did you lie?

Last night, high street parking lot.

I took a shower at the gym after my 6k run last night around High Street. On my way to my car, I saw a cute guy staring at me. Not knowing what it was about, I muttered to myself: "What?"

So anyway, I didn't pay any attention until I got to my car. I turned around and saw him still staring at me. Gosh.

I put my stuff inside the car and the next thing I knew, he was walking towards me. I smiled to acknowledge him. That started the conversation:

Me: Did you just run?

Cute guy: Yeah, I just finished. What are you up to?

Me: I'm going to Runnr and ask for the registration details for a race.

Cute guy: Oh, do you wanna hang out in my car first?

Me: And then what?

Cute guy: Just hang out. Chat.

Me: Nah, I need to go to Runnr.

Cute guy: Could we at least exchange numbers?

Me: Sure, give me your number.

-----
I walked away thinking that that was the end of it.

When I came back 15 minutes later. He was just about to leave. He rolled down his window and motioned me to ride. There was a moment of hesitation, but I went ahead and got in his car.

Small talk.

Cute guy: Can I be aggressive?

Me: Huh? What do you mean?

Cute guy: You know what I mean.

Me: No, I don't know what you mean. What counts as aggressive ba?

Cute guy: Like this (he reached for my thigh and slowly rubbing it until he reached my thing)

Me: Oh. That kind of aggressive.

Cute guy: Yeah, Okay lang?

Me: Am I resisting?

We drove around high street with his hand rubbing my thing. He was trying to jerk me off while he was driving (manual pa, no less). When he couldn't bear it any longer, he decided to look for a dark area.

Oh my god, I will not tell where. But it's a prime location, you just still need to be wary of roving guards.

So we parked and then he went down on me.

He sucked me until I came.

I'm happy I got to fulfill someone's fantasy.

munting katangahan

Pagdating ko sa parking kanina malapit sa gym, may nakita akong cutie patootie. Siyempre naman, nagpacutie din akey. Talaga namang todo ang ngiti ko kahit nasa loob ako ng kotse. Nag-ayos pa ako ng buhok. Tarush.

Si cutie patootie ay naghahanda ng kanyang bisikleta. Sosyal, naka-Audi ang lolo mo. So ako, "Jackpot!" Complete cyclist outfit itong si cutie patootie. Alam mo na, tight fitting cycling shorts. Dahil matagal ng natengga ang beauty ko, talaga namang todo at bonggang bongga ang pagsipat ko sa kanyang man jewels.

Medyo di naman siya uber bakat, pero carry na. Cutie pa din siya.

So dahil ang mga kagamitan ko sa opisina ay nagkalat sa aking sasakyan, naisipan ko munang tipunin ang lahat ng ito. Inilagay ko sa neutral ang kotse upang pagpahingahin ang makina from a very long drive from home to work. Paglabas ko ng sasakyan, tumambad sa aking harapan ang isa pang cyclist! Aba, kumpara kay Cutie patootie, itong cyclist na itey ay bakat na bakat. So todo sipat ulit ako.

Nagulat na lamang ako, at biglang naglaho ang aking mga pangarap nang sila'y maghalikan sa harap ko (chos!) nagtabi at naghanda na sa pag-alis. Hay nakey. Hindi kasi ako marunong magbisikleta. Sayang at di ako nakiflirty flirty. Haay.

On a side note, ang ganda ng legs ni bakat na bakat na guy. Mas maganda sa legs ko, kitang kita ang cuts!

Dahil tapos na ang moro moro at kailangan ko pang pumasok ng opisina, bumalik ako sa loob ng kotse upang patayin na finally ang makina. Ayun, pinatay ko na.

Ayaw matanggal ng susi.

Sinubukan kong ikutin at hilahin muli ang susi.

Aba, ayaw talaga.

Shet. Patay na ang makina, bakit ayaw matanggal ng susi ko?

Biglang pumasok sa aking mga isipan ang mga thoughts na itey:
"Tatawagan ko na ba ang aking ama? Shet, matulungan kaya ako non kung ang layo layo niya sa akin?"

"Best friend ko na lang kaya? Kaso baka nasa gym din."

"Aha, magpapaka ditsy damsel in distress na lang ako at magpapatulong sa unang cute na lalaki na magpark malapit sa akin!"

"Tanga, major turn off yon no."

So nagpaka independent woman at single lady ako sabay kanta ng I'm not a girl not yet a woman ni britney. Binukas-sara ko ang makina. I even muttered a short and silent prayer. Aba. To no avail.

Ayaw niya talaga.

"Iwan ko na lang kaya ang susi? Meron naman akong extra."

"Baka manakaw, tanga mo."

Ayun. Bigla kong nakita ang aking dashboard. May malaking N na nakadisplay.

Hindi pa ako naka-P (park). I left my driving stick at neutral. Tanga.

you just got to love delusional friends

lunch, inside the car en route to the town center (2 girls, 1 guy and narnian)

narnian brought his packed diet lunch along.

