Ok, I'm going to go ahead and say it...

          It is not in my best interest to say this, but I'm going to go ahead and say it anyway.  I'm going to say it because I don't want to repress this only for it to be subsequently released in some other potentially destructive form.  I'm going to say it because it's been years since I've written about how I honestly feel inside, and somehow, writing about other things does not provide enough distraction anymore.

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          Have you experienced this?

          You have not been in a relationship for so long that you have gotten so used to doing things on your own.  Surfing the internet and blogging becomes your favorite activity because it's something you can do alone.  You have lunch alone, you go to the movies alone, and you even go on out-of-town trips alone.  Hell, if you could go out of the country alone, you'd probably do it too.  You learn to block out images of couples you encounter everyday holding hands so that you won't dwell on why there's no one holding your own hand.

          Whenever you feel lonely you play some love songs on the radio/mp3 player/iTunes because it introduces a romantic element that is sorely lacking in your life.  Later on, you begin to avoid even listening to these love songs - especially the tragic ones - because you realize that it only reminds you of what you don't have.  And not just love songs, you also avoid books, movies, and even just TV commercials with romantic content.  You are not bitter, though.  You just don't want to reach the point of admitting to yourself that you are miserable being alone.

          You are aware that you are not bad looking, and in fact there were women who at one point found you attractive (after all, you have ex-girlfriends.)  Yet you don't see the point in making an extra effort of shaving, losing weight, buying groovier clothes, or even just getting a better haircut when no girl seems to be interested in you.  There's always a better looking, funnier, or more charming guy that gets their attention first, and you are left in the background of things.

          You try to go out, and meet girls... and find out to your horror that your social skills have deteriorated.  You have kept to yourself for so long that something as simple as small talk becomes so hard to initiate.  You encounter a girl you fancy and your voice stutters.  The old lines don't work anymore, or worse you can't tell at all whether the old lines are working.  You don't know whether her smile means she thinks you are cool or whether she finds you ridiculous but is just too polite to hurt your feelings.  You are reduced to looking at her when she's not looking at you, but can't stand looking at her whenever she does look your way for fear of further making a fool of yourself.  Of course nothing ever comes out of it, and you meet another girl that you fancy...and the same thing happens all over again.

          Sex never was the whole point in having a relationship, but now the abstinence is gnawing at you that you can't think of a single reason why you can't be entitled to an orgasm.  Your sex life is therefore reduced to staring at the downloaded smut playing at the screen of your laptop, while your right hand is pleasuring yourself.  You hate it, but you're too hormonally distrait to debate the morality of masturbation, pornography and other variations of violations of the 6th and 9th Commandments.

          To make matters infinitely worse, many of your old college friends all chose the same month of the year to get married.  All of your insides want to shout "It's a conspiracy!", but you are far too happy for your friends to even dignify that thought.  But it's there.

          Eventually, you do manage to date someone on a semi-regular basis.  But despite your best efforts, she does not seem to take you seriously.  Sometimes, she does not even accord you the courtesy of giving a reason why she does not want to go out with you on a particular day - and this scenario becomes more frequent as time goes by.  You desperately want to fix the situation but you stop yourself because you don't want to be seen as too pushy, or worse, obsessed.

          All these seeming disappointments and frustrations reach a tipping point until you cease all denials and ask yourself, "Why is this happening to me?!  I'm a good guy, I'd never hurt a woman.  I see total jerks get the best girls the whole friggin' time!  Why can't I get it right?"

          So do any of you experience this?  It does not have to be exactly the same.

          The reason I'm asking is because I'd go crazy if came to the conclusion that I'm the only one.

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          There.  I said it.

My Intramuros Walking Tour Route (late afternoon to evening)

Final installment of my Intramuros walking tour summary:

The drizzle turned out to last for just a couple of minutes, so I continued to walk along Muralla Street.

Passed by the Boys and Girls Scout monument in an island just across Puerta Isabel II.

Reached the abandoned Aduana building which was situated at the center of Intramuros' Pasig River entrance.

Walked towards Plaza España - an island with King Felipe II's monument across Muralla Street from the Aduana Building.

From there I looked for Plaza Sto. Tomas, which was surprisingly difficult to see as it was hidden by the massive BF Condominium. 

