Imagine that…
I went home from the bar operations at around 6:30 am. After having my breakfast, i realized that my parents were dressed to go somewhere. No, that’s not accurate. My mom was in a casual-japorms outfit while my dad was in his USUAL jologs Pambahay tshirt-Shorts with black belt-white rubber shoes ensemble. It turned out that they were going to 168 Mall of Asia.
Not having any type of sleep since 8am of Saturday (and i slept at 2am saturday morning "studying"/making my digest for Banking and Finance a), i thought of skipping this mini-outing of theirs. But they said they were taking the LRT and a Jeepney ride to Divisoria.
I thought to myself.
OH. MY. GOD. This, I HAVE to see.
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Short background:
My parents weren’t born into the lifestyle they enjoy now. Though I think they exaggerate the type of "depravity" their individual families experienced when they were young, I do believe them when they say that they weren’t born rich. Far, far from it.
I even remember living in a one-room pseudo-apartment in a small compound which housed other pseudo-apartments with all TEN (10) of my father’s siblings. This doesn’t even include the small rooms reserved for the cousins of my lolo and lola. You can just imagine the number of people who lived within the cramped confines of that compound. 114 Roosevelt Avenue Quezon City. Quite near Patranco for Jeep riders 
My parents like to joke about how we lived like squa.. err.. informal settlers (SQ-H2Os hehe) before. But man, I suppose that’s the reason why I’m so close to all my cousins (well, at least the first 15 or so hehe). I suddenly miss those "Rolly-Polly-Porky" days.
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SEE, i got sidetracked nanaman. As i was saying…
As fate would have it, good fortune smiled on the career paths of my parents. (But not if you ask my dad, magaling lang daw talaga mag-invest mama ko sa magiging asawa. Mejo makapal ata muka ng papa ko. hehehehe).
Basic Point?? I have NEVER seen my mom ride any mode of public transportation before. Not once. Well at least, not that I remember. PFFT =P… mahina nga pala memory ko hehe. And today. September 10, 2006, I saw her ride two! haha. Though the LRT to 168 shouldn’t really count since it’s a "nice" ride. Plus, it’s my first time to ride it too so I shouldn’t take it against my mom.
I cannot overemphasize how CUTE my mom looked riding the jeep. I asked her when her last jeepney ride was. She answered that it was sometime in 1986 or 87. 20 years… I can’t imagine how she probably looked riding them everyday as a student or even as a young professional.
She must have attracted quite a number of guys. Though I’m assuming a lot of them had been turned off by her disposition. SOBRANG TARAY daw niya sa mga nagpapa-cute sa kanya. haha. Ang kapal talaga ng papa ko. If I wasn’t such a carbon copy of him, I would have said my mom looked way better than my dad. Bakit pa kasi hindi ko na lang namana looks ng mama ko. May girlfriend na siguro ako by now. hahahaha
On "secAnd thought", he got my mom. Magaling pala talaga si "Papa Sito" (Madami akong kahati sa tawag na yan. All my cousins call my parents Papa Sito and Mama Cora. All 30+ of us. And I’m the eldest of the whole brood. *sigh* The burden of the future patriarch. hahaha I’m just kidding. Kanya-kanya na lang para walang pressure hehe)
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One of my "best" friends is going to have a boyfriend soon. She either doesn’t know it yet, or she simply refuses to acknowledge such issues. But the signs are there. The best evidence of which is that they’ve held hands already (once? twice? doesn’t matter). Plus the nicknames she has unwittingly acquiesced to being called is quite ummm… wazza word… baby-ish to me hehe…
But I’ve met the dude. Not bad. Medyo maangas. Mayabang dating. Trying hard maging funny. He’s supposedly smart and not bad-looking at all. (come to think of it, this description kinda reminds me of someone…hehe). So getting to know him has its pluses. One gets to see the real person behind all the bad rep. (Sorry, ang lalim ng pinaghuhugutan ko nito.. sobra. haha) But what i like most about this guy is that his mere presence dispells the stupid notion (once and for all) that I’m into building fences (for those who don’t get this, that’s ok, medyo inside JOKE talaga to).
So whatever happened to the bakod-theory huh?
