Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Shawarma Boy


Isa sa mga comfort food ko ang Chicken Shawarma. Actually, noong panahon na super-diet ako, ito lang halos ang heavy na kinakain ko. Noong isang madaling araw lang, gumising ako ng 2AM para lang kumain ng chicken shawarma on plate sa may kanto ng Morato at E. Rod.

Last week, ito rin ang lunch ko, kasabay ang maliit na yogurt at buko juice. Pero hindi ito ang kwento.

Ang kwento ay ang nakasabay ko sa isang Shawarma kiosk sa Waltermart Makati. Matangkad, matipuno --- hayop sa biceps at pecs, semi-kalbo, with bonus nice butt.

Nauna siya sa akin kaya naunang dumating order niya, apat na beef shawarma. Nanghinayang ako dahil akala ko ay take-out. Yun pala, dun niya kakainin, lahat ng apat na beef sharma. Hayop sa appetite. Kitang-kita naman sa katawan.

Dumating na rin ang order ko at salitan kami sa hot sauce. Halos 1/4 pa lang ng chicken shawarma ang nakakain ko, nakadalawa na siya. Hayop sa bilis kumain. Kalahati na ako, ubos na ang pangatlo niya. Hayop sa sarap niyang kumain. At hindi ko pa maubos ang sa akin, tapos na siya sa kanyang ika-apat siya. Hayop siya, hayuuuuuuppppppp (parang Nora Aunor ang pagkadeliver).

Yun ang totoo, hayop siya sa appeal. Hayop siya sa sarap panooring kumain. Hayop siyang tingnan at titigan.

Yun ang totoo, binagalan ko talagang kumain. Dahil kung nabusog siya sa apat, ako naman busog-busog sa kanya.


At dahil sa hindi ako nakatiis, sinimplehan ko siyang kunan ng pic.


Hayuppppppp!

Atenista

Noong Linggo ay hindi talaga ako dapat manonood ng laro ng DLSU vs ADMU sa personal na kadahilanan. Pero dahil may kausap ako somewhere sa Ali Mall (high school memories! Skatetown!), napadpad pa rin ako sa Gateway. At dahil gusto kong makita sina Bea at Camille, dumaan pa rin ako sa Pizza Hut, ang meeting place ng TGroup na kasa-kasama ko sa panonood kapag may game ang Green Archers.

Later on, pumasok na sila sa Araneta samantalang ako ay nagpunta muna sa Ali Mall. Saglit lang yun. Pagbalik ko, halos 30 minutes akong nakatunganga sa green gate. Nag- toss coin – head kung manonood, tail hindi. Ilang beses kong dinaya sarili ko, kasi puro head lumalabas. Ilang beses din akong kinausap ng mga nag-aalok ng condo. Yung isa, pinagtripan kong pakinggan. Maya-maya may lumapit sa aking naka-asul, at tinanong ako ng: dude you have a ticket already? Got spare, you might want it, for free.

Di agad ako nakasagot. Una, English. Hehehe. Pangalawa, naka-asul siya, naka-green ako. Bakit ako? Dami namang Atenista diyan na walang tiket. Pangatlo, gwapo siya at maganda katawan. Again, bakit ako? Hinawakan ko ang ulo ko, ang alam ko kakagupit ko lang ng semi kalbo, bakit parang ang haba-haba ng hair ko?

Nakasagot na rin ako sa wakas, in English! You know, I’d be glad to take it, But I already have one…thank you!. At parang gusto kong mag quarter-turn dahil tapos na ang q and a portion. Pero bumanat uli siya, ah ok, I just thought you don’t have yet…

Naisip ko na kaya inakala niyang di pa ako pumapasok dahil nag-aabang pa ako ng libreng tiket.

Pumasok na rin ako sa wakas at ito ang pinakamaganda sa lahat, dahil sa kaartehan ko, ang tiket ko pala ay sa Ateneo side. Ang upuan ko ay napapaligiran ng blue people na hiyaw ng hiyaw ng one big fight. Hmp.

3rd quarter, alam ko na more or less ang kahihinatnan ng game, nagpunta ako sa CR, hindi para umiyak sa napipintong pagkatalo pero para mag-jingle bells. Wiwi, pagpag, hugas ng kamay at emote sa salamin. May naka-asul na bumati sa akin: You’re so thin, what’s your secret?

Siya uli.

Promise, di ko siya kilala. Unang-una, Atenista siya. Pangalawa, Ateneo ang team niya. Pangatlo, naka-asul siya.

Bumirit uli, sorry, you might not know me, but I always see you watching games. Like for 10 years already! And as far as I can recall, you were so chubby before!

Di naman agad ako nakasagot, parang akong si Dindi Gallardo na iniinterview ni Apa Ongpin sa Bb. Pilipinas. Parang gusto kong bumanat ng I beg your pardon?’ Pero napaka-high school naman nun.

‘I’m attending yoga classes, into free weights…but no deprivation diet, just everything in moderation’

‘That’s kewl’ , sagot niya, ‘Saang gym ka?

E marunong naman palang mag-tagalog. Binanggit ko yung pangalan ng gym, saang branch at kung ano-ano pang chika. Saglit naming nakalimutan ang laro, saglit kong nakalimutan yung pagkatalo ng LaSalle, saglit kong nakalimutan yung dahilan kung bakit ayaw kong manood ng laro. [At buti na lang nanood ako!]

Oh, we better get back inside…sorry for LaSalle, hehehe, see you around. By the way, I’m _________. Add me on FB.’

