Losyang..

Been to my Cambodian friend's house today in Moreno Valley.
Kring and I paid her a visit to see how she is after giving birth last June 23rd..

Here are my pix with Baby Nikki taken by my ading, Nathan..
She was sleeping on my chest.. nakahanap ng kutson eh.. *lol*
I look like the mumsie in this shots, haggard-looking and fat.

A sexual poem concealed by Confucianism

the following composition is a tanka, a type of poem using a 5-7-5-7-7 measurement..

Midaregami

Yosano Akiko (1901)

Yawahadano atsuki chishioni furemomide sabishikarazuya michiwotokumono

Haru mijikashi nanni fumetsuno inochizoto chikaraaru chiwo tenisagurasenu

Yoruno choni sasamekitsukishi hoshino imawo gekaino hitono binnno hotsureyo

Love Is Like Buying A Used Car by Mariel G. Calalo

***From The Author of Love is Like Shopping For Shoes ***

Love is like buying a car. Yes, my disposable income has increased from the time I wrote Love is Like Shopping for Shoes. Unlike before when I was willing to gamble PHP 2,000 pesos for a fabulous pair of shoes, I am now willing to gamble a much larger sum of money to buy myself my first car. I spent my weekend looking for a car that will suit me. I didn't realize that looking for a car that suits me is as complicated and as difficult as finding love.

First Consideration: Should I buy a brand new car or a used one? Buying used cars has become more and more popular for many reasons. Besides the fact that it is cheaper to buy used as opposed to new, auto manufacturers are making better quality vehicles. These better quality new cars in turn make better quality used cars. Used car buyers are now getting a more reliable, better-conditioned vehicle that will last much longer. The same thing in relationships, I guess. Being with someone who has gone through difficult times, who has experienced what it's like to love and let go of love, and understand the lessons he needed to learn from that phase of his life, makes him a better person in the long run. Experience is truly the best teacher and sometimes, the best way to learn and do better is to make that mistake and learn how to fix it. Expectations are much more realistic, and approach is much more flexible. However, being with someone who has not gone through such difficulties has it's advantages. He may not have the fears that a person who has experienced a broken heart may have. His judgement may not yet be clouded by traumatic experiences a second hand heart may have. But then again, he may have coffee caramel dreams and unrealistic expectations, which eventually will lead to disappointment, when not met.

Second Consideration: Assuming I will buy a used car, I need to know the used car's history. Used Car History is a must for any used car buyer. Plain and simple, you should not buy a vehicle from a dealer, friend or even family member without first doing a thorough check. Why you ask? Because it is the only way to find out if the vehicle has any serious hidden problems such as collision damage, odometer rollback, has been reconstructed or has persistent mechanical problems. In the same way, make a covert investigation why this heart is still out in the market. If he is such a good catch, how come no one has snagged him yet? Just like cars, he could have hidden defects. He could be another closet queen, or he has a serious work habit deficiency, or he's just plain obnoxious. You need to know why the second hand heart was given up by its previous owner. This precautionary measure can spare you tons of heartache and disappointments.

Third Consideration: Ratings and Reviews. Used car ratings prove that they are a wise, cost-effective alternative to buying new. The best way to figure it out is to read what the experts had to say about the cars you're considering. In relationships, listen to what your parents and friends say about this person. It's not really about letting other people decide for you, it's more like listening to what people outside of the relationship has to say based on their observations are. If your family and your friends have only good things to say about this person, then you're blessed. You must have made a good choice.

Fourth Consideration: Maintenance and Operating Cost. High maintenance or low maintenance? My greatest dream in life is to own an Mercedes Benz E230 in Silver Gray but realized that a single small part may costs me thousands of pesos for me to have it replaced. I did my research and aparently the more high-end your car is, the more money you need to spend on insurance and maintenance. As I grew older, my dream car has shifted to the Nissan Patrol. The last time I checked, the latest model of an A/T Nissan Patrol with leather interiors and its very own entertainment additions costs about 3.8 million pesos, excluding insurance and registration. I could try working myself to death to come up with 3.8 million pesos to acquire it, but is it really worth it? You see a girl with nice shiny black hair, poreless perfect skin, a ramp model stance, chic bag and high heels. Let me calculate for you. Hot oil, depending on which salon she gets it and length of her hair, could go as high as PHP 1,000. Microderm abrasion, PHP 1,400 per session. Glycolic peel, PHP 1,400 per session. Manicure, PHP 600. Pedicure and foot spa, PHP 800. Spa treatments, average of PHP 2,000 per week. Gold's gym membership PHP100,000 plus PHP 1,800 monthly. Monthly cosmetics and girlie supplies, average of PHP 5,000. The time you need to spend waiting for her to finish her girlie to do lists, an average of 4 hours per weekend. The miserable look on her boyfriend's face as he computes her spending while he waits for her, PRICELESS. The more high-end, the more you need to be willing to give more. High maintenance relationships, demand more and are more stressful.

