Corbis In Da Haus

The lovely Alison Tham from Corbis visited Harrison today. And this is the loot I got:
• Calendar
• Notepad box
• Image CD
• 3 postcards

Sucks that I didn't win the Spiderman 3 lunchbox. :(

Hell Hath No Fury Like An Angry Lorie

Once again, my wife (Lorie) has proven who's the big boss in our house. It's her, she's got guts, balls, tenacity, rage, courage. If we go toe to toe, chances are she'll wipe my ass on the floor.

May 4, 2007 started like any other day in the Santos Household. We usually wake up around 7:30 in the morning. Lorie's routine is usually to go to the dirty kitchen to heat some water and cook food. That is, until a rat surprised her. As expected, she did her calm panic attitude. She grabbed her trusty floor mop (a weapon she used before when she killed one of their kind) and told me to shut the door and remove all obstacles (like Rohan's bike, water buckets) in the Kitchen. She asked me to help her get rid of the rats, but dude, rats are one of my weaknesses, I go GAY when a rat runs along the path I'm about to cross. Lorie told me to buy some "sticky rat trap", you know, those flypaper thingies, the damn rats are too fast, a trap will slow them up a bit. Shopwise, was still closed at that time, so I had to rush to EastMart (a local grocery near our market). The darn thing is, the only sticky traps Eastmart has are 4x5 inches. That'll do, I guess. I bought a couple. When I got home, the deed is done, Lorie has killed not just one, but two big rats. Judging from the crime scene, I think they entered through the kitchen ceiling.

When I asked her how she killed the two, she just told me that they both kept running around the kitchen and when they bumped each other in the corner, they started fighting. That's the moment she needed to strike the fatal blow. By the way, that slipper in the pic is about 9 inches long. Imagine how big those boogers are.

These are the moments when I realize why I married her. While I am all about planning and imagining. Lorie is all about action. She invested some of our money in a car aircon business (which is doing ok), and celfone loading business. While I keep thinking about morning jogging to shape up, she actually did some jogging for 3 consecutive mornings but find it boring so she quit. I'm afraid of rats and frogs. She's afraid of cockroaches. Yin and Yang. We fill each other's weaknesses.

I love you hon, advanced happy mother's day. :)

Crying Out Love, in the Center of the World

Thank you Wowow channel. For the live feed Oscars and Boxing Events. For some wonderful Japanese films without any english subtitle. Brilliant Japanese Anime. And most especially for the Saturday Midnight skin flicks. Aaah, those were the days. It really sucks that Antipolo Sky Cable has removed it from the channel list a couple of years ago.

I first saw "Crying Out Love, in the Center of the World" at the Wowow channel. I came in halfway, but I was captivated by the wonderful cinematography and the beautiful Masami Nagasawa. I stuck through the film expecting to see some skin from the said actress. But alas, there was none (she had a scene where she was wearing a one piece swimsuit though). I stuck through at the end despite the lack of subtitles and trying to make out what they are saying. Since I came in halfway, I had to do some internet research just to find out the title of this movie. Crying Out... is a tale of youthful first love (ah, almost everyone has experienced that). The simplicity and thrill of courtship, the promise of forever, defying the odds, even death. And like most first loves, why it was destined to fail. Crying Out was also adapted into a Korean movie, "My Girl and I" (starring that guy in Sassy Girl and Jenny of Endless Love fame). The adaptation was not fateful to the original Japanese movie, but the geist remains the same.

I've been searching for "Crying Out..." since I saw it. I even thought of ordering the DVD online. But like love, it just comes to you when you are not expecting it. Last Sunday, we took Rohan out. Luckily my dad passed by his DVD suki at Metrowalk. I saw a couple of HMV and Meifu DVDs across dad's suki. And there it was, one of my Holy Grails. I watched the movie last night... and now that I have english subtitles to aid me in my journey, I was able to appreciate the greatness of this film.

It's as beautiful as the first time I saw it.
Even better.
But that's my cup of tea, not everyone might like it.

