The Torpe Road Part 5

Distractions can be a big pain in the ass. It can hinder your goals ( like someone inviting you to an inuman after work where you should be at home finishing some stuff from the office ) and make you falter in making an important decision ( like if you want that last piece of pizza slice, then when you already decided that you DO want it… it’s already taken by someone else. ) Such is my scenario with making another “Road” post. I mean, Facebook can be really engrossing. That, and other entertaining websites, household chores, taking care of my “collectibles” and work got most of my time. I apologize to all.

There. Now that is already behind us, let’s keep moving!!! “The Torpe Road Traveler” needs to finish the story. Incidentally, that’d be me, of course, for those not in the know. And to answer all possible questions from new readers ( kung meron man nga ) this is a journal of all the women I’ve caroused and the lessons I learned from my foibles. Or in short, mga ka-sablay-an ko sa panliligaw. Well, let’s move on.

I’m still in college, enjoying the carefree lifestyle of a Fine Arts student. Honestly, all of the art that we did, I don’t know if you would classify that as “studying”, because it seemed easy. But I did learn something from those countless hours of sitting on the cold tile floor, sketching a human model in front of us. It was also easy to spot an “inspiration” on my class because there’s a fellow student that seemed like a “crush ng bayan” that I also tried to woo…pero parang iba ang gusto nya. She will be named Bulacan.

Bulacan is small, almost 5’3 in height. She has short hair and wore braces. She has brown complexion and likes normal girl things more than my girl classmates, y’know, being “iba-ang-trip-ko-kaysa-sa-ibang-kurso-sa-college-dahil-art-student-ako”. She’s with a different group from Las Pinas but they stayed in the same dormitory so they got into the best of friends. But more on that later.

I mentioned that Bulacan was a “crush ng bayan” because madami ang nanligaw sa kanya. At isa ako dun sa pumila. I mean, she’s pretty and is very matured in thinking, which are what we as teenagers want, running solely on hormones. Looking back, we want a girl who understands our interests but does not really know it by heart. So that we can educate them to stroke our ego. Hehehe. Ngayon as a working-class male employee, we still want a very, very attractive girl and someone who can support us financially. Admit it, we all want to be slackers and just watch TV or dabble in hobbies. Like beer-brewing.

Anyway, I came last in line in trying to Bulacan. The first guy, whom I dub as “Art dude” tried his best by being with her and her group and also on drawing sessions. But him being skilled on everything art made him a bit weird for Bulacan to fall in love with. The second, “Air Man” is a friend of mine. He really became close with Bulacan and her group. I call him “Air Man” because he’s really full of it. Mayabang. I don’t know how I manage to tolerate him because his pagyayabang was so unkind and unfunny. He would insult the recent famous network games and would prefer to play a basketball game on PS2. He makes fun of music choices, people and even my favorite show at the time, Justice League cartoon as kid’s drawings. But we got along on some aspects like music and women.

I remember that he told me his “strategy” on Bulacan. They were all alone on one part of

our campus. They skipped a class and were talking and “Air Man” said “Bulacan, napapamahal ako sa yo. Di ito biro. Seryoso ako.” But in the end, she dumped him for the same lame reasons women dump men: studies and all that crap. And I believe that she prefers a guy from her hometown with lingering doubts. Third guy is my best friend in college, “Torpe 2”. He really messed up his “Game”. He was all clumsy, had our support but still got nothing. He even got a candid picture of her and planned to draw her a portrait and give it to her as a gift. Pero di na nya nagawa at grabe rin sya mag-procrastinate.

Which now brings to me. I was able to somehow make my “moves” on her because of a simple offer: since she spends her school days on a dormitory, she would go home to Bulacan on weekends or during the last day of school to meet her folks when she has the time. And she knew that I go home everyday via the LRT, or Light Railway Transit. So one day she approached me and:

Bulacan: ( my name ), di ba umuuwi ka from Monumento gamit ang LRT?

Me: Oo, bakit?

Bulacan: Sabay tayo mamaya, uuwi ako sa may amin

Me: Ah ok, sige.

