to transfer to my new home.

See you there.

Blogdrive's sudden death and resurrection has caused panic throughout blogosphere....at least for us, blogdrive users. So this has prompted me to register another blog in another blog host, thinking that all three hundred entries are gone. Fortunately, Blogdrive seems to be working just fine (again) as of the moment,  nevertheless, since I started another blog, I might as well learn to copy and paste my archives and transfer it to the other blog.

Meanwhile, December is the busiest time of the year. Too many tasks at hand, too much work to do, and my train of thought(s) temporarily lost it's track.  Just bear with me my blog mates, I'll be back as soon as I get out of this pickle.

It just dawned on me how dreams can affect your day. I woke up with a somber mood. And I can't stop thinking about it even on my way to work, because it somehow reminds me how freakin' real it was. It wasn't exaclty a bad dream, not even close to a nightmare. But remembering the dream and thinking about it toiled some nostalgic nerves to be up and working again.

Sigh.

It's the first week of December.

And it's getting really cold.

My cousin's tying the knot this weekend. For most people, his wedding finally disproves silent speculations that he is a member of the third sex. Well you know how society thinks of people who nearly reach the age of forty and still single and unattached. Your sexuality is automatically at stake; or you have to endure a barrage of questions thrown at you like water spewed out of a fire hose that you either end up soaking wet or simply learn the art of dead-ma. Not to mention that condescending look on their faces like you are the fugliest human being on the face of mother earth, plus that tsk-you-have-a-very-serious-disease-dahling look they give you.

Well back to my cousin. Unfortunately he is the last male member of our generation to get married. I had a couple of male cousins who were resigned to never getting married simply because they prefer the same sex. At least they made it obvious without anyone asking them point blank. And being the last male in the family to wed, he is not about to be spared of another weight on his shoulders. Well, let's wait for about a couple of months after the wedding when people or elder relatives would begin to nudge him to produce male offspring in a desperate bid to carry on the family name.

Yeah right.

As I say, such is life.

Endless questions and countless people sticking their nose out. Good heavens! Mind 'yer own bloody business.

'Tis the season to be jolly! Lalala!!!

These past few days I've been busy trying to beat the Christmas rush the earliest possible time. And one of the things I so l-u-r-ve to do is wrapping those presents. So this year, I decided to use indigenous material such as the brown manila paper, embellished it with fancy gold ribbons plus red and brown handmade paper as gift tags to add a more personal touch. So it turned out to be like this......

Whew! I'm almost done and Christmas rush is almost over....for me at least. A few more nights to stay up late and I can literally put my feet up and relax.

Those gifts may not be pricey ones....but hey, it's the thought that counts right?

I was watching a TV soap by my lonesome last night when my folks decided to join me and watch as well. And as soon as they settled on the couch, I thought, prepare....brace yourself for a night of fun and amusement.

Well, watching TV with them automatically translates to....

• having to re-tell the story on some episodes they've missed DURING the show that I end up more like a story teller than a viewer.
• they would suddenly digress and engage in small talks during the most crucial part of the show. So I end up "missing" the current episode  because their conversational voices drown the TV set's maximum volume.
• while watching the show, they would frequently ask me, like 2 or 3 times about what's been said or what happened - again during the most crucial part. As if I have the power to rewind the whole program and let them watch it again. Now I thank God for re-runs.
• and the best part is....falling asleep. In between soaps, they'd doze off, then wake up again....sleep...then wake up....getting a little disoriented that they hardly recognize that the previous show already ended and it's a new one they're watching.    

Oh well....I must say that the family that "watches tv" together, stays together. Hahaha. Watching TV with my folks is like watching two shows at the same time. One on the tube, and one in real life.

I've just received an invitation for a debut from my niece. (yeah more and more god-daughters and nieces are turning 18 these days) And while leafing thru the content of the invitation, I noticed how far too different it is today and how it has evolved into something more practical and more direct to the point.

CASH ONLY - I've received wedding and debut invites where they bluntly indicate their intention to receive cash instead of gifts. And they sugar-coat it into sentences like "if you wish to give us a gift, a monetary one will be more appreciated"; or "if you intend to bring a gift, I'd be more delighted to share it with my favorite charity in the form of cash.".

Yeah right. Gives you an impression that you are compelled to pay for your food when you attend the affair. Lol. But hey, these days, it's better to be practical than having loads of unnecessary stuff adding up to the clutter in your house. And it also saves you from going to the mall and look for a gift while you can readily go to the nearest ATM in your neighborhood and withdraw cash.

TABLE FOR TWO - This sometimes become a major issue between close-knit families. While they already pre-arranged your seat, it also implies that you are not supposed to bring an extra mouth to feed into the affair. Believe it or not, I've had invites telling me "we've reserved 1 seat for you at table no. 1001." Again, practicality wise, this is a more polite way to ward off uninvited guests and avoid the hassle of paying for additional food and tables. But more often than not, guest turn out is lesser than expected.

RSVP - Always present in every invitation. RSVP. While this is a must in other countries such as the US, I guess our culture isn't ready yet for RSVPs. Though some more open-minded guests automatically respond upon receipt  of the invite for the simple act of following instructions. And this is also a great favor for the celebrants - ya know,  they can invite other people in lieu of your presence if you inform them ahead of time that you cannot make it.