Monthly Paramdam

I've been busy and lazy lately (how is that possible?) I just thought I'd drop by and give a rundown on what happened the past few weeks after I lost my celfone.

• I GOT A NEW CELFONE!

After a week of extensive research in the net and scouring for the lowest possible price... I finally got a new celfone! The winner: Motorola V3x. Why Motorola and not Nokia? First, it's brand new cheap, it has bluetooth, expandable memory (I got 128mb at the moment), it is 3g capable, it's a clamshell phone (no more accidental button press), it has a 2 megapixel camera, big keypads, and I already got used to the Motorola Keypad orientation. It's a bit bulky though. My old celfone easily fits in my right pocket along with my wallet. With the new phone, there's only a select pair of pants that can accomodate this kind of setup (the iPOD usually takes up the whole left pocket). But, heck, I love my new phone! I love the sound it makes whenever I close the clamshell.

• I GOT 1 MONTH OF LEAVE APPROVED!

Budjette approved my 1 month leave! Which means I'll be gone the whole month of May. Woohooo! I don't know if I get to use it though, there are still some projects in my plate which will probably extend until May. Sigh. What to do on the 1 month leave?
- watch Spiderman 3
- get a driver's license
- draw like there's no tomorrow and do that Super Boboy Graphic Novel
- go to the beach or out of town (I don't know where)
- shape up, jog every morning (I have to get a good running shoe first)
... and more! Exciting!

Kurecolor Quickie

I'm feeling "unCREATIVE" for the past few weeks. Don't know why. It feels like I lost the desire to be an art director. Maybe I do need a vacation. A long one. Or maybe do something different, maybe I'll be a writer or accounts trainee :). I've been working nonstop for almost 3 years. I recall leaving or being absent at least a day or two. There's a lot of stuff I want to do, and I started none of them. The "man-maid" thing, a new book, early morning jogging - haaaay. If only I could take the first step. That's always the toughest part.

DespeBIBA And The Real Single Parent Experience

DespeBIBA

February 28 was Biba's last day in Harrison. The whole cast of Bahay Ni Budjette (that's the name of our team) paid tribute by taking her out to dinner. We ate at CRU, located in Makati Avenue (near Next Door). A cozy little place, with excellent dishes at a slightly expensive price range, great for dates and formal dining. Strange enough, we were the only people eating there, plus an expat and his catch of the day. I was in charge of Biba's going away present. I thought about making a video (just like the one I did for Teeny), but it would be unoriginal. With time running out, I just decided to make a BIBA action figure. I used a BARKADA TRIP figure for the body and just modified her face a bit, and customized the packaging. I included the jpeg of the action figure packaging just in case you're curious what it looks like. I hope Biba likes our gift :) - something we cooked up in less than 3 hours. There were no tears shed that night for the passing of the only girl in our team. But I'm sure we'll miss her feisty attitude. Biba Cabuquit - the AE Killer. Fashionista extraordinaire. Corn Muncher when we want to eat our Squiddy Balls. Supreme Copywriter who usually turns my trashy ideas into gems. And of course a sister who'll listen to your woes and stories.

Reinard's favorite CRU dishes (dunno the exact name)
• Italian Sausage with mashed potatoes (yummmeeee)
• Cru Pizza (the appetizer)