In a way, she was the one who gave me the opportunity. It was a bit of luck. Now all I got to do is influence her mind to like me. But that didn’t work. But I did try. We would walk from our building to outside the University premises and take the jeepney to LRT, ride the LRT up to Monumento and accompany her on a makeshift FX terminal going to Bulacan. Our last class was in the early evening, so the LRT is packed because of people going home. Speaking of that blasted transportation, back then there were times that the LRT would have the air-conditioning on the fritz, so sobrang init sa loob. Para kang niluluto sa singaw ng mga kasama mo. So I used the power of observation to my advantage. When the LRT is approaching I would check the people inside first to see if they are fanning themselves, wiping their brow and anything that would say na naiinitan sila. It’s very useful. I sometimes wonder why people never use that in their everyday activities. Up to now I still do that, like checking the shadows and such for any sign of danger or anything that would be an advantage for me from other people.

Anyway, during that time I was with Bulacan I was able to talk to her. We talked about our subjects, what happened during the week, her so-called male “friend” from her hometown and the mind of men/women. The latter part was like a debate of sorts, but not like the almost-grueling kind with Las Pinas. In our “debate” I can always defend myself well. She always asks me about why men do this, why men do that, etc. I also ask her the same thing with her gender’s culture. I remember that she was saying that she was so confused about her feelings from her close friend and I replied with a burly voice:

Me: You women don’t know what you want. ( hand pointing to my chest ) We, we men know what we want…

I was really trying my best to keep my composure during that time because I felt that if I was smiling or acted like I was fooling around she would not believe what I was saying. I was able to hold it and somehow won the “debate”. Although there are times I would lose it when we would ride the LRT with the broken air-conditioning and I sweat a lot. I always sense that she perceives me as a very smart and mature, and hope that in the process of being with her when we are traveling together would make her forget that guy and be with me instead. Hey, stranger things have happened.

News traveled fast about our “pagsasama” and we got teased by our friends.“Air Man” kept on singing the then-famous song of singer/actress Nikki Gil’s “Sakayan ng Jeep” and changed it to “Sakayan ng FX” because that’s where we would part. In a way “Air Man n a way “Air Man” has already moved on with Bulacan and supports my pagpo-porma with Bulacan. Las Pinas (see last “Road” post ) also heard the news as well and she was the one who made me forget about her. It happened when we were talking on the phone at night.

Las Pinas: (my name), may gusto ka kay Bulacan noh?

Me: Bakit mo naman nasabi yun (at this point I was trying to be cool and try to lie out of it )

Las Pinas: Umamin ka na, alam ko na may gusto ka sa kanya…

Me: ( in my faintest voice ) Siguro…

Las Pinas: ‘Wag mo na ituloy, nakausap ko na sya nung wala kaming magawa sa dorm at nabanggit kita sa kanya na kung paano kung ikaw yung manligaw sa kanya, sabi nya parang kaibigan lang tingin nya sa ‘yo…

When I heard that from her I felt like nabagsakan ako ng mundo. Parang shet, basted nanaman ako. Wala na ba akong pag-asa?? Mga ganun But I also thought na baka niloloko lang ako ni Las Pinas dahil naseselos sya pero kapni-paniwala naman nun. Basta naniniwala naman ako sa kanya. It was that moment that I mentioned in my last “Road” post that I made a leap of faith and proposed that I and Las Pinas be together. After what I have heard I tried my best to still accompany her on our rides but Thesis came up so di na sya nakakauwi sa kanila masyado. So I traveled alone. It’s better that way. Yeah, I was “emo” before “emo” became famous.

Due to our “closeness” and as a way to make her less suspicious that I knew what she thought of me I accepted her invite to her birthday party in her hometown. Few actually went there because of how far the place is. A handful of my friends also came with me and we met up with her in a spot in North Luzon Expressway, or NLEX. She met us on her parent’s van and she was the one who drove it. I was impressed by her driving skills. The party? Not so much. I can’t

remember what we ate and entertainment was in the form of

watching Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. I wasn’t much of a fan of Potter. But I did like the twist at the end. We were about to go home since it’s almost 5pm when her friends from her place went the

re and set up speakers and musical instruments to play live music. One of her friends that I saw was her close guy friend. He looks okay, looked like an average guy. From what I’ve heard, his family owns a palayan and if I’m not mistaken, is the guy that she was talking about who only texted 5 times/ day. SUN cellular and Unlimited Texting wasn’t still invented. Cheap bastard. Nung araw na yun parang sarap nyang sapakin lang.

