Yes, the stripper from Adonis whom we got for June's Bachelorette Party. Together with three friends, we braved the uncharted lands of Timog and Tomas Morato to find one suited to June's taste (and our's, too, of course). Luckily, this guy fits the bill -- chinito, lean-built, and fairly attractive. Doesn't hurt that he has a fine ass too -- and that he knows how to work it. :-D I can just imagine June's face as soon as the lights go down and our "little surprise" enters the room!
Anyway, it was quite an experience, being in Adonis -- strange and intoxicating, to say the least. It was the first time for me, Den, and Jeannie, but Tab, who was Den's friend, had been there before and he was the one who did most of the talking and, well, haggling for us.
We were eyeing someone else at first, but when we inquired about him, he was apparently already booked for the night, so we looked for someone else. That was when we saw JR. He was dancing on the stage with a couple of other guys and we thought he'd be an OK substitute. So Tab called for the manager, who in turn called for JR.
Up close we all thought he'd do OK for the party. He seemed like a nice guy all in all. I personally thought he was hot as heck, but I didn't let the others know what I was thinking, lest I be subjected to an evening's worth of jeering and torturous teasing.
Den, on the other hand, thought it was sad someone as young as JR had to work as a stripper. From talking with him, we learned he was only 22, and that he was only able to finish a year in college. Den asked him if he was planning on looking for another job any time soon, but he said he might still be enjoying his stint at Adonis. We all responded with an OK-you-must-know-what-you're-doing nod, and it really did look like he was fine where he was, but still, there was a trace of... what's the word for wanting to be assured that everything is OK? Anyway, that, left hanging in the air. It was awfully quiet for a few moments, and it felt like the whole place was bearing down on us like thick, heavy rainclouds, but we were able to mask our discomforts with the business at hand so we tried to focus on that instead.
We did pay for JR's time for staying at our table, so after an hour, we wrapped things up, told him about the details of the party, exchanged contact numbers, and confirmed that we will call him up a few days before the 12th to finalize things. We headed out into the cooling 2:00 AM air, relieved both because our mission was a success and that we were finally outside, breathing free, away from the strange, beautiful, heady, but shadowy world of Adonis.
I'm sure the others have their own take on the matter, but I went home a little sadder and feeling oddly... enamored by the ironically poignant, red-lit lives of boys like JR.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Naked Boys Singing
First of my four favorite scenes in the musical, Naked Boys Singing. This one is entitled Window to Window. It reminded me very much of my favorite short story in Ladlad, The Window Lover.
This one is entitled Perky Little Porn Star. This guy, Joseph Keane, is a real looker. And it doesn't help my wits knowing he has a good singing voice too. Whew.
The Entertainer. Hilarious and definitely entertaining!
Reprise of Window to Window, the second to the last song from the musical. Very sweet, very sensual, and very romantic.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
December Morning Lights
Wasn't able to sleep until about 9:00 AM this morning, when I got home from a friend's place near UST. We were up since last night's fireworks talking and hanging out, and eventually deciding to wait for the dawn mass at 4:30 AM on the UST grounds. We got there right on time, and I was surprised at the number of people who attended -- to think the priest said the crowd this morning wasn't as large as the previous days!
Anyway, more than the number of people -- which was already a sight in itself -- the Christmas lights which UST has adorned its buildings with were an amazing vision. As usual, the photo parade is after the jump.
The crowd dispersing after the dawn mass.
Walking among the stars.
The UST main building, posing like a bejeweled queen.
The lines, peaks, and angles of the main building's beautiful architecture.
The guardians at dawn.
And one of the many Christmas trees around the campus.
Anyway, more than the number of people -- which was already a sight in itself -- the Christmas lights which UST has adorned its buildings with were an amazing vision. As usual, the photo parade is after the jump.
The crowd dispersing after the dawn mass.
Walking among the stars.
The UST main building, posing like a bejeweled queen.
The lines, peaks, and angles of the main building's beautiful architecture.
The guardians at dawn.
And one of the many Christmas trees around the campus.