The REAL Single Parent Experience

Last February 25, Sunday - was the first time Rohan and I went to the mall (without his mom or lolo and lola). We were supposed to celebrate Lolo Ric's birthday, but Lola Remy wasn't feeling well so we cancelled the shindig. Rohan was depressed, he hasn't stepped on a mall for several weeks. So I told him that when he wakes up from his afternoon siesta, we'll go malling. True enough, we did. We went to Sta. Lucia East Mall, and then Robinsons. Actually, my real agenda is to get a Face-Off Daredevil action figure, whose price has gone down to P500 (originally at P1000). I just took the little runt for the ride. We weren't able to find a Daredevil figure (fortunately I was able to get it later via trade).
Here's our loot:
• GI Joe Sigma 6: Firefly
• GI Joe Sigma 6: Spirit Iron Knife (for Arjun, my officemate)
• Batman Mini Fan
• SpongeBob SquarePants Lunchbox
• Light Saber (Rohan's favorite loot)
• Marvel Legends: Hulk / Leader Face Off (which I traded for a daredevil figure)
• Gummy Candies
It was a fun experience. Absolute father / son bonding. The toughest part is feeding him and tracking him whenever he goes ballistic. During the whole trip, my wife and my parents keep calling me just to make sure that their unico hijo is safe. Sheesh, talk about trusting the father taking care of the child by his lonesome. I hope to go out with my little boy again sometime. This will go down as one of the most memorable days of my miserable existence.

Turn Left, Turn Right

Remember that book I was talking about a few months ago, "A Chance Of Sunshine"? I lost the book. I also mentioned that the book was adapted into the big screen, under the title "Turn Left, Turn Right". Guess what? After a few months, I managed to find a DVD copy of the movie in www.ebay.ph. Woooohoooo!!! It cost me P135 (shipping included), but hey, the feeling of finding your holy grail: Priceless! Major thanks to Jovie Lim... a very amazing ebay seller with lots of good korean/ asian titles.

Sigh, now I have to find a copy of the book again.

Chasing Cars

Snow Patrol's chasing cars is on my playlist lately. Here's a tribute image and the lyrics. :)

Chasing Cars

We'll do it all
Everything
On our own

We don't need
Anything
Or anyone
If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

I don't quite know
How to say
How I feel

Those three words
Are said too much
they're not enough

If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

Forget what we're told
Before we get too old
Show me a garden that's bursting into life

Let's waste time
Chasing cars
Around our heads

I need your grace
To remind me
To find my own

If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

Forget what we're told
Before we get too old
Show me a garden that's bursting into life

All that I am
All that I ever was
Is here in your perfect eyes, they're all I can see

I don't know where
Confused about how as well
Just know that these things will never change for us at all

If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

The February 2007 Playlist

Lots of music in my iPod uploaded last January, thanks to Ronnie! Here's the list in order!

1. Cattski - Obviously Blind (brilliant band, amazing song, if I had a credit card, I'll order their EP on their website)
2. Narda - Kusina (KaTwo is hot, I want to be her stalker - request niya yun in the pages of FHM)
3. Narda - Pantalon (great song from the Formica album)
4. Texas - Carnival Girl (heard this song on MTV, hunted it, found it after a long time)
5. SinoSikat? - Turning My Safety Off (major thanks to Ronnie, for finding this song)
6. Kasabian - Processed Beats (Their sound is a mix of U2 with a dash of Kula Shaker)
7. Artful Dodger - TwentyFourSeven (cool lounge music, we used it as a peg for one of our TV ads)
8. Shifting Sands - Siya Ay 'Di Ang Iyong Lahat (baduy yung song, pero 'di sikat)
9. Juana - Pansinin Mo (ok pala 'to, harhar)
10. ChiliTees - Sama Na (perpetually in my playlist, para kang kinakantahan ng mapang-akit na babae)

Guilty Pleasure of the Month: Someday by Nina.
Baduy, baduy, baduy, bakla, bading, and yet it found its way on my playlist. I'm such a softie.
Food Addiction of the Month: Sumo Wafer Stick Peanut Butter Flavor
Ang sarap! How could a non-URC food be so delicious and addicting? Other Sumo flavors suck though (IMO, don't let it affect you from trying it)
Addiction of the Month, kahit January Pokemon Ruby
Ang sarap ng POKE! POKEMON! Gotta catch them all! Napupuyat ako sa kapipindot ng POKEmon! Argh - kailangang makuha ko si RayQuaza tsaka yung mga fossils. Argh! Nadelete ng anak ko yung saved game ko! Nyargh! Back to square 1! Sayang yung level 98 namin na Blaziken!

...And the Globe Bashing Begins.

