking really well and I'm feeling more comfortable now with her than I felt a few months back. I just wished I had more time to spend with her but unfortunately, only after a few minutes in the computer shop (I peeked at her computer and who I saw was no surprise-Angelina Jologs), I had to leave for a quiz in my Thermodynamics class.

I tried to check if she was still there after an hour and a half, but the pretty lady in red wasn't there anymore.



My toothache/headache cum migraine plus fever has gotten to its ultimate strength. I woke up today feeling all these and you could just imagine how hard it had been. I know, basing on my state, I should have stayed home but basing on my professors' standards, that is never an option.

Nonetheless, I still ended up in the clinic this afternoon, failing to attend, for the second consecutive time my ACDC class.

I was really feeling bad but I still tried and went to my other classes before I finally went home, happy that my Mama was there to attend to me.

The single thought that makes me happy right now is that I might get my old figure back. I can't eat anything harder than noodles and bananas because of this immensely gruesome toothache, I really need to get my molar extracted.



I won't be surprised to see myself in scandalous pictures or even videos one of these days. In the afternoon, with a near-splitting headache and a near-unbearable toothache, I went for a quick stroll at the SM Manila. I went down to the Food Music Zone to take a pee.

After doing so, I washed my face at the lavatory (where else?) and as I was wiping it with my towel I heard a sound of a camera clicked. When I checked, I saw this weird guy pointing his camera phone right at my crotch! That's when I realized that we were the only ones inside the rest room, I wondered how long could he have already been there with me and what else could he have captured in Kodak moments. Gosh! As I was just about to confront him what on earth he was doing, he gave me that most disgusting smile I've ever seen in my entire life! He scared me to death so I walked out.

The bastard followed me to the drinking fountain so I hurried to leave and when I looked back to check if he was still following, I saw him with a group of giggling women and his phone still focused on me! DIE PEOPLE!! DIE!!

20 minutes later, they followed me to the 3rd floor, again with that darn phone pointed on my direction. AAARGH!!

I got a raging fever when I got home.

These are secrets told by other people through postcards. It's funny that we can relate ourselves to some of them. To check other postsecrets or if you want to send your own, go to www.postsecret.blogspot.com

I was meaning to whine on this entry and complain that the things that are happening in school are getting too much for me. One terror professor after the other and one horrible paper work right after the other. It was like a chain of unfortunate events, I failed to attend Madame Noche's class (I'm beginning to hate her actually, she's good but she has no word of honor, last term she announced her resignation because of the Malayan thing, whatever happened to that, but now what? I'm afraid I could get heart attack one day from her stern stares) because I slept really late last night, I tried to finish my Machine Design plate. I then went directly to the library to complete my Lap winding set-up for the next class only to realize that we did it the wrong way so needless to say, I didn't attend the ACDC class as well.

I continued with making the 10-problem assignment for my Thermodynamics class, but only completed 4. Later it turned out that Engr. Balberona only needed 5. Now that was a relief. I really wanted to escape from all these things and I was already beginning to ask myself if I was right in filling my subject load for this term coz it was really getting to me now. All the time, I was sitting on the same chair inside the library, provided with O.T.'s (old testament) by my newfound friends and never having the nerve to ask if they were correct. I pondered upon thinking if I did the right decision 5 years back. Was M.E. really for me? Or am I just trying to convince myself that it is? RJ once told me this line: "Pasasaan ba't mapapasa natin ang lahat ng ito." but was he right? Why can't I find the optimism he has and apply it on myself? Why doesn't he worry in as much as I do, though I was already ahead of him even if he is a batch older than I am?

Mr. Balberona reprimanded us in his class and his words made me change my mind about whining and ranting about my life on this entry. It was ironical since only last term, I hated and cursed him so much for being so intelligent and wise but right now, I'm realizing why he have such high standards and I'm now beginning to see what he wanted us all to see: our future. I never thought that he have such great concern for us. He wanted us to see him as an example and a model, not an adversary like many thought of him. He almost pleaded us to study and I know that is what I need to do most.

Even Mr. Ventura on my last class (Machine Design) lectured us on the things that we should be paying more attention to, that is our studies. I know what they said are already known thoughts but maybe I only needed to hear it from the people that could take me where I wanted to be.



Mench had gone nuts. She messaged my sister (as if they were close) and proudly told her that we’ve been going steady for 2 years now (even she know I’ve taken her seriously only recently) She even supplemented that with stories that are going about our ‘relationship’. Why she did that, I don’t know, but what I know is that I smell trouble.

I’ve already told her many times before that I don’t want my family to know the thing about us. She doesn’t know what she’s getting herself into. I know Papa very well and I’m pretty sure he would never approve of Mench as my girlfriend even (or more so) that she’s from Bicol. He has the sickening habit of investigating about the family backgrounds of the girls I go out with and in Mench’s case that would be a piece of cake.

