Breaking My Blog Silence

I have been dreadfully blog-quiet during the last, what two weeks I guess, because I’ve been busy. I’m gonna be filling you in now.

1. I went on a 10-day vacation leave. Initially I was thinking of going off somewhere where I could get a nice tan. Having my left eyebrow pierced was also in my plans. Unfortunately, a more pressing concern hit me so I never went outside Metro Manila. I never had the time as well to have my virgin brow pricked.

2. The more pressing concern was regarding the 20 gb iPod photo which I put out for bidding in several Websites almost a month and a half ago. I was starting to get frustrated by how slow the process was and I really wanted to sell the gadget as soon as possible so I thought of using most of my time to hawk it online. One funny and annoying thing I discovered during the course of doing my online transaction was what I call the Divisoria Syndrome. Normally, bidding starts at the price which the seller dictates. For example, I put up my iPod for sale at 13000 Php. I then expect that the price the bidders will offer will be higher than my sale price. The logic there is that the bidders are competing for the product that you are selling. Naturally, you’d sell to the highest bidder. That’s how the whole idea of bidding. But I was shocked when 90 percent of the bids that I got are way below my asking price. I was thinking, are these people crazy? I thought about it and realized that most of us are afflicted with the Divisoria Sydrome or the tawad-lugi mentality. I’d like to think it is not a reflection of plain ignorance of bidding procedures but of how dire the financial situation in our country is. I say it’s funny because it is so Filipino to haggle almost everything to death. Tatawaran lahat ng pwedeng tawaran. But it could get really annoying if you’re doing legit business and dealing with serious sellers. It’s a good thing I waited. I got the bid that I wanted so I sold my iPod immediately.

3. I bought myself a 5 Gen 30 gb black iPod video. Now it’s keeping me more busy figuring out how to convert my VCDs and DVDs to iPod viewable files. The task is pounding my brain to pieces but I’m loving every minute of it. I didn’t know I could reach this level of geekiness with gadgets but here I am, a certified iPod geek.

4. I haven’t had my head shaved for almost a month now. And that means a considerable amount of hair on my head which freaks out most of my friends. It’s been years since I had a full head of hair. And though for genetic reasons that would be a miraculous feat to accomplish again now, I am determined to let my hair grow until I can’t bear looking at myself in the mirror anymore.


There. I hope to do this more often from here on. That is if I get my hands off my new iPod.

Flora and Fauna

This is what a sleepy guy does when he's in a "bored" meeting. I call this artwork Flora and Fauna. I don't know if you noticed but that curved line right at the center, that one written across the head of the tree and the butterflies and the floating flower? See that? That was an addition by my rafiki. He says it's his version of a mountain. It puts the flora and fauna in context. Nice.

This'll Pass

I’ve always maintained, as I tell all my friends and the guys who show interest in me, that I am not inclined to get into a relationship as of the moment. I said I’ve been in and out of it several times with little time in between for myself. I guess now I’m taking that sweet time, concentrating on myself and the things that I want to do by myself—things which I think I cannot do, at least to a certain level, when I am attached (Gallivanting with guys is not one of them believe me. I can do that EVEN if I am in a relationship if I choose to.) Now here’s the thing. I heard Mass yesterday after a long time. It was pretty special to me because I meant it to be some sort of a thanksgiving to Him for helping me go through the very emotionally tiring two weeks that just passed. I was sorry for myself because my attention was distracted by two guys who I dare assume are a couple. They were pretty tall guys: one was ok and the other one looked really cute. They didn’t have to hold hands or kiss in front of me for me to guess what they are. The way the cute guy leaned toward the other guy, and how they smiled at each other, or the way they whisper something on the other’s ear—I had no doubt they were an item. And I felt envious, especially since I was there alone. I couldn’t concentrate on the Mass anymore so instead of committing the bigger mistake of ogling at them during a supposedly solemn Catholic ceremony, I just upped and went away.

I don’t know what hit me then. I am never the envious type, especially when it comes to relationships. Not now when I’ve had seven, and that’s not even counting the flings which were all just sex anyway. (And besides, I think I’ve hurt a lot of guys and been hurt by them as well in the past because of our being reckless with love.) I guess the affection and the care from a boyfriend is what I, envy is not the word now, it’s miss. I miss being loved, being cared for by somebody I love and care about too. I miss going out with a boyfriend, spending time just walking in the mall, or watching a movie, or having petty quarrels. I miss having someone I can throw sweet smiles at, or exchange sugar-coated glances with, or whisper ant-attracting words to, or text “I love you baby” to. Nah I’m not going to just get my hands on the next guy who comes along just because I feel mushy about relationships now. Those seven I’ve had, taking my time is one of the very important lessons they’ve taught me. But it’s nice feeling desperate about love once in a while. This’ll pass.

Confessions on a Dance Floor

I pre-purchased yesterday Madonna's latest CD. I don't consider myself a hardcore Madonna fan but I always look forward to whatever new she comes up with. I've heard rave reviews about the CD and I've seen the video of Hung Up and I'd say this one's definitely going to be in the ranks of the Ray of Light album. These are scans of the card I got when I pre-purchased the album. I get a Madonna premium item when I claim the CD and a free entrance to the album's launch party at Government on 11 November 2005. Not bad for the price of a regular CD.