once again i have proven to myself and to rest of my overly thrifty "bench/penshoppe" friends that spending a little bit more in apparel could really change your already miserable life... i haven't got the chance to prove this before because all the proof i need is that 100 million dollar feeling whenever i wear my donna karan knitted jacket... but finally... after spending almost a years savings for a vintage dolce and gabbana 3-button suit, which costs me almost $700 (and i got this on a good bargain...) and a $50 banana republic diagonal black and white stripped slim tie and another $500 for a pair of black ferragamo leather shoes... the heavens finally noticed that they might consider people with good taste in clothes as one of the major factors to get sure seats up there...
it was last monday when this all happened... i woke up around 9am in the morning and got ready for the make or break moment that would shape the rest of my vacation plans for december... once again here's a flashback...
last may my lovely girl friend got the thing we all have been waiting for... her fiancee visa to be approved... and in a blink of an eye, without hesitation nor any teary goodbyes i just realized that she jumped on the first plane going to las vegas and left everybody here in the philippines to rot!
and so she got civilly married there and because the pinoy blood still holds her already bisaya accent... everybody still wanted to have another wedding ceremony together with all the white curtains they could muster and the longest trail they could put together and all the white petals they can cover the floor with... and the date was set... december 27... AND I AM GOING TO SING!!!
well, that was the original plan until we realized that my attendance was enough destruction for the ceremony already... so we just stick to the lesser evil (bwahahahaha...)
and then i forgot that my US Visa was already expired... but how can i miss this life threatening event? the timing is just right... got 3weeks vacation leave available... the semester for my MBA is about to end... i have free tickets to the states and I HAVE FREE TICKETS TO THE STATES!!! who am i to stop myself from another luxurious trip half-way around the world... besides it's already been a year since i really got out of the philippines or anywhere within it's vicinity (i mean... south east asia... you get the drift?)
so now we go back to the early part of the blog... i got up one monday morning and fixed myself to look as expensive as the clothes i'm wearing... (IT WAS HARD!!!) i spent all my life trying not to eat too much... thankfully it paid off... i haven't been over 150 pounds and the only flab that appeared in my body was that ounce of fat around my love-handle... but i maintained my lean figure.... problem now is... i look too thin... it's exceptionally great when the suit fitted like a runway model... but also exceptionally malnourished (bwahahahah!!!!)
my friend picked me up and dropped me off to the US Embassy... he said it was a form of support for all my efforts... but of course he's expecting me to bring him that D&G watch he's been eying on ebay when i get back from the states... (oh well... meet my friends...)
The line outside the embassy was long and exhausting... imagine wearing my coat and tie under the heat of the manila sun (talk about overdressed!) and what made matters worse is that i'm pretty sure i was the only one there who thought it best to wear something formal... NOT... but i kept my composure and just imagined everybody wearing the same thermal suit that i'm wearing...
it was'nt that long when somebody tapped my shoulder and introduced herself... she was one of the applicant's... she was a dentist and by the looks of her she's quite a good one... we made small talk and i learned that she was intending to attend a confrence in san francisco... i didn't realize that it's going to be one of the countless petty stories i will hear for the rest of my stay in that irritating line... there was an old lady who has a sister in the states who was dying, another was attending a wedding and a funeral right after, another wanted to take acting classes in the states... it just goes on and on... and then i reflected on my reason... it was simple, short and unconvincing... VACATION!!!!
right after graduation, i was one of the stupid people who thought that working immediately was the sane thing to do... i didn't realize that you have the rest of your life to work and only have a year of spending your 20th year here on earth without worry and burden... but i was excited to earn (actually i was excited to buy the new chuck taylor sneakers... well it was in style 5 years ago)... and so while i was reviewing for the board exam i worked... it was fun but extremely tiring (specially when it's pay day and i need to drag myself to the mall and SHOP!!!! hahaha)... then i got to work for an AIRLINE company that was more of HELL than actually a little room you call an office (with which the only thing that made me stay is that i get to wear my ties and shirts and my shoes everyday at work)... then after wasting 30 long months of my life i decided to go for what i really wanted to do... build data communications networks... (hahahahaha... geeekkkyyy!!!!! well after this i'll be working for NASA... you just wait!) and then after more than a year of tweaking routers and switches i decided to TAKE A BREAK!!! and this was it...
