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Wednesday, May 26, 2010

The Boy with a Hat

It has been months since i last visited my Downelink account. It is somewhat a friendster for "people like us." I wanted to change the About Me part of the profile. Since a lot has changed now. But then I decided to remove it again. I just thought, "this suits my blog better." So here it is:

" It's been a long time since I last updated my profile. Or visited my account even. Much has changed. Same face, but a different heart. I have been wearin a hat a lot these days. That's why they call me "The Boy with a Hat."

Me wearin a hat goes far more than a new fashion statement. Quite ridiculous considering that i have dyed my hair with fiery light copper brown. Another 'new' thing for me. I have been puttin on a figurative hat these past several months. I have tried my best to avoid any threat to my peace of mind and my sanity. I have learned to play on the safe side and gamble less in most aspects of my life, specifically when it comes to love.

Eventhough now that I have clearly defined my comfort zone, I was able to broaden my horizons and discovered windows to better my self. I was able to focus on planning my future through rigid time lines and carefully set goals. In a way I could say I have matured a lot over a couple of months. I have seen life at an entirely different angle. Life is a constant struggle towards the top. It has no limits. Good life can't wait.

Over the past few months, I have spent most of my time trying to figure out what i really want to do with my life. Surely, I want to give myself and my family the good life. I've been workin with my company for over a year now, quite an achievement for my employment history. I have been practicing my passion for art by startin out a small scale events organizing business focusing on vintage themed concepts for souvenirs, invitations and physical arrangements. I am also an aspiring writer currently workin on my manuscript for my second short novel. And i am currently planning on starting out an on line store soon. Truly, life has no boundaries. It sounds quite absurd thinking that just a few months ago, none of these had ever crossed my mind.

I have been travellin quite a lot these days. Summer came in late for me and I have been to far more places this year than i have ever been yet. I have eaten different foods and immersed myself in different cultures and environment. Change is good. Change is refreshing. Wanderlust is my new vice.

My previous profile had been posted for maybe almost half a year now. I laughed at how cheesy and mushy I had been. You can say that i'm cynical. I often thought, love does not exist for me. I believe in affection. I've felt it. I believe in attachment. I have experienced it. But love has turned into a vague concept to me. I must be single for a reason. Whether i would ever fall in love or not, i couldn't care less. But somehow, in spite of my loss of faith, there is a small voice yearnin to be heard. Like a child who believes in Santa Claus. Waiting. Anticipating. Hoping that he would someday find his way to me.

I have lived my life at a different pace now. And I don't even know why I am still keepin my account here. Why do i even take time to update my profile and my photos. The funny thing is no matter how much i have changed, no matter how hard i try to deny it, I will always be the same old hopeless romantic guy that I have always been. Indeed, I am living at a different pace and running through it alone is not easy. Sometimes I wish someone would come along to run with me or stop me and tell me that it's ok to walk slowly at a time. Wherever these words may lead me -- to a lover, a date, a fling, or a friend, I pray that it leads me to something worthwhile. "

Monday, May 24, 2010

I sew you

So.. what have i been up to this past few weeks? i know i haven't been bloggin that much recently. truth is I am very very very busy. If i am not in the office workin my ass, takin calls, i'm usually snorin in the quarters, or starin blankly somewhere tryin to finalize my storyline for the manuscript of my 2nd short novel, or travelin off to some cool beach out of town, or planning on the logistics of my soon to open on line store, or facing my planner, planning (of course what else will a planner be for?) my future and checkin out my plans of going abroad. well i guess i'm not really that busy after all.

But today i did something different. another first. I learned how to use our antique Singer sewing machine. This one was actually taught way back in high school in Home Economics and i barely even tried to listen. Had i known that sewing your way to a perfect fit wardrobe would be this fun and fabulous, I would have aced it all the way. I might have even taken up fashion designing. Anyway here it is, i already learned it. At least. Better late than never.

So my mom thought me how to. Just get the thread through all the right hoops and loops, then you're good to go. The challenge is actually on stepping the pedal with the right timing and rhythm with the balancing wheel. But once you get the hang of it, everything is a breeze. I had my shirts, shorts and pants altered all by myself. Now my wardrobe will be more fab than ever. wee!

