the entry where the wild things are

we'd like to think of ourselves as rational beings: humane, conscientious, civilized, thoughtful. but when things fall apart, even just a little, it becomes clear, we are no better than animals. 

we have opposable thumbs, we think, we walk erect, we speak, we dream. but deep down, we are all still fighting it out in our primordial ooze. biting. clawing. scratching out an existence. in a cold, dark world like the rest of the three-toed sloths.

there's a little animal in all of us. and maybe that's something to celebrate. our animal instincts are what that makes us seek comfort, warmth, a pack to run with.

we may feel caged. we may feel trapped. but still, as humans, we can find ways to set ourselves free. we are each other's keepers. we are the guardians of our own humanity. and even though there's a beast in all of us, what sets us apart from the animals, is that we have the capacity to think, to feel, to dream, and to love. and against all odds, against all instincts, we evolve.

Share |

the entry about declan

my bet is that living in a cocooned environment and being fed through means of intubation must have taken on toll on my nephew, because the feral one decided to be born one week earlier. and so it is written. on the 21st oct 2008, baby declan arrives into our warped world of money chasers, strapless bras and motion-sensor bidets. the freshly-minted tiny mortal weighs in at 3.45kg. 

one might wonder why the shape of his head bears semblance circa the coneheads. the obstetrician suggested the use of a vacuum pump because declan kept flanking to a side of the womb when he was being delivered. so now, apart from eyes that are slit wide, he has a head that resembles an elongated cantaloupe. the good news is that his head will look normal after a few days. can't say much for the eyes though; it runs in the family.

still, how enchantingly adorable he is. call me uncle and he'd be golden.

declan's first pose for the camera

Share |

the entry about halloween and a bag of chips

so, halloween is looming around the corner. what other better way to revel in it, besides the staple ghostly dress-ups, than getting spooked out by hotel626, hands down the most chills-running-down-spine, eyes-agape-with-fear interactive website i have ever encountered. for those of you who managed to not wet your pants when watching fright night or nightmare on elm street, this is certainly something you should have a go at.

www.hotel626.com, brainchild marketing courtesy of doritos, only operates from 6pm to 6am, although you could cheat the website by tweaking your computer's system date. honestly, i couldn't sit through the entire episode, and had to haul in backup, getting my friend to sit beside me whilst finishing the rest of the game. best experienced with a workable microphone and also a video conferencing gadget (yes, it is that interactive!), you might want to up the scare factor by turning off the lights as well.

madman max, one of the hotel guests, prefers his dreary room lit with a bulb.

the plot: you wake up in a hauntingly macabre hotel and fight against time on a horrifying journey to escape from it, using the only tool you have on your hands, i.e. your handy mouse. the entire premise is one of brooding, dingy darkness, even the slightest frou frou will set you off your seat. great game, though i have no idea how one could correlate a scary website to corn chips.

Share |

the entry that's shitezful of my indulgences

i don't know what is it about supermarkets, but there's something spiritually restorative about being in one. perhaps it's the hypnotic droning of the air-conditioner, or the brightly-lit-till-you-look-pasty (i.e. ill-fitting) lightings, i never fail to leave the place a happier, contented person. welcome to a land of vacuum wrapped perishables and carton-fresh dairy produce: it's my economically-viable form of retail therapy.

got root beer? this brown sarsaparilla concoction has tugged me at my heartstrings ever since i first got a smack of it at the local marche's. called bundaberg, an australian brewed drink, it continues to subdue my thirst in every way possible that a fulfilling romp session could never.

suffering from a sore throat? an itch in the esophageal region? or just a case of halitosis from "heatiness"/inadequate rest/stress? fret not, just drink your weight in oldenlandia water and your malaise of the larynx will be allayed pronto. some folks like their green vial with a dash of salt, but i will do mine on the rocks anytime. i have no clue what this elixir is composed of but the literal translation of its mandarin counterpart, "snake-grass water", might faintly (and grotesquely) give an idea, though i remain largely unconvinced.

this aisle is my best-loved. which can of fermented malted barley do i heart thee most? it's a three-way tie between asahi super-dry, sapporo (from the tap) and heneiken.

