Catastrophe

Never have I felt so safe in the comfort of my home. As floodwaters swooped in on a sleepy Manila I was jolted into reality by the images of people stranded atop their roofs, corpses of people and animals littered the murky waters, buildings, roads and vehicles torn to bits by the rush of floodwater. It made me realize how incredibly fortunate I am to be with my family, with our home intact, away from the catastrophe that is Ketsana.

To Jacque something: Get down from your moral high horse. Nobody deserves to live through the tragedy of losing loved ones. You are not a saint because you happened to be somewhere far when Ketsana happened to pass by Manila, you're just one lucky bitch. But next time, maybe you won't be as lucky and I sure as hell hope for your sake that you don't go through the pain that the victims went through when they lost their homes and their families.

No more bad vibes from now on. This blog has got to live up to its name. Pigs are happy and ridiculous. Life is too short for the catastrophes and the Jacques of the world.

The victims need the following:

1. Food (preferably packed in biodegradable materials such as banana leaves Chuvaness recommends purchasing from Binalot)

2. Potable water

3. Medicines and first-aid kits

4. Warm Blankets

5. Clothes

6. Toiletries

7. Sanitary Napkins

8. Diaper

9. Tetanus toxoid vaccines

10. Breastmilk (Diarrhea is a big problem in the relocation camps)

Let's not forget that the animals need all the help they can get. Please send in the following:

1. Cat and dog food.

2. Cages with roofs

3. Warm blankets

PAWS is located in Katipunan. Call 475-1688.

You may send in your donations to Luca located at the Powerplant Mall and you may send in funds through this site. Donations can also be made via SmartMoney (5577-5144-1866-7103) or

GCash 0917-9751092.

Those interested to volunteer with the Red Cross can call the following numbers: Pasay (02) 8542748, 4343751; LasPinas (02) 8734873, 4689688; Pasig (02) 6350922; Alabang (02) 8093132; Manila headquaters (02) 5245787, 5270864.

Veruca's List: I Must Must Must

Have this dress. It's imperative.

From Christian Siriano's fall collection at NY Fashion Week.

Sartorial Imperilism

So sorry, I have not been updating this sad excuse for a blog in quite a while. The last post was a rant and I don't want to leave things on a sour note. Many things are currently keeping me busy. Will try harder to post regularly. Meanwhile, I know everyone's been secretly fantasizing about being shot by the sartorialist. Here is a pretty helpful algorithm for y'all.

This month I have....

1. Gotten myself a pretty decent job.

2. Quit the said job due to shamelessly indecent monetary compensation.

3. Met a great guy. See photo below.

4. Realized the great guy is and will always be gay.

5. Realized once again, that this will not stop me from loving him.

6. Deluded myself into thinking I can make him want tacos instead of wieners. My taco, in particular.

7. Accepted the cold hard truth that the great guy is allergic to tacos.

8. Gotten myself into a same sex relationship with the aforementioned great guy. And no, we are not having sex. Pathetic, I know.

9. Received my first paycheck.

1o. Discovered that the anticipation of getting my first paycheck felt much better than the real thing.

11. Discovered a truly reliable shipping service and will be making future transactions and purchases soon.

Ponder this, Why the fuck are there so many gorgeous gay men? Is this in order to spite women? Is gay the new black? I've heard Chuck Bass will kiss a dude in the 3rd season of GG, what the manolo blahnik is going on with the world?

The Apple That Fell Too Far From The Tree

They call it keeping up with the Jones's. I call it my great misfortune. There are days when I wish I could untangle myself from this web of lies my whole life has been entwined on. For the people who know us, we are happy. My father is the life of the party, charming and gregarious. His wife, obedient and dutiful stays at home to watch over the kids. And the kids, attractive, smart and well-behaved never get into trouble. They meet me, recognize my family name. Their eyes light up. I come from a wealthy family, good genes, good track record. They look at me and think, she'll do well. After all, the apple never falls far from the tree.

This is one of those days. I am torn. When you have lived with tragedy for so long in your life, it becomes the norm. Then you get tired of being miserable and angry all the time, so you find the ridiculous. You laugh until you run out of air. It's like your life has become this one big joke and you finally get it.

I am torn between anger and boredom. Nothing has changed. Everything is in its place. There's mom ever the martyr, hoping and praying things will get better. There's my sister who thinks she isn't good enough, my brother who is mad at the world. There's me who knows that someone else's child will always be better for you. Then there's you dad, the kid with the magnifying glass lighting up an ant hill.

I'm tired and bored. I know I will never be good enough for you. And I just don't give a fuck anymore. I can live without you. My life would be much much better without you. So why don't you save us all the trouble and get it over with?

Hannibal Lecter's Beauty Secret

Yes folks, I'm not shitting you.

What a way to scare off that annoying neighbor's child.

Tears, hair wax thievery and suddenly missing the ex

Sup, Betches?

What a week.

