Chicken Sopas with Gravy

10 Years After

I bumped into two long lost friends here in Singapore. It was fun seeing them again. Seeing people again after 10 years makes you realize so many things in life.  You are able to realize what have been lost and gained for the past 10 years. Questions and ifs getting answered. Memories are coming back... memories of 1997; one of the best years in my life! My family was doing very well during those times, not just in financial side but also in the level of happiness and relationships. And this is not just limited to my parents and siblings, but also to the entire clan or at least to my relatives in first degree.

Everything looks promising in my life in 1997. I am about to finish high school and it was crazy... really crazy and fun! There is not much pressure in school to pass the course. I am one of the 3 that has the highest IQ in the batch. I got many good friends at school and in our village which many of them I still hold on to although I haven't seen them for a very long time.

I passed my admission exams to the two most prominent education institutions in the country; the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) - the premier Military Academy in Asia and University of the Philippines the premier state university in the country. At hindi lang basta-basta UP, it is UP Diliman on a quota course. My moral was very high. I choose the former (PMA), and after a few months I changed my mind and quit military training to enroll in UP for the second semester. From the time I leave for PMA things have never been the same. Ten years have gone by so fast... and like a song "it's all coming back to me (now?)"...

Later this year as we all hope, our high school class will have a grand reunion. I will definitely see a lot of people and friends that I haven't seen for a decade. It will be nostalgic. More memories will come back, more question will be answered. It will be a time to catch up and make up for the lost time, the way I am doing now for my two long lost friends that I bumped into here Singapore.

Why Do I Have To Wear A Skirt?

Three of my former colleagues just got married within the past several months, another couple friend from my University days will be getting married in 2 months time. A few of my girlfriend's female friends just got engage with their boyfriends. And I heard that one of my best bud who is a model employee from one of my former company is already contemplating of proposing to his girlfriend. I won't mention the company because I don't want to preempt or jeopardize his plans. So I will keep it as a blind item for now, kahit i-text nyo pa ako!

 

At the time when Kris Aquino and James Yap are having trouble with their marriage -- my friends and my contemporaries are tying the knot (and hopefully not into their necks) and banging the church bells.

Gone are the days, wherein my female friends are busy and excited preparing for their "debut" or coming-out party. Gowns, barongs, formal attire, waltz, roses, candles, dances, food and alcohol. It was like highschool prom once again. Yes, some of us sneak in alcohol during our highschool prom!

Well some male classmates and friends did their own "coming-out" uhm not party. They now belong to the thirdsex.

 

For real guys and not so real guys, the preparation for their cumming-out partee happens in their early adolescence years. Every summer during my childhood, blood and crying kids will be all over in our town's public clinic. "Operation Tuli" or free circumcision is in town. I was eleven years before I got cut. I think 11 years old was already old to be circumcised during that time. But I was willing to wait until 13 because I thought that the longer you wait, the longer it will be. I was challenge to face the knife, scissor, blade, or whatever the doctor used (I cannot remember because my eyes were shut) when a gay-ish kid in our neighborhood finally did it. I don't want to be teased as "gay" by our neighbors, thus I wend to the clinic and have my self cut as well. The next day I was wearing a lose skirt!

I still don't understand why do I have to wear a skirt.

Circumcision... debut... wedding... and then what next big thing? Probably when couple got their kids, baptism will be the next big event among my peers. Wherein "mare" and "pare" will have their real meaning, especially during Christmas season.

Return of the Blogger

Its been a few months since I last touch the keyboard to blog. Work has been draining for the past few weeks which makes me think again if its really worth it, being here far from those that are important to me and working like hell. The trick of looking into my bank account to make me feel better does not work anymore, because a few hundred dollars remaining on it won't do. Before I went to Singapore I told myself that I would just work and save here, I keep on telling myself that same thing over and over again for the past 10 months, I am still not able to save. I live and enjoy myself (Hey. it's not what your dirty mind think of "enjoying myself"!).

Since the last time I blog, I am always tempted to touch the keyboard. But I must admit, I am lazy. I just let my head spill its thoughts without catching those words into paper or let it tick the keyboard. Don't ask me what, who, or "how much" inpired me to blog again at this very moment, because I am not sure what is it that makes me grab my laptop (I already replaced my old Presario with this new black beauty) and write. Maybe its Juris of MYMP that I am listening into now, or maybe I am just a masochist since my hands and arms are already aching and weak, which I suspect I am having carpal tunnel syndrome (if you don't know what is it, ask Google) due to the thousands of mouse clicks I did when we had a code merge activity in the office last week. Apologies for non-IT people, or non-developer IT people who does not know what code merge is.

If you love and miss "Chicken Sopas with Curry", I hope this new blog can give you more.