cc archives: fitness feast

have you ever tried the sumptuous buffet at fitness first (all branches)? i am just so impressed with this mega-chain - they provide you with free sodas and coffee and even buffet! the choices are being served steamed or convection-oven cooked. one caveat - the meat is not always 'fresh' nor sumptuous. you just have to be lucky. some are lean, young types. others are definitely NOT fat-free, quite lardy and greasy actually. there's usually a helping of shrimp or 'hipon' in the vernacular, concentrate on the body and ignore the head. on certain occasions, you are served some prime cuts, though. pure beef, ultra delicious! and that's when you get really lucky!

guidelines on the buffet:

discernment - some prime cuts are not for everyone's consumption. helping yourself to this type may earn you a shiner. discernment is key. if eye contact is avoided, that's the signal for you to move on and try the other dishes. please do not insist.
sensitivity to the the other diners - some diners are luckier than you. they get to have their cake and eat it too. sometimes, it's just a matter of 'first-come, first-served'. be quick to establish whether you are gate-crashing a party or you are on the guest list. if you are a late comer to the venue, check for eye contact first. direct eye contact is a buying signal. a casual brush on the merchandise is not just a buying signal, it is an invitation. if none of the above happens, please leave the diners alone.

cleanliness - this must be maintained at all times. clean up after. left-overs on the floor or, heaven forbid, on the bench are just bad manners.

a final note: though the buffet is a fringe benefit of your membership, the management is not about to legitimize this offering. dining is actually illegal and could cost you your membership (their loss) or your face (your loss of...). please be very careful when dining at the premises.

readers, got any other guidelines you may want to share regarding eating out? :)

Posted by closet case at 1:51 PM, march 2007

i found it

back when i was still with my ex and i was starting to blog, i used to post a lot of my extra-marital activities and affairs. i would even put the photos of my playmates (though using solarizing filters). it was an outlet for my indiscretions, thinking my ex would never find it.

then when he found out about the blog, i hurriedly deleted all those posts. but not without backing them up in word format. i thought i had lost those files, thinking i placed them in an unmarked flash drive.

while i was going through my folders in the my external hard disk, i found the documents! and i will start reposting them here, hoping you'll have as much fun reliving my 'wild' days...

mini celebs

another maelstrom hits pinoy tweetdom. james soriano and his tagalog. Just two weeks ago, it was Chris Lao and the parting of the panay Ave sea. Ordinary people become instant celebrities as they are vilified online. The spotlight is on the latest person to get the ire of the pinoy online. Heroes never get that quick a popularity surge. I'm pretty sure James is finding out the downside of fame or infamy, as friend Chris was recounting previously. He would get stares, uncomfortable as he would walk by. And even if I dont know James soriano from Adam previously, all that information floating in cyberspace about him have been reassembled to give the curious a profile of the English-speaking twat. Ahhh. That was also what happened to Chris. Suddenly everybody knew of his academic credentials. And these were used against him.

Time will tell how they will play their moment of fame to their advantage. A TV guesting? A book deal? Pinoy big brother? Hmmm. Now what can I cook up to have my moment? Lol. Be careful what I wish for!

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I'm bi-os

im a bi-os guy now.

i have android o/s for the samsung galaxy 10.1 and mac o/s for macbook air, iphone, iPad.

im confused. lol.

I'm using the macbook air now, taking it for a test drive. it looks great. and sexy. and really light. fast, too. well, it will be with me for the next couple of years. the portability is the best feature. i don't have to log around that 17" macbook pro. the trade off, screen size. hehe. i didn't realize i need new glasses till now. LOL

will give you more of my thoughts on this air and the galaxy tab 10.1 soon. night.