Nauna siya pumasok. Ako nakatunganga at parang may background music: Believe it or not I’m floating…’

Hinawakan ko yung buhok ko, ang haba-haba na lalo ng long hair ko, mula Araneta hanggang Eastwood sa haba. Itsura mo lang Rapunzel.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Love+Yourself.

Story 1. Gie is HIV positive. When he got the confirmatory letter, he didn't know where to go and what to do. In his room, afraid that his father will hear his sobs, he cried quietly. He wanted to wail, he wanted a hug. His father is a former military man who never accepted him for being gay. His father never spoke to him after the day Gie told him that he's gay. Christmases have passed, Mom has passed away --- Gie was all alone by himself. He was the only child, his father's junior who happened to be gay.

Gie went out of the room to get water. He found his father at the kitchen crying, holding a piece of paper. It was the confirmatory letter. His father stood up and went to Gie. Gie thought he will get some beating from his stocky, ex-military father. Instead, he got a warm hug.

Srory 2. Maxie went gaga over this college basketball superstar. She watched every game, she followed him everywhere. She gave him gifts, she brought food at his dorm. Maxie is not pretty. She's fair, she's got nice boobs, she's got shapely legs. But for the player, she's not pretty. One rainy night, Maxie went to the dorm and she was surprised that she was allowed to go upstairs. Usually, she would just leave her gift at the guard's station. She went to the unit of the basketball player and like a perfect set-up, something happened to them. The player was so horny that rainy night and even the un-pretty Maxie will suffice. Besides, his teammates placed a bet, dared him to do it with Maxie. Call of money and raging hormones, he obliged. He even allowed some players to actually watch. They hid at the closet and Maxie who was so clueless was just so giving to the man of her dreams.

Nine months later, she gave birth to a handsome young boy. Maxie may have lost her virginity that night, but she's gained her self-esteem after she decided to keep the baby.


Story 3. Toni committed suicide when he thought he couldn't take it anymore. All the expectations, all the harassment, all the accusations. He just wanted to make his family happy --- but in fulfilling his obligations, he forgot his own pursuit of happiness. He just wanted to give them everything, but in the end, he found he's got nothing for himself. He just wanted to provide them the best, but never saved anything for himself. On that miserable fateful day, he found himself alone. Unpaid bills, collectors calling him left and right, and not a penny on his pocket. He thought after giving his all, he's still alone. Unhappy. No money. No dignity. He took 238 pills to overdose himself. He put himself in deep slumber not hoping to wake up again.

After three days, Toni woke up. He claimed he already saw the light. He claimed he heard voices, people calling his name. In the end, one voice remained. It was the voice of his mother telling him, anak, gising ka na....


Today, Gie is giving seminars to raise the awareness on HIV and AIDS. His father drives for him --- to the seminars, to the hospital during check-ups or for his medications.

On Sunday, Maxie's child is celebrating his sixth birthday. I got an invitation for the party, the father is not invited. On the child's birthday and on his life.

On this very minute, Toni is about to finish this blog. He claims he's found the light and embraced it. He's sharing that light to others.

Gie, Maxie and me. We survived, and still surviving, because we found love. And that love started inside our hearts.




Friday, August 5, 2011

Si Audrey, Si Manang Edith at ang Package.

Deny yourself. Carry your cross. Follow Me. Napakalinaw nang sinasaad ng Ebanghelyo ngayon. Kumbaga, no ifs and buts, no excuses, no conditions, as is where is. Kung gusto mong sumunod kay Kristo, aba dapat mong kalimutan ang iyong sarili at pasanin ang krus. Yun na yun. Sabi nga ni Fr. Erik sa kanyang homily kaninang umaga, package yun. Parang promo, you can have one, when you get the other. Di maaaring yung isa lang at huwag na lang yung iba. Hindi tama na sinasabi mong sumusunod ka kay Hesus tapos ay makasarili ka pala at walang pakialam sa kapwa.

Ang Panginoon ay magaling sa 'timing'. Sa Misa kanina, noong peace be with you na, ang nasa likod ko pala ay sina Manang Edith at Manong Jun na 'nakaaway' ko. May quotation mark yung nakaaway kasi hindi naman talaga ganun ang nangyari. Pero matagal ding panahon na kami ay pinaghiwalay ng 'circumstances'. At kanina ngang umaga, pinagtagpo kami sa isang perfect set-up. Deny Yourself. Carry your cross. Follow Me. Kung gusto kong tunay na sumunod kay Hesus, iwawaglit ang pride, kakalimutan ang sakit na dulot nang 'away' na parang krus na nagpapabigat lamang ng kalooban --- isang maningning na Peace be with you lamang ang paraan. Ang gaan-gaan nang pakiramdam ko pagkatapos ng Misa. Nabawasan ako ng tinik, nabawasan ako ng kaaway, nabawasan ako ng krus.

Kung mayroon mang may bitbit na krus sa panahong ito, isa na si Audrey dito. Sa kasagsagan ng mahaba at madamdaming speech ng kanyang asawa, nagtext ako sa kanya. Walang sagot. Naintindihan ko dahil alam ko namang mas kailangan siya ng kanyang asawang nasa gitna ng isang matinding political storm. Pero kahapon, nagtext siya. Nagpapasalamat. Maikli lamang ang palitan ng aming text subali't punumpuno ng damdamin. Nangako akong pagdarasal ko silang mag-asawa. Nawa'y makatagpo ng katiwasayan ng kalooban sina Audrey sa pamamagitan ng pagharap sa katotohanan. Kasama sa package ng Panginoon ang pagtanggap sa katotohanan, gaano man kasakit. Ganun talaga eh - Deny Yourself. Carry your cross. Follow me.