It met superman, that’s what. Albeit a much smaller version. haha :c) Besides, what about the presumption of goodfaith? And assuming without admitting this theory, I’d still be considered a Builder in Good Faith. Check your Property Law. This is indisputable. "Basahin niyo batas niyo".
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Speaking of good faith presumptions. I’ve finally had occasion to talk to a friend recently. Well, sort of friend. The designation isn’t important really. Or if it is, it escapes me. Or I’m playing dumb again. Or maybe I just am. hehe.
But we’re good. We’re fine. Things are clear now for my friend. Pseudo-friend. Whatever :). Even if things aren’t as clear to me, I said that they were. Kung san sha masaya, I’m good with that. We’re friends. No more ilangan.
This is the first time I’m traversing a one way street. Most likely the last time. Well, I certainly hope so. haha. sheesh, it’s not even that funny.
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Hmm, i also got to talk to an ex-girlfriend of mine last Friday. That was the first real talk we’ve had in the past 8 months. It wasn’t as uncomfortable as I thought it’d be. I wish I had gotten to talk to her much earlier than this. But one of the funnier things that came up was when I asked her if she remembered whether or not I courted her. Natawa sha. She said she didn’t remember having a formal courtship.
But I remember now. Na bad trip ako when I found out that she still had a boyfriend during the first stages of our getting to know one another. When I confronted her about it, she said she thought I was just trying to be her friend and that she couldn’t tell me about her boyfriend coz she couldn’t assume i was courting her.
*cough cough* : Somehow, that struck me. Deja vu. Funny how things have a tendency to repeat themselves.
May precedent pala. Quite unfortunate how my "case-law recall" sucks bigtime. Really irritating.
Whatever happened to the saying "some things are better left unsaid?" haha.. joke lang..
Anyway, Kristine "Feeling" Chua and I are fine. We’re also good. We’re friends (really!). And she’s really not the "feeling" type (sobrang good girl sha). I just put it there so her initials would spell.. *ta-daaaannn*.. K.F.C. What a coincidence. haha
But She’s not "KFC". Actually, there really isn’t a "KFC" person. It’s just a concept. A perfect concept, I had come up with back in highschool when I was listing down the traits I like in a woman. So if someway, somehow, I come across my "her", then great. If such a situation comes, then I shouldn’t be faulted for TRYING to win this person over.
Yes, even if she’s pining for someone else…
Sometimes I wonder what would happen if circumstances were a little different. But those are just make-believe scenarios. And I shouldn’t dwell too much on What-ifs.
I am of Spanish-Filipino roots and I was born right here in MetroManila.
I’m not going to wish I was of a different race. And I’m not going to wish my grandparents hadn’t moved from our province.
I like who I am. What I am.
I’ll live with the consequences. I’ve no other choice, but to.
September 10, Sunday.
PS: Guys, one friend of mine sent me the
lyrics of “Sitting, Waiting, Wishing” by Jack Johnson.
Evil person yung nagsend sakin nun. Parang nananadya… For once, hindi si Remir yun. I’m starting to need Alaxan again. hehe
September 17th, 2006 at 4:12 am
ako convinced na ako na nagkamali ako , being on of those who formulated and maintained the “bakod theory”, subukan mong i-MR, baka ma-overturn na yang line of decisions na yan
September 17th, 2006 at 7:26 am
I’m glad you’re friends with your “friend”. I sincerely wish everything goes great with this “friendship” you two share. Alam mo naman kaming friends mo, happy pag happy ka.
shopaholic!!!
Btw, 168 convert ka na tlg!
September 17th, 2006 at 8:20 am
emer: your being part of the original cast of the Four Horsemen didn’t seem to help me in getting you to side with me. haha…
ikaw pa yung one of the first na nanlaglag sakin before. it’s a good thing you dropped your bakod theory na… may anti-fencing law… baka makasuhan pa ko
bakit ka pala tumatambay sa WL this past few barops weeks?
tapos ako ipina a-archive mo na? shouldn’t u be preaching to yourself first, my man?
hahaha…
joke lang. kampi tayo
September 17th, 2006 at 8:30 am
kaka: why put quotation marks on those words? haha it’s subject to misinterpretation… lagot nanaman ako. eh i’m only starting to rehabilitate my “image” now. hahaha…
and to think i used to “NOT care” about what other people think.
balik tayo 168! though i still prefer to shop by myself why u galz go together. bagal niyo!
