Quotes of tha month:
“Ano ba yan, mukha kang comics!” -Paver on ma modernly made-up face before we left tha house to go shoppin’.
“Thank you, that’s all.” -Ma reserved cousin Geli’s curt reply when ask’d to give a speech on her and her twin’s 18th debut party.
“Vote Ping Lacson for president of Iraq.” –09162552*08
“Gudnyt. Pls. tc.” -A text message from a friend who rarely sends sms when he heard about coup rumours.
“Stop eating!” -Ruth’s frantic whisper as I stuff’d ma face full wit ma second helping of chicken ala king while cameras roll in front of us at tha Gardenia press conference.
“Ang puri ba pag nawala na, pwede pang ibalik?” -A classmate as he ponders on life.
“A, malay ko sa inyo! Kayo lang nagkakaintindihan dyan!” -Ma aunt as she listen’d to chinovela actress Lavender talk to sum one ‘bout characters who have lengthy unintelligible Chinese names.
“Sorry, I can’t go online tonight. Dad’s playing war games on our computer.” -Gian when I ask’d him to meet me online.
***
Nakaka-guilty kiligin, baka may girlfriend.
We talk’d ‘bout everythin’ but that. Even made plans to be business partners of some sort some day but we mutually avoided love lives. Sometimes I wish he’d juz go right out & ask ‘bout ma dating status so that I’ll have an excuse to ask him ‘bout his. A friend said it’s entirely ma fault if he's not interested anymore since I diden show any signs that I liked him when he liked me. Not entirely. He is juz as much to blame for fallin’ early fo' me same as I am for fallin’ late.

Today I feel like I’m God’s favorite child. Most of tha time I feel like one of God’s children who got overlook’d and forgotten amidst tha millions whom He felt like blessin’ wit goodluck but not today. Today I am tha favorite. Ma crush hitted on me. LBC gave me 500 bucks for an article I contributed in their magazine and an admirer gave me load fo’ ma mobile. I also got a reply in ma email for an interview in one of tha companies I applied for and today I came home to find out that paver decided to welcome me back from ma weeklong stay in San Pablo by paintin’ ma room electric blue. It did not all happen today but I’m feelin’ tha impact of it all today. I’m postin’ all these so that when I’m feelin’ blue [like tha new color of ma room], I’m gonna hafta remember today.

I was gone for a week bcuz ma twin cuzins had their 18th debut last Sunday on tha same night tha Ja-Boom twins also celebrated their's. T'waz really fun to be on ma toes for a change. Quite a diff'rence from ma daily bum routine. Wit in tha week I've stay'd wit tha twins, they have task'd me to come up wit a program fo' em. I also thought of songs that cud be used as background music for tha whole program. [I came up wit 65 songs] Aside from tis, I help'd em in creatin' bracelets made of beads for their souvenirs and I produced a script for tha twins to read w/c we recorded on tape to be play'd at tha beginning of tha program along wit tha powerpoint presentation of their pictures. I also help'd in arrangin' tha 36 roses in transparent wraps & ribbons and I also co-hosted tha actual event.
Here is tha invitation w/c had a caricature of tha twins like I suggested...

And here is tha souvenir -a mini bayong w/c fits inside tha palm containing a bead bracelet I help'd in makin'...

And here is tha older twin Geli escorted by ma brover through a path of bubbles...

And here are tha twins...

As they pose...

And pose...

And as they are whisk'd away to tha dancefloor...

By their dad...

And here they are wit family...


And here is adorable Phoebe, ma co-emcee's adorable sis...

And tis is Gela, tha louder, more charming twin who resembles Dimples Romana when she smiles...

And tis is Geli, tha more reserved, more serious twin. Some says she looks like that daily morning Mexican soap actress on channel 2...

