Dreads and Disappointments

I dream of one day having a niece/ nephew who is a disappointment to his/ her parents.

This came from a conversation I had with my mom, where she was telling me about the antics of my littlest cousin, now two and starved for attention. Apparently, the child has taken to dancing whenever adults are around to admire her, um, mad skillz. Now this isn't bad in itself, except that she likes imitating the sexy dancing girls on Wowowee. Eeek!

There's a whole branch of ouer family that's like that. Coincidentally, they're also the branch that liked to make fun of my reading too much growing up. Not everyone in that branch is like thatm of course, but there are a lot.

Which brings us back to my wish: Given the circumstances, I know it's too much to ask for all of them, so I'll be content with just one niece/ nephew who is a disappointment to his her parents because s/he will want to read voraciously, study hard, not place too much importance on relationships until it's the right time to do so, live for his/ her passion and see the world through enlightened eyes. If I'm lucky, I'll get an activist, an environmentalist or an academic. I wouldn't mind an artist or an entrepreneur either.

I doubt I'm ever getting one, but in the off chance that I do, well, you know your Auntie will support you in whatever you do.

I'm only asking for one. Is that too much?

And for my littlest cousin, whose current dream is to dance half-naked on national TV, all I can do is pray for her and hope that she moves on to better, more worthwhile things. She is just a kid after all.

FOB on Candy Coated Karma

Wrote about my Fall Out Boy concert experience on my GMAPinoy TV Column, Candy Coated Karma. Am not really a fan (mas fan pa ako ng Chicosci), but those guys do know how to put on a show. And I don't hate their (FOB's) bassist so much anymore. I still want to kick his teeth in for just looking the way he does, though.

We want more FOB! We want more FOB! This is what thousands of Fall Out Boy fans were chanting when the band played in the Araneta Coliseum last September 20 and 21. Fans were lined up at the gates way before the concert started at 8pm, which goes to show that us notoriously late Filipinos can be early if we want to be. The Coliseum was awash with guys and girls in tight pants, sneakers and hoodies, what could be described as the uniform to brood in.

Read more at www.gmapinoytv.com/karma

I Can Has Moonstar!

My Moonstar 88 article is out in this month's issue of Burn. Go buy a copy, if only because the mag contains lots of great stuff for music lovers. Whee!

My Story in the Free Press

Grab a copy of the Sept. 15 issue of the Free Press because my story, "Lao Peh," is in it!

This is the story that I blogges about earlier, the one where I couldn't sleep so I ended up writing the wole thing in one night instead. It's about me receiving a phone call from my dead father.

I'd like to thank KYu for letting me know that it's been published.

I Can Has Home Office!

My mother has been cleaning house lately and one of the things she did was clear out my dad's old computer table so that I could use it as a home office. Now I have a little nook of my own where I can write and do whatever it is you do in your home office. I feel so professional! I mean, I know I have my own desk at the place I work in but there's nothing as inspiring as my own work space in one of the places I love most -- home. I've always wanted to work at home at my own pace, doing my own projects and this feels like a step closer towards achieving that dream. Thank you, mommy! You have no idea what it means to me! :)

Shinzo Abe is Albus Dumbledore

Ok, he's not. But the Japanese Prime Minister sure suffers the same problem with his Farm Minsiters that the Headmaster of Hogwarts did with his Defense of the Dark Arts teachers. They either die or resign. I have yet to see a Farm Minister go mad, though.

LOOK OUT FOR ROGUE'S SEPTEMBER ISSUE!

Want to know where I learne to the devil's music? Why, in church! It's in this month's issue of Rogue!

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CALL 852-0000 TO ORDER ONE COPY DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR DOORSTEP
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Features:
Mandarin!
Photographed by Mark Nicdao
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THE GREAT HIMALAYAN ADVENTURE
By Kat Palasi

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GOT MILK?
One on One with Alaska's Iron Man, Fred Uytengsu
By Bill Velasco
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IT'S ALRIGHT, MA, I'M ONLY BLEEDING
A Memoir About Living with Madness
By Tad Ermitano
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SHOCK VALUE!
Quark Henares Stalks Sarah Silverman

ALSO:
Lourd de Veyra, Sarge Lacuesta, Alexis Tioseco, Yvette Tan, Mihk
Vergara, and many more!

Do Not Read

An entry full of self pity. I told you not to read.

At the beginning of the year, I've been talking about travelling for my birthday. Unfortunately, due to lack of funds (this being the most minor of my problems) and the fear of the potential nagging from my mother (this being the biggest one -- I know, I know. sigh), I'm staying home on my birthday. How sad is it that a thirty year old woman has to dread the naggigng she's going to get from her mother? I think I'm 15 years too late to be sulking and rebellious but what else can someone with no life do? I wouldn't mind so much if only she didn't treat me like a (mostly empty) ATM machine as well. But as Bruce once said, what can you expect fro someone who grew up spoiled and rich and never had to work a day in her life? To make matters worse, she expects me to go to my nephew's birthday party ON MY BIRTHDAY. I'm sorry but I think I'm entitled notto give a flying **** about anybody but myself on my birthday. All my life, all I've wanted was to be left alone. Now, 30 years later, I'm still being nagged, coerced, threatened, and annoyed. No wonder I'm always so frowny and depressed. And no, I don't think the wrong parent died. I love my mother very much but sometimes, I wish I would just die so that she can collect my f***** insurance and I'd rest in peace. That way, everybody wins.