i always fancy a little treat of european descent. so when i was working as a bumbling flight attendant, an aerial version of a poseur, i always would purchase some of these: hanuta nutmeat wafers, giotto chocolate balls, and this brand of nougat. they were relatively inexpensive in frankfurt, and i would stockpile my luggage with loads of them.

of course, with my new diet regime has come to be, it basically means the above-mentioned areas are off-limits. bummer! cow's lactate and soymilk are my next best perennial pals, and not forgetting having a go at this deliciously nutritious malt drink.

look at these melons! (no pun intended)

Share |

the entry of revelations after midnight

given that tariffs for electricity will be jacked up another 21% (for whatever apparent reason, my vacuous mind and i are not aware), my entire household is on a frenzied campaign to ensure that not a single watt gets wasted through the habit of negligent nonchalance. dad even went as far as to impose an embargo on the usage of air-conditioner within the premises 24/7. and the weather is not even letting up. it has been nothing but extreme sweat-pouring-from-the-pores humid these few weeks. so don't be surprised if you spot a topless homo sapien sporting a rounded paunch traipsing within the vicinity of my hovel, chances are you've just spotted me.

and as if that's not bad news enough, even the land-line operators are jumping onto the bandwagon of vigilant extortion. local call charges are up, for a reported increase of up to 8.7%. i am pretty sure these corporations already have a well-prepared sermon, documenting every possible reason to leech our cash during this oh-so-timely economic upheaval. i am this close to shout out words (read: expletives) that do not feature highly on my vocabulary. feh, fuck that.

moving on to other unrelated news...

i apologize for the lack of segue to what i am writing next, but i am kinda scatter-brained in the early hours of the morning. as we all know, humans are creatures of habits. through perpetuated repetitions, we form habits which become instinctive, thus second nature. a couple of things i would like to see myself follow through, which hopefully would become good habits through reiterated, conscious inculcation.

* sleep before midnight, or at least adhere to it during workdays.
* learn the basics of baby talk. this is especially effective when conversing with my nephew-to-be.
* talk back less. i have been made aware that i am pretty dominant in arguments.
* learn to say no, the right way. rejection rather than lead on.
* know and acknowledge quiet confidence, but let no ego get in the way.
* save amicability on people who don't deserve it. they are just not worth it.

i am quite convinced there are a couple more things i would like to see changed about myself. i will update accordingly as and when.

Share |

the entry four days into a resolution

update. it is day four and i am suffering from muscle sores now that my daily gym visits have been set in motion. i still notice the obtrusive paunch, but i can almost faintly visualize the top two abs muscle tiers when i suck in my gut hard enough. alas, the illusion lasts only as long as the duration i can hold my breath.

my diet has been giving me periodic food cravings, but i managed to successfully deny my palates any food that tasted guiltingly terrif. carb portions has been savagely cut to a quarter of my usual taking and all my meals are consumed before eight in the evening. the theory, according to my friends who have the worthier washboard abs, is that food consumed after that oft do not get enough time to be digested and thus gets stored as fats. i also imposed the no-snacking rule, whereupon if said ruling is flouted, moi puts a dollar into stay-off-the-fats piggy bank. current value of money-grubbing swine stands at zero dollars. more good news for me.

now all i have to do is to just persevere for another eighty-six more days of the grueling regime, stave off savory, unhealthy food and simply load up on un-delectable, nutritious nosh. sounds easy enough, only if it's in theory. in the meanwhile, i hope i do not collapse before that. all the way, carpe diem!

Share |

the entry about making a comeback

sticky note: diurnal servings of ice cream and deep fried grub maketh a hearty meal, but also an infelicitous puffed up paunch. my religious visits to the gym have proved futile, no thanks to my fervent support to helpings of unhealthy food, hopelessly deadlocking my every caloric-burning effort.


here's a picture of me lumbering towards flabby-esque stature. notice the jiggle around the waist, that slab of congealed fat that is masking every possible visible contour.

whilst everyone knows it's not commonplace to resolute in the final months of the year, i would like to have mine straightened out at this very moment: get sculpted to have a bona fide adonis body, and in the process, attain the status of the veritable hunk. delish!

i have no idea how long it will take, but i am thinking that staying off carbs and working out intensively at the gym will pay off by the end of the year. what i do know is that i will not be stuffing my face with anymore unhealthy nosh, or at least for the time being.

Share |