Fashionista girl: Why are you even on a diet?
Married lady: Oo nga!
Narnian: I need it to shock my body. haha I need controlled portions. You know how much I tend to eat. Heeey! It's my self improvement month na next week!
FG: Huh?
Narnian: It's my birth month di ba?
FG: Oh yeah. What do you want to get out of it? What are your desired results?
Narnian: (jokingly) By the end of August, I'm already a model.
FG: You know what, Narnian, you could actually make it!
Male Driver Friend: Oo nga, actually puede.
Narnian: Hoy, I was just joking about the modelling thing!
FG: Why not? You're gorgeous kaya?
Narnian: hahaha well, I just need to work out more and of course make sure my skin looks amazing. OMG. I went to Kiehl's the other night and found this cleanser-toner-moisturizer line! It's so nice! Parang nabanat yung face ko, cleanser pa lang! and then after applying the toner, woah. nag matte agad! parang nawala ang pores ko!
FG: Oh you should try VMV na lang, it's more mura. They have that pore minimizing cream.
Narnian: I thought it was more mahal.
FG: It's local, mas mura siya. Let's go later. Pero you should consider talaga modelling, I swear, you're handsome!

Passing through Rustan's Department Store continuing the conversation

Narnian: Tama, we can use MDF's three model contacts in the magazine we saw! LOL
MDF: Gusto mo? Puede kitang i-link up.
Narnian: joke lang!
ML: eh di ba you modelled na before, dun sa photography club?
Narnian: anobuzz, sa atin atin lang naman sa office yon.
FG: that's a start! ano ka ba?
MDF: Kailangan maganda ang skin mo, paderma ka na.
FG: Ano ka ba MDF? Narnian has really good skin na kaya.
Narnian: Basta, I'll put more products on my face. The moisturizer from Kiehl's ang galing, parang it covered my blemishes!

--------
I count on my friends to give me an ego boost. I love them for it. :)

why it's a bad week to go on a diet (fast forward to august)

or my failed attempt at dieting.

Well, I'd be too hard on myself if I say I failed. I guess it was more of a struggle.

Here's the rundown of the Eat Right Week:

Day 1 - Smooth Sailing
Breakfast: Poached Egg
Lunch: Pumpkin Salad
Dinner: Mixed Greens Salad
Snack: Lemon Pudding

I totally forgot that I was supposed to have lunch with an officemate at her home in Ayala Alabang Village. So, while they were feasting on tacos for appetizer and waiting for the main course, I was eating my pumpkin salad. And I was able to restrain myself from eating more than what I was supposed to eat.

In the department, we have 3 birthday celebrants for July. I came back to the office just in time for the celebration for the second celebrant. They served cake. So while everyone was feasting on that decadent chocolate cake, I was eating my lemon pudding.

When I got home, my mom invited me to the dining area so we could all have dinner together. I wanted to eat, really. Especially when I smelled the aroma of my mom's binagoongang baboy. I went to the kitchen to get a glass of water when I smelled another house favorite: Daing na bangus. My mom then brought out a steaming bowl of sotanghon. I decided I've had enough.

After gulping one glass of water, I said: "Mom, I'm not eating dinner." And I went straight to my room, performed my beauty rituals and went to bed.

Day 2 - What is Challenging?
Breakfast: Egg Pate
Lunch: Port glazed short ribs
Dinner: Apple Wood Smoked Wahoo
Snack: Orange Bread

My memory failed me. It was the day when the three celebrants scheduled their birthday treat. It was irresistible. It's only on special occasions when we get to eat at our favorite authentic Korean restaurant Sogamiga (I swear, it's the best thing that the Koreans brought with them to the Philippines). Since Koreans are known to eat healthy, I decided I'd skip my diet lunch and just be selective of the food I'll be eating.

I ate lettuce, kimchi (more leaves), egg and grilled meat. I think I ate more than I was supposed to, but what the hell.

Day 3 - We can't get enough cake
Breakfast: Chorizo and Tomato Egg Cake
Lunch: Braised Pork Roll
Dinner: Seared Dory
Snacks: Roasted Peanuts

It was the third celebrant's birthday. So yes, we had another mini celebration. While all the rest were eating chocolate mousse, I snacked on my roasted tasteless peanuts.

The day went well, actually. I've been able to avoid desserts for three days now!

Day 4 - I'm a masochist
Breakfast: Vanilla Jelly
Lunch: Confit Chicken
Dinner: Blackened Grilled Cod
Snack: Non-fat yogurt

After doing my arm supersets and ab workout, I was famished. I quickly went to the office so I could start feasting on my breakfast: a small but very tasty portion of vanilla jelly. I survived just in time for snacks. Since we still had to buy a wedding gift (more on that later), we went to ATC for lunch. I brought along my diet lunch with me.

