In between a cup of coffee

He sipped from his cup and instinctively continued our conversation which was momentarily abrupted. He was talking about his adventures in Palawan and his celebrity friends: Piolo Pascual and KC Concepcion. I asked him if they're really an item (as the news insinuates). He smiled and told me to be the judge. He took his ipod touch and showed me the photos he took while they were on location. Apparently, the two celebrities were chosen by his client to be their endorsers. I listened while sipping from my cup. But I was multi-tasking. I was entertaining other thoughts in my head. I was thinking of another person (the one whom I wished I am sharing this conversation with).

The guy changed the topic and talked about our common friend, my classmate from college. Then he asked me: “How about you Rayts, do you have a husband?” I almost burst into a laugh. Good thing I already finished my cup. I gave him a crooked smiled. “Yes, I do. But only in my mind.” He doesn’t seem to hear what I (just) said. He knew I am single; he knew I have no husband. I wanted to ask him back: “How about you? I believe you are 38, how come you don’t have a wife?” Does he even appreciate levity in a moment of misunderstanding? I guess. As I have heard from his brother, he’ got the best sense of humor.

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[PS]

I went to see The Little Fockers the other day with Miks at Trinoma. Geezus, it was freezing cold inside the cinema. The weather has been fairly strange the past few days. It's colder now in Metro Manila, the wind is numbing on the cheek when you take a stroll at night. Inside the cinema was worst. I had to give my sweater to Miks. Between the two of us, I have higher resistance to cold (i think). By the time we finished the film, I could hardly make it to the exit. My feet were ice cold. Brr.

The movie sucked by the way. Sorry. But I could only count the very few times I laughed. The movie was cheesy, it broke the humor. I like the previous 2 Fockers flicks. =)

A glimpse of the moon

A few minutes ago, I wrote:
Walking from this narrow, winding path
Cold wind numbing my cheeks
Against the dusky sky, denuded tree
I caught a glimpse of the moon
and amazingly—it looked back.

So why is it that I remember you every time I see the moon?

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And because there's no way I can stop Christmas...

I might as well enjoy it.

One thing I really like about how we, Filipinos, celebrate Christmas is that we don't only SHOW it, we also try to FEEL it. I hate saying it, but I am really anxious what my friends will wrap in those boxes with my name written on it.

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[postscript:]

"what you sow is what you reap"

I like to hold your hand one day…

...if not for this painful “prick” between us.

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I just can't catch up with you

The summer sun is sinking low;
Only the tree-tops redden and glow:
Only the weathercock on the spire
Of the neighboring church is a flame of fire;
All is in shadow below.

~ HW Longfellow

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In between internalizing Kafka’s Red Peter and Kholer’s Sultan, an insertion of a face always intervenes—that which I have memorized and instinctively got stuck in my head. I tell you, that has been the farthest thing on my mind. The possibility that one day, I will be singing a different tune. I hate changing minds. It keeps me off track, out of focus. I hate liking what I used to deride. I become a walking contradiction of myself. I hate routine but then again, consistency has always been the name of my game.

Tomorrow, I am sure I will be out of tune again.

The message

We usually get them from a bottle after being thrown into the vast sea hoping that sometime, somewhere at the other end of the world, someone might find and read it. But that’s only in the movies.

I got mine from a window while watching the sun goes down, leaving its saffron streaks on my face.

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settling, unsettling...most often than not it's UNsettling

"Between early morning and late afternoon, it's usually unsettling for me." ~ rtdc

It felt like ages since I made my last entry. But then again it was just five days ago. The thing is, I used to write (almost) everyday and mygulch has been my outlet-- a habit that I can not get out of my system.

Every morning, I already have this note in my head, what topic to write and how short and long it would be. The photo will just have to come along with what my mind says.

But given the workload I have right now, blogging is becoming a luxury for me. A vacant time that I have to justify every now and then because even my so called “free time” is not free anymore. But no, I am not complaining.

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I just finished layouting and editing the recipe book which is scheduled for launching on the first week of August and it feels like I could breathe now. I already sent it to the authors for the final proof. I just hope the corrections would just be minor.

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I was texting Charl last night asking how she was. I haven’t seen her since she came back to the country and it’s been more than a month already. She said her new business is keeping her busy these days. She has her own car now and she’s learning how to drive.

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My “new supervisor” is less uptight than the former. But I am still adjusting with this whole new set up. People have been calling me “ma’am” either as a joke or as an acknowledgement. I would like to think it’s the latter. Oki said, I should own my new position. I always think otherwise.

My thoughts on the matter?

I really don’t see this “new position” as an accomplishment rather an “unwieldy fardel” – you get more workload, more responsibility minus the monetary recompense. Most of all, I am not much into the limelight, I really like being on my nook all the time, delivering my output on certain deadlines. But with this new title, people come to my cube all the time, asking for my signature and my decision on certain things. It would take awhile before I get used to it. I know so.

Another "good" reason to be a vegetarian

A butcher chopping a chunk of meat from a head of a cow. This shot was taken in a well-known meatshop in Tagaytay City.

While I was making a series of shots, his colleagues started to gather round us wondering why I was taking photos of this butcher. I caught him saying: "Papanakot n'ya yan sa mga tao!" (She'll use it to scare people away!).

Well, he has a point. For one, butcher scares the hell out of me. Second, I was never fond of beef. Third, I hate seeing a live meat being forcefully hacked by someone. It reminds me of one of those bad horror flicks that require to be "gory" enough to sell.

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