WEE: in hindsight

my weekend escape turned put so well. the lighthouse marina fulfilled the dream almost 100%. the boutique hotel had the right amenities. it gave me nice views of the ocean. and i was able to leisurely read, or blog or tweet. so relaxing. the personnel were very nice and friendly.

i was upgraded to a suite at no cost. so that made me smile. it was a big room, with its own living area. the dvd player provided plays usb movies and music. a definite plus! though i didnt bring any dvd's, i was able to transfer movies from my laptop to my flashdrive. wonderful!

the hotel is at the end of waterfront road, the road where the bars and other hotels are situated. i was able to walk along the road and see the goings on during dusk. and there was a quaint chapel, san roque, about a few blocks away. so pleasant!

the hotel also had some nightlife. the lighthouse itself is a bar. and the music seemed nice.

and thought the weather was perfect, i could see myself still enjoying the place as it rains hard. it was cozy and comfortable. and the scene would still be nice in the rain.

the downside. well, it can get noisy at night. despite a/c and the heavy draperies, i could still hear the beat. at the time i went there, there were corporate clients, guests who were doing their workshop or seminar. so they got pretty rowdy at night. and with them around during meal times, it was a bit noisier than i would have wanted.

all in all, i see myself going back for another wee. i can understand now the advantage of just staying at hotels over maintaining a vacation house. id probably be spending the same amount for monthly amortization costs.

i just hope they can give me good rates if i will book way in advance. maybe once a quarter would be good.




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WEE 0821111216

on my way back. coffee now at starbucks in petron tabang nlex. weekend is ending. im thinking of ending this with a nice massage.

in the heat of 1130am, i had simply red coasting top down on sctex. got a great tan. lol. it wasnt hot. the breeze at 100kph is just wonderful. i love the unobstructed view of bucolic pampanga. so inspiring. nothing like 80s jazz to cruise with.

finally pushed it to 160kph and beyond. effortlessly. loved the way i would be just at 100kph and will have cars pass me. then ill mow them down, one by one. as i speed up. pc says car obsession is the only masculine bone remaining in my body. lol

another 40kms before reaching home.


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WEE 0821110845: the day after

pc was gushing over his new gadget when he arrived. i love the way his eyes light up as he shows me the features of the phone, the screen resolution, the nifty way it zooms through tilting, etc. he really is such a tech at heart. he even subscribes to those tech fora for updates on the latest. and he gets so oc over the gadgets, over a scratch, a speck of dust!

after the wonderful lunch of steak (for him) and steamed lapu-lapu (for me), we settled in the room to watch a movie. i downloaded 'the never ending story', a film he remembers crying over in childhood, and something i never actually watched. but after 30mins, we were dozing off. hehe. i guess the charms of childhood fail to carry over to adulthood!

we heard the 5pm mass at the quaint church nearby. it was probably a protestant church during the american tenure here. it had a nice yard, with huge acacia trees with moss-covered branches. i just love trees.

then we went to a new landmark in this area, the Kalaklan lighthouse, which we could view from the hotel. it was so near, actually, right after exiting the base through kalaklan gate. it had nice views of the bay. and our timing, sunset, was my favorite. there was a guard stationed at the operational lighthouse - ang lalaki sa parola, but not half as exciting. hehe. the shots were wonderful. soon to be posted here.

then it was an early dinner at aresi at the courtyard meridien. the resto, that had its origins in imperial hotel along morato, was something i missed. i havent visited the resto when they transferred to il terrazzo. but the one thing i remember about them, the chocnut ice cream, disappeared from the menu.

we had pasta (creamy pesto), and pizza (five cheeses!) i love all-cheese pizza, though i dont generally crave for pizza. the only other pizza variant i like is margherita, strictly thin crust. we also had their herbed chicken, and it took 40 mins to prepare. we capped that off with tiramisu and cheesecake. lovely anniversary dinner.

we had watched another movie after dinner in the room: woody allen's midnight in paris. it was nice. a review of art and literature of the 20's. the message was simple enough. it had characteristic woody allen lines, deadpan and biting, delivered by owen wilson (i have taken a fancy to his voice since i watched 'cars'. i like the way his lips seem pursed as he speaks.)

then it was time for goodbyes. pc couldnt stay overnight so i arranged the driver to bring him home. i was suddenly worried for the travel back. i realized that sctex is not lit for stretches. and they would be traveling midnight. i texted them regularly for updates and reassurances. and thankfully, they made it back to manila uneventfully.

i kept awake by continuing the book 'god loves bakla' by raymond alikpala. it is such an honest recount of his life in the closet. and since we are of the same age (we are actually born 7 days apart), i loved the way he writes interspersed with history as i knew it, too. ninoy's assassination, edsa people power, even 9-11. his recall so accurate i couldnt help but do my own reminiscing.

when migs introduced me to him, he mentioned how 'similar' our lives were. and we had a chance to talk at that love yourself photoshoot. reading the book showed me all the similarity. and heightened some differences which i wont mention here yet.

suffice it to say that raymond alikpala turned out to be my companion during this trip, a companion to a trip in the past, and to a trip to his soul, tortuous at times and ultimately, inspiring.