It was the day my friend decided to binge and eat in front of me and my meager lunch serving. He ordered beef stew with rice, two sticks of pork barbecue and sinigang na tuna panga. I obviously finished ahead. So I had to watch him as he devoured his second serving of rice.

I drank water instead.

Day 5 - More, more, more
Breakfast: Strawberry Banana Jelly
Lunch: Rillet Beef
Dinner: Beef Essence Poached Fish
Snack: Roasted Peanuts

Since our manager couldn't join us last Tuesday, she decided to throw a birthday treat for the past birthday celebrants (there were four from June to July). How convenient, it's my birthday next month. Sigh. So later, we'll have lunch at Tia Maria's c/o our manager.

Later in the afternoon, I will be doing my friend a favor by hosting a send off dinner for her expat boss. It's gonna be held at the country club and they're having buffet. I will have to keep myself from the desserts section! Or maybe I'll just eat fruit. I hope there's fruit.

Day 6 - Binge weekend
Breakfast: Corn Soup
Lunch: Roasted Chicken
Dinner: Baked Salmon
Snack: Non fat yogurt

It's my friend's wedding in Tagaytay. My officemate invited me and my other friends to have lunch first at her house in Sta. Rosa. Great.

Wedding starts at 2. Cocktails will start at four. Dinner will be served by 8 pm.

What did I get myself into?

Day 7 - Rest
Breakfast: Eggplant Terrine
Lunch: Thrice Cooked Pork
Dinner: Asparagus Soup
Snack: Roasted Peanuts

I signed myself up for another week of food delivery. My calendar next week looks less busy. I don't think I'd have trouble sticking to the diet. At least, I'm hoping to.

So far, I am satisfied with the food that was delivered to me. Though I still have three days of food left, I already signed myself up for next week because this week's delivery has been really amazing.

-----
August is my birth month! I'm a Leo, rawrr.

And I decided it to be my self-improvement month. I'm set to keep my early morning abs present through out the day.

My Tanita results show that I've lost about three lbs. since Monday. (I don't really believe it, but it motivates me nonetheless.) I talked to a Personal Trainer this morning and he helped me look at my Tanita Results, my diet and my current training plan. He promised me that in a month, I'd flatten my stomach with the programme he's going to put me through. The dude even had the gall to critique my superset workout. Apparently, he's been observing me. Although he says he commends what I've been doing, he's afraid that I might have already reached a plateau.

Since he didn't see any ab workout on my printed out work out plan, he asked me what I've been doing. I told him I've been doing ab workouts in between the supersets every other day. The ab workout consists of 100 inclined situps broken into three sets (34-33-33), three sets of 1 minute bridges, 50 leg raises divided into three sets (this I have to cheat, at times), back extensions, and another that I've forgotten. He promised me I'm gonna do more ab workouts.

He also said that he'd let me try plyometrics and other cable workouts. I have no idea what those are so I muttered a very generic: "ahh."

I knew he was gonna offer his PT services. I've heard it all before. In line with this Self improvement scheme for my birth month, I am considering taking PT sessions.

It's gonna be an awesome August. I can feel it. One week to go. We'll see about that.

run for home

a bit of a narrative.

Assembly time was 430am, gun start at 5 am. I set my alarm the night before at 345, just enough time to make it to the Fort. I even asked my friend to give me a wake up call.

I woke up at 10 minutes past 4. And when I checked my phone, there were 7 missed calls and ten text messages from different people--one or two wishing me luck but most of them were to wake me up.

Realizing that I was gonna be late, I frantically gathered my stuff, dressed up and then woke my dad up to open the gate and made my frenetic dash to the Fort. I love early sunday mornings when there's no one on the road. It took me about 30 minutes to get to the venue. I was set to park in my usual parking spot (the one across R.O.X) only to find out that it was reserved for VIP. I was like: "What the hell?"

It was 10 minutes before 5am so I was really bummed. Without stretching or any warm up routine, I dashed to the starting line. When I got there, the race already started. Good thing they had that Champion Chip thingy, it'd have recorded the time I actually started the race.

It was exhausting, running for the most part of the race. I had to stop a few times to catch my breath and try to recuperate. After two hours, my legs didn't give in and I crossed the finish line. This time, crossing the finish line meant so much more.

-----

It seemed like an arduous, almost impossible task running that 21k. But I finished it. Once again, I pushed myself to the limits. I didn't think I was ready, what with my still above 160 lbs weight. About three weeks ago, when I started "preparing" for the run, I told myself that I needed to lose a few more pounds before I could actually run the distance.

What's amazing is that, I didn't have a hard time this morning to actually push myself to continue running. If in previous runs I had to struggle with keeping myself from stopping, this time, I found myself more thoughtful about running. I didn't have to 'race' with the others. I just had to run. I knew that it was gonna be difficult for me to maintain the pace if I ran fast, I didn't have breakfast and I didn't have energy gels with me. So when I crossed the 15k marker, I became more excited. I was gonna finish it.

