Honestly, I have been out of the Cookie loop for quite some time. I have been busy minding the problems of the universe I couldn’t even find time to relax and stuff my ears with David Cook songs like “The Truth” and “Always Be My Baby” nor listen to the radio. We were on our way to Quezon City yesterday to buy acne products at Godiva Quezon Avenue when Kleng-Kleng broke the news of David Cook holding his first non-US concert next year. David Cook is coming to Manila!!!

Talks about this year’s American Idol winner and his first Philippine concert spread like wildfire over the internet and caught every Filipino Cookie fan in a frenzy. The news first leaked from his recent interview over Canadian radio Chum FM. David Cook’s concert was tentatively scheduled on January 27, 2009.

Now we’ve got something to look forward to. This is going to be bigger than Daughtry.

Once upon a time, a baby named Clara went out to lunch with her mom and aunt (that’s me) at a Chinese restaurant in downtown Kingston called New Kam Tong. Clara simply liked it there, not because her last name is in Chinese or for anything else.

There are two Chinese female servers, whose names I forgot because they’re in Chinese, who would smile and greet her and tell her how lovely she is. And they would serve her a piece of those Chinese crackers.

It melts in her mouth.

After lunch, Clara would always have those crackers in her take-away bag tucked somewhere in her push chair’s utility basket. Then off we go to Boots where her mom would buy her Cow & Gate milk and meals and lots of Huggies.

Clara didn’t like going to Boots. Although it’s warmer inside, she found it cramped with many people and office furniture blocking her way and view. She loved staying out in the cold.

It was in one of those benches you see at those Mr. Bean flicks that Clara and I met a couple of old women who looked like the Queen Mother. We would exchange smiles and pleasantries with them as we didn’t know how to curtsy. “Hullo, that baby is so lovely!” And I would whisper to them, “She is a Filipino.”

A dozen of pigeons descended from the deck parking when Clara pulled out her take-away bag and started munching her fish crackers. We fed the birds fish crackers despite the sign not to give food to the pigeons. And the pigeons loved her.

She said, “Texting is a way of life. I asked the telecoms to cut the cost of messages between networks. They responded. It is now down to 50 centavos.” Wow, that means I’ll have a budget to spare to buy a brand new air conditioning compressor and have cooler nights. And yes, a cooler head, too.

But before everyone starts jumping for joy and kiss Gloria’s foot for being “pro-poor”, let me state this clear. What the government has just announced in SONA is a 3-month SMS promo valid until October 22, 2008.

If you’re a Globe subscriber, here’s how you could avail of the PGMA’s SMS promo. It requires registration.

1. To register, text TO (space) 20 to 2868
2. Upon registration, P20 will be deducted from your balance.
3. Wait for confirmation SMS within 30 minutes.
4. Once you received confirmation, you may start texting galore up to a limit of 40 SMS a day.
5. If the 40 SMS limit was not exhausted in 24 hours, it will be forfeited. You have to register again and pay P20.
6. To check your balance, text TO (space) BAL to 2868. Balance inquiry costs P1.

In other words, the 50-centavo text promo is only valid for 24 hours at a registration fee of P20. Let’s hope this latest government scheme would save a hungry nation.

Here’s the whole part of his email he wrote in response to my question on online love relationship which was some kind of an epidemic then. Take heed the counsel of the wise. I hope you find this valuable more than usual promotional items being offered online to most loyal blog readers. Someday, you’ll either thank me or spank me for sharing this, whichever suits you best.

Thing is, I don’t believe that there’s any such thing as an internet relationship. You cannot fall in love with someone over the internet.

The reason I say this is because one day, you’ll have to actually see each other and start a true relationship. Yes, sometimes you can meet and the transition is very natural and easy, but oftentimes, the transition isn’t easy and you can’t blame the other person for that. You cannot blame anyone if they can love you online but they can’t do the same in real life and because of that distinction, there is no such thing as love found online. There is an online love, but it’s not the same as real love. It only becomes real if you can make the transition.

And even if you do make the transition to loving each other once you’ve physically met, you’ll see that it’s not the same thing as what you share online. So for me, an online relationship is no more than a shadow of what could possibly happen. No matter how you swear you love each other over the internet, the end goal is not to just know each other over the internet, the end goal is to be with each other in reality. So any internet relationship is merely passing time until you get the chance to actually meet.

But by all means, you should meet this person and see if you can make the transition. If you don’t, you’ll never be able to get the notion out of your head that you should be with that person and that will make it impossible to be with anyone else.

At Victoria Memorial in London

Today marks the day I left the country for the first time. I could still recall how sad, fearful and exciting it was. My flight to London was scheduled at midnight of July 27, 2007. Before leaving for the airport at 7pm of July 26, I was at home relishing every moment spent with my family and cats and watched Wentworth Miller kick ass in Prison Break 2. Every hour that passed seemed to bring me nearer to the guillotine.

