I still couldn't figure out how to best write about the Calaguas Island adventure. So I'm listing some thoughts that I have:
*****
8 hours on the road, but there is a huge difference comparing the road north to Pagudpud and the southbound route to Bicol. One, the north road is generally flat, and not too many lefts and rights. Bicol, on the other hand, is like meandering through the small intestines from the rectum up. This drive gave me aches on my shoulders and neck as well. But lest you be mistaken, I love this road! It is a lot more interesting not being able to see the whole road ahead of you, and driving at night only wakens your senses, giving you a sort of tunnel vision. I feel somewhat guilty for hogging the whole drive to, but hopefully no one really minds.
Leo and I had a lot of "yagball" moments. We were texting each other on the trip, heckling each and every near death experience we had. Wish we were all crammed in a van so we could laugh and scream ridicule into each other's eardrums! hahaha!
*****
We arrive at Leo's house at last. Their ancestral home is one of my favorites actually. I would love to go home to a place that is designed just like it. A lot of wide, open spaces and smartly designed to have an unfinished yet relaxing feel.
*****
Ok, so I didn't mention that we... ahem... I got lost on the way to Leo's house. Thought I drove past the exit, turned out i wasn't there yet. Had to use the "bad" road and lost my bearings and directions. Of course, my "macho" side wouldn't ask for directions at first, until heckled to submission by my 3 backseat drivers. Sheesh!
*****
I wanted to close my eyes and rest before the 2 hour long boat ride to the island. But no, Jundel volunteered me to go to the market. So the three little pigs (Myself, Leo and Nolan) went to the market, a sight unfamiliar to males in general. We couldn't decide on what to buy. There was no "Frank's" in sight, and the carenderia food didn't look too appetizing. So we bought the barest minimum of supplies and prayed to the gods that there was a 7-11 or a McDonald's on Calaguas Island. I'm sure the others were snoring back at the base. Crud!
*****
The boat ride started out as an Amazon river safari, twisting and turning at a snail's pace before we hit the delta. Then started the open water towards a hazy speck of land on the horizon. Two hours of daydreaming... I couldn't let myself fall asleep for fear of being thrown overboard due to excessive noise. hehehe.
*****
White sand... white sand... clear waters... more white sand... Land ho! We were ready to de-virginize Calaguas!
*****
Unloading the boat with our stuff was tiresome. Expecting the worse, we brought everything from home, even the kitchen sink! And all in small parcels mind you. We had close to 30 pieces of "stuff" unloaded. It seemed as though we were part of a colonizing party, ready to spend the rest of our lives on the island. If only we were so lucky...
*****
Seeing that we had arrived at lunchtime, the first order of business was food. Some made fire, others prepared and marinaded, others did nothing. Hahaha! Bunch of free loaders!
*****
So lunch was over, we made our way to the beach. Fun! Until RJ called me out of the water and pointed at something out of a horror movie. Mark's foot was hanging loose at the tip of his leg. WTF! Maybe it would have been best to let him be and toss him onto a boat headed home. But we had to be reluctant (and useless) heroes. With all our might, we tried to put humpty dumpty together again to no avail. Oh well... wish you luck on surgery, tough guy!
*****
So we all did our thing on the beach, the memory of Mark's dislocated foot fresh on our minds. Leo slept all of the afternoon, RJ and Lei donned their two piece and headed to the far end of the beach (pictures of which we are still waiting for, by the way), Frtiz and Maj took pictures with their automatic SLR's and made their mark on shore, Nolan and I had our bromance moments, Jundel and Soph had their quality time trying to beat each other on a cellphone game. Yes, there was no one else around... no one else. How cool was that!
*****
We pitched camp on an elevated part of the beach. Fearing that high tide would come and wash us off. Good thing RJ had the foresight to bring her inflatable "raft" which oddly doubled as a bed.
No, it wasn't an inflatable bed... why would anyone bring an inflatable bed to the beach? That would be inviting ridicule... and pretty much announcing what a pansy you are. No, it was a raft, not a bed. But then RJ also brought large fluffy pillows... (?) And stuff toys?
*****
So we made it til morning. RJ and Lei showing off how adept they were at cooking breakfast. Scrambled egg pancakes. I had my usual coffee and cigarettes. Then one by one, people started to come into the hut, awakened by the searing hot summer sun on the beach. Nolan missed the sunrise (I woke you up, bro) shots that he had wanted to take but didn't seem to mind too much.
*****
So that was Calaguas Island. Hmm, reading what I wrote it didn't seem like much, did it? But you know what, if this post seemed a bit boring, it is probably because you weren't there.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Porti payb versus forty five
I am awfully tempted to learn the dialect here in Pampanga given the frequency of my visits to this once vast swampland. In fact, my confidence level on the NLEX has attained a level comparable to how used I am to the SLEX. I am even beginning to learn the accent of the people here.