I found the Plaza in the corner of Solana and Sto. Tomas Streets - between the BF Condominium and the Colegio de Sta. Rosa

Walked down Sto. Tomas Street, and in the process passing by some squalid surroundings which stretched all the way to Magallanes Street (the ugliest street in Intramuros.) 

Finally reached the Ayuntamiento ruins, and consequently Manila Cathedral and Plaza Roma. 

Lingered in the area for a while to decide what I should do next.  Took a few more pictures

From Plaza Roma, walked along A. Soriano Avenue until I exited at the gate beside Plaza Willard.

Walked well outside the walls until I reached the Anda Circle in the middle of Bonifacio Drive to take pictures of the Anda monument.

Walked back to the gate, further along A. Soriano Avenue, then all the way back to the Aduana Building to see if I can observe the reconstruction of the curtain wall.  The site was fenced with tall sheets of plywood, so I wasn't able to do so.

Encircled the Aduana Building to take a look at Plaza Mexico along the southern bank of the Pasig River.  There were a lot of homeless living in the Plaza.

At around 6 pm, I got hungry again so I walked towards the corner of Cabildo Street and A. Soriano Avenue to dine at Chow King.  From the restaurant, one has a sweeping view of the Ayuntamiento ruins, the Manila Cathedral, Plaza Roma and even the Palacio del Gobernador.

After dinner, I went to Plaza Roma to smoke and take a few pictures of Manila Cathedral and the Palacio del Gobernador.  Spent some time in Plaza Roma inspecting an exhibit on biblical history under a tent.

Proceeded to General Luna Street with the intention of hailing a cab.  Got stopped by an SUV with an "8" plate number at the corner of Beaterio and General Luna Streets.  The occupants (who looked like bodyguards) were asking for directions to Patio Victoria.  I told them they are on the correct street, but they need to go all the way back around 100 meters.

Walked further along until I reached the San Agustin Church.  Took pictures of the facade.

Finally boarded a cab in front of the NCCA building in the corner of General Luna and Sta. Potenciana Streets.









 

My Intramuros Walking Tour Route (afternoon)

This is the continuation of my blog of the Intramuros walking tour.  The previous blog can be accessed here.  In the afternoon I endeavored to walk the perimeter of the old walled city.  Here is the summary of the route I took:

After yosi break, I then walked the length of Sta. Clara Street then turned left to Arzobispo Street.

I intended to look for the ruins of the San Ignacio Church, so I crossed A. Soriano Street and went straight until I reached the site in the corner of Arzobispo and Anda Streets.

Turned right to Anda Street to get to the front of the ruins which faced Sta. Lucia Street, and passing by the old Ateneo Municipal de Manila site.

Went up the Baluarte Plano Luneta de Sta. Isabel, which was at the section of the wall across Sta. Lucia Street from the San Ignacio Church ruins.

Descended the Baluarte and proceeded to Puerta de Sta. Lucia.  Walked out the gate towards the Hidalgo monument along Bonifacio Drive.

Went back to to Intramuros through Puerta Sta. Lucia and went up the Baluartillo de San Eugenio.  Descended the Baluartillo and walked towards the ruins of the Cuartel de Artilleria de Montaña which was nearby.

Walked further towards the Baluartillo de San Jose and viewed the Reducto de San Pedro, which was a few meters outside the walls.

Descended the Baluartillo and went back to Sta. Lucia Street.  Tried to enter the Baluarte de San Diego at the corner of Sta. Lucia and Muralla Streets but it was closed due to a private function.

Turned left at the corner to Muralla Street (where PLM is) and proceeded to Puerta Real.  It was closed at that time so I was not able to proceed to the Revellin de Real de Bagumbayan

Walked a bit more and reached the Intramuros main entrance leading to General Luna Street.

Went up the walls again to reach the Baluarte de San Andres.  The National Museum is visible in the distance outside the walls, while within, the buildings of DOLE and the Manila Bulletin are the ones near the Baluarte.

Walked along the walls to view the Revellin de Recolletos. then walked some more until I went over the Victoria Street entrance.

Got hungry so I descended the walls and had a 2 p.m. lunch at Mc Donald's (!?!) near the corner of Victoria and Muralla Streets.

After lunch, I looked for a store that sold cigarettes so I walked further along Victoria Street until I reached a squalid area at the back of Manila High School.  Couldn't stand the ugly surroundings to I walked back to Mc Donald's to finish my ciggie.