 It's sunday night and I feel drained. I need something to perk me up bad. I've just began my training as a volunteer nurse. Any feverish anticipation I might have felt these past few days for my upcoming training was completely overshadowed by the dread and the panic that swiftly crept up my neck. The Visayas Mindanao Debate Championship (VMDC) is highly anticipated by debaters, adjudicators and debate enthusiasts from Visayas and Mindanao. This year my univ was given the honor to host the 3rd VMDC. My best friend and I had been planning last year to join as a team. After the November Board Exams I researched about various topics to prepare for the tourney. I missed debating. I spent the past year studying for the board exams. My life was a tedious cycle of study-lecture-study-exams. We were housed in a beach front dormitory. TV and internet access were banned. We were basically locked up for two months in a boot camp. 

 Anyways, The VMDC is slated to take place two weeks from now. Debaters from the other schools were beginning to become agitated. Invitations had not been sent, specific dates were not posted. We were thrown into a harried frenzy. Our very unreliable adviser was suffering from a bad case Procrastinator's syndrome. nothing at all was done. Dear Manong and I decided to take the matters into our own hands. We set up meetings, established working committees, designed logos, built linkages. Each minute was golden. 

 In the other side of things, the nurse in me was experiencing a different kind of frenzy. My unruly thick black mane refused to be tamed. It was my first day on the job and I did not want to disappoint. I was in a hurry, I had to be at the hospital at 7.45. It was now 7.30 and my hair was sticking out in ll directions. My saving grace finally came in the form of my brother's tub of hair wax. It was a men's hair product, aptly named 'Master'. And it was surprisingly good for a cheap hair product. My thick strands were held firmly in place without the slick wet look. I was pleasantly surprised to be assigned to the Hemodialysis Unit. While the rest worked in pairs, I was left to fend off by myself. 

 I enjoyed working in the HDU. The staff nurses were very supportive and accommodating. I was not given a moment to feel out of place. The machines looked very complex, I was afraid to even go near it, so I did the next best thing. I asked a load of questions. And my questions were sufficiently responded to. I easily became familiar with the routine and dynamics in the unit. My shift ended at four. 

 I fell instantly asleep after dinner, my day was busy and exhausting. I stayed up late at night to watch MJ's memorial at the Staples Center. It felt strange, I missed him like a brother. The past few weeks since his death were a little difficult for me. I couldn't imagine a world without him. I've always been a big fan. I remember being three years old, scrawny, wide eyed and awestruck. My mum was a big fan of his and we had this old betamax tape of his music video that I loved to bits. I'd watch it all the time. I forgot the title of the song but I still distinctly remember being fascinated by the animation and the graphic work. He was riding this amusement park type ride and all these weird things surrounded him. I remember the mouth shaped tunnel. It was tongue in cheek and I lapped it up. I remember attempting to moonwalk and failing miserably. When he came to the country for a sold out concert, I went ballistic. I couldn't believe he was in my country. I grew up knowing there was no better entertainer than Michael Jackson. And now at twenty one, I realize how true that is. I stayed up until 4 am to watch his memorial. I was an utter mess, just sobbing my heart out in the middle of the night. 

 I went to work the following day looking harassed. So sorry have not been posting much, currently very busy. I will try to post more often this week. I suddenly miss the ex. Wonder why this feeling is suddenly dawning on me. Didn't shed a single tear when we parted ways. Now I miss him, his stubble, his scent, his skin, his eyes, his hands. Is this some sort of delayed reaction? has my sleep deprived brain gone haywire? Now I am missing him, and I'm horny. But will definitely not go there, sex always complicates things. He was a good boyfriend, and I want it to be the last thing I remember from our relationship, sex will drive us both mad. Will leave everything in its proper place. Me and my space, he and his hibernation. Maybe it isn't him I miss but the sex? Was that stupid facebook quiz right, after all? Have I become the female equivalent of Barney Stinson? All this time I thought I was a Carrie and at times, a Charlotte. Am I secretly and truly a Samantha? 

 Have I been delluding myself into thinking I want a good relationship, not hook-ups, not flings, but a great happy secure relationship with a nice sensible man. Dear God, Am I in it for the fuck? Have I inherited my father's horndogness? *shudders*

 Too tired to ponder. Maybe will reconsider while bathing tomorrow. I always think clearly when I am at the bath. Meanwhile, is it wrong to fantasize about a priest? Am I committing some mortal sin I am not aware of? Will I be eternally damned?

The priest is the president of my univ and he is wickedly gorgeous, clever and articulate. I caught him stealing a few glances last night during practice. Felt strangely tingly. Must avoid, will definitely be eternally damned.

Tomorrow I'll be on duty at the intensive care unit, dear God please do not let any of my would-be patients die on me. 

 

The Little Move

Bob Fosse (An American musical theater choreographer/film director who won an unprecedented eight Tony awards for choreography and direction) as the Snake in The Little Prince (1974). An adaptation of Antoine de Saint Exupery's The Little Prince. MJ's inspiration for his very famous move the moonwalk, as well as his trademark white socks on black leather shoes.