Maybe she’s trying to see how I would fight for her but what she doesn’t know is that I am trying to protect her. I have never introduced any of my past girlfriends to my family, especially to my father, but one. And that one didn’t really turn out right coz I have been in constant disagreement with him and the arguments we had usually ended up with my girl.

I don’t really know what’s going on Mench’s mind but her recent actions are scaring me. Just last week, she texted an ex of mine to no end and she would check my phone every time it rings as if she’d find something out. Things could have been great and fine between us, without her doing that.



From the stars to the mud. Mench moved out from the exquisite 36th floor condominium unit to a diminutive dorm-type room located in what she labelled as a squatter’s area in Quezon City. She’s been having a hard time dealing with her cousin, Shiela, since Joy and I went to the condo the last time and she have finally decided to leave after Shiela accused her of taking birth control pills which the latter found somewhere inside the house.

Mench have been telling me these past few days that she and Shiela have been in constant dispute with each other since that night Joy and I went there. And after that god-forsaken night, I heard Shiela said that I was ‘baduy’, the first time in my life that someone has actually said that to me, and that I walk like a traitor (really now, I can’t understand the way she thinks) and that’s where it all started.

I can’t help feeling guilty and responsible about what happened to them though I can’t see any point why Shiela had to say those things, but Mench assured me that she’s already been planning to move out long before what happened. She even said that she couldn’t have lived in that place in the first place if not for Ed’s (Shiela’s sister) plea, who is in Singapore right now.

For the time being, Mench will be staying with her friend with a 5-year old kid, who were also from Bicol, in that rented room until we find a better place.

As for me, I don’t think I can ever have the nerve again to wear that red Superman shirt I wore the night that bitch called me ‘baduy’. She is so mean.

Muriel is back on track. After signing a promissory note, the hospital finally released her. Today was the first time she went out after her recovery and she hoped to see the barkada but they were nowhere to be found so she went to her high school friends' place instead.

On our way to Manila, in the LRT, she told me that when she was still in the hospital, a visitor of the other patient claimed to be working for Eddie Gil, the controversial presidential candidate. She asked the guy if Eddie was really rich and he answered yes and even said that Eddie is a son from another woman of the late president, Ferdinand Marcos. Crap. You be the judge.

father and son?

I've been keeping this list on my outbox messages for some reason I don't know. I've seen it posted on my mother's nurse's station back in the time when I felt so low. It talks about things that we should do about our lives to make it a little less harder using the Noah's ark as its medium. It sound so inspiring and I feel I should share these things with someone out there.

• Don't miss the boat.
• Plan ahead, it wasn't raining when Noah built the ark.
• Stay fit, someone might ask you to do something really big when you're already 60.
• Don't listen to critics, just get on with the job to be done.
• Build your future on high ground.
• For safety's sake, travel in pairs.
• Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs.
• When you are stressed, float awhile.
• Remember that the ark was built by amateurs, the Titanic by professionals.
• No matter the storm, when you are with God, there's always a rainbow waiting.

I asked Jules if he reads my blog entries from start to end. He confessed that he doesn't. He said it partially depends on the length of my post and mostly on the titles. From that moment, I promised myself to give my entries catchy titles.

And after my brief meeting with Jules, I had my first quiz for my Fluid Mechanics class under Engr. Dela Cruz (one of the scaringly-reputed B.A.D. professors, BAD stands for Balberona, Anastacio and finally, Dela Cruz). As expected, nabano na naman ako.

I saw an ad, posted on the wall as I made my way out of the school, searching for NCAA courtside reporters. Of course, no one would be surprised if Andrew Trapani would dare to join, because putting himself in a shameful state is not new to anyone anymore, but I felt really stupid smiling as I walked out of the school gate, fancying myself as a courtside reporter, that a girl on my way even thought I was smiling at her.

I had a long weekend this previous week and the classes were cancelled yesterday due to the declared holiday. But that didn't stop me from going out of the house. Last Saturday, I was in Recto searching for the Machine Design book. I found it, actually loads of it, but I underestimated the price so I left empty handed. I killed the remaining time I have by going to the old and stinking Isetann mall, the nearest mall from the Mapua High School, and once again, a stranger have mistakened me to be a sex worker.

Sunday, I went with Mench in Bicutan. It was a birthday celebration of her cousin, Bhal. At first, I was a stranger to everyone and everything was almost fine until the people learned that I am Arnold's son. The Sorsogon contingent of the National Sunog-baga's began talking to me as if we've been friends since high school and explained to me how my father is so famous in San Juan, Sorsogon. Oh tell me about it.

Yesterday was the only chance I had to actually stay in the house. And my father didn't pass up that chance to let me staff the store again from afternoon til closing time and when I got home, I was already too tired to study my lessons. (Nampucha! parang totoo.)