Just in case you're wondering (whoever is reading this), I do read other people's blogs. Just yesterday (Feb. 1, 2007), the new Globe Unlimited Text rates came out - and boy, did it make waves. But not in a positive way. People were complaining, my wife was shocked, my Globe friends were furious, the whole texting community was rattled and sent out text barrages to stop patronizing Globe and whatever service they came. Heck, even my wife's suki (because she has this loading station business) were astonished because of this sudden move from Globe.

Of course, I was not surprised with the new rates because we knew it beforehand, after all, we, the ad agency are tasked to break the news (whether good or bad) to the masses. And we have to deliver the news in good taste. Even during the production of the print ad, people who were using Unlimitxt regularly were already at dismay (most of them are the Unlimitxt50 subscribers). I don't really use Unlimitxt service regularly. I just use it, whenever I would be on a "texting marathon" which only lasts for about 3 or 4 hours. Therefore, I fall on the Unlimitxt15 category - the one day Unlimitxters.

In a way, this NightShift and Dayshift gig might work. Most advantageous would probably be the NightShift, where you'll only pay 10 bucks for a 10pm to 7:59 am chat. I only wish Globe made the Nightshift time slot earlier, starting from at least 7pm. Oh, well, there'll alway be Unlimited Text All Day for 20 bucks, just a P5 increase from the P15 I got used to. If you think about it, no one can really text 24 hours straight, you'll have to rest in between. Unless you're a TEXTAHOLIC (if such person exists).

Of course, my only real despair is that some of the chickens I designed for the print ad were removed. Bah, I spent hours just drawing them, and they were scrapped. Also scrapped are his sunglasses and the sun from the original compre. On the brighter side, at least I can use those extra chickens in the pages of Saranggola Magazine.

Just my 2 pesos. I don't think you need to boycott something just because their pricing scheme increased. If we do boycott everything that raised their price, we probably would'nt be commuting, putting gas in our cars, or even texting. Texting used to be free you know.

Then again, you can't really please anyone.

The January 2007 Playlist

Ah, new year, new music. Here's what's heavily played in my Ipod, in no particular order.

1. Azure Ray - Sleep (I watched, the Devil Wears Prada and found this nice song)
2. ChiliTees - Bumalik (from the ultra-amazing Pamana soundtrack)
3. Up Dharma Down - Flickr (again from the Pamana soundtrack)
4. Drip - The Arrival (Pamana soundtrack rules, need I say more)
5. Session Road - Outerspace
6. John Legend - Save Room
7. Titiyo - Come Along (from The Urban Lounge collection)
8. ChiliTees - Sama Na
9. Alanis Morissette - You Oughta Know (both acoustic and regular version)
10. Snow Patrol - Chasing Cars

Feeling 13 at 31

December 28, 2006 - Thursday.

After Work.
We ate at Burgoo.
Peed at a hospital.
Jammed at Baywalk.
Cruised at Manila Bay.
Nearly got into a fight on the way home.



Yes I'm 31 - but that day, I felt 13.
Thanks to the people who made this day possible.
One of the best days of my life.

Wishing we could do this again before our hairs turn white.

When It's Fate...

When it's fate, there's a lot of stories to tell.
How you met, separated, and met again.
You notice the littlest things and coincidences
and think...
these are the signs that we are soulmates.

On behalf of the reivolution blog
I would like to congratulate Mr. and Mrs. Russell and Lou Molina
for an amazing wedding, fit for two perfect souls who found each other.



How I envy them.
The day I was married was a total disaster, I'm still trying to erase it from my mind. If we entered it on Guinness, we have a big chance of winning the worst wedding award. My son would ask what the vcd is - and I would tell him... "Rohan, that's the scariest movie in the world, don't let it happen to you." That marriage is the stuff Urban legends are made of. Don't ever ask me about it, or I'll be forced to kill you.

Seriously, I would want to get married to my wife again and do it right. Maybe this coming year on our 5th wedding anniversary. Or the 10th, just to make sure we got all bases covered.