Monday, December 17, 2007
My Replacement Sunday
So of COURSE I had to do something else to distract myself yesterday. Thankfully, my mother had this thing at Dusit Hotel where the kid's chorale from her school held a Christmas presentation for the parents and hotel guests. Me, my brother, my sister and her boyfriend tagged along to watch and have lunch as well. (Hooray for an exquisite meal and 20% discounts!) I was able to capture some clips from the show, including this cute number from an adorable little girl who sang Let There Be Peace On Earth:
I was also able to record a very nice interpretation of the song Pasko Na, Sinta Ko from this girl who sings really well. My sister called her a young Bituin Escalante:
We stayed about an hour in the hotel and then we went off to Tiendesitas for some Christmas shopping. The whole afternoon was spent making rounds, trying on clothes, haggling (my mother is a difficult person to deal with), and discovering things at the seemingly endless market grounds of Tiendesitas.
At about 6:00 PM, we've more or less covered every square inch of the whole place, and we sat down for Sunday mass at the center of the fair. Normally, I would have excused myself and my mother wouldn't have bothered asking me to stay, but I was absolutely tired, and I would rather sit and stay put rather than walk another inch more. Besides, the priest looked really cute. One of those novitiate clerics, I suppose. So for the next hour, I contented myself just staring at him, feeling sinful in my seat.
Interestingly enough, I didn't really think about ravishing him on the altar table as I would have wanted to (well, not much anyway), but maybe the influence of playing too much fantasy role-playing games made me think of him more as one who would cast Divine Spells on imaginary undead like Call Lightning or Hammer of the Gods. Blame it on Charisma +5. I thought he'd look really hot wearing a half-plate, brandishing a sword, and shouting, "Let the earth take you!" Anyway, I didn't catch his name, and unfortch, he left right away after the mass, so oh well.
Afterwards, we had dinner and then did groceries. We left Pasig around 9:30 PM and got home 30 minutes after. I was still bummed I wasn't able to catch Avenue Q, but I was too tired to think about it too much. All in all, my replacement Sunday provided a pretty OK distraction from myself. :-)
---------------
PS: If anyone's going to drop by Tiendesitas some time soon, I hope I will be thought of when these pretty little things are seen:
They look like Japanese Samurai swords and wakizashis, but I think they're more of tribal Filipino origin. They're not real, of course, but it would be really nifty if I could have one as a gift. :-P
I was also able to record a very nice interpretation of the song Pasko Na, Sinta Ko from this girl who sings really well. My sister called her a young Bituin Escalante:
We stayed about an hour in the hotel and then we went off to Tiendesitas for some Christmas shopping. The whole afternoon was spent making rounds, trying on clothes, haggling (my mother is a difficult person to deal with), and discovering things at the seemingly endless market grounds of Tiendesitas.
At about 6:00 PM, we've more or less covered every square inch of the whole place, and we sat down for Sunday mass at the center of the fair. Normally, I would have excused myself and my mother wouldn't have bothered asking me to stay, but I was absolutely tired, and I would rather sit and stay put rather than walk another inch more. Besides, the priest looked really cute. One of those novitiate clerics, I suppose. So for the next hour, I contented myself just staring at him, feeling sinful in my seat.
Interestingly enough, I didn't really think about ravishing him on the altar table as I would have wanted to (well, not much anyway), but maybe the influence of playing too much fantasy role-playing games made me think of him more as one who would cast Divine Spells on imaginary undead like Call Lightning or Hammer of the Gods. Blame it on Charisma +5. I thought he'd look really hot wearing a half-plate, brandishing a sword, and shouting, "Let the earth take you!" Anyway, I didn't catch his name, and unfortch, he left right away after the mass, so oh well.