Last year’s trip was a life-changing experience I can never ever forget. It was the day I said goodbye to my independent self and embraced a totally different lifestyle I have never really imagined. Somehow, I did regret the decision of leaving my career, my life and my old self behind in exchange for the promise of a good life. For a time, my stay in London did seem to me a nightmare of sorts. And coming back to Manila after six months simply confirmed that the nightmare was far from over. I was out of job, out of funds and out of my mind.

But none of those frightful things still holds true today. I chose to look beyond my ugly circumstances and trust God to open a window for me despite many closed doors. It was faith that enabled me to sail through the tempest and see the purpose through thick clouds and torrential rains.

1. Be a famous blogger
2. Write a book
3. Visit the United States and Europe
4. Start my own business and be successful at it
5. Learn how to make my own website template
6. Contribute money to CCF’s building fund
7. Buy my own house
8. Retire early at 40
9. Meet a suitable partner and marry him on a hilltop
10. Help more people
11. Have a memorial plan

What are yours?

My glitter tattoo kit

With some inspiration I got from joining a Google group, I’m launching a new career in glitter tattooing. It’s actually an expanded business line since I’ve been doing face painting for half a year now. Sooner or later, you’d find me in weekend parties mingling with kids, babies in a Bob stroller and their yayas. Yesterday, my trial kit was delivered to the office. If the quality of materials is perfect, I’ll ask a friend in the United States to buy boxes for me and ship it here together with her balikbayan box. The last time I ordered my paints from London was around 4 months ago when I was still holding on to my MasterCard then. The shipping charges cost nearly the same as the item I purchased. But I don’t mind sacrificing quality of materials over price. By the way, if you’re interested to have a smashing glittery party for your child, a colorful school fair or anything that crosses your mind, just send a text message to 0906-2066277.

By the way, I didn’t realized being in a Google group entails a flooded Gmail inbox. I couldn’t figure out how to disable the mad flow of email exchange and read those messages on the web instead like in a Yahoo group.

Heath Ledger as the Joker

Heath Ledger’s character as a deranged ego-maniacal crime lord called the Joker overshadowed Christian Bale’s Bruce Wayne in the movie “The Dark Knight”. That terrible and creepy greasy clown make-up constitutes an obscenely bad dream you don’t want to find yourself locked in. He is pain and chaos, misery and destruction. Gotham City is no longer the Winter Park real estate where Tim Burton’s Penguin and rubber duckie used to dance and rule. Director Christopher Nolan introduced pain and destruction to Gotham in many odd ghastly forms from breathtaking car chase scenes and Batman stunts, exploding buildings to the dramatic transformation of Aaron Eckhart’s Harvey Dent to a scarred villain called Two Face. It’s the darkest Batman movie ever but Nolan did it not without some satirical comic relief. Heath Ledger’s Joker lines (“You complete me…”) could draw smiles on a viewer’s face even without the help of his pocket knife. And yes, he gave me headaches, too.

The Dark Knight was one of Heath Ledger’s last movies but it was one of his best by a thousand miles so far. No one could have done Joker better than him, not even a Johnny Depp could match it. Ledger’s Joker came in the mid part of the movie and left the world longing more for such an incredible sterling performance and wondering what might have been had he lived.

The house

Forgive this excited post. After days and weeks my mom and brother spent in massive house-hunt from north to south and east to west, they have finally found the one. It’s in a small village just a few minutes away from downtown Pasig City. We’re back to the city where we have spent 20 years of our lives.

Living room

For people like us who have never experienced living in a real house, we’re too excited about this one. It’s not a huge property but the house plan was carefully laid out to maximize the small space. It is a two-storey house with three bathrooms, three bedrooms, living room, dining room, kitchen, laundry room and a garage for the car and cats. Floors are all tiled. The house has slide glass windows, provision for air conditions and built-in cabinets. This is a huge improvement by millions of miles. My friends who have seen that shanty place we’ve lived in before knew what that means.

Toilet and bath

It’s my brother’s house actually. He bought it and my only contribution would be curtains, telephone, DSL and electricity bills (hehe). Papers are now in process. Hopelly, we’re in by next month.

Before you sign the burial insurance of your dormant lovelife, or speed through the relationship highway without your helmet on, I recommend checking out Kuya Kevin’s blog instead of soliciting advices online from strangers you don’t even know. Life of a single person today has never been this complex as popular views are becoming as dispensable as paper cups. If you’re easily swayed by your hormones, emotions (no, I do not refer to myself hehe…) and by what you hear, see and/or taste outside, maybe it’s time to reconcile your acts and thoughts to what the Bible says on many issues. It’s not just a book on sets of do’s and don’ts but a guide to good and sane living. I don’t believe the book is outdated either. Otherwise, it won’t sell 6 billion copies worldwide. (Or maybe even more.)