Some highlight on the Molina-Ignacio wedding we attended last December 27, 2006
- Our friend Lot Eligio was the cause of delay before going to Tagaytay
- There were 2 vehicular accidents that we passed by on our way back to manila, one was a motorcyle at tagaytay, another was a vehicle crushed by a meralco post on Sta. Rosa which made us go back and take another route
- Again, our friend Lot was the cause of delay going home to Manila
- Norman's Vitara rocks - 4x4 vs rough terrains

Soooooo Drunk... Soooooo Good.

Tagalog post ito. Sorry sa mga English readers ng blog ko (kung meron)

I rarely get drunk... because I don't really drink heavily in the first place.
Amazingly, I can "program" my persona when I get drunk. If I wanted to be "super drunk" it happens. Kung gusto ko ng super lasing, but still sane (yes, nagamit ko na ito dati sa isang date, I drank about 10 bottles of SanMig Light + other Beer + hard liquor) puwede rin. Then there's the "single parent mode drunk" who made an appearance at the Christmas Party. Make no mistake even though my officemate, Ceres, slapped me hard in the face and I barely felt a thing - I was still under control - just a little stupid.

Ano ba ang nainom ko nung McCann Worldgroup/ Harrison Christmas Party at the Fiamma 2006 (oha, kumpleto)?

1 Coke Regular
4 SanMig Light
3 SanMig PalePilsen

Nabilang ko. Ibig sabihin kaya ko pang magsaksak ng alcohol sa tiyan ko. If I wanted to. Our theme for this year's party is Black American characters. I wasn't planning to wear any costume (just plain me) - but the one I had in mind is easy, puwedeng tapusin in an hour. My costume is Russel from the Gorillaz. Astig 'di ba? Pero mas cute yung costume ni Bos Budjette - si Chef ng Southpark! Atsaka si Ronnie - Lionel Richie! Mainit yung costume ko - naka-jacket ako at dalawang layers ng t-shirt, tapos may unan pa sa loob. Buti na lang magaling ang Rexona. The party was okay - but more enjoyable when drunk.

Highlight of the night: I was looking for Jon Cordero, his car is blocking Ceres' car in the parking lot. When 2 girls asked me where the CR is, I told them there's one at the first floor, but the second floor CR is better because it's not jam-packed. Felt good escorting the 2 girls upstairs, at one time, I held one of the ladies' hand dahil siksikan, binabraso ko yung mga nakaharang. Yes I'm tipsy but sober - I should've given her my business card - then again, a sober Reinard wouldn't do that. Not right for a married man. Or I just don't have the balls to do it. Biba (opismeyt) is right, I'm all bark and no bite. I'm just afraid of what will happen if I "bite". On the way home, the whole scenario is playing on my head - a lot of what ifs - and possible words to use. I had a lot of fun.

Married men go home to their wives. No matter how tempting it is to sleep on another bed.

A Chance of Sunshine

The first time I saw this book was months ago, when our CD Budjette came from Thailand. It was during our BPI TVC shoot that he showed me this little picture book that is written in Thai. Although I can't understand the words, the painted illustrations are so clear and precise, the text doesn't matter anymore. Actually I would like to know what the words are saying, I've been scouring the net for translation to no avail. So if you're reading this blog and you have the english translated version, please post it and give me the link (you could also email it to me). Budjette returned to Thailand and got me my own copy (of course I have to pay him back) - I'm a happy trooper and I'm inspired to illustrate some books again. By the way, "A Chance of Sunshine" was made into a movie titled: "Turn Left, Turn Right" directed by Johnny To and Ka-Fai Wai. I remember seeing a bootleg DVD of this in Quiapo during one of my runs, I'm hitting my head hard right now for not picking it up.