I could have done better, I suppose. The next 21, I'd like to bring my time down to sub 2 hours. But I'll get there, nice and slow.

-----
This week, I will 'shock' my body with a hybrid south beach diet. I finally signed myself up for that delivery thingy. It's a steal, I'd say. The whole package costs about 3500, but I was given a discount. I paid 3000 for 4 meals for seven days. That's 28 meals! So it cost me roughly 100 pesos per meal. Not bad, considering that I spend more than 100 pesos per meal every day.

I hope to see results by the end of this week. I'd couple this diet with my normal superset workout and cardio every T-Th. It's amazing what I'd do to get rid of my tummy. And this time, I'm serious.

Here's what I have in store for tomorrow:
Breakfast: Poached egg with asparagus, parmesan and arugula.
Lunch: Roasted Pumpkin Salad with parmesan, walnuts and balsamic dressing
Dinner: Mixed greens salad (rocket, spinach, basil, alfalfa, with poached apples, pine nuts and blue cheese
Snack: Orange bread (Orange and thyme flavored bread with shaved almonds)

When I saw the serving portions, I fainted.

Good luck to me.

Outside Narnia: Cambodia (The Temples)

Finally I get to the meatiest part of the trip: the Temples.

When people talk about Cambodia, probably the first thing that comes to mind is Angkor Wat (that, or Angelina's Tomb Raider Movie). So all along I thought that Angkor Wat refers to all the temples in Cambodia. I didn't know that it was just one of many temples built by the ancient Khmer people.

The trip was sort of a reflection about what had happened in the past and what I intend to do in the future. I felt that given the serene atmosphere around me, I'd get a chance to really dig deep on who I am and what I am supposed to be doing. True enough, when I got to Angkor Wat, I couldn't help but wonder how the ancients built the magnificent temples.

To say that I was awestruck after seeing just the gates to Angkor Wat is an understatement. The ethereality of the whole place struck me. Their keen eye for detail as evidenced by the bas reliefs that made the walls pop out amazed me. These people had too much time on their hands to be able to carve the walls and tell their history.

I was amazed to find that even the steps had carvings such as the one above. The visit left me feeling how lucky I was to be able to step on what was once considered holy ground. Imagine, these temples are a testament of Khmer craftmanship and devotion to their gods. They built stone temples for their deities and contented themselves with huts made from wood and leaves.

Some more bas reliefs:

These figures are devatas (I think it has some resemblance to our diwata term, and possibly maybe where we got the term in the first place). As to what they are or what they represent, I don't know. I guess I really have to read that book I bought there.

All in all, we visited only four major temples. We planned the trip to be something laid back. We wanted to really lounge around and just enjoy the scenery without putting pressure on ourselves to actually see everything. With that in mind, we selected the four most visited temples as our travel itinerary.

Angkor Wat

It's probably the most well preserved temple even though restoration in some parts is still underway. I like this shot of the Angkor Wat because of the reflection. This (sorta) angle is what's commonly used in photographs. I just love looking at it when the sun is already setting--a view we can see from another temple. However, I also enjoyed seeing the Angkor with sunrise on its background.

This view is taken from the normal tourist entrance. I wouldn't be really certain which one the ancient people considered as the front of the temple so we just leave it as is.

This view is taken from the outskirts of the temple.

The structure above is found at the center of the temple. They've now forbidden people from climbing it, I guess someone got injured. It's a very steep climb and since I didn't get to see what's inside it, I don't want to make any assumptions on what it is exactly for.

Phnom Bakheng

This temple sits on top of a hill overlooking the Angkor Wat complex. The uphill trek wasn't that difficult and we could've paid an elephant to bring us to the top. We decided otherwise as it was expensive and our tuktuk driver adviced us to take the elephant ride going to the Bayon instead.

From this view it looks like there are no steps. It's because the steps are high and narrow. We had to help each other with our bags, cameras and water bottles to be able to go up the temple. It was a very steep climb but it was well worth it. You could see the rainforest extending to the far horizon from the temple.

We waited there for sunset. And since we got there an hour early, we goofed around. I tried pushing off a boulder that was sitting on the edge of the temple. Well, emphasis on the verb try. Because even after exerting my darndest best effort, the boulder stayed put. My plan to destroy thousands of years' worth of history and architecture was thwarted by my weakness.

Another structure that caught our fancy was this:

It reminded me of a chapter in Harry Potter (beyond the veil?). It could have been a gate of some sort--a gate to the afterworld that only opens when planets align and the monks start to chant weird incantations and such. I watch way too many hollywood movies.

The sunset, although not yet really, was amazing. :)

The Bayon

This is probably my most favorite temple of all. It had about 30+ faces sculpted on towers. Again, their focus on detail is really amazing. I don't know what inspired them to do it but hey, I'm glad something did.