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WEE 0820111655: blessing

here at san roque parish chapel inside sbma with pc. happy to hear mass with him on this special day.


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pc was fetched by the driver and brought here at just about noon. he loved the place! we took our lunch and eventually had the rest of the afternoon whole up inside the room. :-D then we prepared to hear Mass.

im thinking of aresi for dinner tonight...

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WEE 0820110830: breaky

that's how this guy calls breakfast. he was the first guy i chatted with in grindr. pinoy based in australia. first guy i met, too. but no sex. not that i didnt like him. he was nice and fun. it just didnt go there.



i digress. last night, after dinner, i stayed on to do more reading. and an occasional surfing. there was a singer and her keyboards guy. regular hotel playlist. i have no idea why the girls all sound alike. its their version of crooning. they super-modulate their voices, hold the mics way too close. maybe they teach that in hotel lobby singing school. lol

some guests were singing along. i was so tempted. hahaha but would they want to hear me do 'con te partiro' in all my tenor-tryhard glory after she sings 'the way you look tonight'?!?!? actually, that's my dilemma now. the other night, it was karaoke bonding with mid-management, like we used to do before. but suddenly, im sooo hesitant to sing. my repertoire is so limited (how many karaoke books have 'nella fantasia?') im in danger of not internalizing my newly formed skills (head tone, breathing technique) if i go back to 'ill be' and 'wherever you may go'! lol luckily, there was 'music of the night' with new lyrics (wtf?). and during that 2nd high note, pumiyok na ako lol. but it was one noisy karaoke place. or nobody would dare laugh at the ceo. hehe

anyway, had a great time last night as i drove simply red for a spin topdown. yes, the nightbreeze, cooler after the rain. off to starbucks (where else?). got to be mindful of traffic signs, though. i feel so 'american' driving here.

when i got back, i wanted to drink at the bar. there was some nice chris brown playing. and the mixed race crowd was swinging. turned out to be a private party of the group doing their workshop here. so many caucasians. i just looked at all of them dancing and drinking enviously.

so it was going to be bedtime. i talked to pc, for our anniversary eve chat! and as i laid down, i could still hear the beat and the music. my shoulder was moving on auto pilot. haha. hmm. i thought id have a hard time sleeping. but before i knew it, it was already 754am! lovely sleep after all!

today, pc arrives from manila. i had the driver pick him up. ahh the first year anniversary f**k! excited!


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its been a year

literally my prince charming, he is. swept me off my feet when i least expected it. may be that's the key. do not expect. and be caught by the most pleasant of surprises.

how could i expect? how could i even think of relationship and grindr in the same sentence? and there is no judgment there at all. i got hooked on grindr, literally and figuratively. i was having fun with the mystery of talking torsos and the promise of hot sex. and some of them turned out pretty well. i got my ego boost, too. grindr was hook up central. and i am so grateful.

so when i saw this uber-handsome face (as opposed to torso!) on a profile, it was just going to be another hot encounter.

the more we chatted, the more i realized that this cutie was... different. there were a lot of things in common, another surprise considering his age, and mine! and even if there was some flirting, the conversations were progressing in deeper ways.

and i found myself falling, though i was still resisting. and his ambiguous behavior just fuelled the fire. is he or is he Not into me? honestly, i couldnt tell. but the attraction was enough for me to take my chances and declare my intentions and my growing feelings for him.

pleasant surprise, too, when he reciprocated. when he felt similarly about the direction this was taking.

and hearing him tell me that he loves me, finally, was the best surprise. why was i surprised? i didnt expect it to happen then. i thought his feelings were still developing. little did i know...

is this going to be ending with a simplistic lesson of not expecting? no. because in retrospect, it can never be that simple. i wish i could tell all the lonely hearts out there to not expect and just be pleasantly surprised. but it is so human to expect.

so no lessons here. just a grateful, kilig pa rin recount of one year ago.

here's to one year, prince charming. many, many more in store.