After smoking, I went back up the walls and proceeded to Baluarte de Dilao.  The Post Office and the back of the old Metropolitan Theater is visible in the distance outside the walls, while within, Mapua Institute of Technology is the building nearest to the Baluarte.

Descended the Baluarte to take pictures of the Puerta del Parian and the Revellin del Parian.  Passed by the Lyceum of the Philippines on the way there.

Went back inside Intramuros through the Puerta del Parian and then went up the Baluarte de San Gabriel near Colegio de San Juan de Letran.

Descended the Baluarte to walk towards the Puerta de Isabel II.  It was closed, but there was a little unnamed gate between the Baluarte and the Puerta which led to a small garden outside the walls.  Spent a minute exploring that garden.

A light drizzle began so I looked for shelter before proceeding.

My Intramuros Walking Tour Route (before noon)

Here's a summary of the path I took in touring Intramuros in the morning of December 21:

Got off the cab at the Fort Santiago Entrance.

Carlos Celdran's tour started at Plaza Moriones near the Intramuros Visitors' Center.

Walked for a short distance towards the War Memorial still in Plaza Moriones for a short lecture.

Walked towards the Fort Santiago gate for another lecture.

Walked back to Plaza Moriones, up to the Fort Santiago exit.

Boarded calesas in Sta. Clara Street.

Calesa ride route: left to Arzobispo Street, left to A. Soriano Avenue, right to General Luna Street, right to Anda Street, left to Sta. Lucia Street, left to Muralla St., then finally left to General Luna Street.

Disembarked from calesa beside the San Agustin Church.

Walked straight to the San Agustin Church Garden for a short lecture.

Proceeded to the San Agustin crypts for another lecture.

Exited the Church compound and crossed the street to Plaza San Luis.

From the Plaza San Luis courtyard, went up the stairs three floors up for another short lecture.

Went back to the ground floor in another part of Plaza San Luis for the closing lecture and the free Halo-halo.

After Carlos Celdran's tour, walked towards Plazuela de Sta. Isabel in the corner of General Luna and Anda Streets.

Walked towards the Manila Cathedral and Plaza Roma.

Walked back towards Fort Santiago.

Went through the tunnel towards Reducto de San Francisco, then went up back up the Baluartillo da San Francisco.

Went through the Fort Santiago main gate again.

Went up the Baluarte San Miguel and walked through a section of the wall.

Was about to enter the 3rd floor of the Rizal Shrine from the wall, but was told that I had to go down the ground floor towards the actual entrance of the building.

Went back down from the wall and entered the Rizal Shrine, then exited through another way that leads to the Almacenes Reales ruins.

Went back up the wall towards Baluarte de Sta. Barbara.

Went down towards the Falsabraga de Sta. Barbara and Falsabraga de Media Naranja.

Walked back towards the memorial for the dead found in the dungeons during World War II.

Tried to go to the dungeons, but the entrance was locked.

Walked back towards the Fort Santiago main gate, passing by the Dulaang Raja Soliman.

Walked the length of Plaza Moriones towards the exit.

Had an iced tea and a cigarette at the stall in the corner of General Luna and Sta. Clara Streets.

12/27/08 - Tonka Xmas Party 3

Past and present Tonka people.

12/27/08 - Tonka Xmas Party 2

A "bong" is a contraption consisting of a long plastic tube over a meter long with a funnel on one end. Two bottles of beer are poured on the raised funnel end with the other end stopped with the drinker's finger. The intention is for the "pressurized" beer to gush straight into the drinker's mouth and be consumed at about a fraction of the time that one would normally finish the same volume.

Here the Tonka boys do the bong.

12/27/08 - Tonka Xmas Party 1

A lot of food,

a lot of beer,

a lot more singing,

and a whole lot of FUN!!!

12/21/08 - Intramuros Series 9

Puerta de Sta. Lucia

Walking the Walls

Final batch of pictures. Most of these were taken when I was walking the perimeter of Intramuros.

I will blog about the exact path that I took later.

12/21/08 - Intramuros Series 8

The Lyceum of the Philippines stands where the original San Juan de Dios Hospital was located.

Other Buildings

My Intramuros Wishlist

[This is the first in probably three blog entries I will make regarding Intramuros.  I've just finished uploading most of the photos that I took during my 1-day tour of the walled city, and I've spent the past 5 days mostly organizing in my head the stuff I want to write about.]