Fifth consideration: Commitment. No one wants to drive a dust covered car. No one wants to drive a car that screams "please lang, paliguan mo naman ako." Are you willing to wake up at 5:30 am, just to bring your car to the car wash so you could be in the office for an 8:00 am meeting? Are you willing to wash it yourself? Are you willing to get your hands all dirty because you need to put grease in it's small parts just to prevent them from rusting? Are you willing to make time to make the relationship work? Are you willing to swallow your pride and be a little crazy sometimes just to make him feel cherished?These five important considerations have led me to this conclusion: I am not ready to have my own car. Not yet. I don't have the resources to maintain it. I don't have the commitment to ensure that it stays clean and well-maintained at all times. I don't have the enthusiasm to drive it everyday to the office. Someday, I'll probably have enough resources to buy and maintain the car I want, the enthusiasm to take care of it and the ownership to drive it. Until then, I probably would spend my time preparing myself for that day. = )

Love Is Like Shopping for Shoes by Mariel G. Calalo

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a girl in possession of a mid-year bonus must be in search of the perfect shoes. People consider shopping as a complete waste of time... But for me, I have learned love's greatest lessons from shopping.

I consider Glorietta-Greenbelt-SM-Landmark chain of establishments as my home away from home. I practically buy most of the stuff there. Sales people in those shops where I buy my "kikay" stuff are practically on first name basis with me. If there is any part of shopping that I enjoy the most, it would be shopping for the shoes.

Shopping for shoes is something I consider sacred. Shopping for shoes requires commitment, commitment of your resources to get the best shoes your resources can afford. I like shopping for shoes alone because it gives me the freedom to choose the shoes without having to worry what people think about it. It gives me the freedom to decide based on my idea of a good pair of shoes, and not based on what other people think the perfect shoes should essentially have.

After months of waiting for the midyear bonus, I finally got it. Now it is time to pack my bag and head for my Glorietta to hunt for the perfect shoes. I don't plan to spend my entire bonus on shoes. I only wanted to buy one pair of black leather shoes... The pair I'm going to wear daily to the office. Hmmm, it should be sophisticated enough for the office and yet, comfortable enough for daily wear. I guess I have a fairly good idea of what I would like to buy. Since I normally wear pants to the office, a good pair of boots will do.

So I set off to the first shop I could find. I scanned the shop for the shoe I would like to buy. Well, no boots here but I sure fancy the mules. I just had to try them on... So I asked the sales lady for my size, fitted the shoe and walked in it back and forth. Well, the mule was sophisticated enough for the office but the heels are killing me. I can imagine myself wearing this but the thing is I can't wear it for a long time, how much more wear it daily? I knew this shoe was just not it. Moving on to the next shop, I found a great pair of black leather shoes, asked the sales lady for my size and fitted the pair. It's a great pair alright, but when I looked at the tag price... My budget will be busted. It's price is thrice of how much I currently have. It's a good pair but I think I can do without it, if it means busting my budget. A part of me feels bad because I think this is a good buy... But overspending isn't what I have planned for my shopping activity for this particular day. So I hop from shop to shop, finding shoes of different sorts, some of them almost the same as what I have in mind, but then something is not quite "it." I went back to some of the shops I went to a while back, fitted the same shoes I fitted before, thinking to myself that maybe I need to give these shoes a second look to convince me that I ought to buy them.

By 3:00 pm of that Saturday, I felt exhausted and frustrated. I wanted to buy a great pair and I just couldn't find one. It's either I totally don't like the style or the fit or I totally don't like the price. I told myself "just buy a pair! Whatever pair and go home!" For a minute, I wanted to agree with my sore feet. Yeah, maybe I should just buy a pair for the sake of buying, wear it once in a while and get on with my life. However, when I think about not getting my money's worth by buying something that would not completely fit what my idea of great shoe find would be... I just couldn't buy a shoe for the sake of buying.

Perhaps I haven't seen all the shops... Just when I was ready to give up and go home with a box of donuts instead of a box of shoes... There they were... A pair of black leather wedge boots... Great for slacks and denim... I knew I just had to try this pair. So again, I ordered for my size and fitted the pair. Yes! This pair is perfect. They're comfortable enough to be worn for more that 8 hours a day, sophisticated enough...

I checked the price... Hmmm, exactly fitting my budget criteria. I just knew the moment I fitted this pair that I just got to have them. I just knew that if I'd come back tomorrow in this shop and not find this pair, I'd be regretting it until the next bonus. I just need to purchase this pair... NOW.

Shopping for shoes is much like finding love. Don't try to fit it if you're not going to buy it. Don't buy it if you have reservations. Don't buy it when it's "almost but not quite." You judge the best pair based on your own criteria because you will be the one to wear it everyday. When you buy a pair of shoes, you need to be commited, at least, your feet should be committed to wear them, if needed, daily. And when you finally get the perfect pair, and you know you just can't do without this pair... Go for it before you actually regret it when somebody else buys that shoe.