DRESS CODE -  whether it's a strictly formal affair or just a casual-come-as-you-please dinner, there will always be somebody who'd show up either over-dressed or out of place. But honestly, an invitation with a "strictly formal" dress code automatically discourages me from showing up. Well, from a self confessed tightwad, I find it unrealistic to spend a few thousand bucks for a formal dress that you only get to wear once or twice in your lifetime. But then again, regardless of the dress code, most people show up clad in anyway they like. Formal or Casual, what the heck right?

I must say though, that every time I receive invitations, there's only one thing on my mind - another unbudgeted expense coming up. Or in a more appropriate word -gastos na naman. Hahaha.  

One of my favorite things in traveling is the airport scene. I am always fascinated with airports. Weird but I like the feeling of being inside the airport and watch fellow travelers as they depart or arrive from the world over.

I like the sound of airplanes touching down or taking off the runway. I don't mind loafing around an airport for a couple or more hours' of stopover. I take pleasure in walking and hauling my baggage cart as I explore the ins and outs of the place - from their restrooms, internet cafès, waiting lounges, coffee and duty free shops. It's like having a peek of what's outside those humongous walls.

When I'm inside an airport I can't help but watch people. Departure and arrival terminals stand witness to a variety of human emotions. You can basically make-out why and where they're going based on the look on their faces. And regardless of which terminal you're headed....it's almost always the same things that you see. Eager faces embarking on a holiday; somber faces of goodbyes; the welcoming and euphoric hugs of hellos; those faces stamped with question marks as they embark on an ambigous flight - not knowing when they'd be back or even the plain impassive look of anonymous travelers.  

I've had an arrival just today. An aunt came home after years of not coming back to attend my cousin's wedding next month. It's good to see her again...even for just a few weeks.

Then a dear friend is flying off in a couple of weeks' time - for good. There's this undeniable sadness to see her off....but somehow, we know we'll see each other again somewhere, sometime.

And I'm having a hell lot of thinking these days. That there may come a time that I'll be stepping inside an airport plagued with mixed-emos. For I may be walking around with eagerness and doubt as I board a flight....knowing that it'll take years to come back....or not knowing when to.

Just a considerably serious thought.

Having a four day respite from work is indeed a time to do things in advance or simply finish up tasks that were left pending since time immemorial.

One. Christmas shopping......check! Taking advantage of the time when majority of the population is out visiting the graveyard. I invaded the malls and the tiangges...and now, I'm almost finished with my Christmas list! Yey!

Two. Spring cleaning my room and getting rid of the clutter in my closet - old bags, shoes and clothes  that doesn't fit anymore and all other items....Check!

Three. Watching DVD copies of movies that I missed in movie theaters.....Check!

Four. Drive to my favorite place down South - Tagaytay City and finally experience all the rave in fine dining that is Antonio's.....Check!

But then, the hardest thing after a long holiday is waking up the next morning, knowing that there won't be any long weekend to look forward to for the remainder of the year unless the President declares another holiday on a Monday or a Friday.

Sigh.

Okay. Hahaha! My previous entry about gay bars stirred up some long hibernating data in my memory bank that I thought it's worth posting another entry about. But let me warn you though, this may be of an extremely for adults only content or you may simply call it gross. Read on...

Years ago, during a trip to Thailand, we asked our tour guide to bring us to some place where Thailand is also known for - their red light district. Come midnight, she fetched us from our hotel and brought us to Patpong, a district lined with bars and pubs showcasing live shows, so we chose the one where most tourists flock, a show hihglighting women in their most "creative" and "strength-enduring" stance.

As usual the place was dimly lit; Caucasians and Europeans packed the area and a relatively undersized stage complete with steel bars were placed at the center of the site. Then as the music got louder and the place got darker, the show started. A couple of not-so-pretty and not-so-young Thai women appeared onstage, dressed in a two-piece bikini suit...doing sensually provocative acrobatics....slowly, slowly moving around the stage....around the steel poles.....and finally they took off their skimpy outfits and reached for their props somewhere near the stage.

A bottle of coke - still unopened, a stick of unlighted cigarette and three pieces of darts. The first woman took the bottle of coke, spread-eagled her legs at the center of the stage and inserted the bottle top in her...uhm, pussy. After a few seconds, she took it out already opened. Then the second one did the same thing, with her legs wide open, she took the stick of cigarette and inserted it in her you-know-what-already and lighted it....she literally smoked down there, and finished it till the very end of the stick. Whoa. Ok, by this time you probably figured out what the other one did with the darts huh? Well, basically the same thing. She inserted a dart in her you-know-what, lifted her butt a few inches from the floor and aimed at the board. Though it did not hit the bulls eye, it sure made its way to the right target.

There are several more exhibitions we saw, but unfortunately it was too long ago to remember all that. But still, we were stunned with what we just discovered. Whoa whoa whoa. What amazing muscle strength! Imagine you can do all these things....open a bottle of soda; smoke a cigarette; play darts among others with the female thingie. Wow.

Now would you still want to shed some wad of bills and hit the sack with these talented and "muscled" women?

Go figure.