September 17th, 2006 at 8:51 am
heeeyy…!
jack johnson rules.
“sitting, waiting, wishing” is catchy and apt. whoever sent you those lyrics must be one helluva perceptive person. non-evil at the very least. good personified. heaven-on-earth. positively angelic. walang kokontra 
September 17th, 2006 at 9:09 am
liza michelle: eh bakit guilty ka…?
oh and hindi ba isa ka sa mga closest friends ko? and you didn’t contest what i had written abt having a boyfriend soon.
Rule 130 section 32 ng Rules of Court talked about admission by silence. hehe….
wag mamilosopo at sabihing ndi ito act or omission
we’re in the court of public opinion. parang labor rules to… RELAXED hehehehe
unless of course, hindi ikaw ung ni p pertain ko sa blog ko. hmmm.. naguguluhan na rin ako.
September 18th, 2006 at 9:43 am
Hi julius! Sana huwag mo na ko ipag-vote dun sa survey thing everytime i pass by the lib, wala na akong coins e! hehe.:)
see you around!
September 19th, 2006 at 6:36 am
this is for the sake of writing a much expected comment. maski wala akong maisip isulat, kasi mabait ako and I’m not fond of bashing other’s blogs, like you would had i agreed to writing my own. it’s so funny that you claim to have lived a poor life…which i sincerely doubt. i mean, come on, since when did sq-h20 exist as a term! why are you saying that there’s precedent for what’s happening in your life…so, what, i mean, who exactly are you referring to?
September 19th, 2006 at 8:52 am
suz:
first of all, hindi kita pinilit mag vote… ikaw pumilit sakin na mag vote ka. hehe..
2) donation mo na yun sa gimik fund namin.
3) sorry, batch fund pala un.
4) hindi yun slip of the mouth
5) mali, tongue pala dapat. hehe
September 19th, 2006 at 9:06 am
Izzy:
SQh2o has been there since my Poveda days.. woops.. i meant ateneo days.
kaw pala yung Poveda. ang yabang. daming money.
as to the concept of a “precedent”. hindi applicable sakin yun. Vice-president lang ako ng class namin.
haha.. evasive ba? sorry. joke lang yun. basta it has something to do with how awkward i am/was at expressing how i feel. felt. or wishing to move to “felt” stage. hehehe
btw, thanks for the ice cream you bought for the four horsemen. na si jon lang kumain (hehe joke lang!). mabait kang tao. nagbibigay ka ng icecream ng walang kapalit. goodness of your heart lang. hahahahaha
(hindi mo nanaman to na gets.. pero thanks na rin tlga from my blockmates who finished it to the last scoop hehe)
September 19th, 2006 at 9:08 am
maglalagay ng comment for me tapos you’re gonna put na di ko gets! haay!
September 19th, 2006 at 11:32 pm
julz,
AND so. I thought this entry would end without my name being dragged na naman. Eh sa penultimate line, nabanggit ako. So. Waive mo na yun.
1. Sige. Hindi ako tutula this time. Kakanta ako:
Over there, just beneath the moon,
There’s a man with a burden to keep,
Now sleep will fall, washouts, rags and paperbags
Homes and lives passing by.
Who will see the beauty in your life
And who will be there to hear you when you call
Who will see the madness in your life.
And who will be there to catch you if you fall.
Dreams run wild, as lovers find their way through the right,
Not a care in the world
And over there, oh the twinkling of the lights, harbour lights
Say goodnight one more time
2. Yes, beauty and madness go together. well, most of the time. some people are madly in love with their own beauty; others are beautiful because they are mad. free and alone.
ang iba, they’ll ask you if you think they’re beautiful, and if you say no, they’ll get mad.
some are beautiful when they are mad.
some are mad because they are beautiful.
i once fell in love with beauty. and then with madness.
i prefer beauty. madness is too complicated for me.
2.1 as in the case of your mom, “beauty and taray.”
3. hmmm. the famed “bakod system.” at least it worked for me. a theory is just a theory, capable of being disputed, disproved and abandoned.
(read: kahit anong gawin mong bakod, kahit gaano kataas at katibay, kung iba talaga ang may titulo, wala talaga.
except kung may LACHES on the part of the owner.)