*****
Now speaking of accents, some people around me have pointed out my allegedly rude habit of mimicking the erstwhile "mistaken" way of pronouncing some words. An example is illustrated on the title, along with other favorites such as "bulebard", "abenyu", "isteyts". How it all started, I haven't the foggiest but I do admit that I am oblivious as to the alleged rudeness of this practice.
Nolan claims that it is a form of mockery, and the fact that I am aware of the proper pronunciation of the words puts malice when I malign it. I do not see it that way, but with the growing number of people who keep noticing it I guess that there may be some truth to it.
Hmm, but then the only people who notice it are those that know the proper pronunciation. Do the people I speak to in that way find me offensive? I guess one of the reasons that I do this is because I want to communicate with these people on their level, make them feel more at ease by demonstrating that I can be one of them. To be honest, I find myself feeling like such a poseur whenever I speak english to a Filipino, and the fact that there is no "f" or "v" sounds in Tagalog may be a factor why I switch to the nearest sounding syllable.
Well, maybe I am doing it wrong, and that the proper way of doing it would be to say "apat na raan at singkuwenta" instead of "por pipti". But that does sound even more patronizing.
I guess I can't guarantee that I can totally rid myself of this habit, maybe I could limit it but when you're so used to doing things one way it gets really difficult to start another way. So the next time you hear me mangle the english language in a patronizing way towards other Filipinos, feel free to correct me as I give you the finger.
*****
Now speaking of accents, some people around me have pointed out my allegedly rude habit of mimicking the erstwhile "mistaken" way of pronouncing some words. An example is illustrated on the title, along with other favorites such as "bulebard", "abenyu", "isteyts". How it all started, I haven't the foggiest but I do admit that I am oblivious as to the alleged rudeness of this practice.
Nolan claims that it is a form of mockery, and the fact that I am aware of the proper pronunciation of the words puts malice when I malign it. I do not see it that way, but with the growing number of people who keep noticing it I guess that there may be some truth to it.
Hmm, but then the only people who notice it are those that know the proper pronunciation. Do the people I speak to in that way find me offensive? I guess one of the reasons that I do this is because I want to communicate with these people on their level, make them feel more at ease by demonstrating that I can be one of them. To be honest, I find myself feeling like such a poseur whenever I speak english to a Filipino, and the fact that there is no "f" or "v" sounds in Tagalog may be a factor why I switch to the nearest sounding syllable.
Well, maybe I am doing it wrong, and that the proper way of doing it would be to say "apat na raan at singkuwenta" instead of "por pipti". But that does sound even more patronizing.
I guess I can't guarantee that I can totally rid myself of this habit, maybe I could limit it but when you're so used to doing things one way it gets really difficult to start another way. So the next time you hear me mangle the english language in a patronizing way towards other Filipinos, feel free to correct me as I give you the finger.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Beware of April Fool's!
I should be writing about Calaguas Island, except that nothing comes to mind. I can't seem to form a coherent line of thought about it. So you have this gibberish instead.
*****
Switched cars for most of the week. Am driving that old sentra that no one in the office uses. Personally, I like this car. Though it has none of the creature comforts and features of most modern cars, I like the feel and the more "organic" attitude that it has. No radio, no power windows, sluggish acceleration and a really large turning radius, it has the feel of my dad's car.
Thus, I'm quite excited about driving to Clark tomorrow. Sure it's slow and boring, but it does give me a lot of opportunities to just relax and think about things. The NLEX is just the place for that, no uphill winding roads and stoplights, just the road and your foot on the gas pedal for the better part of 2 hours.
*****
So just what do I have to think of anyway? For starters, its my birthmonth. Yeah yeah, I'm getting older but I hardly notice that anymore. Sadly, with the current personal financial situation that I'm in right now, I don't think I can afford to treat my friends out. (ayan... wag na kayong umasa! hahaha!) But what I do want to do for this year is to try to have more time for work. Yep, you heard it right. I am convinced that this year has to be centered on my career. It is one thing that I know I have the most control over and with the current crisis, the timing is just perfect.
This is the reason that I have been going to work more regularly (no more bogus client calls and staying in bed until lunch). Though I do admit I still go to work 2 full hours late, the quality of work I've been churning out is quite respectable.
*****
My house is a mess. I can't seem to find the time and energy to pick up after myself anymore. I'm thinking of getting someone to clean the house maybe twice a week but I'm still trying to figure out if I can afford it. I've probably a couple of day's clothes left, a stack of unread magazines to sort through, clutter all around and the last time I checked, I haven't been filling up my water bottles forcing me to drink water straight from the tap. Sigh...