A person who gets a chance to explore Intramuros for a whole day will surely encounter both the beautiful and the ugly, the charming and the ghastly, in the walled city.  The following is my own wish list on what needs to be done in Intramuros in order to enhance, or even just preserve it's character as Manila's premier historical district.  I understand that most of these will entail a lot of funding, and are thus close to impossible.  But hey, we can all dream, can't we? 

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1.  Squatters need to be relocated outside of the walls. 

While it may be true that squatters have existed in the walled city for most of the postwar years, there's no mistake that they have no regard for the historical importance of Intramuros - being more concerned with their very survival than the nuances of Spanish-era fusion architecture.  Their "residences" are eyesores whose unsightly appearance are compounded by the garbage that are strewn in their own surroundings (This despite the fact that Intramuros has a very efficient garbage collection system.)

I of course have no intention of depriving them of shelter and livelihood (if drinking all day and boisterous singing in videokes is what they call "livelihood".)  I just wish that they seek shelter and practice their livelihood somewhere less-historically significant.

2.  Cobblestone roads everywhere.

The most charming part of Intramuros for me is General Luna Street, partly because it seems to be the only street that has a stretch that is covered with cobblestones.  This should be made uniform in the entirety of Intramuros, or at least the areas most frequented by tourists.

3.  The rebuilding of the Ayuntamiento should NOT be botched.

The Ayuntamiento was perhaps the finest and most historically-significant building in the walled city before it was destroyed during the Second World War.  It served as the City Hall during the Spanish era, and later on as the House of Representatives under the Americans.  I learned that a private entity has taken upon itself to purchase the Ayuntamiento ruins and restore it to it's former grandeur.  I agree with this in principle, with the condition that the city's historians should be given the widest oversight powers in the project.  This is to ensure that plans for the rebuilding of the Ayuntamiento will be faithful, as much as possible ,to its former appearance.

4.  New and old maps should be given together to tourists.

The whole point in exploring the walled city is to have an idea on what life was like in bygone years, and imagining how the city appeared before the onset of modernity.  This is the reason why historical markers are found everywhere in Intramuros.  To enhance this experience, it might be a good idea to give away copies of old maps together with present-day maps.  An old map from the last 100 or 200 years is a powerful tool in showing how much of the old city grid is preserved, and even how most street names have remained the same.

5.  The old Ateneo site should be converted into a park.

A ghastly clamshell tent for "WOW Philippines" stands today where the old Ateneo Municipal de Manila used to be.  My wish is for this space (or even just a part of it) to be converted to a park in tribute to Atenean heroes, in the same way that the Dominicans were allowed to develop Plaza Sto. Tomas near the old site of UST.  It should not be forgotten that the Ateneo had its roots in the walled city.  (As it is, there is no longer any trace of the former Padre Faura campus - the site being gobbled up by a mall.)

6.  Old tunnels and chambers in the bulwarks should be excavated and preserved.

Probably in an effort to discourage squatting and crime in the various bulwarks surrounding Intramuros, some tunnels and stairways that could have led to inner chambers have been filled in with rubble.  This is unfortunate in light of the fact that armed guards are visible everywhere in Intramuros - especially the bulwarks - and serve as sufficient deterrent for crime and squatting.  The tunnels and chambers enhance the appearance of the bulwarks and provides a deeper experience of the walled city should one be permitted to explore them.

7.  The second tower of the San Agustin Church should be rebuilt.

The second bell tower of the Church has been missing since it was destroyed by an earthquake in the 19th century.  The Church now appears somewhat impotent with the missing bell tower, thereby diminishing its appearance.  The second bell tower should be rebuilt and it must be faithful to the original plans.  This should not be too hard as there's always the remaining bell tower for reference.

8.  The next president of the Philippines should not interfere with rebuilding and restoration in Intramuros.

Ok, this might be a bit difficult since the Intramuros Administration is under the Department of Tourism, which is itself directly under the President.  Assuming that GMA loses interest in being president for life, I'm wishing that the next president will not envision a new agenda for Intramuros that will derail all current efforts to restore and rebuild important structures.  The rebuilding of the curtain wall along Pasig River, the Puerta de Almacenes, the Baluarte de Herrerias and of course the Ayuntamiento, are prime projects that Intramuros and the rest of Manila desperately needs in order to recover it's lost heritage.