After the trip, I realized that this might be where homosexuality sprung forth. The land of the power bottoms. LOL. This trumps fisting, I'd have to say.

Ta Prohm

This is where Angelina shot the Tomb Raider movie. I had been told that this is the only temple that was left to look like as it was discovered. Apparently, most of the temples have trees growing through the columns and the walls but whoever was in charge of restoration decided to remove the trees and try to bring back the temples to their original state.

When we went to Ta Prohm, there was a flock of Korean (Japanese, I cannot really tell) tourists. They were the loudest bunch of people I've ever met. They were all shouting whenever they talked to each other. It was just funny because we had to take turns getting our pictures taken with this background. This tree is probably in millions of pictures worldwide--the most famous Cambodian tree.

The best part about taking our photo here was when we witnessed an amateur photo shoot by a teenage Korean (Japanese) tourist. She did a back bend like Pilita and then put her hands on her waist. Unfortunately, I didn't get to take that photo. It would have been lovely.

Narnian poses for the camera.

cruising

I.

i found myself alone one afternoon. i was flipping through the channels after finishing an episode of True Blood. there's nothing good playing in the boob tube so i decided to go for a walk.

i went past the buffet area and headed directly to the beach front. there were a lot of people trying to maximize the apparition of the sun. so i was standing there, looking for my friends. and then a group of two guys and a girl passed me by.

normally, i wouldn't care. both guys gave me a glance but the other seemed to be more interested. he stared as he walked past me. after a few more steps he looked back. I followed his stare and then gestured a nod.

and then he dismissed himself from the group and walked back to my direction.

i went back to the buffet area, feigning ignorance of what's going to happen next. he lingered in front of me for a bit. waiting for the slightest hint of interest from my end.

i did not give any.

he was my height, he was wearing a tight fitting white tank that highlighted his well-formed chest, he's pleasant looking with a hint of roughness. well i like it rough.

so without knowing whether there's a booking or not, i went back to our hotel room.

he followed.

i stayed at the veranda of the hotel room. then he passed by. once. then went back. and then walked past me again.

at one point we stared at one another.

another nod.

II.

one night, while already wasting ourselves with vodka sprites and mango rum and other concoctions, an acquaintance invited us over to a bar for more drinks.

who were we to refuse free drinks? these ladies know when to use practicality. so armed with our already woozy sense of direction we headed over to this cozy place in station one. and there they were, with a liter of sprite and two big ass bottles of absolut kurant.

oh great. more, more, more!

it's a night we all planned to get wasted. and we were making great strides.

then he came, a 29 year old hunk who i would give 6 out of 10 for looks but 9 for the body. (6 and 9 in one sentence, oooh). all my friends played with him, prodding him to take off his shirt. and despite the relentless attempts of my friends, he resisted.

i was talking to everyone but him. i was trying to use the Game on him. deprive him of the attention that he feels he should be given. it seemed like it worked because after a friend tried flirting with him, he went over to me and tried to start a conversation.

we started talking and with my inhibition slowly dissipating with every swig of alcohol that i take, i found my hand on his body. and yes, he was packed. after two butt squeezes, i decided to move even further. and in the crowded club, i was able to rest my hand on his man jewels.

then he whispered to me:

'i didn't think you were good at flirting. you seemed like a very nice guy.'

'oh boy, there are a lot of things you don't know about me.' I replied.

and then he said, "i'm going home, do you want to come with me?"

The Climb

we've lost all innocence, really.

----
After dropping him off at his apartment, he sent me this message:

Thanks narnian. I'm kinda bitin but its ok. Take care and see you soon. :-)

I replied as honestly as I could: If it's any consolation, i'm also bitin. We should've met earlier. I have work tomorrow eh. Sigh. I'll see you soon. :-)

And then we chatted this afternoon.

I was thinking last night...
I don't want the consolation.

huh?

I want the grand prize.
And you, you're the prize giver this time.

I'm sorry to cut this conversation off. I have to go. I'll catch you online when I get home, okay?

----
I wish it were easy to find that one thing that would settle this, once and for all.

pagbati, pamamaalam

Mangyari Lamang
Cirilo Rico Abelardo

mangyari lamang ay tumayo
ang mga nagmamahal
nang makita ng lahat
ang kagandahan ng mukha ng pag-ibig
ipamalas ang tamis
ng malalim na pagkakaunawaan
sa mga malabo ang paningin

mangyari lamang ay tumayo rin
ang mga nagmahal at nasawi
nang makita ng lahat
ang mga sugat ng isang bayani
ipadama ang pait ng kabiguan
habang ipinagbubunyi
ang walang katulad na kagitingan
ng isang nagtataya

mangyari lamang ay tumayo
ang mga nangangambang magmahal
nang makita ng lahat ang kilos ng isang bata
ipamalas ang katapatan ng damdamin
na pilit ikinukubli
ng pusong lumaki sa mga enkanto at diwata