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WEE 0819111905: dindin

surprised with the way the waterfront of sbma has developed. the walk from lighthouse marina, by the shoreline, reminds me of a mini-south beach or waikiki. hotels and restos lined up on one side, facing the beach. had a nice pleasant walk to the other end (gerry's grill).

dinner now, al fresco, by the poolside. thank heavens they stopped playing kenny rogers. reggae now. so much better.





wonderful night time breeze. no flies mosquitoes. lol

and two unescorted ladies drinking san mig lite in dresses two sizes smaller. is this a pick up joint?


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WEE 0819111750: a good dip

started reading raymond alikpala's book as i lounged by the pool. iphone was playing my fave new age music. dipped in the pool when the clouds covered the afternoon sun. a few laps. i was the only one in the pool. feeling quite likea lone goldfish in a fishbowl. lol.

no sunset. sun covered by hills and clouds. continued my reading after the swim. my mind relaxing now. the only problem - kenny rogers in the background. the music, not the food.


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WEE 0819111520: im here

arrived safely. sctex from mabalacat toll booth to tipo is only 56kms. hehe. yeah, i like doing that. measuring travel distances. my obsession with numbers.

im all settled in my room. got an upgrade. thanks, renz (front desk). sun is out. gorgeous afternoon here. ang bait ni Lord! quiet at my verandah.

i can see the pool from here. will take a dip 4ish.





my mind remains so active. but slowly cooling down.

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WEE 0819111310: coffee break

stop-over at mocha blends lakeshore. surprised this brand still exists. i liked it before. used to visit the morato branch in another lifetime.



simply red is just a darling. 150kph with no effort. i just do bursts. dont want to get any tickets.

still very cloudy. but at least its not raining. that would slow me down. toll booth guy was cute. gave him my shy smile. lol


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WEE 0819111130

it's a holiday and im off. im off to my weekend escape. had to finish some work errands first. had lunch at home. will get gasoline along the way. have my tires checked, too. so far, so good.


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To You Who Knows or Reads Bakla Ako.Com

Our feisty friend, dear AJ, is quite sick, though 'quite' is really a euphemism. He has been in and out of the hospital for months now. The fighter and the bitch inside of him just wont let disease get the better of him. So he manages to bounce back, with the help of medical science, prayer and the support of very strong parents, family and friends.

He is battling it out again. And even as his indomitable spirit will drive his frail body to conquer the infection, the resources to support this battle are running out. If you have met AJ, read his blog sometime, you'd know that this is one bakla you'd like the world to continue to love and enjoy.

FelloFab AJ will win this war, with our help. Email me: closet_case07@yahoo.com.ph

THE FABCASTERS' OPEN LETTER:

"Hello friends,

For some time now our friend and fellow Fabcaster, AJ Matela (of “Bakla Ako, May Reklamo” at http://baklaako.com/) has been quite sick. Upon the advise of doctors, he has resigned from work and is now focused on getting his body back in shape. But he’s finding out the hard way just how tough this battle is going to be.

Some time ago AJ contracted mycobacterium avium complex. Nodules have been discovered in his lungs, and he has been coughing a lot. Immediate treatment is necessary to halt the spread of the disease. It means he needs to submit himself to several lab tests plus new multiple medicines on top of the daily ones he’s currently taking.

And last Aug. 18, 2011, just after lunch, AJ was rushed to the emergency room. He has difficulty breathing on his own; on top of that, he has diarrhea. His weight has gone significantly down. AJ is currently confined in Medical Center Manila along UN Avenue.

All this time he has relied only on his family and relatives for help. All this time he’s kept details of his medical condition to just them. But it has now reached a point when help from relatives, generous as they have been, is not enough. Because he has resigned from work, he doesn’t have any health card to bank on.

All his life AJ has always prided himself on being self-reliant and self-sufficient. But now he realizes that he cannot do this alone. So now, as close friends of AJ, we turn to you for help.