*****
The holy week is almost here, and yet I have made no plans at all. I find myself not really wanting to go anywhere, and maybe for a change I could just bum out at home and do nothing. Maybe I could catch up on my re-reading list, or write some more. Haven't figured out what to do yet but have a sneaking feeling that I'll be doing a lot of running around with my cross trainers.
I've a challenge with myself to lose 16 pounds in a month. It really should be around 20 but I figure that 16 is unrealistic as it is and should settle on that number. I've been doing some math on this, and the best that I could lose is about 8 pounds given an intensive work out and dieting. Well, need to calibrate that weighing scale once again and start buying up lots of tuna, I guess.
*****
Trouble is brewing at the office... Somehow I've mismanaged some of my projects last year and now owe the company over 13,000 in unliquidated expenses. Though I know where all that money went, problem is I have no receipts to show for it as the people who are responsible for it claims that they lost them. A lesson for me I guess not to trust people who are not liable for their actions to be responsible with their accounting. There goes that mini-component.
*****
Lately, I've been finding myself waking up pretty early, 6:00am on the dot. Strange that this has been happening only now. Yes, I do have my phone set to wake up at this hour, but I've had that set for over a couple of years now without actually waking up.
So does this mean that I get to the office on time? (8:00am) Nope. I spend the first full hour sipping coffee. Then random thoughts take over for another hour. Then I procrastinate a little before finally taking that shower.
Why do I do this? I have no idea... maybe my brain runs on diesel and have to start my day reeeaaalllyyy slow. Or the synapses are a little rusty. Maybe it takes that long for the morning wood to settle down. Well, at any rate, these things have taken their toll on my boss who has already sent me countless memos and warnings to be on time. She has filed enough memos to fire me four times over. Lately though, she has noted my "improvement" and commended me on not being "too" late. Great!
*****
I've a mind to send a letter to the guys running Jollibee. The only thing on their menu that I thoroughly enjoy is the Champ. However, each time I order one, it always takes them around 20 minutes to bring it around. Now, being a fastfood joint, I think 20 minutes is a despicable amount of time to prepare a burger. It's just a piece of meat sandwiched between 2 buns. How complicated does it have to be that it takes 20 minutes to do this? Oh well, now my tummy is grumbling and I once again have to wait 20 minutes or so to chomp on a juicy slab of meat.
*****
Almost everyone I meet who asks me how much I pay for rent have rolled their eyes out of its sockets exclaiming why I pay so much for it. It gets a little irritating. First of all, though I can't actually afford it, I like my home. It is the place where I can do all the stupid stuff I want. It gives me that subtle sense of independence, and it gives me an excuse to stay away from certain circles. ("uhm, I have to do my laundry... have to wash the dishes... and so on) True, it makes a heck of a lot of sense to relocate somewhere nearer the office, or get a housemate to share the rent with me, but then I disdain having to share my space with others, and being too near the office means I drive a lot less. (I love driving)
I have thought a lot about moving out, history and all that, but I just can't for the simple reason that I call it home. For the first time in my life, I have lived all by myself (and barely afford it, too) and am enjoying it. Also, with the amount of crap that I have done for the house (plumbing, decorating, bug-proofing) I am compelled to seek means to be able to afford single living.
So with all the effort that I have put into maintaining this artificial lifestyle of mine, try to pretend that its quite normal to be senseless about accommodations.
*****
Something I remember about Calaguas was singing on the boat on the way back. My lack of an mp3 player plays a major factor in this activity, I am left to my own devices to be entertained on a 2-hour boat ride. My buddy Nolan, who did not have his ipod ready, sang with me. So we came to the song "Anna Begins" by the Counting Crows. We talked about the lyrics, and gosh darn it seemed like I had interpreted the song wrong all these years! How pathetic. How many other songs had I mangled the meanings to? "But then I start to think about the consequences/Because I dont get no sleep in a quiet room and this time/when kindness falls like rain/It washes me away and anna begins change my mind"
*****
Switched cars for most of the week. Am driving that old sentra that no one in the office uses. Personally, I like this car. Though it has none of the creature comforts and features of most modern cars, I like the feel and the more "organic" attitude that it has. No radio, no power windows, sluggish acceleration and a really large turning radius, it has the feel of my dad's car.
Thus, I'm quite excited about driving to Clark tomorrow. Sure it's slow and boring, but it does give me a lot of opportunities to just relax and think about things. The NLEX is just the place for that, no uphill winding roads and stoplights, just the road and your foot on the gas pedal for the better part of 2 hours.
*****
So just what do I have to think of anyway? For starters, its my birthmonth. Yeah yeah, I'm getting older but I hardly notice that anymore. Sadly, with the current personal financial situation that I'm in right now, I don't think I can afford to treat my friends out. (ayan... wag na kayong umasa! hahaha!) But what I do want to do for this year is to try to have more time for work. Yep, you heard it right. I am convinced that this year has to be centered on my career. It is one thing that I know I have the most control over and with the current crisis, the timing is just perfect.