my number was called... 2970... i walked confidently towards the window where the consul was on the other side... and gave him my $130 application form and my passport... he looked at me while i streched my shirt inside my suit... he asked my age... and where i'm going to in the states... i said i am 24 and im going to san francisco and then new york... he gave me a smirk and inserted a yellow slip in my passport... i was ready to get all my requirements in my little black keeper when he suddenly said that i was approved and to pay at the pavillion for the courier... i was on the verge of jumping, but i remembered my $700 DOLCE will not be so proud of me if i do that... so i smiled at the consul and told him to have a GOOD ONE!!! A REALLY GOOD ONE!!!
Next Major BLOG!!! Hello San Francisco and New York!!!!
Sunday, March 14, 2010
San Francisco Trip (part 1)
this is going to be a long one...
i woke up tensed as i realized it's time for me to zip up my bags and catch the last flight to san francisco... it wasn't as if i was never coming back but i made sure i got my favorite pairs of SHOES (mind the plural form... SHOES!!!) tucked in my luggage and ready to be the first one to step on foreign ground... it had been a while since the last time I've been to the states... lemme see, i guess it's almost 7 years... i haven't really missed it but i guess the reason why i was so excited is because of the friends I'm going to see again after that very long 7 years...
my best friend (lance) knocked on my condo unit door... i knew it was him, using his signature knock... he was with a FRIEND I've never seen before and by the looks of it... it's more than that... i didn't bother asking him who he really was and I'm sure lance thought of it as weird... I'm really tensed to go to the airport and lingering on some juicy gay stories from my best friend isn't helping... i finally zipped my luggage... which had been slowly bulking up as the days approached my departure... it always seem that I'm forgetting something but I'm oblivious what it is... another shirt... another underwear... a scarf... a bottle of after shave... a small paper back book... some cologne... another cologne... at some point it was my roommate who made the effort and finally locked my red suit case to end my endless dilemma... but of course i have my other bag... which on its own weighed almost as heavy as that jam packed crimson suitcase... but i have mastered the art of travel now and packing was one thing I'm very good at... i could fit 4 pairs of Italian shoes, 10 undies, 10 socks, 3 aviator shades, 2 jackets, 3 leather belts, 4 shirts, my passport, a lip balm and even slip in a can of Altoids in what you might say a small trolley bag... every thing would fit, but the weight is one whole story altogether...
on the road, i suddenly got an SMS from my other close friend (i didn't know that this was going to be a convoy ride to the airport... but i was flattered) and finally after getting off the car and unloading my baggage, we made small hugs and kisses (like I'm not going to come back or something like that... oh well... it's part of the gay thing... drama is just seeping out of everything... QUEENS... DRAMA QUEENS... haha...) and soon i was right in front of the check-in counter...
i saw myself squeezing thru the small aisle of the aircraft all the way to the back... that's what you get when your tickets are for free... but in some magical way, the people in the plane was kind enough to give me a seat with the whole row unoccupied... the first unfriendly looking flight attendant told me that it was going to be an 11hr flight so i better get myself comfortable... and so i did...
my nuzzling was cut short when i heard somebody complaining, seated behind me, woke me up... "i was suppose to be seated in the center aisle!" he kept on going... it seems like i'm the only one bothered by his ramblings... "excuse me, can't you see everyone is sleeping in this damn plane?" i said while i was still lying down, sprawled across the 5 unoccupied seats... then he stopped... for a moment there i was a bit scared, i was imagining a huge man coming over my seat and was going to beat the living daylights out of me... i scrunched a little and pretended to be sleeping when i felt the guy stood up behind my seat and hovered above me... "what did you say?" he asked.