4. “Funny how things have a tendency to repeat themselves.’ ASK CANDY. Expert.
4.1 well, things do repeat. Not just a tendency.
things do repeat.
things do repeat.
until one learns.
5. “One of my “best” friends is going to have a boyfriend soon.”
I just hope GIRL ang friend mo.
OR. You are referring to Janssen Paolo.
6. “Whatever happened to the saying “some things are better left unsaid?”"
EWAN KO. Baka nasa basura.
7. “And I shouldn’t dwell too much on What-ifs.”
well, not absolutely. as i always say, the saddest line in the english language is “it might have been.”
8. “cough, cough.”
so may UBO ka rin. alaxan at tuseran ang tirahin mo.
9. (end)
with matters standing thus,
rebus sic stantibus
September 22nd, 2006 at 9:48 pm
rebus sic stantibus:
Beauty and Madness? Of all the songs out there, you think of that?
How Disappointing. VERY.
Yes. I’m still talking to you.
PS: paps, you’re still the funniest person i’ve ever met.
September 24th, 2006 at 12:27 am
hey jb.. first time to comment. though im kinda lost because im not really sure of the “meanings” of a lot of the things written here… i can only guess, can i? out of the loop na sobra. ang dami na yatang happening. olats. i’m so “out” of the circle.. or inner circle that is. oks lang. “saling kit” and im really fine with that. though nakakamiss ang barkada blockmates mo. been really really busy with work (and… some other affairs. hehe. gets mo naman diba? olats.)
anyway, yup. galing. “rolly polly porky” - malaki ang epekto sa akin ng mga salitang yan. bwisit kase yan eh. haha. (no offense to my relatives who had that as their business. hehe.) many years of agony… hay. dont want to remember.
and for all of the julzblog readers who would be able to read this - yup. this “poor boy” lived in an estimated 20sqm area - divided into three major sections. upon entry - the living room (hahaha… yeah right - “room”) then the bedroom (isa lang na malaki -siksikan na.) then the kitchen/dining. why do i know so well - kase parehong pareho kami. we were neighbors. haha. nakakatawa. parang di applicable ang term na “neighbors”. can’t even call it our “house”. hehe. its good that we’ve somehow managed to live “more comfortably” now.
nakakamiss nga… those were the days when “kaimito” was a fruit, not the name of a street.
anyway, sana isama niyo naman ako sa 168. and unlike you first time commuter, sanay na sanay ako diyan. hehe. i just prefer not to when i can.
pero ang catch, dapat i-libre mo ako. kase obvious naman kung sino marami pera. haha.
also, mag ayos naman kayo ng gimik. sama ako ulit sa cool na cool block c barkada. kwentuhan niyo naman ako ng mga bagong juicy issues - conflicts, romance, etc. etc. hehe.
i miss law school. patay ako pagbalik ko. wala ka na and kayo. wala na kong kuya julz and mga ate at kuya sa block c. haha. pero seriously, laking bagay talaga mga tulong niyo. man… drama na to!
oh well… btw, plugging lang. Azta’s third branch is now open - Level 4 Robinsons Metroeast! Support naman diyan!
All for now “Best Cuz.” Naks! Ingat. and Goodluck… sa lahat.
Jopster aka B.A. Boy (Why do I insult myself… Yeesh.)
September 30th, 2006 at 9:29 pm
I dont even remember my moniker in our nightly races.. but im sure it was not chicken pox, i think it was lamborghini. haha. those days were fun man. now we race as a team!! =) team zero for life. haha.. do ur thang playboy.. dapat top notcher a.. para masarap ang chwiming natin sa boracay . hehe.. goodluck =)
September 30th, 2006 at 11:42 pm
oi there mr. trigger happy.
haha… di ko rin maalala. but i think it was chicken pox. ako nagbibigay nung mga moniker na yan. kase ang commentator. haha. ay hindi… lamborghini nga ata. haha. ewan. basta si mike - volkof. haha.
October 4th, 2006 at 6:51 am
jop: yung racing natin ng bike yan di ba? paikot ikot lang naman tayo sa napakaliit na space haha…
si triggy nga ata si lamborghini. si mike kasi si chickenpox. that much i remember
hmm… but i’ve forgotten my nickname.
being the eldest among the cuzzins, i remember being Tarzan though… and you were all my animals haha….