Friends, at this point we appreciate any and every assistance we can receive. And with God’s help, plus your generosity and prayers, we hope for AJ to bounce back soon. You can personally send your help to me or any of the Fabcasters."


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the ideal weekend escape

in my mind, ive been setting up the ideal weekend escape. it must not be too far from manila. i have to be able to drive simply red leisurely going there, preferably with the top down at sunset.

resort must be beside the sea, with a great sunset. it doesn't have to be ultra-swanky. just exclusive enough to give me space. a nice poolside, great views in the lounging areas. nice resto and coffee shop. gym optional. but being situated in an area where i can run is a plus. a nearby mall or shopping area also optional.

with my alone time, ill bring a book or two. and this ipad and my phone. ill still have my laptop, in case of emergency, or to view movies i have downloaded. throw in the camera to capture the moments. ill bring running and swimming gear. ill look forward to some physical exercise. and maybe have a massage or spa time in between.

and i want to be able to do this regularly, maybe once a quarter, in the same place so the people will become familiar and be friendly. its going to be like having my own vacation house without the maintenance hassle.

tomorrow, i'm going to make this a reality. let's see if it will be as relaxing and as de-stressing as i have envisioned it.


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Thursdays with CC: Value of Extra-curricular Involvement

i have been a volunteer in the church for decades now. it wasnt a straight tenure, though. there was a time early in my service that i was at loggerheads with the president so i resigned.

i came back eventually, after the tenure of that president. and havent left since. not that i havent wanted to, time and again. sometimes, im just overwhelmed with work and would rather not have that extra schedule on my hands. at other times, im just thinking myself unworthy of the vocation. still at other times, my disagreement with church views on matters, including my sexual preference. and sometimes, it could be as un-christian as simply not liking having to be 'obedient' when i am so used to being boss.

but i keep on anyway. i found that my previous resignation was certainly immature of me. and as i stay on, i find more value in continuing to serve. the most important, and the hardest to swallow, is the value of being humbled.

yes, ive worked my way to the top so i could be the boss. so i could have my way. but this title, this position doesnt mean anything beyond my company. and when i let it get inside my head too much, i just know im setting myself up for a harsher reality check. when im out there, especially abroad, i am so humbled. i am just another Filipino, Oriental, Asian, colored person. i get in line. i am ordered around. i am a nobody.

being in the organization allows me to be grounded again and again. i am a follower. i will not always get my way. i will not have the monopoly of bright ideas. and im certainly nowhere near saintliness.

sometimes i resist. sometimes i am tempted to pull rank (where my rank means nothing!) but just as surely, i remind myself. i need to be humbled. and that is what this organization does.

another benefit of the organization for me is retirement planning. when i eventually retire, i know ill still have something to do. my life would still be purposeful and productive. i would still be around people. and i would still be serving. with more free time, i can even be more active and more devoted. and im guessing this will delay the onset of alzheimers and senile depression.

but i suppose the best benefit i am deriving is the benefit of self-fulfilment in service. yes, that does sound selfish. but it doesnt hurt, i suppose, that i enjoy what i do as i serve. that i see that some effort of mine actually leads to some improvement or betterment to the people i serve.

expand your horizons. do volunteer work. help where you can. there are so many causes out there that are waiting for more champions. be one of them.


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my pov: THAT art exhibit

i just have to express my pov about that controversial art exhibit in ccp, particularly mideo's art.

yes, art is all about self-expression. and mideo expresses, comments, provokes. and for me, he blasphemes. im catholic. i hold those images sacred. and i find it offensive that symbols i hold dear have been associated with anatomical parts associated with pornography.

this is me, reacting, protesting. im offended. i choose not to view the exhibit, nor pictures of it.

but will i demand that it be taken down? no, i won't. i have no right to impose my standards, my faith on others. how dare me think that my sensibilities should prevail! and i will not even dare to ask government to step in and take that exhibit down. the government as an institution was made not for catholics alone. it cannot use its powers to let one faith, one religion prevail over all the others.

whether we like it or not, whether we accept it or not, the world is moving towards more and more diversity, in color, in creed, in culture. it is happening everywhere and is happening here. this is the law of entropy at work. there will be less neat divisions and categories. and we will have to accept and embrace that.

so even as i hate what mideo has put there, he has every right to display that and express himself as i have with this post.