"i said could YOU at least keep it down... we still have to bear another 8-hour flight... so just..." i answered trying to gather what little courage i got... and then to make my words a bit scary i stared straight up at him... "YOSHI???" i whispered, trying to keep my racing heart from shouting... what the hell are you doing here???
"THE CAPTAIN HAS TURNED ON THE FASTEN-YOUR-SEAT-BELT-SIGN..." the public speakers went on to notify the passengers that we are approaching San Francisco Airport. I opened my eyes leaving that blurry vision of my dreaded past in that dream and thought that it was a bad sign... well i can't turn back now... I'm already in San Francisco...
(end of introduction)
It was a long line at the San Francisco Airport of Entry.... there was a whole row of Homeland Security Officers, it wasn't that long when it was my turn to present myself to this adorable officer... he looks very Latino, had the most dreamy eyes I've seen in years... "please step behind that line and look straight at the camera please..." officer Latino ordered me while i was putting my two huge suitcases aside... "it's a chilly end of year huh... when was the last time it was this cold here???" i blabbered out my desperate act of making a conversation... a part of my brain is laughing its heart out (... you little Asian slut!!!) "sir, can i request that you stop talking and look straight at the camera" he interrupted my pathetic small talk... "certainly, officer..." i blunted out the best British accent i could muster hoping i would at least get some degree of respect from this rude but extremely cute guy... (i forgot... he saw my Philippine passport... you hopeless Asian whore!!!)
after that short photo shoot the Latino officer told me to go to secondary security... WTF???!!! did i get too far??? i have been in that line long enough to notice that I'm the only one told to go to secondary security... so i dragged my disappointed Asian ass to that dreaded room and waited for me to get cleared... (EMBARRASSING!!!) "
i woke up tensed as i realized it's time for me to zip up my bags and catch the last flight to san francisco... it wasn't as if i was never coming back but i made sure i got my favorite pairs of SHOES (mind the plural form... SHOES!!!) tucked in my luggage and ready to be the first one to step on foreign ground... it had been a while since the last time I've been to the states... lemme see, i guess it's almost 7 years... i haven't really missed it but i guess the reason why i was so excited is because of the friends I'm going to see again after that very long 7 years...
my best friend (lance) knocked on my condo unit door... i knew it was him, using his signature knock... he was with a FRIEND I've never seen before and by the looks of it... it's more than that... i didn't bother asking him who he really was and I'm sure lance thought of it as weird... I'm really tensed to go to the airport and lingering on some juicy gay stories from my best friend isn't helping... i finally zipped my luggage... which had been slowly bulking up as the days approached my departure... it always seem that I'm forgetting something but I'm oblivious what it is... another shirt... another underwear... a scarf... a bottle of after shave... a small paper back book... some cologne... another cologne... at some point it was my roommate who made the effort and finally locked my red suit case to end my endless dilemma... but of course i have my other bag... which on its own weighed almost as heavy as that jam packed crimson suitcase... but i have mastered the art of travel now and packing was one thing I'm very good at... i could fit 4 pairs of Italian shoes, 10 undies, 10 socks, 3 aviator shades, 2 jackets, 3 leather belts, 4 shirts, my passport, a lip balm and even slip in a can of Altoids in what you might say a small trolley bag... every thing would fit, but the weight is one whole story altogether...
on the road, i suddenly got an SMS from my other close friend (i didn't know that this was going to be a convoy ride to the airport... but i was flattered) and finally after getting off the car and unloading my baggage, we made small hugs and kisses (like I'm not going to come back or something like that... oh well... it's part of the gay thing... drama is just seeping out of everything... QUEENS... DRAMA QUEENS... haha...) and soon i was right in front of the check-in counter...
i saw myself squeezing thru the small aisle of the aircraft all the way to the back... that's what you get when your tickets are for free... but in some magical way, the people in the plane was kind enough to give me a seat with the whole row unoccupied... the first unfriendly looking flight attendant told me that it was going to be an 11hr flight so i better get myself comfortable... and so i did...