And here is tha script...
Geli: [to tha tune of Vivaldi Concerto] Ever since I was in Mommy's womb, I was never alone. Feet, nails, eyes -as I slowly developed these, someone else was inside the womb with me slowly developing similar organs. Because of this, I did not fear life. When I came into this world on July 12, 1985, I was confident because I know that someone else would be born with me. Together we would be facing the new complexities of life. That someone is Angela, my younger twin & best friend. When we were three weeks old, Angela got terribly sick. I was really scared because I thought I'd lose her. Good thing she struggled. Thanks for being here with me now, Bebz. Sometimes I still worry about you. Please understand. I just can't stand to lose you or see you gettin' hurt.
Gela: [to tha tune of Saying Goodbye, piano version] As I followed you out of Mommy's womb, I knew that I can always trust and depend on you. I'm sorry if I scared you when I got sick when we were young. I never meant to leave you. I struggled to survive because I knew you'd be lonely without a twin. For 18 years, you have always been there for me. Thanks for looking after me & Rap. Sometimes you worry too much, but that's okay because it's just what makes you such a good ate. I'll always look up to you, ate Lee.

I hate it when maver & paver flip their backs to do sumthin' nice fo' some semi-stranger who wuden do tha same thang for em. Badtrip yon. Ma parents don't trust tha world wit me but they are irritatingly kind to tha world. Go figure.

I’m holdin’ up ma forefinger & thumb an inch apart to ma face. Tis close. I wuz tis close to landin’ a job. Saturday afternoon I got a call for an interview to be broadcaster/scriptwriter for a new 1-hour program on AM radio. Sounds fun. And it’s an opportunity, right? Spesh for fresh grad dumbasses like me. I mean no one hires fresh grads, right? It is a job. It pays. And all I need to do is pass ma college diploma on Monday to git hired. Compared to tha two otha candidates, I think I qualified better fo’ tha job. One had a marketing degree, which tha boss felt doesn’t seem suitable fo’ tha job. Aside from tis, she look’d as if she can’t hand in her diploma on Monday. Tha otha one wuz a MassCom grad from PLM who liv’d in Bulacan. Both did not bring samples of their writing. I am from a reputable school & I had tha right course for tha job. I brought ma certificate of graduation along wit all kinds of clearances [NBI, barangay, school..] that very day. I also brought 3 samples of ma writing witout bein’ told. And I live a jeepney & a tricycle away from tha office. Of course there is also tha li’l matter of tha boss requirin’ 4 traits for his employers. He said that he doesn’t care ‘bout hiring anyone good. He juz wana hire someone who’s 1] flexible 2] who can git along wit his moodiness 3] courageous and 4] willing to travel He said that he cud hire all three of us if we can accept his conditions & if we can pass tha diploma by Monday. He ask’d us if we accept his conditions. Bein’ nearest to him, he ask’d me first. Almost immediately, I answer’d him a firm yes. He repeated tha qualities. [So-so,so-so…, WILLING TO TRAVEL.] I waver’d. and open’d ma big mouth. [“Um, about traveling, I am free to travel as long as not to sumwhere really far like Mindanao..”] I wuz thinkin’ ‘bout maver & paver. No way in hell wud they lemme travel farther than NCR. They won’t even lemme travel alone. I came into that place wit paver. And he wuz waitin’ for 4 straight hours already outside tha office. Tha boss said that tha broadcaster he’ll hire will hafta go to Mindanao if it’s required. He added that he needs someone who’ll escort him anytime he goes out to socialize & treat future clients and that he doesn’t take a “no” when he asks his employee to go wit him. He sens’d that tha parental units are strict and when I admitted it, he said, “Baka hinahanap ka na nila ngayon.” There were, in fact, 2 messages & 3 miss’d calls from paver in ma phone that sec. He spent tha rest of tha interview ignorin’ me & talkin’ to tha 2 otha applicants who were busy takin’ note of his instructions for employment. Before we go, he took pity on me and said that since I heard his instructions I could still talk to tha ‘rents then hand in tha requirements on Monday. Tha rents agreed to forbid me from takin’ tha job. I am still their doll. They own me. Jai guru deva om. Nuthin’s gonna change ma world. [Tis is all s’posed to make y’all feel betr fo’ bein’ unown’d..]