Afterwards, we had dinner and then did groceries. We left Pasig around 9:30 PM and got home 30 minutes after. I was still bummed I wasn't able to catch Avenue Q, but I was too tired to think about it too much. All in all, my replacement Sunday provided a pretty OK distraction from myself. :-)
---------------
PS: If anyone's going to drop by Tiendesitas some time soon, I hope I will be thought of when these pretty little things are seen:
They look like Japanese Samurai swords and wakizashis, but I think they're more of tribal Filipino origin. They're not real, of course, but it would be really nifty if I could have one as a gift. :-P
Sunday, December 16, 2007
There's A Fine, Fine Line
The Philippine production of Avenue Q is holding its second run this month. I checked the show dates the other day and apparently, the only possible time I will be able to watch is tonight. And guess who first popped into my mind to invite? Right -- R. So after much trepidation, I finally asked him yesterday if he wanted to go -- to which he hasn't replied up until now.
I guess it's what I should have expected, all things considered. But I can't be blamed for hoping, nor for holding on. After all, I made the decision myself. And although I have been nothing but wounded since, I cherish these scars as if it were him I was touching, as if it were his skin on my skin. If this is going to stretch on to forever, then, gladly, I accept.
I guess it's what I should have expected, all things considered. But I can't be blamed for hoping, nor for holding on. After all, I made the decision myself. And although I have been nothing but wounded since, I cherish these scars as if it were him I was touching, as if it were his skin on my skin. If this is going to stretch on to forever, then, gladly, I accept.
There's a fine, fine line between together and not
And there's a fine, fine line between what you wanted and what you got.
Kate Monster, Avenue Q
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Last Wednesday's Christmas Party
Finally! Weekends couldn't come soon enough. I've been getting home late the past few days since our schedule changed, having me directly contend with the heavily-congested area of Bagong Ilog at 6:00 PM. It used to only take me an hour to get home, but now it's a full two torturous hours on the road, in a tightly-cramped FX ride with strange-smelling people. No matter. Today I'm going to scoff at the Universe and do whatever non-work related endeavor I can think of. RnR is part of my job too, damnit.
So anyway, last Wednesday, our company had a very classy and stylish red-carpet Christmas party held at the NBC Tent in The Fort. The program started off quite slowly (almost felt sorry for Pops Fernandez and Sinosikat -- everyone was busy taking photos or eating), but as soon as the Kitty Girls (Manila's answer to The Pussycat Dolls) started shaking their jellies on the stage, everyone's adrenaline level started rising. The Overtones, the band who performed right after the Kitty Girls, also had quite a set. They did covers of All I Want by Toad The Wet Sprocket, 3 AM by Matchbox 20, Semi-Charmed life by Third Eye Blind, Message In A Bottle by The Police, and other old school hits with a mosh-pit of rowdy, loud, and drunk yuppies in front of the stage.
As usual, the photo parade is after the jump.
Les filles of San Mig Lai, plus Kuya Joey, looking all glamorous and sparkly for the evening.
Les filles, once again, this time with Za and Boss Margot.
Mommy Dea and Mitch with JM Rodriguez.
Mommy Dea and Mitch with Nancy Castiglione in a poorly focused photo.
Boss Stef, Mitch, and Mommy Dea.
Kuya Joey's moment with the Kitty Girls. I must admit, they did a very nice performance. The girl in the middle had a great voice, as well as the girl on Kuya Joey's right.
Les filles with John, Shanae, Eric V, and Boss Hedda.
And me!
So anyway, last Wednesday, our company had a very classy and stylish red-carpet Christmas party held at the NBC Tent in The Fort. The program started off quite slowly (almost felt sorry for Pops Fernandez and Sinosikat -- everyone was busy taking photos or eating), but as soon as the Kitty Girls (Manila's answer to The Pussycat Dolls) started shaking their jellies on the stage, everyone's adrenaline level started rising. The Overtones, the band who performed right after the Kitty Girls, also had quite a set. They did covers of All I Want by Toad The Wet Sprocket, 3 AM by Matchbox 20, Semi-Charmed life by Third Eye Blind, Message In A Bottle by The Police, and other old school hits with a mosh-pit of rowdy, loud, and drunk yuppies in front of the stage.
As usual, the photo parade is after the jump.
Les filles of San Mig Lai, plus Kuya Joey, looking all glamorous and sparkly for the evening.
Les filles, once again, this time with Za and Boss Margot.
