Thursday, June 29, 2006


Selling My Soul...For That?

Ever wonder why I like to publish my blog with long posts?

Simple, because I like mine long.

But this time, I'm trying to make this post short, like an awful one-night stand. Hope you don't come quick.

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I'm trying my best to concentrate on this entry, however by some stroke of bad luck, I found myself in a noisy noisy net cafe littered with noisy noisy high school students who waste their time playing Ragnarok and some other online games after class amidst a noisy noisy noise coming from the radio that plays nothing but novelty songs. Not that I hate novelty songs, but if you could only hear how loud it is, and if you could also only hear how rowdy these kids surrounding me are, it kinda leaves you in a blank state, unable to type in your innermost thoughts and colorful random lives.

Oh crap. Let's just continue with this.

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WORK LIFE: SELLING THE SOUL

"Are you willing to sell you soul to work for a glossy?" -- Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada

Like I told you, I had a job interview last Monday. How did it go?

The interview was for a certain outsourcing company. I won't divulge what the exact name is, because it's easily searched on google. Anyway, I went to the interview venue a little late, but good thing it wasn't a big deal.

Before I was interviewed, I was given a test paper consisting of grammar exams and some English competency tests. I think I did well, like I needed to review my English skills (yabang, yabang).

But the events took a strange turn, at the interview.

The HR staff told me that the company had two sets of clients: the mainstream and...the adult. She asked me which type of client would I be comfortable working with.

Shocking as it may sound, but I had a weird feeling about the company when I was researching about in on the Net, and most of the time I find the company's name on a number of adult websites.

I replied that I had researched about the company and I was pretty much comfortable with "both" clients. Wait, did I just say that?

While waiting for another set of examinations, I was reminded of that quote I heard while watching a preview for "The Devil Wears Prada." Am I willing to sell my soul to work for this?

I said yes, if the price is right, and took the second set of exams.

It was an arduous exam I tell you since I had to complete six of them, all of them had to do with writing. One exam was to write a story about a set of pictures that remind you of that bangbus site. You know, picking unsuspecting young girls in a van and make sluts out of them?

I didn't exactly wrote a masterpiece (I mean, would adult literature get me a Palanca Award?), but the story I wrote about it was pretty much at par with what I read in most adult sites.

Going home, I was thinking whether I would get the message that I passed. All that was clouding in my mind was if the adult clientele would pay me higher than what I earn now (a dismal P10,000 a month that sometimes gets delayed and becomes a much more dismal P2,500...a month), I would get that damn job.

But I guess God had other plans.

Dad submitted my resume at where he works. The job opening would be tough, but I hope I would get that one. I spare you from counting chicks before they hatch, so I ask my dear subjects...errr, readers, I should get used using that term...to pray with me.

I pray too, you know.

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OPINIONATED LIFE: BOO-YEY

BOO: TO SOLAR ENTERTAINMENT. For showing World Cup games on a very very delayed basis, and instead broadcast the live games at posh bistros, bars, and hotels, giving Filipinos the impression that football is for the rich and elite. tsk tsk...



YEY: TO ABC-5. For continuing fueling our enthusiasm for Philippine Idol by featuring new teasers and previews every week. We hope Philippine Idol would indeed become a television phenomenon. PLUG: Don't forget to visit Philippine Idol Updates for the latest about this upcoming program.



BOO: TO VARIETY SHOW "ASAP." For having a copycat logo of Philippine Idol for their lame production number.



YEY: TO BUBBLE GANG. For this funny rock song spoof.

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I'm keeping the men-worshipping to myself for now. I'll share them to you once I'm done, just kidding.




Friday, June 23, 2006


My Backward Country (Bow...)

WORK LIFE: DELAYS AND MORE DELAYS (IS THERE ANY HOPE?)

Just when I thought that it was only the kiddie show (and my salary from it) that gets delayed, now I hear more bad news.

On the eve of our supposed meeting with the celebrity mom for our new show project, our executive producer got hospitalized for severe stomach pains. Not only the meeting was cancelled, our production manager was informed by the TV network that the target timeslot for the new show had been taken.

This caused a ripple effect of sorts. Our salaries would be further delayed since our supposed talent fees were used for the hospitalization. The development for the new show would be taking a back seat.