This is the reason that I have been going to work more regularly (no more bogus client calls and staying in bed until lunch). Though I do admit I still go to work 2 full hours late, the quality of work I've been churning out is quite respectable.
*****
My house is a mess. I can't seem to find the time and energy to pick up after myself anymore. I'm thinking of getting someone to clean the house maybe twice a week but I'm still trying to figure out if I can afford it. I've probably a couple of day's clothes left, a stack of unread magazines to sort through, clutter all around and the last time I checked, I haven't been filling up my water bottles forcing me to drink water straight from the tap. Sigh...
*****
The holy week is almost here, and yet I have made no plans at all. I find myself not really wanting to go anywhere, and maybe for a change I could just bum out at home and do nothing. Maybe I could catch up on my re-reading list, or write some more. Haven't figured out what to do yet but have a sneaking feeling that I'll be doing a lot of running around with my cross trainers.
I've a challenge with myself to lose 16 pounds in a month. It really should be around 20 but I figure that 16 is unrealistic as it is and should settle on that number. I've been doing some math on this, and the best that I could lose is about 8 pounds given an intensive work out and dieting. Well, need to calibrate that weighing scale once again and start buying up lots of tuna, I guess.
*****
Trouble is brewing at the office... Somehow I've mismanaged some of my projects last year and now owe the company over 13,000 in unliquidated expenses. Though I know where all that money went, problem is I have no receipts to show for it as the people who are responsible for it claims that they lost them. A lesson for me I guess not to trust people who are not liable for their actions to be responsible with their accounting. There goes that mini-component.
*****
Lately, I've been finding myself waking up pretty early, 6:00am on the dot. Strange that this has been happening only now. Yes, I do have my phone set to wake up at this hour, but I've had that set for over a couple of years now without actually waking up.
So does this mean that I get to the office on time? (8:00am) Nope. I spend the first full hour sipping coffee. Then random thoughts take over for another hour. Then I procrastinate a little before finally taking that shower.
Why do I do this? I have no idea... maybe my brain runs on diesel and have to start my day reeeaaalllyyy slow. Or the synapses are a little rusty. Maybe it takes that long for the morning wood to settle down. Well, at any rate, these things have taken their toll on my boss who has already sent me countless memos and warnings to be on time. She has filed enough memos to fire me four times over. Lately though, she has noted my "improvement" and commended me on not being "too" late. Great!
*****
I've a mind to send a letter to the guys running Jollibee. The only thing on their menu that I thoroughly enjoy is the Champ. However, each time I order one, it always takes them around 20 minutes to bring it around. Now, being a fastfood joint, I think 20 minutes is a despicable amount of time to prepare a burger. It's just a piece of meat sandwiched between 2 buns. How complicated does it have to be that it takes 20 minutes to do this? Oh well, now my tummy is grumbling and I once again have to wait 20 minutes or so to chomp on a juicy slab of meat.
*****
Almost everyone I meet who asks me how much I pay for rent have rolled their eyes out of its sockets exclaiming why I pay so much for it. It gets a little irritating. First of all, though I can't actually afford it, I like my home. It is the place where I can do all the stupid stuff I want. It gives me that subtle sense of independence, and it gives me an excuse to stay away from certain circles. ("uhm, I have to do my laundry... have to wash the dishes... and so on) True, it makes a heck of a lot of sense to relocate somewhere nearer the office, or get a housemate to share the rent with me, but then I disdain having to share my space with others, and being too near the office means I drive a lot less. (I love driving)
I have thought a lot about moving out, history and all that, but I just can't for the simple reason that I call it home. For the first time in my life, I have lived all by myself (and barely afford it, too) and am enjoying it. Also, with the amount of crap that I have done for the house (plumbing, decorating, bug-proofing) I am compelled to seek means to be able to afford single living.
So with all the effort that I have put into maintaining this artificial lifestyle of mine, try to pretend that its quite normal to be senseless about accommodations.
*****
Something I remember about Calaguas was singing on the boat on the way back. My lack of an mp3 player plays a major factor in this activity, I am left to my own devices to be entertained on a 2-hour boat ride. My buddy Nolan, who did not have his ipod ready, sang with me. So we came to the song "Anna Begins" by the Counting Crows. We talked about the lyrics, and gosh darn it seemed like I had interpreted the song wrong all these years! How pathetic. How many other songs had I mangled the meanings to? "But then I start to think about the consequences/Because I dont get no sleep in a quiet room and this time/when kindness falls like rain/It washes me away and anna begins change my mind"
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