Mommy Dea and Mitch with JM Rodriguez.
Mommy Dea and Mitch with Nancy Castiglione in a poorly focused photo.
Boss Stef, Mitch, and Mommy Dea.
Kuya Joey's moment with the Kitty Girls. I must admit, they did a very nice performance. The girl in the middle had a great voice, as well as the girl on Kuya Joey's right.
Les filles with John, Shanae, Eric V, and Boss Hedda.
And me!
Sunday, December 02, 2007
My Geek-Assimilation Is Now Absolute
I can now read books with pride, and proclaim to the world that yes, I love Neverwinter Nights with every fiber of my being. I can now affirm my profound affinity with my computer, and the inexplicable, burning need to be online all the time, even when I am asleep, even when I am not at home. I am now free to shout that yes, I am an otaku and I embrace animé and all of its permutations -- shoujo, shounen, mecha, sentai, etcetera -- without fear of being labeled or cast out. All these things, I am now free to be, with my newly-bespectacled self...
... the world is at peace.
... the world is at peace.
Living Vicariously Through The Lens
A traffic-free Buendia on a sunny Saturday morning has always been a nostalgic sight. Acting on impulse, I started taking photos of the streets while on a cab going to work yesterday morning. Eventually, I thought why not document the whole day as well. So, in fifty-three pictures, this is how a regular day in my life goes:
8:09 AM, Buendia - Paseo de Roxas intersection. The stoplight here is always quick to change to red in the mornings, which kind of gets irritating because we always have to stop a couple of times before we finally get past it.
The rest of the day, after the jump.
After the stoplight, I breathe easier for a while. 8:10 AM, going up the Buendia flyover to Katipunan.
Midway through the flyover. Those are the skyscrapers in The Fort.
Skyscrapers, yet again, plus the first few rooftops of the houses in Kalayaan.
Descending the left half of the flyover. The other half goes to The Fort.
8:15 AM, still on Kalayaan, just passing the first major intersection. That's another gate going to Fort Bonifacio.
Kalayaan is a very long street.
Nearing the end of Kalayaan, going under the archway and exiting Makati.
At the stoplight in the Kalayaan - C5 intersection. Wanted to take a photo of the big boulders making up the walls of the side streets, but there were other vehicles blocking the view.
8:18 AM, still at the stoplight. The red light takes a long time to switch in this intersection, prioritizing the perpendicular lane.
The first flyover upon turning at C5. Good morning, sexy running Puritan Billboard man!
Still on C5.
C5 is longer than Kalayaan, I think.
8:22 AM, ascending the Ortigas Extension flyover, just past SM Hypermart.
Descending said flyover. This is another crucial point for me, because you can't tell whether there will be a congestion in this part during this time of the day.
Dampa sa Libis. I haven't eaten there, but people are saying it's a different experience.
Shopwise! Just a little more...
IBM Plaza, running to catch the elevator.
The view of the metro from the scenic elevator.
8:27 AM, the hallway to the transfer elevator to get to the 25th floor.
I'm on printing duty for the day, so I get to spend the morning by myself on the wing opposite ours printing orders, returns, and exchanges for the day.
My workstation, clean and neat and dull and boring.
My bag, where all the magic happens.
11:45 AM, lunchtime!
That's our lobby. Waiting for my companions to come down.
Walking, thinking where I should eat.
Still walking. Eastwood was slightly overcast that day.
The trees are nice, ne?
Finally decided on Gateway for lunch.
That's their Christmas tree in the middle, near the covered garden.
A really taaaaall Christmas tree.
Christmas trinkets and what-not. Was keeping an eye out for this week's Kris Kringle gift.
Decided to have a quick lunch at Super Bowl of China with several friends.
The beautiful ladies who watched over us while eating.
The Asian-inspired tiled ceiling.
The ladies, once again. That's me in the middle taking their photo.
Walking around the mall, making my way towards the exit.
Back at the office, working on cleaning up our client's mailing list.
6:14 PM, clearing my workstation of clutter for the weekend.
Waiting for the elevator.
The couch at the waiting area for the transfer elevator.