EDITED TO ADD:

9.  Electric power lines should be re-routed underground

Now, this definitely will be difficult to undertake because it will entail a lot of disruptions caused by excavations in the walled city's very small sidewalks.  But the possible rewards are great.  Elevated power lines have always been the bane of aesthetics in any historically significant site which predates the 20th century.  If the Intramuros Administration finds a way to do this in even just the areas frequented by tourists, Intramuros' appearance will be enhanced and improved.

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          Actually, I could go on and on with more detailed wishes for Intramuros, but I guess the preceding nine wishes are general enough in scope to give you an idea on what's on my mind as regards the walled city.  It's not hard to fall in love with the place once you get a chance to explore it, and I'm sure you will have your own wish lists should you do so.

12/21/08 - Intramuros Series 7

Dome protrusion of the Church as seen from the garden.

San Agustin Church

I took a lot of pictures of the facade in the evening. I could not seem to get a nice exposure, but I kept on trying until I realized that the peach-colored paint was absorbing too much light. They should have just retained the color of the stone.

Carlos Celdran's Walking Tour of Intramuros

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Other

FOR those who are expecting Carlos Celdran's walking tour of Intramuros to be a visual spectacle, be prepared to be slightly disappointed. The tour itself only revolves around three structures in Intramuros - Fort Santiago, the Church of San Agustin and the Plaza San Luis Complex. This is not to say that the tour is a disappointment. In fact, it could be a valuable eye opener for someone who has taken Manila for granted.

I participated in one such tour last Sunday, December 21. In a span of three hours, Mr. Celdran adequately (but not exhaustively) explained in scientific, socio-political, socio-cultural, architectural and even ecclesiastical terms the history of Manila from pre-Spanish times up to the present. Although I consider myself an above-average enthusiast of Philippine history, I was pleased to discover new historical tidbits about the city of Manila from the tour. On the other hand, being indeed the historical enthusiast that I am, I was able to catch a few debatable assertions of Mr. Celdran, but this is acceptable subjectivity given the circumstances.

[A brief digression: What strikes one upon meeting Mr. Celdran is his height - he is short. This fact is not too apparent when one views his pictures in magazines given his sharp mestizo features, and the fact that he always wears dignified upper garments (such as the barong and top hat shown in the photo.)]

Mr. Celdran is a storyteller more than he is a tour guide, and as far as storytelling goes, he is very engaging and passionate, with never a dull moment. In short, he is a very good storyteller, and one would find this enough to compensate for the shortage of other tourist spots within Intramuros that other tour guides would have incorporated in their own itineraries. Certainly adding life to the tour is Mr. Celdran's incorporation of various minor costumes and sound effects to capture the sights and sounds of various periods of Manila's recent history. One moment he's marching in Plaza Moriones in his barong and top hat while waving a US (?) flag, .....in the next he's leading everyone in solemn prayer within the crypts of San Agustin Church for the victims of Japanese atrocities.

Mr. Celdran spares no one from the occasional acerbic tongue - whether they be the Catholic Church, the Spanish, the Americans, the Japanese, or the Filipinos themselves - whenever he comes to a point in his discussions wherein some fault of any of these groups becomes apparent.

The most important aspect of Mr. Celdran's tours is his way of integrating all seemingly disparate facts of the history of Manila into a coherent story that shows why Manileños (and by extension, all Filipinos) are the way they are today and why they should always look back to Manila's past. This ability to show the big picture (or at least one's subjective version of it) is something that many tour guides do not possess - consequently boring the audience with a simple barrage of facts.

I recommend Carlos Celdran's walking tour of Intramuros. And I also recommend that you explore Intramuros on your own by foot, like what I did.

12/21/08 - Intramuros Series 6

The red-brick ruins of the Almacenes Reales, located in Fort Santiago proper.

Some Ruins

I only really wanted to look for the ruins of (1) the old San Ignacio Church, and (2) the Baluarte de San Diego but in my walk around Intramuros, I also came across other ruins.

The picturesque Baluarte de San Diego was unfortunately closed to the public. Apparently, the Intramuros Administration has allowed it to be rented out for private functions.

12/21/08 - Intramuros Series 5

Manila Cathedral

The Manila Cathedral was once kilometer zero under the Spanish administration - reflecting the theocratic basis of Spanish rule in the Philippines.