my nuzzling was cut short when i heard somebody complaining, seated behind me, woke me up... "i was suppose to be seated in the center aisle!" he kept on going... it seems like i'm the only one bothered by his ramblings... "excuse me, can't you see everyone is sleeping in this damn plane?" i said while i was still lying down, sprawled across the 5 unoccupied seats... then he stopped... for a moment there i was a bit scared, i was imagining a huge man coming over my seat and was going to beat the living daylights out of me... i scrunched a little and pretended to be sleeping when i felt the guy stood up behind my seat and hovered above me... "what did you say?" he asked.
"i said could YOU at least keep it down... we still have to bear another 8-hour flight... so just..." i answered trying to gather what little courage i got... and then to make my words a bit scary i stared straight up at him... "YOSHI???" i whispered, trying to keep my racing heart from shouting... what the hell are you doing here???
"THE CAPTAIN HAS TURNED ON THE FASTEN-YOUR-SEAT-BELT-SIGN
(end of introduction)
It was a long line at the San Francisco Airport of Entry.... there was a whole row of Homeland Security Officers, it wasn't that long when it was my turn to present myself to this adorable officer... he looks very Latino, had the most dreamy eyes I've seen in years... "please step behind that line and look straight at the camera please..." officer Latino ordered me while i was putting my two huge suitcases aside... "it's a chilly end of year huh... when was the last time it was this cold here???" i blabbered out my desperate act of making a conversation... a part of my brain is laughing its heart out (... you little Asian slut!!!) "sir, can i request that you stop talking and look straight at the camera" he interrupted my pathetic small talk... "certainly, officer..." i blunted out the best British accent i could muster hoping i would at least get some degree of respect from this rude but extremely cute guy... (i forgot... he saw my Philippine passport... you hopeless Asian whore!!!)
after that short photo shoot the Latino officer told me to go to secondary security... WTF???!!! did i get too far??? i have been in that line long enough to notice that I'm the only one told to go to secondary security... so i dragged my disappointed Asian ass to that dreaded room and waited for me to get cleared... (EMBARRASSING!!!) "
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Mother's Instinct
I woke up freezing my toes. It was my third day at Yoshi's sister's house. I didn't realize that Australia chills over while everybody in Manila is enjoying the hot sun of summer. A knock at the door pushed me out of my bed.
Yoshi's Mom: breakfast is ready.
Dame: thank you. i'll just fix up and i'll be down in a second.
I brushed my teeth before i went to the kitchen. The smell of eggs and cheese made my stomach grumble.
Dame: smells good.
Yoshi's Mom: its just scrambled eggs. it's yoshi's favorite.
Dame: where is he?
Yoshi's Mom: oh... he went out. He said he will be meeting some of his friends. He didn't tell you?
Dame: oh, yeah. I think he mentioned it to me last night.
He didn't say anything about it. There wasn't any plan to leave me in this house where i felt i was unwanted. He said he'll be here for me, to protect me from them, to protect us from the stabbing stares and the judging grins, but now i'm alone here and i have no idea when yoshi is going to come back.
I sat on the kitchen table, worried with the company i have, my boyfriend's mother.
Yoshi's Mom: He's really like that. You can't keep him in one place. And if your pace is too slow for him, he'll leave you behind.
Dame: What?
It's as if she read my mind. I pretended not to understand what she was talking about, but i am fully aware of what she said.
Yoshi's Mom: Where did the two of you meet?
Dame: I met your son in Manila. In a bookstore. He was very charming. I believe it was almost two years ago. I can't believe it's already two years.
Yoshi's Mom: Yes. Time flies really fast. Especially when you're having fun. You should enjoy it while it lasts.
That made me shut my mouth up. I tried to look for any other meaning of what she said, but it's clear that she doesn't like me. She placed a plate on top of the table infront of me and i started to eat quietly.
Yoshi's Mom: How many siblings do you have?
Dame: I have two sisters. I'm the oldest.