Monday, May 17, 2010

Last Chance

So what have I been up to these past few days? Well I've been goin around a lot. But the new thing is that I'm trying to enbark on a new career. I'll be writing a short novel. Yep, that's right. I'm starting on my manuscript for my short novel. Actually I'm done with the storyline for the first novel and figments of my 2nd novel are starting to boggle my mind. The short novel (which I don't have a title yet) is actually about a young queer man who meets this younger promdi kid. They start out their unusual relationship as lovers not really taking it seriously until things came up and they get to continue their lives together in the city. The story is actually about finding love when you least expect it and seeing how love can exist for 2 men of entirely different backgrounds. It is the love story for the cynical and the bitter as it tells scenes of realistic and probable circumstances. As my friend yuki describes it, "lahat na ng hinahanap mong love story andito na. eto na ang love story ng lahat ng love story." It's one of the best daydreams i've ever had and probably the reflection of the love story i never had for myself.

The second novel tells the story of a gay guy who gets involved with the company of 4 straight men. They are 100% straight in this story my dears. It basically is about the friendship between a gay guy and straight men and what happens when the gay guy falls in love with one of them. It's about finding what really matters -- love or friendship. It sounds like a gay version of meteor garden with a gay san chai but not really. The Last Chance by Allure is actually the song that inspired this story. (fyi Mariah wrote this song for Allure)

So wish me luck on this one. This is one of the few things that come unexpected. Thank God for the music and my crazy imagination. Till next time!



Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Bolognese ala Mudra de Linguini

Mother's day 2010. Sunday, May 9. My mom went out after lunch because she has to help preparing stuffs for the National Presidential Elections the next day. They came home just a little after 5 pm all tired and exhausted. Needless to say, we were not able to go out and celebrate this year's Mother's day like we used to every year. So instead, my sister and I decided to just throw in a good feast at dinner. And I became a bonafide Chef for a night.

So I googled this recipe and got it from http://www.pasta-recipes-made-easy.com/. The site is about a brit guy who got married to a girl with a family of italian pasta maestros and generously shared their recipes. I especially picked bolognese since it's the closest thing i know to my mom's good old homemade spag. Here it is:



Ingredients:
500g/17.5oz minced beef
1 x 395g/14oz tin of plum tomatoes
1 large glass of full-bodied red wine
1 medium onion (roughly chopped)
1 stick of celery (washed & roughly chopped)
1 medium carrot (peeled & roughly chopped)
2 teaspoons of tomato paste/purée
6-8 washed, torn basil leaves
400g/14oz spaghetti (100g/3.5oz per person)
Salt & pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
Equipment:
2 large pans/skillets (for sauce and pasta)
Vegetable peeler
Colander/sieve
Food blender/mixer (not essential, but I recommend this handheld mixer)
Timing
Around an hour
Step 1 – Prepare the onion and carrot by washing, peeling and chopping them (including getting rid of the carrot's ends). Roughly chop the celery too.
Step 2 – Mix these in your food blender for just a few quick seconds. If you don’t have a mixer, chop them some more - as finely as you can.
Step 3 – Cover the pan with olive oil, and throw in 2 full tablespoons of this 3-veg mixture.
Place this pan on a medium heat, cook and stir it for 3-4 minutes (until the veg starts to soften and brown).
Note: You should have some veg mixture left over. Wrap and freeze this for your next Bolognese!
Step 4 – Pour in a quarter of the wine and leave it for a minute or so (to evaporate some of the alcohol).
Step 5 – Add the mincemeat and break it with a spoon. Throw in half a handful of salt and a little pepper (as you like).
Cook and stir, on a medium heat, for 15 mins (to start the beef cooking).
If the sauce is dry at any point, add another quarter glass of wine (apply this rule throughout this recipe). If you don't have wine, a little water works.
Step 6 – Add the tomato paste, basil leaves (washed and torn) and your chopped plum tomatoes (but not the liquid from the tin).
Cook it all on a low heat for a further 30 mins, stirring every 3-5 minutes.
Step 7 – 10 minutes before the sauce’s time is up, boil a kettle and check your spaghetti's cooking time (see the packet).
Fill your second pan with the boiling water (adding a handful or two of salt) and boil the spaghetti, timing it so that it's roughly ready when the sauce's time is up.
When both are done, drain the spaghetti and divide it into your bowls.
You can add a little oil to stop the strands sticking if you like, then serve the sauce in the centre on top. Garnish with 2 or 3 full basil leaves.
Done! ‘Molto bene’ – very fine!

The finished product was a smashing hit! It tasted really good (not to brag, really) eventhough i missed the celery and substituted mushroom for it. I used linguini flat noodles for added appeal. The wine smelled scary at first but it was all awesome. Me and my mom couldn't have been more proud. It was a feast with overflowing pasta, pizza, soda and ice cream. The next day, there was a huge thank you note posted on the fridge. Belated Happy Mother's Day to all!