Our executive producer was released two days before, but because she celebrated too much after the release, she was hospitalized again yesterday.

Is there any hope for the almost-penniless multi-media multi-tasker? It feels like I'm a masochist when it comes to careers, that I would able to tolerate even the most severe of financial problems for the love of the job. I left my first job as a model agent after five months of not being paid, and now this.

I decided to take action...

I have a job interview on Monday. Wish me luck.

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OPINIONATED LIFE: IF NOAH IS FILIPINO

I received this e-mail recently and I couldn't help but to share its words of wisdom to my dearest subjects...I mean, readers.

The scenario is a version of Noah's Ark in a Philippine setting.

It is translated to English for the delight of my international readers:

The year was 2005 and Noah lived as an ordinary middle-class Filipino. One day, God appeared to him and said, "A Great Flood will cover the Philippines one year from now. I command you to build an ark to shelter pairs of different animals as well as Filipino couples from all over the country." God gave Noah the specifications of the ark and he full-heartedly accepted the responsibility of saving his fellow Filpinos from the iminent flood.

After one year, God appeared again to Noah. Upon seeing that Noah hadn't built an ark ever since, God became furious. "Where is the ark I asked you to build," God asked.

"Forgive me, my Lord, for I have failed to fulfill your command," Noah replied. "There had been a great problem in Your plan."

And Noah began narrating the obstacles that besieged his work of building the ark.

He asked for a Mayor's permit, but he was told that the Mayor will only grant permission if Noah would assign the construction firm of the Mayor's nephew as the contractor.

He then went to the Congressman's office, but the politician would grant Noah's permit if he would receive 30% of the construction budget.

His hired workers established a labor union and declared a strike, while left-wing groups became aware of Noah's plans and they set-up rallies for unfair procedures in choosing the people who would be in the ark (only God-believing people are allowed).

Even gay and lesbian groups joined in the rallies because only heterosexual couples were allowed in the ark.

Civil society groups also joined in the fray, accusing the ark project as being funded by gambling lords.

With all the chaos and media coverage this event had been receiving, the Senate initiated a hearing "in aid of legislation." Noah tried to invoke Executive Order 464 to inhibit himself from the hearing, but since he wasn't an executive official, he was forced to attend.

When the Senators realized that the project was God's command, they declared it unconstitutional due to separation of Church and State.

The National Bureau of Investigation as well as Philippine National Police claimed that they received classified information that the ark would be used as an escape vehicle of former President Joseph Estrada, while the Armed Forces and Department of Justice reported that the ark would be used by renegade soldiers in their coup against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Noah went to the office of Presidential Spokesperson Mike Defensor, requesting a visit to the president. He was told that GMA would only allow the ark to be built if the slogan "Towards A Strong Republic" would be painted on it.

"I refuse the president's offer and until now the project has a Temporary Restraining Order. I think it would take 10 years to complete the ark, my Lord," Noah ended his woeful narration.

God shook His head and said, "I do not need to destroy this country. I let the Filipinos destroy their country by themselves."

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INTERMISSION NUMBER: KEYS ME

Because of overwhelming clamor, Philippine starlet Alyssa Alano is gracious enough to do an encore performance of her rendition of "Keys Me" by Sixpence None The Richer. Finally, this is her claim to fame.

(applause)



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MOTIF: DISNEYLAND!

Finally, after that whirlwind compulsory shopping tour (by the way, we also passed by a jewelry factory and bought a pearl earring and necklace set for Queen Mother; that was the least we could do after failing to shop for Lacostes and Nikes), the imperial family found themselves to Hong Kong Disneyland.

It was raining when we visited the theme park, so we bought a pair of plastic parkas for HK$35 each. Boy, that parka was giving me the sweats.



There was supposed to be a grand parade by the time we entered Disneyland, but because it was raining, the parade only consisted of two carriages filled with Disney mascots all in raincoats. Even Mickey and Minnie had hoods that fitted their huge ears perfectly.



Although Hong Kong Disneyland is relatively smaller compared to Disneyland in Anaheim, we didn't managed to attend most of the rides and attractions. Why?