The ground floor at night.
The very pretty Christmas tree at the ground floor lobby.
Ladies and gentlemen, Pii has left the building.
6:28 PM, Eastwood at night.
7:34 PM, after an hour's FX ride, I'm back in Makati, walking home. My usual route home takes me to this park beside AIM -- the one where I used to hang out in an entire day whenever I felt like cutting class during high school.
The nice play of shadows from the steel bars.
This one looks like a gate to another dimension.
The gazebo at the middle of the park.
The phallic... thing, a prominent figure near the gate.
Another park, across the street. This one used to be one huge parking lot fondly called The Oval.
Still walking, turning left on Herrera, then straight to Washington.
8:07 PM, back in my room! The second happiest place on earth!
8:09 AM, Buendia - Paseo de Roxas intersection. The stoplight here is always quick to change to red in the mornings, which kind of gets irritating because we always have to stop a couple of times before we finally get past it.The rest of the day, after the jump.
After the stoplight, I breathe easier for a while. 8:10 AM, going up the Buendia flyover to Katipunan.Midway through the flyover. Those are the skyscrapers in The Fort.Skyscrapers, yet again, plus the first few rooftops of the houses in Kalayaan.Descending the left half of the flyover. The other half goes to The Fort.8:15 AM, still on Kalayaan, just passing the first major intersection. That's another gate going to Fort Bonifacio.Kalayaan is a very long street.Nearing the end of Kalayaan, going under the archway and exiting Makati.At the stoplight in the Kalayaan - C5 intersection. Wanted to take a photo of the big boulders making up the walls of the side streets, but there were other vehicles blocking the view.8:18 AM, still at the stoplight. The red light takes a long time to switch in this intersection, prioritizing the perpendicular lane.The first flyover upon turning at C5. Good morning, sexy running Puritan Billboard man!Still on C5.C5 is longer than Kalayaan, I think.8:22 AM, ascending the Ortigas Extension flyover, just past SM Hypermart.Descending said flyover. This is another crucial point for me, because you can't tell whether there will be a congestion in this part during this time of the day.Dampa sa Libis. I haven't eaten there, but people are saying it's a different experience.Shopwise! Just a little more...IBM Plaza, running to catch the elevator.The view of the metro from the scenic elevator.8:27 AM, the hallway to the transfer elevator to get to the 25th floor.I'm on printing duty for the day, so I get to spend the morning by myself on the wing opposite ours printing orders, returns, and exchanges for the day.My workstation, clean and neat and dull and boring.My bag, where all the magic happens.11:45 AM, lunchtime!That's our lobby. Waiting for my companions to come down.Walking, thinking where I should eat.Still walking. Eastwood was slightly overcast that day.The trees are nice, ne?Finally decided on Gateway for lunch.That's their Christmas tree in the middle, near the covered garden.A really taaaaall Christmas tree.Christmas trinkets and what-not. Was keeping an eye out for this week's Kris Kringle gift.Decided to have a quick lunch at Super Bowl of China with several friends.The beautiful ladies who watched over us while eating.The Asian-inspired tiled ceiling.The ladies, once again. That's me in the middle taking their photo.Walking around the mall, making my way towards the exit.Back at the office, working on cleaning up our client's mailing list.6:14 PM, clearing my workstation of clutter for the weekend.Waiting for the elevator.The couch at the waiting area for the transfer elevator.The ground floor at night.The very pretty Christmas tree at the ground floor lobby.Ladies and gentlemen, Pii has left the building.6:28 PM, Eastwood at night.7:34 PM, after an hour's FX ride, I'm back in Makati, walking home. My usual route home takes me to this park beside AIM -- the one where I used to hang out in an entire day whenever I felt like cutting class during high school.The nice play of shadows from the steel bars.This one looks like a gate to another dimension.The gazebo at the middle of the park.The phallic... thing, a prominent figure near the gate.Another park, across the street. This one used to be one huge parking lot fondly called The Oval.Still walking, turning left on Herrera, then straight to Washington.8:07 PM, back in my room! The second happiest place on earth!