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an unfortunate thing

i was one of the people he called about an hour after the interview. he sounded weird. even delirious. kept on laughing at himself. his stupidity. he told me the story. and i ended up laughing, too. he couldn't believe that he absentmindedly just drove that car into the flood.

and the next thing he knew, water was rushing inside. and he stopped moving. and all he was thinking about were his law books. but he was still laughing. he was asking me if i saw him on the news. i told him i didnt. nevertheless, he regretted that interview. because his knee-jerk reaction was to be on the offensive. and he just blamed everyone else for his predicament on national tv. as he was talking to me, he was so remorseful, so sorry he said it. it just came out of him in rage at himself, mostly.

he was still in the vicinity of the flooded area, waiting for the family driver to assist him. i had to hang up because i had a meeting to attend.

the next thing i knew, it was going viral in a very bad way. he texted asking for help to put the darn facebook hate page down. i tried to do my part but unfortunately, facebook never took it down. it was classic, the way everything was snowballing much to his humiliation.

i havent known him for so long. but he was a genuninely nice guy. not arrogant or abrasive at all. i didnt even realize he was summa cum laude. but during that short time i got to know him, he was actually so accommodating. he even hosted a little dinner for his new-found friends (our barkada).

i felt really bad for how this turned out for him. bizarre.

my own analysis. chris has been working himself too hard studying for the bar exam. that guy would actually spend hours in coffee shops pouring over books, going home in the wee hours of the morning. he actually figured in a car accident previously, when he took a micronap while driving.

that morning, he was rushing to pick up his wife. he was probably lacking sleep again. and all good judgment was just out the window. he was so distraught. and when interviewed by the reporter, he was on the defensive. and the lawyer training taught him that a good offense was the best defense. and that was what he mounted. an offense blaming everyone else but himself. knee jerk reaction coming from a stressful stimulus.

my lesson here: analyze yoursel. what buttons will you push during moments of crisis, of urgency. what is your knee-jerk reaction? passive or aggressive? is your reaction helpful? productive? if not, you may like to unlearn that reaction by replacing it with a more productive one. do it consciously until it becomes second nature. then your knee-jerk reaction, if and when a moment happens, would be positive.


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the nooks & crannies

my little place was made with sp many spaces for alone-time











and this provides me entertainment in the attic



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the nerd of some people

hay naku.

the nerd of my driber. excuuuse me. ex-drivam. pasaway na nga siya. ang hirap utusan. tapos, di man nagte-text kung papasok o hindi. aba! as a matter in fact, may text allowance nga siya na hindi naman nagagamit! az in! at may kapal magsabi na nawalan ng load? super inis talaga.

so i told him. goodbye na siya by the 15th. fly away. adios. di ko kailangan ang jervice niya na hindi ko naman maasahan. and take note, may outstanding loan pa siya so dapat ay pumasok man siya to pay for that.

aba! di na nagpakita. disapir from the face of the earth. at disapir na rin ang bayad sa utang. the nerd!

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stolen

a new acquaintance confessed recently.

now i know why you look so familiar. ive seen you before.
really?
were you in bora around _____ ?
hmm yeah i might have been. not sure because that was quite awhile ago.
i have a confession to make: i took a stolen pic of you then.
huh? nah. that couldnt have been. you got the wrong guy.
ill check my pics later.

no way it could be me. like why would anyone want to take a stolen shot? they could simply ask, right? LOL

now im sure it is you.
no way. i wasnt there in _____.
im sure. mali pala. it was _____. add me up as a friend.

i quickly looked him up and added him.

look for my album ____, pic no ___

good grief. it is me. a stolen shot as i was busy talking on the my mobile. there were no other persons in the pic. and there were actually two shots, even.

for others, this sounds stalker-ish. but honestly, for me, im flattered that someone would even take a stolen shot. never happened to me before. haha.

i actually asked him why he did it. but before he could answer, i told him to scratch that. i'd prefer to keep my juvenile delusions untainted by reality!



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