Well you see, most of our afternoon and evening on Disneyland was spent on waiting for the next Grand Parade, as well as falling in line to have our photos taken with Disney celebrities like Daisy Duck, Tigger, and of course, Mickey and Minnie.

My sister and brother were so set on having their pictures taken with Mickey and Minnie, so I decided to tag along. This "is" Disneyland's main attraction. Waiting in line for the Mickey-Minnie photo-op takes longer than waiting in line for popular rides like Space Mountain and The Many Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh.

One female visitor was so ecstatic after having her photo taken, she even hugged Mickey and gave Minnie a kiss. On the lips.

Mickey and Minnie don't stay too long as they had three minute breaks every fifteen minutes. I think there are several Mickey and Minnies taking shifts during the photo-op.



Finally, it was our turn. I flashed out a "devil's horns" sign to deviate from the usual "V" sign the tourists tend to do.





I could not believe I was holding the darn parka when this shot was taken.



Of course, we took some great rides like Space Mountain and Buzz Lightyear. Well, those are the only two rides that we took, while we also went to their attractions like their train that goes around the theme park, as well as those slow taxi vehicles. We capped our afternoon with a visit to its Fantasia-inspired 3-D theater (definitely a must-see for every Disneyland visitor).

We didn't bother much on the fireworks display (although it looked fantastic) since we elbowed and bumped our way out of Disneyland, anticipating the surge of people exiting the park.

We met Eric at the parking lot and, together with the rest of the tour group, took the bus to China.

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OPINIONATED LIFE: IS FILIPINO CULTURE IMMORAL?

I told you in my previous post of a documentary featuring elderly women in Kalayaan, Laguna Province, displaying wooden phalluses during weddings.

The documentary had caught the ire of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB), the country's censors (although they deny it) and rating office.

MTRCB summoned documentarist Howie Severino for a hearing. Apparently, they received complaints from several "concerned citizens" claiming that the documentary was malicious.

National Artist for Dance Ramon Obusan, who was present during the hearing, defended Severino. He explained that the "lukayos" are the keepers of a tradition. "Where is the dividing line between malice and acceptance and appreciating tradition as part of what we've inherited from the past," Obusan asked.

However noble the defense was, the censors board (although they deny that they censor) do not buy the anthropological argument. The MTRCB committee head Atty. Manuel Cases said what to me is the most ignorant statement that comes from a lawyer:

"Sure, it is their tradition--they want to play with dildos. That's what it is. To me, that's how it looked, they like to play with dildos...But we have to see this in the context of the law and the viewing public. This should not be shown to young people. They will not understand."

Dos that mean that hold a malicious and immoral culture? That we should thank the Spanish friars for putting blouses on our bare-breasted women back in the day? That we as a nation are moving forward because we throw away the customs and traditions that our ancestors had practiced, and instead celebrate Thanksgiving and Valentine's Day?

Atty. Manuel Cases underestimates the intelligence of our youth. He underestimates television viewers as dumb and unappreciative. He thinks that the documentary was pornographic.

Well, Atty. Manuel Cases should check his porn collection and let's see if he gets turned on by the sight of a wooden penis.

Because if he doesn't...



Then let's put this giant phallus up Atty. Manuel Cases' ass.

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RANDOM HOT MEN: ZANJOE MARUDO

I keep these hot photos of Pinoy model and celebrity Zanjoe Marudo in my inbox and it is only now that I am able to share these steaming body shots with my loyal readers. Me get sweaty...







ATTENTION MALE READERS: Is your body worthy of worship? Send your hot photos to empressmaruja@gmail.com. We are all waiting...

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BOW DOWN AND WORSHIP MY FOOTNOTES:

1) President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo got karma...errr, hospitalized for acute infectious diarrhea. Wouldn't it be the same if they removed the "acute" and the "infectious" part?

2) DA MARUJA CODE UPDATE: Finally, a correct answer to the code was provided by The Goddess. The answer is: I SWEAR TO THE GAY GODS THAT DENNIS TRILLO IS DEFINITELY NOT GAY. PIOLO IS. Although he doesn't want to be recommended, I'll be the gay of my word. Check out my recommendations section.