It has been destroyed and rebuilt eight times in the past 300 years. During the last rebuilding, much of the grandeur of the Cathedral's interior that was lost was never restored, but the external edifice still retains the magnificence of old.

The night shots come in threes in my effort to look for a good exposure.

12/21/08 - Intramuros Series 4

Statues and Monuments

Photos of various statues, busts and monuments in the vicinity of Intramuros.

12/21/08 - Intramuros Series 3

Fort Santiago gate 1

View from a lower angle.

Fort Santiago

Photos of Fort Santiago compound (including Plaza Moriones.) Other photos of the area are distributed in the other Intramuros-series albums.

12/21/08 - Intramuros Series 2

View of the courtyard from 3 stories high.

Plaza San Luis Complex

Plaza San Luis is located just across Gen. Luna Street from the San Agustin Church courtyard.

The complex owes its existence to the former First Lady Imelda Marcos, who wanted to erect buildings faithful to Spanish-era Philippine architecture. Materials used in the construction complex were either donated (in the case of elaborately-designed wooden pillars) or taken from sources similar to the original (in the case of blocks and roof tiles).

12/21/08 - Intramuros Series 1

Funny march 3

The colorful Carlos Celdran.

Taken earlier today, during one of his Intramuros Walking Tours.

12/17/08 - Christmas Ball

Tita Y-Dette's Christmas Tree

Misheh at ang Filofax

[Foreword:  Once upon a time, when cellphones were still considered luxury, people (more particularly students) had organizers - more popularly known as filofaxes.  Unlike the cellphones and PDAs of today, filofaxes can be personalized to a very high degree.  One would be able to draw conclusions about one's personality almost just by looking at his/her filofax.

Aside from serving as a directory, a notebook, a scheduler and a birthday calendar, filofaxes also become repositories of various items that could fit into its pockets - post-it notes, old IDs, photos, bus tickets, etc.

One afternoon, I unearthed my old filofax, and was surprised to see a picture of myself and Sheh in one of its pockets.]

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Dear Misheh,

          Gaya ng ni-request mo, ipo-post ko dito yung nakita kong picture natin sa filofax ko.  Ayan. ^

          Alam mo, akala ko claro pa ang college memories ko.  Na-realize kong mali pala ako noong na-buklat ko yung LiKaS logbook, at lalo pang na-confirm ito nung na-halungkat ko yung filofax ko.  Mas marami na pala akong nalilimutan kaysa naaalala.  Ganito siguro talaga kung tumatanda na.

          One of the things I have almost forgotten is how close we were.  Nakakahiya sa sarili dahil ako, ine-expect ko na maalala ko yung ganung klaseng friendship.  Alam mo naman ako, ako yung original na emo (ugh!).  Ako yung napaka-particular sa friendship. 

          Meron pa akong mga ibang na-halungkat sa filofax ko na may kinalaman sa iyo pagkatapos natin mag-usap kagabi.  Ito o:



          Yung grad pic mo, kasama ng grad pic ng iba pa nating mga kaibigan.  Natuwa akong tingnan ang lahat na yun (nilatag ko pa nga eh - parang banig)....tapos naalala kong meron palang dedication sa likod ang grad pic.  Kaya ayun, senti mode uli ako at binasa ko isa-isa.  Medyo masaya mag-reminisce, pero medyo malungkot din dahil merong mga tao na nagbigay sa akin ng grad pic na ilang taon ko nang di man lang nakakamusta.

          Nung nag-chat tayo kahapon, binanggit mo na lahat ng sikreto ko noong college ay na-share ko na sa iyo.  Parang ayaw ko maniwala dahil hindi ko talaga maalalang ganun karami yung na-share ko sa iyo.  Pero wala akong magawa dahil yung mismong dedication sa likod ng grad pic mo, ganun ang sinasabi, hehehe. 

          Lalo akong nagulat nung nakita ko ito na nakaipit sa filofax:



          Sulat iyan na binigay mo sa akin.  Hindi ko alam kung sumulat muna ako sa iyo kaya nagbigay ka ng reply, o kung kusa ka lang na sumulat sa akin.  'Di ko rin alam kung kailan dahil walang date, pero malamang nung 4th year yan.