mangyari lamang ay tumayo
ang mga nagmahal, minahal, at iniwan
ngunit handa pa ring magmahal
nang makita ng lahat ang yaman ng karanasan
ipamalas ang mga katotohanang nasaksihan
nang maging makahulugan
ang mga paghahagulgol sa dilim

at sa mga nananatiling nakaupo
mangyari lamang ay dahan-dahang tumalilis
papalabas sa nakangangang pinto
umuwi na kayo
at sumbatan ang mga magulang
na nagpalaki ng isang halimaw

at sa lahat ng naiwang nakatayo
mangyari lamang ay hagkan ang isa't isa
at yakapin ang mga sugatan
mabuhay tayong lahat
na nagsisikap na makabalik
sa ating pinagmulan

manatiling masaya
at higit sa lahat
magpatuloy sa pagmamahal

-----
Marahil ito'y isang paguungkat ng isang kahapong matagal na dapat ibinaon sa limot.

Ito na ang huling liham ko para sa iyo.

Ito'y isang pamamaalam sa alaala mo. Inakala kong ikaw na nga ang taong maaari kong paglaanan ng lahat ng pagmamahal na meron ako. Inakala kong ikaw na ang katuwang ko sa bawat araw ng pamamalagi ko sa mundo.

Ang mga nakaraang buwan ang magpapatunay sa aking kahibangan--ang pirming pagnanais na ikaw ay manumbalik.

Paalam sa iyo, at magpapatuloy ako.

Outside Narnia: Cambodia (part 3)

The interesting people I've seen.

While waiting for the elephants to arrive (from the forest, because we're tourists and we wanted to waste our dollars to get a chance to ride elephants), we decided to grab a quick meal in front of Angkor Wat. While waiting for my scrambled eggs, this gorgeous foreigner walked in tugging along another elephant. Oh, excuse me. I'm jealous like that.

I didn't think I'd see him again. There were a lot of other temples that we haven't visited. Chances were slim. But surprisingly, he went to the Bayon! And that's where I saw him again! He's so cute. yun lang.


Of course, while I was mulling over my failed attempt at a relationship, I saw this couple. And then when they thought no one was looking, they kissed. I thought it was sweet. But deep inside I was cringing. They'll break up eventually. I'm sure they have divorce in their country.

OH MY GOSH. He's the highlight of the trip!!! Apart from the temples, that is. He's such a hottie. My friends and I were actually thinking he might be Zac Efron. So the stalkers in us followed him around.

And then during one of our debauchery nights when we got really drunk, one of the two girls actually had the courage to walk up to him and say hi. But guess what?

She was SHUNNED!

That was the end of our Zac Efron fantasy. We vowed never to watch another Zac Efron film again.

And lastly, here's a girl who always wore a dress wherever she went. When I first saw her in Angkor Wat, she was sporting a similar dress like the one above. She's one of the most beautiful girls I've seen in Cambodia.

What's interesting with this girl is that whenever we saw her, it was like she just got out of the bathroom. She was always looking fresh!

My friends and I were feeling icky already while we're walking up to Phnom Bakheng. But when we saw her after her climb, she still looked pristine. And with that dress and those sandals too! What the eff?

Outside Narnia: Cambodia (part 2)

The Food.

No, there's no McDonalds in Siem Reap. This is what kept us alive while waiting at the KL LCT. And it contributed to about 50% of the weight I gained while I was on holiday. Their Cornetto McFlurry was just so hard to resist!!!

Before we left Manila, I had McDonalds for breakfast. I was hungry when we got to Clark International Airport so I feasted on a hotdog sandwich plus a dozen munchkins. When we got to KL LCT, I bought mongo bread from 7-11. Then we went to McDonald's for lunch. We waited for our connecting flight (scheduled the next day, YES, I slept at the airport) the next day so we had dinner again from McDonalds. We ate breakfast at this local cuisine place, Nasi Lemak and I was not satisfied.

When we got to Siem Reap, we just freshened up and looked for a good place to eat. It was already lunch time. We ordered the food below:

Because we were tourists, it was customary to eat Traditional Khmer food on the first day. So I looked at the menu (written in Khmer, or whatever their language is) and picked the food items with Mango and Chicken in it.

Apparently, I got Amok. Meat cooked in coconut and curry with green vegetables. I have no idea what those green vegetables are but they tasted great. We shared pumpkin soup, mango salad, pad thai and this stir fried beef dish.

I ate two cups of plain rice and a cup of sticky rice.

YES, I was famished.


Random picture of a guy cooking along Pub Street. I seriously wanted to try it. My friends didn't want to. You could actually pay to learn how to cook using traditional Khmer methods. And of course, eat the fruits of your labor. But I was too concerned with my budget. I didn't want to take money away from my ice cream budget.

Which brings me to my other concern: eating traditional Khmer dessert.