Saturday, June 17, 2006


Hot With Fever And Back-To-Back Misadventures

My posts are so delayed, just like my salary.

Go on, laugh.

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SPORT LIFE: FEVERISH WITH THE SOCCER BALLS

The world is currently in a frenzy with the ongoing FIFA World Cup in Germany, and its fever is starting to get into me.

I've always been curious about football since college, when I had an invitation to the sport as several classmates and orgmates became part of our Arts and Letters Department's football varsity team, and I began watching some of the inter-college football games (around 2 matches actually). At first, I found football as a really slow sport. It takes too long to score a goal.

I tried watching the English Premier League through cable in the middle of the night, I had a favorite team in form of Manchester United (blame it on David Beckham), but no matter how I watched it, no matter how curious I was to get me interested about this sport, I ended up sleeping.

I mean, I'm living in a nation of midget basketball players, toothless billiards pool sharks, and beer-guzzling, ice cream-stuffing, fried chicken-chomping, wireless karaoke microphone-singing, pawn-shopping boxers. I'm just like any other Filipino who is oblivious about football.

But that all changed recently.

I was watching the last episode of Jewel In The Palace, a popular Korean drama, and while flipping through channels during its commercial break, I stumbled upon a World Cup match between South Korea and Togo. It just started its second half.

So I gave it a try watching a long soccer match. And then, the magic happened.

A free kick opportunity was given to Korea. The kick was long, and...



A goal!

Everybody in the stadium were elated with joy. Some were waving their red banners, some were crying, it was like...wow, that was a good play.

And then I flipped the channel to see Jang-Geum's attempt to perform a Caesarian delivery, unheard of in 15th century Korea.

The show ended and I flipped the channel again to watch the rest of the match.

To make the long story short, it was then I realized what makes the world go gaga over football. Because it was a matter of fair play, teamwork and tactics on part of the teams, while it's a matter of pride and perseverance among the throngs of fans and admirers.

The next evening, I was watching a finals between Ecuador and Costa Rica when King Daddy came home from work. Habitually, he would wanted to watch some late-night movies before going to bed, but I asked him to watch soccer with me. Being a sweet child that I am, Dad allowed me.

My sister was also watching the match and she asked me, "What's the yellow card for?"

"Technical foul," I answered to her using basketball jargon (which my country is so agog at, considering our players are short...duh?). "If he get two technical fouls, he's ejected from the field and he gets a one-game suspension."

And an Ecuadoran striker hit a goal.

"Shoot!" my Dad shouted.

(all FIFA World Cup photos courtesy of afp.com)

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INTERMISSION NUMBER: MANNY PACQUIAO

Remember the beer-guzzling, ice cream-stuffing, fried chicken-chomping, wireless karaoke microphone-singing, pawn-shopping boxer I told you about? Well, he's here right now to perform his debut single. Please don't laugh...

(applause)



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MOTIF: LOST IN HONG KONG (PART 3)

Queen Mother is currently based in the US and when she funded our imperial family trip to Southern China, she had one teeny-tiny request: that we would shop some things for her, like a set of Lacoste t-shirts in all pastel colors, a Coach handbag, and some pairs of Nike sneakers. All in a total travel budget of US$500.

"Don't worry," my Mom said during her phone call befor we left. "Those Lacoste shirts costs US$20 in Hong Kong."

We were walking along Nathan Road and Princess Six couldn't help but notice my sweats.

"You shouldn't have worn that long-sleeved shirt," she said.

I, in the meantime, insisted that it wasn't summer yet in Hong Kong. Tiis-ganda.

After several minutes of asking around, my sister and I finally arrived at the Lacoste store that was minutes away from closing. The staff were courteous as we were always being mistaken as Chinese. We went straight to the shirts shelf and spotted the pastel shirts that my Mom wanted.

"How much is it," my sister asked.

"It costs HK$560," I said.

We only had HK$500 in our pocket.

We walked two blocks further and saw Coach store in the Peninsula Hotel was closed. We also tried looking for the Nike store, but the location I saw in my map...well, it wasn't there.

I got so tired I started fanning the collar on my shirt. That was when I realized why some passengers at the subway couldn't help but notice me.

The shirt's tag was at the front side.