NEW PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: UrgenCEE



Someone was handing this out for free in the MRT. I was reluctant to get one, the first time I saw it, I thought it was a shampoo sachet or a condom. Upon thorough inspection, it's an energy drink fortified with vitamin C (kinda like EXTRA JOSS). What's funny is the packaging illustration, instincts tell me that the artist who rendered this is a green minded fellow like me (the girl in bathing suit inside the monitor is a cue). Curious, I opened up a sachet and tasted it. And it tastes like Sunny Orange combined with Tang and baking soda - for short, it tastes like crap. I give 1.5 stars out of 5.

My December Playlist (most heavily played)

I'm in Bossa mode, thanks to Ronnie.

1. Scubba - Paradise City (Bossa n' Roses)
2. Gheto Blaster Ltd - November Rain (Bossa n' Roses)
3. Ari Hest - A Fond Farewell
4. Howie Day - Collide
5. Ituana - Waiting In Vain (Bossa n' Marley)
6. Nelly Furtado - All Good Things
7. The Pernice Brothers - Weakest Shade Of Blue
8. Narda - AltaPresyon
9. Sixth Finger - Patience (Bossa n' Roses)
10. Paris Hilton - Stars Are Blind (ambaduyko)

Guilty Pleasure of the month: Red Ribbon Taisan Slice - P15 lang!
Cool People of the month: LKG Tower's Red Ribbon Girls - because they know what I want, and I want TAISAN!!!

My November Playlist (most heavily played)

I love my IPOD video. Rohan loves it too. He loves watching cartoons on the small screen. I watched "Little Manhattan" (runs about an hour and 30 minutes) on my Ipod last night and I only drained near half of my battery. Before viewing the film, I listened to some songs on the FX for about 2 hours, and Rohan watched 30 minutes worth of videos when I got home. Extended battery life indeed! Here's my Ipod favorite tunes:

1. Narda - Alta Presyon
2. Standfast - Car Crashes
3. Kala - Jeepney
4. Narda - Kay Lab
5. ChiliTees - Sandali Lang
6. GavinDeGraw - Follow Through (stripped version)
7. Nerina Pallot - Sophia
8. The Magic Numbers - Love's A Game
9. Stars - Heart
10. Catfish Haven - Crazy For Leaving

Guilty Pleasure of the month: Hale - Kung Wala Ka
Obsession of the month: Quake Overload and Ipod

The Picture Says It All

Happy Halloween indeed!

My October Playlist (most heavily played)

I love Itunes. I'm crossing my fingers that I'll get an Ipod soon (I have the money to buy one, pero I'm stalling for reasons I don't know). Here's my top ten playlist.

1. Craig David - Just Let Her Go
2. ChiliTees - Ex
3. Nerina Pallot - Sophia
4. Kala - Jeepney
5. Regina Spektor - Fidelity
6. Anna Nalick - In The Rough
7. Corrine Bailey Rae - Trouble Sleeping
8. Kings Of Convenience - Failure
9. Damien Jurado - What Were The Chances
10. Mano Mano - Bigay Na Bigay

Guilty Pleasure of the month: Yeng Constantino - Hawak Kamay

Cool Person of the month: Auntie Fely
A woman who just opened up a conversation with me on the Antipolo Shuttle going to Ayala. She also forced me to use my hidden english speaking skills. How cool is that? Total strangers whose only thing in common is a ride going to work. She's not a total stranger actually, but she's one of the people I usually bump with during the morning ride. It's just weird that she started talking. Come to think of it, there are some people na nakakasabay ko that I also want to strike up a conversation with - it's just tough for a guy to start the conversation (especially if you want to talk to a woman, fear of being rejected siguro). I wish women would initiate the conversations, tutal, guys are obliged to listen naman. Para mas madali 'di ba? Auntie Fely is in her 40s to 50s I think, one rule of conversations is not to ask the age lalo na kung first time niyo pa lang mag-usap.

Today is also Trick or Treat day at Harrison and my son and his cousin went to the office! My little boy is happy with his Superman costume. Ang kulit ni Rohan grabe.

AmiSTUD sa Cainta!

Just when I thought that walking far distances and going through the eye of the needle just to get home is over… comes another epic adventure in the life of Reinard Santos!