All throughout the stay, I was asking around where I could get traditional Khmer dessert. No restaurant offered anything of the sort. All they had were cakes, ice cream, crepes and other westerm desserts.

Ice cream was my best friend in Cambodia. Lurf. Pure Lurf.

I saw this side car vendor selling jelly stuff with coconut milk. I thought I'd try it, but my friend warned me. So remembering the episode in KL when I tried a local delicacy and I ended up with a bad case of diarrhea, I let the side car pass me by.

Good bye traditional Khmer dessert.

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My philosphy when I travel is to try as much local food as possible. During the trip, I've always insisted on eating Traditional Khmer Food. My friends were totally against it. So while everyday I was eating TKF, my friends were eating pizza, crepes, pasta and salads.

I stuck it out. In those four days, I can now claim a minor expertise in telling which Amok is the best. LOL.

Apart from being an amazing temple journey, the trip was a very unique gustatory experience.

Runner's respite

This is just what I needed after a very tiring 10k run. I love you mahal.

Red Triangle

During my long commute from my parents' place to my soon to be vacated abode in Alabang, I get the chance to ruminate on a lot of things.

These things include:
1. my diet (or inability to stick to my diet) and getting fitter.
2. Piolo Pascual's two billboards and the things I'll do to meet him in person and make him fall in love with me.
3. This new F&H Hot model whose name I still don't know. (He's the guy along Guadalupe! Hideo is so two thousand and late, MAY GANON)
4. how much I hate the roads in Manila and the traffic enforcers everywhere and how these traffic enforcers make my heart skip a beat every time I see them (uh, NO. I didn't mean it in a lovey-dovey way, silly.)
5. measures on how to get rid of all jeeps and jeepney drivers in Metro Manila (because they are unscrupulous and undisciplined and arrogant and they behave like they own the streets in the metro and that they don't pull over to the side when they're dropping off passengers causing major traffic when everyone's rushing to get somewhere. YES, I have issues against Jeepney Drivers.)
6. second chances and valuing opportunities and broken hearts and true love (especially when I am alone. I'd have these thoughts rather than die after falling asleep on the wheel. Oh wait, I've fallen asleep while driving once too many already. LOL)

Okay, I digress.

It's been a year since I got my first car and since I learned how to drive (Happy Birthday *toot*). I have progressed to that slow moving vehicle along EDSA to a compact car that races with undisciplined 16-wheeler cargo trucks along SLEX during night time. I've escaped a few encounters with traffic enforcers and in the course of a year, with more than three supposed violations, I got off with bribing just two enforcers 500 pesos each instance. I know, I shouldn't have bribed them but they instilled fear. And fear works wonders.

I've tried running away from two Manila traffic enforcers in the Pier area (R-10, I think) only to find out that they have a motorcycle and that they were chasing us. The unexperienced driver in me had to learn the ropes fast and I had to manouver the car to lose the two enforcers on motorcycle. The chase involved swerving to faster lanes, overtaking one cargo truck after the other, honking like hell and being stopped by a stupid stop light.

There was hysteria. And I ran over the enforcers foot. And yes, I got away with paying him 500 bucks. Damn him. If I were in his place I would have sued me. LOL.

I keep on digressing, really. Narnian, focus.

Okay, I just realized that all cars have that magic button. And that's the point of this post really. The magic button where one triangle is fitted inside a bigger triangle. It's placed in different locations on the dashboard. Mine is right beside the center aircon vent. I guess it depends on who made the car.

But this magic button is that: Magic. Well, I guess here in the Philippines, at least.

This button gives drivers magical powers. (If you still don't know what I'm talking about, it's the hazard button.)

It allows drivers to:
1. counterflow - My hazard lights are on, please let me pass.
2. park indefinitely - My date will be here shortly, I don't want to turn off the engine. Go ahead, just pass me by.
3. move very slowly - I'm on the middle lane and my hazard lights are on. I don't know why I'm driving slowly but what the hell, I'm excused.
4. swerve whatever way they want to - Great, I have the street to myself. No one will know which lane I'll take!
5. feign emergency - I really need to go to the loo. Turn on your hazard lights!
6. drive on reverse - for backing up, you know.
7. be identified in the pouring rain - not advised for safety reasons. Just stick to your goddamn lane, turn on your headlights and that's it.

But seriously, after passing that drivers' test in LTO, I still don't know when it's best to use the hazard button. I'm sure some of the ones I've listed above are legit but when do you actually use it?

Oh well, why do I even bother thinking about this when I live in a country where rules are but mere suggestions.

*name of the car has been changed to protect author's privacy. LOL.

Spell so so

Oh-kay. I've finally seen Spelling Bee and I must say, I wasn't blown away by it. I found most of the jokes funny, especially the adlib-ed ones about the celebrity guest spellers.