Thursday, May 6, 2010

Ilocondia Summer Getaway

So I just got back from my Great summer escapade in Ilocos. I spent 4 days and 3 nights over at Ilocandia with my High School buddies Khen, Ces, Keng and Lhui. It was a blast! Suuper bitin! Indeed, you can never get enough of a good stuff.

DAY 1:
So we took the Maria de leon bus at Dapitan. It was a SUPER deluxe bus that i totally fell in love with it (and the hot guy i sat next to and spent 7 hours of intimate space with). It had a spacious reclining chair (like a lazy-boy) complete with leg rest, puffy upholstered seat, and dim yellow lights. We arrived at laoag City around 8 30 am and went straight to Auntie rosie and Nana's place. After lunch we went to the Ilocos Convention Center (where john lloyd and sarah shot a scene in You Changed My Life). Then went to Marcos Museum Malacanang of the North. After that we went to Paoay Church then straight to Fort Ilocandia. We spent the whole day cam-whoring (and pretty much for the rest of the trip). For day 1 I totally fell in love with Fort Ilocandia. It is a 5-star Hotel and Casino with its Spanish inspired interiors and buildings. If i ever get rich, I would definitely spend a night or two over at this place.




DAY 2:
So we woke up really early to get ready for the day's adventure only to leave the place a little after 8. Riding our Mercedes Benz van, we went first to Cape bojeador which is the oldest Lighthouse i guess in the country. Then an hour or two drive to the AMAZING Bangui Windmills. They were soo huge and there are a lot of them lined up in front of the shore. We were lucky to see the propellers movin and storin up energy like a generator. Then we drove up to Patapat Bridge, Blue Lagoon and Hannah's resort which was tagged the Boracay of the North. The shore is white but not with fine sand but with fine pebbles, pretty much like the ones at the Pucca Beach. The waves are deadly LOL! Then to our last stop which is the Kabigan Falls. Now this is my favorite spot! We trekked for roughly 30 to 45 minutes, crossed rivers only to find a piece of heaven at the Falls. I've never seen a falls in my entire life and i fell totally in love with it (and the HOT tattooed guy over there. i guess his name was rocky). We took a dip in the cool fresh water and headed straight back home at Nana's. Since it's still early in the evening (at least for us metro peeps), we strolled in the Plaza and feasted on some Laoag empanada. The church was creepy at night and the Plaza and streets are empty. The empanada dipped in Sukang Iloko was delicious. So we did some auditing, a few more chat, and called it a day.



DAY 3
So it's Vigan day. Early mornin we got up and packed our stuffs then went to the market to buy Vigan longganisa and dried dilis for pasalubong. Then we rode the bus (to my dismay was an ordinary bus) and went on a 2-3 hour trip to Vigan where we were picked up and went to Ate Annette's place. So we arrived late in schedule and we have a lot of itinerary. We went to Vigan for a calesa ride only to find that none of them are available since most of them are being dressed up and used for the parade. That day was actually the Binatbatan Festival of the Arts. So we have to go through Calle Crislogo on foot, in the heat of the noon sun. we shopped a bit and headed to an old Tower over at San Agustin Parish Church. The Tower was just magnificent in it's color and green surroundings. After that we went to a resort to take a dip since we are so drenched in the sun. It's 8:30 pm and we're still not done shopping. So we hurried back to Vigan plaza (which is not easy) and in a snap, we're done shopping. We were soo hungry and tired then and no fast food is open. So we chilled with the crowd, had our al fresco dinner at Cafe Leona. There was a street concert sponsored by SMB over at the plaza. We chilled and rested for a while with brownman revival (i think it's them) playing in the background before we headed home. It's time to pack our things and doing such is definitely not easy. It's been a long day, everyone is tired and there's still so much to do. It was until 1 in the morning that we dozed off for some quick nap before we leave.



DAY 4:
So we're leaving. I felt sad but i also felt that i miss the Metro. So we had our last minute camwhorin, waved our goodbyes and promised everyone we'll be back. We took Flo Rida bus on the way back which i will sooo not recommend. Out trip took around 12 hours from Vigan, we had around 6 or 7 annoying stop overs and they dropped us off at the most inconvenient spot to hail a cab in Cubao with all our baggages.

Sometimes living the life in the City takes its toll on us. The Law and the Companies do acknowledge that Vacation Leaves are necessary for obvious reasons. But beyond that, it is also essential to life in many ways. A refreshing change of environment is good once in a while. It keeps you sane. It tightens loose edges. It heals wounds. And it gives us new reasons to move on with life. Ilocos was great. The experience was rewarding. And the rewards are priceless.