We took the long subway ride and walked home with nothing in us but a bunch of sweats and a lot of funny memories.

"Did you see that ugly couple canoodling in the subway," my sister asked.

"No, I was busy watching that guy wearing a business suit with two companions holding a plastic bag near his mouth," I said while munching the leftover rice noodles in our hotel room. "I swear he was about to puke when the subway doors were shut."

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INTERMISSION NUMBER: MISHKA ADAMS

While the empress takes a break, please relax and unwind yourself with the soothing sound of the Philippine Jazz. Here's Mishka Adams with her debut single, Where Do We Begin.

(applause)



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MOTIF: LEVELING

The next day, the imperial family's misadventure took us to Hong Kong Disneyland, but not before our tour guide Eric took on a whirlwind ride of nauseating shopping.

Instead of describing to us the beautiful sceneries of Metropolitan Hong Kong, he instead inculcated to us what he called "The 5 Levels of Hong Kong," consisting of the filthy rich, the rich, the upper-middle, the middle, and the lower classes. He illustrated our bus driver as an example of the lower class. Our driver's job is solely based on a per-project basis (since Hong Kong, like China, he said, does not have a minimum wage), while the photographer who was with our tour was an example of the middle class since he worked two jobs. Eric, meanwhile, was an example of the middle class since he worked from 8 to overtime.

We first went to Avenue of the Stars, Hong Kong's version of Hollywood Walk of Fame, where you could also see a statue of Bruce Lee. It was rainy, so that pretty much spoiled our visit. But we took pictures anyway.

Eric then took us to Harbour Centre, where somewhere in there was a shop filled with t-shirts, toys and supposedly -Disney souvenirs, not to mention hundreds of dried plum (champoy). We had our fill buying stuff not only for ourselves but also to our kiddie show's bosses, staff, and crew. He told us beforehand to always state to the counter that our tour guide was Eric. Apparently, he received commissions depending on how much his tour group spent on shopping.

On our way to Disneyland, Eric even offered a set of 6 souvenir keychains being sold by our bus driver for HK$50. And he also brought out our photos in Avenue of the Stars attached in microwavable plates for HK$150 each (our family had 4).

It was still darn raining when we got to Hong Kong Disneyland. Eric left us to enjoy the afternoon and we would get to meet him on closing time so he would take us to Mainland China.

I'll tell you what happened in Hong Kong Disneyland on my next post.

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RANDOM HOT MEN: SOCCER HOTTIES

I never knew that footballers are worthy of being worshipped.



Landon Donovan of Team USA



Carlos Bocanegra, also from US Team



Fabio Cannovaro of Italy



And, of course, no soccer hottie list would be complete without Captain England, David Beckham.

I would like to believe that my male readers are the hottest guys on the planet. Prove to me that your body deserves to be worshipped. Send you hot photos to empressmaruja@gmail.com.

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BOW DOWN AND WORSHIP MY FOOTNOTES

1) Thank you for reading through my blog and I hope you come back for more. Don't forget to leave your message of love through the comments or at the chat box. Also, spread the imperial decree (my blog, that is) to your friends and colleagues. That would be truly appreciated. (bows)


2) This movie quote is bound to become a classic:

"Oo, inaamin ko. Sila ay mga yakal, lawaan, apitong at narra. At kami ay saging lang. Pero maghanap kayo ng puno sa buong Pilipinas, saging lang ang may puso...Saging lang ang may puso! Saging lang!” — Mark Lapid (Apoy sa Dibdib ng Samar).

Roughly translated as:

"Yes, I admit it. They are the oaks, the cedars, redwoods, and pines. And we are only banana trees. But among the trees in the Philippines, only the banana tree has a heart...Only the banana tree has a heart! Only the banana!" -- Mark Lapid (Fire in the Heart of Samar)




Sunday, June 11, 2006


Bogged Down And Still Lost

BLOG LIFE: BOGGED DOWN

My Internet connection got a little bit down and out over the past few days, that's why I haven't posted an entry this week.

Darn, just because I could only afford dial-up doesn't mean I deserve such injustice.

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WORK LIFE: PRO BONO

I knew something like this would happen.