The celebrity guest spellers for the night were:
1. Anna Fegi - First reaction: Oh. (Pure Judgment)
2. Tessa Prieto-Valdez - When I saw Dennis (such a DILF!) come in, I had a feeling Tessa was gonna be one of the spellers. When she came in wearing a screaming pink gown with a long trail complete with her sparkling tiara and necklace, I knew that she'd be spelling out words for us. That got me real excited.
3. Mari Kaimo - I loved his voice on TV. His number was 69 and his first word to spell out was DOG. I searched the audience for his son Kahlil but I didn't see him. I wonder how he looks like now. And after the play, I saw him inside the washroom and chatted with him for a bit.

What I liked:
1. Actors: Felix Rivera, the girls who played Olive and Marcy (I love Marcy's character) and the guy who played Vice Principal Doug Panch.
2. The jokes
3. Marcy's Song and life story
4. The idea that Chip Tolentino had a hard-on during the play.

What I didn't like:
1. Felix's short airtime
2. Most of the songs - that pandemonium scene was so off.
3. I didn't get to be a speller
4. Some scenes that didn't need a song to them.
5. Tessa Prieto-Valdez being prematurely kicked out of the competition.

All in all, it was okay. Nothing out of this world but I'd still say it's a good way to spend one's Saturday night.

The speller from the audience actually had a very special role in the whole play. Her name's Sherilyn Sy (that's how I heard it). She stayed the longest among the four guest spellers. I was actually surprised she got some hard words correctly. When they sent her off after misspelling a word, I had to say out loud: "awwwww."

Only to find out that at the end of the play, she'd be called back on stage because someone filed a protest. Apparently, she spelled the word correctly and to give her a fair chance, she was gonna be given another word to spell by a guest word pronouncer.

The guy was called to the stage.

"Please spell: Marry"

The girl was speechless.

"I'd like to use it in a sentence so you'd be able to spell it correctly."

The girl wiped tears from her eyes.

"This ring had been passed on from my grandparents to my parents... And I want you to pass it on to our children... Will you marry me?"

And then the audience bursted into applause.

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I could not help but melt while watching the scene unfold in front of my very eyes. It was one of the most creative marriage proposals I've ever seen.

And again, I found myself believing in love.

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However, it also occured to me that proposals done in front of a huge crowd is something short of an emotional blackmail. There's just too much pressure on the receiver of the proposal to say: "YES!"

I don't know, really. Either way, I left the theater feeling light and happy that there are two people in the world who are about to cement their love and commitment for one another.

And that just makes this world more tolerable.

Outside Narnia: Cambodia (part 1)

There are three things I will not forget about Cambodia:
1. The Food
2. The Laidback Environment
3. The Temples

Background information:
Cambodia wasn’t in my radar when I planned out this year (nor was being broken hearted and shit. But you don’t really plan that, do you? LOL). But after talking to a friend over coffee one night, I found myself booking flights and hotel accommodation and arranging our itinerary the following day.

She said the most convincing things:
“We’re young, we can afford doing this.”
“Let’s enjoy our hard earned money.”
“If not now, when?”
“We have got to see the world when we still can!”
“We need to take a break, do some soul searching. The business will benefit from that, I’m sure.”

I didn’t need that much convincing really, because deep inside, I really wanted desired to go.

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It was a well-budgeted trip. My friend insisted that if we were to spend about 10k for airfare going somewhere in the Philippines, we might as well add about 2k more and travel abroad. My friend is an engineer but she really should start considering a career in marketing as fallback.

So we booked flights through AirAsia. (I swear, I was hesitant at first because you know, it’s low-cost and there have been a lot of airplane crashes recently. But she vouched for it and said that the service is satisfactory.) I booked the tickets going out of the country. She booked the return flights.

There were options: pick a seat, baggage check-in, travel insurance, meal on board.

We only decided to check in our baggage. We were slugging it out. We are cheap like that. I’d normally insure myself but this time we both decided: “Kung oras mo na, oras mo na.”

After that was settled, we booked our accommodation. We found a recommended hostel on the net. The pictures of the place were amazing. Besides, it was rated top 3 in some internet site. (Top 2 according to the Manager. He said so when he picked us up from the airport! Talk about personalized service. Or lack of manpower.) We got sold when the manager (over the phone) told us that if we stayed four nights, we’ll get one night free!

We’re easy to convince and the price made it much more appealing. When we confirmed our reservation, we took the arduous task of planning our itinerary. We researched on the internet and compiled our top activities in an Excel Spreadsheet. We made a list of temples to visit, restaurants to try out, activities to do. We also gathered tips from other travelers regarding how to maximize time in Siem Reap.

We had four days.

And it was just, hands down, amazing.

To be continued...

Coming up: The food, the activities and yes, the temples.

Feast your eyes, will you?

Finding the correct angle.

dead worm's view of the more famous angkor wat

the multifaceted temple: Bayon


Vandalism: Angelina was here!!! LOL