Graduation came and she pulled off the weirdest action ever that up to now I still think about it pero di ko pa rin maintindihan. She chose not to have a picture taken wearing a toga and to attend the Graduation practices. Dun talaga ako na-weird-duhan sa kanya. Was it traumatic for her? Is she one of those people who doesn’t give a crap about Graduation? Up to now I still think about that and wonder what she was thinking. Maybe she’s the kind who is closer with her Elementary / High school friends. Ah well.

Years gone by and judging from what I’ve seen from her Friendster and Facebook profiles, she is already married with that guy friend, has a child, working as an Animator and sidelines as a Photographer for wedding events. I believe she set up her own Photo studio with her husband on her hometown. She hardly ever shows up on reunions and small gatherings, so I still believe in my current theory. I wish her well, and thank that brief time when I was traveling, I was happy, and not alone. Yes, there would be times that you didn’t get the girl, but you’re happy with what she gave you even if it’s not what you wanted. She taught me that.

art by Jerald Dorado, text by me.

Write Now...

-rainy days are here again, although not sure if this is relevant to what I'm posting here.

-Aw, heck. most of what I would write here doesn't have a central theme, except for my "Torpe Road" series.

- I know, I know, I should already be finishing it by now, but I need some inspiration. Sometimes I feel like when I write that kind of post I need 110% of brain working, because not only do I need to make it witty, I also need to remember some events that are 5 years old.

- the saddest part is when I would post the "Road" entry here that is almost 4 pages long I feel it is under appreciated. *cue song "All By Myself" *

- it's like my Thesis defense back in college. I worked hard on the book supporting my Thesis painting but the professors/judges nary flipped the book and instead ranted on my painting. Ah well. Ganyan talaga buhay.

- don't worry, I'll start again in the near future , given some time and lots of Smart-C. (love that drink!!)

-emo stuff and shameful advertising aside, there's a lot on TV that I love to watch, like even though I'm old enough, I still get a kick out of watching animated cartoons, like Johnny Test and the new Bob's Burgers.

- having watched an episode of Hell's Kitchen as well, I'm surprised that Gordon Rameses isn't still dead from his potty mouth and insulting contestants.

-someone had a kick at the unearthed web pictures so I thought of doing another set. Here goes:

- don't know if this is true, but it feels like what the country China would do.

- this is pretty funny. Just shows that super-powered beings are no match on the arm of the Law.

- you think you got a BIGGER collection??? wala ka dito.

- someone's selling this 1982 Voltes V for 50,000php. check it here.

-one word. TITTIES. check her deviantart page here. (due to NSFW environment, you need to have an account to view the steamy pictures.)

-"the king"

Off-Topic...

- To the followers of this blog or to someone who knows my quirks, I'm guessing they really expect this hiatus from me.

- I know it's unforgiving, and I'm expecting to finish my "Torpe Road" entry by this year, but well... I gots lazy. (grammar error intended)

- Of course I always blame work, and there's Toycon fever, Facebook and fixing my ever-growing collectibles.

- I may need a muse to make my gears work overtime. Preferably of 36-38-34 vital stats. And oh, must also be a woman. Like this chick:

- Speaking of chick, I recently watched Transformers: Dark of the Moon and it was god-awful. The action dragged on, the robots were, as this guy has well-said: " the Transformers continue to serve more as plot devices than actual characters that you know and love."

- I wish I could find the director (Michael Bay) and kick him

in the nuts. I wish they would be able to fix it. Maybe cast Christopher Nolan (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, Inception) as a director, hmmm?

- Fast Five, or Fast and the Furious: Rio Heist was one of the big surprises this year. The story was simple but the pacing of the story was not bogged down by unnecessary

action (I'm looking at you, Dark of the Moon) I especially liked the last 15-20 minutes of the movie. They have plans to make a sixth sequel by next year. And I hope they would include this car:

- Hahaha, 57 Chevy fo' Life!!!!