Last Tuesday, the kiddie show team had a meeting and we were supposed to discuss our upcoming episode shoot and a mall tour.

But all that agenda was erased when our executive producer laid out a very sad news: we would stop shooting our kiddie show temporarily.

To cope up with increasing operations cost, our shoots were put on hold for the whole month of June. She promised that our delayed salaries from our previous episodes) will be paid as soon as possible. (You see, unlike regular clerical jobs, TV production people are paid on a per-episode basis.)

However, she announced something big: a new show will be pushed through. We are currently in the pre-production phase of developing a pilot for our new show. This means, we work for this episode pro bono (or what I like to call "for the love") and will be presented to advertisers, crossing our fingers and ingrown toenails for much...no, make that desperately-needed sponsorship.

Last Thursday, I joined a meeting with our show's prospective host (a well-known celebrity mom) and her manager at the posh Podium Mall. The meeting went well, the host was actually enthusiastic (she couldn't even help telling me that we have met before, I swear to the gods I haven't, or have I?).

I hope this new project would go out well because I'm bored working for free.

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INTERMISSION NUMBER : DANCE DANCE EVOLUTION

Viewed over 2 million times on youtube, this motivational speaker really knows how to motivate people (that's a dull statement).

So let's dance with him and relive our time of leg-warmers, Eloy's, and Aqua Net.

(applause)




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MOTIF: LOST IN HONG KONG (PART 2)

After an hour of lying on our hotel beds thinking whether or not to shop that night, my sister and I finally decided to give it a go. After all, we won't find any opportune time to shop except in our only night in the City of Life, before the stores closed.

But not before mapping the locations of the stores we were supposed to visit, running to my Dad's and Prince's room at the other side of the hall and ask for shopping money, and asking the hotel personnel how to get to stores the quickest.

All while my sister is putting on her make-up again.

We left the hotel at around 8:30 PM, hours away from closing time, and decided to travel by subway.

The locals call it MTR, and buying a fare ticket is way different from what we were used to with MRT-3 where we fall in line at the counters where the attendants encode the fare tickets. In the MTR, it took us around 10 minutes of walking around the almost-empty Tai Po Hau Station to realize that the tickets are sold through automated machines. (I told you we only relied on our sense of direction, much like a typical Filipino.)

The fare ticket costed only HK$9 each from Tai Po Hau to Tsim Sha Tsui, quite cheap if you ask me, considering how far it was.

We took the train to Hong Kong's shopping district. The travel time was fast, really fast (if 12 stations in 15 minutes isn't fast enough).

Our ride at the MTR gave us a glimpse of Hong Kong's culture that our tourmates would not get to experience, since most of them were holed in their espective hotel rooms.

I found it odd why other passegners seem to stare at me. Hmmm...

My sister and I noticed that the Bohemian trend was at its peak in Hong Kong fashion (and that was, like, two years ago in Manila). But in their case, it was quite extreme: ruffled dresses, skirts, bags, you name it, it was all ruffle-ly. And curls were "in."

Guys, meanwhile, were pretty laidback. Skater shorts, white shirts, but what really counts were their gadgets accessories. They lke to show-off their PSPs and cellphones in wanton abandon. I'd like to see them do that in Manila without the fear of getting mugged...and probably a bonus stab.

Tsim Sha Tsui Station was huge and had so many exits we didn't know where to go. We finally asked the customer care representative and he told us that to take the "O Exit" to reach Nathan Road, but the exits we could only see are from A to G.

Aaaargh, bahala na, ewan. We took A1.

Unlike in Manila where every store is most likely located in a single mall building, specialty stores in Hong Kong were separately located. Good thing we were prepared with our sneakers because it would take a lot of walking with this shopping trip.

And to think we weren't shopping for ourselves.

(to be continued)

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RANDOM HOT MEN: JAKE CUENCA, BY POPULAR DEMAND

Due to overwhelming popular demand (actually, it was only Yuri who requested it, but it's overwhelming just the same), hottie celebrity Jake Cuenca returns in not only one, not even two, but three oh-so-yummy photos hot off the Generation Pink Magazine.

Damn, those gay magazines are starting to sprout like mushrooms and I haven't bought one yet. The last time I bought a gay mag was back in high school, and that was freaking Chika-Chika.

