the triumph over hell

there's always a moment in our life when we are shaken from our endless, dreamless sleep and realize that something beckons us to do something, either chase a dream or cast a spell on someone else, or be somewhere else, a thriving city or an unfamiliar virgin forest. it doesn't matter really, what's important is we have been awakened from a deep slumber and is ready to move.

the good news is, i am almost there.

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i can't pinpoint exactly what is that specific event, stimulus, or even who that person is who becomes the trigger for this renewed vitality. maybe it was the typhoon yolanda that devastated tacloban city, my sister's beloved city and right next to the town where i was born and grew up. or it could be my beloved younger sister's strength in facing the storm (days before the typhoon made a landfall in tacloban, i asked her to consider moving elsewhere, but she assured me that her place is safe. and she is right. if it were me in her place, i would be quivering in my louboutins on my way to paris to escape the wrath and fury of yolanda, the strongest storm to ever hit the planet) and her optimism that everything will be alright. again. that she can rebuild everything from scratch.

or a friend's recent triumph at an asian journalism award in tokyo. (just like my tacloban-based sister, i have seen up close this particular friend's triumphs against enormous adversities not just in her chosen field but in life as well, and i am just glad that she is raking all these victories.)

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this morning i woke up quite early, earlier than usual. since i left work a year ago now, i've been sleeping really late and waking up early in the afternoon the next day. most of the time, i would miss breakfast and lunch altogether. but this morning, even without setting the alarm, my mind and body were awake at around seven in the morning, even before i opened my eyes.

it's a lovely  morning.

the sun is amazingly gentle, its rays making its way shyly into my room through the slits in between the blinds that cover the entire length of the glass sliding door that opens up into the terrace, their blades swaying slowly to the breeze from an old, a bit noisy electric fan.

(if i were back in hong kong, my ex would have already asked me to drive to the beach so he could get a tan, while i stay on a shed reading a book and magazines, watching him naked lying on the sand, baking gently under the sun.)

there's even a whistling from the birds somewhere outside in the terrace. their sweet tweets adding to the glorious sunrise. i never knew that there are such divine creatures flapping their slight wings right outside of this apartment building that's facing roxas boulevard, famous for the view of manille's captivating sunset. oh you have to see it to really appreciate it. words and photos are simply not enough to capture the sunset's loveliness. (how's that for a tourism peg?)

even with a heavy dinner last night, my stomach was complaining. the creatures inside needing to be fed. like a lovely rose whose bloody red petals are opening up to the early morning mist, with the dews moistening their smooth as silk surface, i rose from bed and made my way into the kitchen and grabbed whatever is edible in the fridge. luckily, i found an abandoned three-week-old apple. while it's no longer crunchy, it's good enough to eat. a famished goddess, after all, can't be choosy.

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while munching the not so red apple the size of a tennis ball, whose taste already betrays its age, i went online. checking more heartbreaking and inspiring news about the victims and survivors of yolanda exactly two weeks after it hammered leyte, parts of samar and some areas of the visayas island.

one article written by a friend about his recent trip to dubai caught my eye. just love the way he wrote it, his colourful language so amazing that i decided to share it with my friends on facebook. (http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/138171/hot-desert-sands-and-icy-snow-in-a-mall-dubai-is-a-city-of-contrasts-and-superlatives)

now, i have always wanted to live and work in the desert economy of dubai, a former sleepy village now a multi-billion dollar megapolis that boasts of the tallest building in the world, but sadly, my applications have all turned sour. maybe the gods have other plans for me other than working my fat ass off writing about sheiks and other wealthy royals enjoying their riches.

please don't even ask me why working in dubai has been an obsession since a few years ago. i assure you, it has nothing to do with the tax-free status of the city, nor of the fabulous and some famous faggot friends there working as fashion designers. it's not even about those hunky young men who are reportedly willing, able and ready to be conquered anytime of the day, any season of the year.

it's all about romance, my dears. but sadly, at your current state of mind, you won't get my drift. chos!

it's not always about money, my love. nor of the expensive things that you can accumulate. unlike the insatiable you, i am contented with what little things that i have and proud of them.

after all, as what yolanda had shown, lovely houses, expensive cars, latest high-tech appliances, can easily be taken away from us. even life. so it's better to enjoy it while we can. yes, i just quoted a cliche there. ouch!

it's an eye-opener, actually, about how designer clothes, a yacht, a pricey watch, louboutins, lvs, won't save you from a catastrophe. in the end, there is but us, our family, some dear friends, and god.

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then my soul sister, whom i owed a lot the past few months, greeted me a lovely weekend. what a nice way to start a day, right? being greeted by fabulous people with positive auras. now, i have to say this, this particular friend, a wonder woman personified, is another inspiration for me to always be cheerful, think positive, and face life with shoulder pads. chos!

(she took that fabulous photo of me in pink, by the way, habang nagmumuni-muni sa grounds ng sofitel hotel near the manila bay.)

of course, i also greeted my bestest friend in the universe whose birthday is today, who responded with a heartfelt thank you. the bigger question is: who is she sharing this most important day of her life? brad? tom? dennis? paulo? or piolo? double chos!!


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oh well, forgive me my lovelies. i am blabbing again.

it's one of those sleep-deprived days when my head is swirling with so much words, thoughts, and ideas but i can't string them together sensibly, but i have to keep on writing. otherwise, i would go like totally mad, a sisa in a glamourous michael cinco gown, killer manolo heels and nothing else.

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now, my dearies, please don't ask me exactly where is that "there" that i talked about at the start of this post because i'm still trying to find and figure it out. this tiny brain of mine is simply not made to handle such larger than life existential issues that continue to hound us mortal souls evicted from eden!

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that's all fairies, witches, princesses, queens and wannabes.

wishing you all a lovely, lovely weekend. cheers!


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song for this bright, cheery saturday morning, bette midler's from a distance.