- Anyway, here are some images I stumbled on the net that are on the category of weird/downright funny/cool.

- this what that large multi-colored construction robot from the

second Transformers movie should look like.

- Buddha with a Gatling Gun? Jesus with a cross-shaped axe? These are playing pieces for a board game called Playing Gods: The Board Game of Divine Domination. Check out the official website:

- Lastly, check this out. If you know Muslim religion, you would get this pic.

- See you all, 'till next post, hopefully not will take a while....

- "the king"

Strayin' A Little Bit Off the Road...

- Still lazy to write a new "Road" entry but want to say a bunch of stuffs.

- I was a little inspired by this site on this kind of set-up.

- So you could say this is like another "Pit Stop" but it's like I just took a quick leak.

- So, there are a bunch of collectibles that I want to buy, like these:

- Saw them on eBay and the net, but I'd prefer finding one in person on GreenHills or any upcoming Toy Convention held this May ( there are a few, actually)

- Sometimes I think of the collectors (me included) on buying a boxed or still-in-packaging toy and never opening it. They'd just display it on their case hoping that it'd fetch big bucks in the future. Parang bumili ka pa eh di mo naman pala bubuksan? Eh di sana di mo na lang binili at sayang lang din. Magmumukha ka lang na maliit na toy shop...

- Ouch. I feel like talking to myself din. Anyway, I got one of the most harshest criticism ever on this blog. She said that she finds my posts boring kasi puro English. I do appreciate the honesty din, but it hurt my ego a little bit.

- She does have a point, but I will still continue to write in English because I can express more in this manner.

- And, I will still write here kahit konti lang nagbabasa... *sniff*

- Bakit ganun? Mga walang kwentang post ng ibang tao andaming nag-ko-comment? e.g. " OMG I just had shrimp terayaki for lunch!!!1!! Super LUOORVEEE ko xa!!!! XD" followed by at least 30-50 replies....

- Gimme a break.... Or, bigyan nyo ako ng break... Hey, I'm an attention whore. I just have this mentality na on the internet people will be able to hear what you're saying... It's just that there people who prefer not to reply. Hey, ganun din naman ginagawa ko eh...

- Today I also feel tired. Inaantok ako, kaso pag matutulog na ako nawawala bigla. Hopefully I'll make up all the lost sleep later.

- Anyway, here's a random pic of a hot chick I dug up on deviantart, she looks like a 50's chick with lotsa tattoos. here is the rest of the pictures.

- well, that's all, time to walk again...

The Torpe Road Part 4

Welcome back to the “Road”!!! Granted, it took a while for me to write again, but we do have our conflicts. And besides, admit it or not, sometimes it’s a lot better to slack around than do something strenuous. We always hold off on things that we can do immediately. That’s the power of procrastination. It almost has the same influence as a grade school or High school kid discovering that he/she has no classes due to the weather. I miss the feeling

when just when I was about to get up from my bed to prepare to go to school my mother would tell me that classes got suspended from what she has heard on the radio. I would usually just turn around the side of my bed and sleep for an additional 1-2 hours. Life was pretty easy back then.

Now that I am working, those things are already a memory. You could still choose not to go to work if you know how to make an excuse or even make some fever-like mannerisms, but you could get sanctioned. That’s why there is Sabado Nights. At least you could still slack around a bit. Maybe hook up with a chick if you can. Ahhh, chicks. In high school we were given few options since our school was an exclusive all-boys before and when it became co-ed there were few women to ogle at. In college they were everywhere. It was like a carinderia. Madaming magpipilian. And so during that time I had a hand with a woman, who was all over me, but I refused. She will be named Las Pinas.

It was college. Luckily, I just spent the standard years there without taking summer classes or becoming an irregular student, or irreg for short. An irregular student is, by definition, a student that is taking few classes one seminar at a time. There are people like those because some are already working or kulang sa pera. It’s hard being an irreg because you feel left out with the younger classmates. Either way, on college there was a lot of freedom given.