I tried not to keep the conversation going, but she kept on with her questions, which felt more like an interrogation.
Yoshi's Mom: It's just yoshi and his older sister for me. Yes, how time flies so fast. His sister is about to get married and yoshi...
She looked at me with distinct taste of disgust.
Yoshi's Mom: and yoshi... is all the way in Manila...
I couldn't take it anymore. I took a deep breath.
Dame: Maam, When I met your son, I didnt know that he could be someone i will trust my life with. I met him and got to know him and then i learned that you did a very good job. His parents did a great job in raising him. He is sweet, he is responsible, he is brilliant and he loves me very much. And i love him. Maybe not as much as you do, but i know i'm getting there. It just had been two years that we were together but those were very happy years for us. I want you to know that maam. Your son is very happy, maam.
She suddenly stopped whatever she's doing. The air seemed to stop moving around us. She took a glass of water and set it beside my plate. I realized that all the while I was talking she never blinked.
Yoshi's Mom: Finish your breakfast. Have more eggs. Both you and yoshi are so thin. You should eat a lot.
She placed more eggs and two more slices of bread on my plate.
Yoshi's Mom: And please stop calling me maam. Call me mother.
Yoshi's Mom: breakfast is ready.
Dame: thank you. i'll just fix up and i'll be down in a second.
I brushed my teeth before i went to the kitchen. The smell of eggs and cheese made my stomach grumble.
Dame: smells good.
Yoshi's Mom: its just scrambled eggs. it's yoshi's favorite.
Dame: where is he?
Yoshi's Mom: oh... he went out. He said he will be meeting some of his friends. He didn't tell you?
Dame: oh, yeah. I think he mentioned it to me last night.
He didn't say anything about it. There wasn't any plan to leave me in this house where i felt i was unwanted. He said he'll be here for me, to protect me from them, to protect us from the stabbing stares and the judging grins, but now i'm alone here and i have no idea when yoshi is going to come back.
I sat on the kitchen table, worried with the company i have, my boyfriend's mother.
Yoshi's Mom: He's really like that. You can't keep him in one place. And if your pace is too slow for him, he'll leave you behind.
Dame: What?
It's as if she read my mind. I pretended not to understand what she was talking about, but i am fully aware of what she said.
Yoshi's Mom: Where did the two of you meet?
Dame: I met your son in Manila. In a bookstore. He was very charming. I believe it was almost two years ago. I can't believe it's already two years.
Yoshi's Mom: Yes. Time flies really fast. Especially when you're having fun. You should enjoy it while it lasts.
That made me shut my mouth up. I tried to look for any other meaning of what she said, but it's clear that she doesn't like me. She placed a plate on top of the table infront of me and i started to eat quietly.
Yoshi's Mom: How many siblings do you have?
Dame: I have two sisters. I'm the oldest.
I tried not to keep the conversation going, but she kept on with her questions, which felt more like an interrogation.
Yoshi's Mom: It's just yoshi and his older sister for me. Yes, how time flies so fast. His sister is about to get married and yoshi...
She looked at me with distinct taste of disgust.
Yoshi's Mom: and yoshi... is all the way in Manila...
I couldn't take it anymore. I took a deep breath.
Dame: Maam, When I met your son, I didnt know that he could be someone i will trust my life with. I met him and got to know him and then i learned that you did a very good job. His parents did a great job in raising him. He is sweet, he is responsible, he is brilliant and he loves me very much. And i love him. Maybe not as much as you do, but i know i'm getting there. It just had been two years that we were together but those were very happy years for us. I want you to know that maam. Your son is very happy, maam.
She suddenly stopped whatever she's doing. The air seemed to stop moving around us. She took a glass of water and set it beside my plate. I realized that all the while I was talking she never blinked.
Yoshi's Mom: Finish your breakfast. Have more eggs. Both you and yoshi are so thin. You should eat a lot.
She placed more eggs and two more slices of bread on my plate.
Yoshi's Mom: And please stop calling me maam. Call me mother.
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