Anyway, time to salivate...







Do you think you are hotter than this guy? Prove it to us, send your hot hot photos to empressmaruja@gmail.com.

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BOW DOWN AND WORSHIP MY FOOTNOTES

1) Thank you guys for your continuing support in my blog. I hope you keep on reading it and spreading the good word of ka-faggot-an to your friends and colleagues. Also, don't forget to leave your messages of love, because I do love reading your comments.

2) TO EVERYONE IN MY BLOGROLL: Sorry if I haven't been visiting your blogs lately. I do promise to read each and every one of them and leave my lovely notes as well.

3) DA MARUJA CODE UPDATE: An engineering cutie from Mapua dropped by at the comments section and sent his answer to Da Maruja Code. Too bad he missed a word, but good job nonetheless.




Monday, June 05, 2006


Lost In Hong Kong/ The Correspondent



Let's celebrate the first day of school, 1:100 ratio and all!



Brought to you by Rexona.

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MOTIF: LOST IN HONG KONG (PART 1)

The imperial family took a ferry from Macau to Kowloon. We were met by our tour guide named Eric. After herding all 25 members of the tour group, he booked us at Panda Hotel where we would stay for the night.

Eric seemed like a nice person, but he seemed street-wise when it comes to getting kickbacks and commissions. As he said, "Hong Kong is very competitive."

For one, he told the tour group of an optional night tour where we would go around the city's night market. Since it's optional, we have to pay HK$20 (without dinner) and add another HK$20 for dinner. Although we plan on shopping at night, Dad decided not to go along.

That means, we had a lot of free time in our hands. First stop: another round of camwhoring.







In Dad's and brother's room.



Here's the view from the room my sister and I were in. Ewww!

It was 6 pm and we decided to have an early dinner before my sister and I go out for a night of shopping.

But not before another round of camwhoring.



Darn! My humps are showing!

My humps!
My humps, my humps, may humps!





I swear the panda was ticklish!

We walked several blocks to look for a place to dine. We didn't ask anyone for directions, only relying on our innate sense of direction.

Until finally we stumbled at a restaurant named "Do Do."

Thank the gods that the diner had a menu in English, or else we would have mistaken ordering for "Dodo Steaks" or "Dodo ng Cow."

Most of its dishes are noodles, only with different toppings. We ordered 4 rice noodle dishes for each of us.

We looked silly in that restaurant, since we are the only foreigners there and we kept camwhoring while waiting for the dishes to be served.

We realized that each noodle dish is apparently good for four servings, so we ended up with 8 servings of rice noodles with squid and 8 servings of stir-fried beef noodles. Since we didn't eat much since we went to the airport, we pretty much emptied half of our dishes. I told Dad to give a sign language to the waitress of a clenched fist with palm facing downward. She got what we meant: put the rest on take-out.



The vicinity of the hotel is littered with different department stores and markets, so we couldn't help looking for some goods to buy.

We went to our respective hotel rooms at around 7:30 pm. My sister and I took some rest, thinking on whether or not to shop that night.

(to be continued)

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INTERMISSION NUMBER: THE ORDERTAKER

Speaking of taking orders, here's a fitting intermission number courtesy from Parokya Ni Edgar. Can you guess what song it was spoofed from?



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SHOWBIZ LIFE: THE CORRESPONDENT

My fanaticism (or I prefer it to call as geekiness) over the upcoming Philippine Idol has reaped a certain reward.

I accepted an offer to be a correspondent for a fansite called Philippine Idol Updates, featuring the latest news and information about the search for "The National Singer."

I would like to thank the people behind the site for acknowedging me several times and it's an honor to contribute for their fansite as much as I could.

So take some time browsing at the Philippine Idol Updates, you could probably spot which reports are mine.

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RANDOM HOT MEN: DENNIS TRILLO

At last! A hot picture of Dennis Trillo worthy of worshipping!



I'm starting to get to cooties!

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BOW DOWN AND WORSHIP MY FOOTNOTE

I've just received an important heirloom from my King Daddy.



It's a Philippine Idol pin, now worn by all employees of ABC-5. You can tell that they are proud of this baby.