          Getting a letter wasn't really surprising because I do remember that giving each other letters was pretty common back then.  What surprised me was the content.  Andami din pala nating pinagdaanan.  There's stuff in there that is slowly coming back to my mind now.  Hindi lang pala kulitan at tambay yung samahan natin.  Meron ding mga muni-muni at mga diskusyunan tungkol sa buhay-buhay ng bawat isa.

          Sayang at mas pinili ko pang mag-drama at magpaka-"tragic figure" noong college.  Kung alam ko lang sana dati ang alam ko ngayon, mas pahahalagahan ko kayong mga kaibigan ko, lalo na ikaw, Misheh.  That way, I would have at least reciprocated the goodness you all have shown me.

          (At this point, before I continue, I just want to say that I've never missed college more than when I opened my old Filofax.  Parang may nabuksan din sa loob ko na hindi ko mapigilang maging sentimental .  I miss the LiKaS room, I miss the EDSA walk, I miss Abril, Macky, Jerold and Glenn.....  I miss Joe, Roy, Lissa, and Omar..... I miss the LiKaS bio majors.....and I even miss the closeted Edvic.)

          Anyway...

          Salamat Misheh, sa pakikipagkaibigang totoo at mapagpasensya sa mga kahinaan ng iba.  Maaaring katiting na lang ngayon ang naaalala ko sa pagkakaibigan natin, pero ang mahalaga ay maipaabot ko sa iyo ang aking pagkilala ng magandang nakaraan na iyon.  Walang kinalaman itong sinulat ko sa nalalapit mong kasal (Congratulations in advance nga pala.  ).  Nagkataon lang talaga.  Pero kung sa pagbasa nito ay mababawasan ang stress mo sa pre-wedding preparations, eh di mabuti . 

          Salamat din filofax, sa pagtago ng mga magagandang ala-ala upang aking madiskubre at muling pagyamanin. 

          (At salamat din sa Steely Dan sa pag-provide ng soundtrack habang sinusulat ko ito.)



Always,

Chito

12/13/08 - The FOURnicators

The FOURnicators (formerly "Fantastic Four"). Taken at the photo booth during Ella and Dexter's wedding.

Starring:

"Sex Maniac" - Chito
"Sex Goddess" - Bet-bet
"Third Sex" - Edvic
"Legal Sex" - Ella

(Thanks to Third Sex for the scans.)

Random Discovery # 5

I've always thought that the words "alimango" and "alimasag" were synonyms.

That was, until my father (a true man of the country) educated me on the difference between the two terms.

Apparently, alimango refers to the tasty crab that gets served in restaurants (like Red Crab or Claw Daddy).  When alive, these crabs are the large, dark ones that have powerful and mean-looking pincers.  Their habitat are marshlands and estuaries.

Alimasag, on the other hand, are seawater crabs.  They are a smaller, lighter-colored, and usually have small white spots on their exoskeleton.  Their pincers are slender and less-threatening.  Although also edible, they don't usually find their way in restaurants.

Dear Ella

Dear Ella,

          Thank you for inviting me to your wedding.  It means a lot to me that you found a way to text me and let me know that you wanted me to be present in the most important day of your life.  You and Dexter were absolutely beaming throughout the wedding and the reception.  I've never seen a happier and lovelier couple on their wedding day.  (And for a happy couple, you both seem to shed the most tears than any newly married couple I know.  )

          It is good that we got reacquainted after all those years of not having any communication.  I never thought that the "Fantastic Four" will ever be reunited.  You might not remember this now, but the last months of my stay in college were pretty turbulent - to the point that some friendships between us and other people were temporarily strained. 

          After college, you, Edvic, Betbet and myself drifted apart and just went our separate ways.  As I have gotten used to formerly-close friendships fading into oblivion, I thought that what the four of us had would be consigned to the dustbins of history.  I've already accepted that.  BUT I am glad I was wrong.  Thank you for proving that there are friendships that last.

          The Fantastic Four are having a renaissance of sorts - we even have a new name to reflect what we have all become ("The FOURnicators", hehe!)  We've seen more of each other these past two weeks than the last 6 or 7 years combined.   It's really a great time for old friendships.  I hope we can keep this up for as long as we can.

          Hey, we'll see you on Saturday in Edvic's pad.  Bet-bet  is free from duty.  I'll bring an additional bottle of Asti.  You bring Dexter.  We'll analyze what happened in your honeymoon, haha!

Yours truly,

Chito