October 2, 2006 started just like any ordinary office day for me. Sunny sky… slightly traffic morning, doing the usual work and petiks. Morning at the office was filled with Milenyo stories and how some of my officemates still have no electricity and water.

October 2, 2006 ended with a twist. The rain in Makati was not that strong (honestly I wouldn’t have noticed it since I was busy and did not even bother looking at the window). 8:00 PM, time to go home. I always catch a ride at the Antipolo-Ayala FX terminal in front of LKG tower. On the way there, I already noticed the long queue on the Ayala-ValleyGolf terminal. I was about to reach the Antipolo-Ayala terminal, when I bumped into some Antipolonians (tama ba?) who told me that no more Antipolo bound vehicles will arrive due to the heavy flood in the Cainta area. With my previous adventure, I already know what that means – DO NOT GO INTO THAT AREA! Since my alternate route ValleyGolf still has that long queue, my officemates and me decided to eat at Jollibee first and waste some time.

True enough, after eating, the long line at the ValleyGolf terminal is gone and I was able catch a ride. The driver was listening to AM radio – on the news is a blow by blow update of the Cainta Flashflood and Antipolo Landslide. The news also told motorists to stay away from that area or suffer the wrath of… heavy non-moving traffic. I thought that our FX driver has the smarts and went through all these shortcuts avoiding traffic, thanks to the radio updates. But NOOOOOO… wasn’t he listening to the radio (tagalog naman yung balita, madaling maintindihan)? He went to the Ortigas extension in the last minute and got caught in superdupercalitraffic. STOOPID!!! He should’ve taken the Floodway route to avoid the flood and all.

After almost an hour inside the FX, I decided to call it quits, and I walked from EVER Ortigas to Brookside. I could’ve walked all the way to Antipolo – except for one problem… from Brookside going to Valleygolf is a waist deep ocean, impassable if you have an ordinary car, FX, or jeep. The buses (which saved me from the last time) are jam-packed, and there are more cars who just decided to camp near the flood and wait for it to subside. I grabbed myself 2 bottles of C2 at the nearest 7-11 – ready for another epic battle. I would’ve walked that flood, except that I’m wearing my funky white adidas shoes. My only hope lies on hitching a ride at the back of trucks. What truck should I choose? The SanMiguel Beer Truck? Cement truck? Hmmm… an Elf Truck without any gravel and a few hitchers at the back. My instincts tell me to go for the Elf Truck. The back of the truck is about 5 feet high, and I have no problems climbing over it (thank my athlete foot). Other people saw what I did, and decided to hop on the truck. Next thing I know, I was helping women, men, and children of all ages and sizes aboard the truck. Heck, I even saw one of my “morning motivations” who was stranded, but I still feel helpless because I’m already on top of the truck and it was full of people (+ I don’t know her name). Anong gagawin ko? Sisigaw ako ng ANTIPOLO GIIRLLL!!! Or MISS IMPERIAL FXXXX!!! The Elf truck (which now feels like Amistad) easily breezed through the waist deep flood. The experience of hitching a ride at the back of the truck is priceless. Once a vehicle goes past the flood – it’s a smooth ride from thereon. I was lucky that the truck was Antipolo bound. I love the rush of wind and soft drizzle running in my face – at the back of the truck, everything was so simple. There was power outage at some parts of my route and everything is quiet. I am shoulder to shoulder with people I don’t know, and I believe we have something in common – the feeling of coming home safe despite the odds. When the truck reached Antipolo, there are a few people onboard. I was able to get down from the truck easily… and found myself helping women of all ages and sizes get down. It was weird, I’m not that buff or tall, or strong – but at that moment, I can carry a 200+ pound woman with ease. Adrenaline? Or just that feeling again – that nothing is impossible.

I got home 2:00 AM.
Kissed my wife and kid.
My adidas still white.

Not Bad At All!

You Are 50% Evil

You are evil, but you haven't yet mastered the dark side. Fear not though - you are on your way to world domination.

How Evil Are You?