I was playing my PS2, Counter-Strike, Battle Realms and DotA. I never really like DotA and Battle Realms since they take a while for the battles to heat up, but I had no choice since my barkada plays them. Wala akong choice kungdi laruin din yun at pag-tyagaan yung pag-le-level up. We were able to do those a lot since classes were pretty hassle-free. I took Fine Arts major in Painting at the time because I wanted to learn something new and explore my “artistic license”, so to speak. I mean, an ordinary school day is 5 hours of painting or drawing a human figure then 3-4 hours of either English, Mathematics or Theology class. Super-petix mode kami nun. Nahirapan lang kami nung last year na namin because we had to make and defend our Thesis. It was a solo work compared to a group effort so puyatan talaga. I would remember making a 12-ft. tall painting along with a 150-200 page book detailing the painting and my research. Man, it was tough.

Anyway, going back to my “endeavors”, in our University there were a lot of chicks nga, especially in Commerce course. There was even a place near the chapel and open field where we would sit on the stone benches and ogle at the fine women. I dubbed it the “Chick Road” and it clicked with my barkada. We would usually text “Uy, meet tayo sa Chick Road mamaya.” That was my biggest contribution to my group. Unfortunately, most of my barkada were also torpe. Puro sa tingin lang kami. Although I tried to court nursing student Qatar ( check Part 3 for more details ) I never summoned enough courage to approach or talk to someone outside our class. I should note that only a few of us were pretty shy withwomen. Some of mybarkada were matinik sa babae. But my closest friends? Wala, we were not Jersey Shore material.

But given the experiences that I had with the women in my High school and a way to start a new leaf because of a new set of people, friends and women, I’ve decided then to be more confident and befriend the opposite sex. I figure doing that will go a long way. Maybe someone will fall for me, or refer me to her friend. I was really ambitious, but it worked. I managed to talk to our female classmates and get close to some of them.

It was also during that time that I really became close to a female body. No, not a strip club, but I did went to one (but that’s another story) I became close in a way that I saw breasts, butts and curves thanks to FHM Magazine Philippines edition. Granted, I already saw nakedness in print form when I stumbled into my dad’s old Playboy Magazines but I was young. I wasn’t aware much of the female body and its workaround. I mean, I thought that kissing someone

in the lips is already sex. I fondly remember buying my first FHM: it was the June 2002 with the Sexbomb Girls on the cover. I bought that because there is the accompanying leaflet of the 100 sexiest women in the world. So besides the titillating pictures on the main magazine, there are also lots of pictures of different women on the leaflet. I remember skimming through the content and I masturbated to images of the still-new Jen Rosendahl. I mean, she had huge knockers. I originally plan on buying just the January (for the free calendar) and June (for the 100 sexiest supplement) of FHM, but I got hooked. I would always look for the new issue and buy it if the cover girl is attractive. Man, everybody fondly remembers the first time they bought an FHM.

Hot chicks aside, one of the classmates I got close to was Las Pinas. She was a few inches shorter than me, short hair, a little plump and has dark skin. She’s a little strange sometimes (more on that later) but nonetheless she was very nice to me and my barkada. She can be vocal at times. There was one time where we were waiting for our Professor to arrive at the studio that we did a little “debate”: to see who is better, the man or the woman. Of course, me and a couple of friends represented the man, she and a couple of friends represented the woman. I pointed out that women can be indecisive and moody. On the other hand they pointed out that men are so quiet and would prefer to be with his friends than his girlfriend. The “debate” almost got ugly but it was fun. I learned a lot on how women think. Most especially on how Las Pinas thinks. I mean, she’s really smart and can paint well.

There were times that I would separate myself from my group while we were sketching a live model and get to her set of friends and talk to her. That, and also borrow an eraser or a pencil from her. We talk a lot about stuff, like men being jerks, our family and TV shows. We would then laugh about everything and I felt content that I was talking to girls and I have removed my shyness. Las Pinas helped me with that. One of my professors noticed us and teased us as well as our class. It can be awkward at times pero nararamdaman ko na may feelings sya sa akin. I mean, we clicked together. I even called her my soul mate. I remember in a comic strip that this guy’s definition of a soul mate is someone who can finish the other’s sentences and knows what the other is thinking. Even though there are other ways to define a soul mate, I pondered on that comic strip and accepted that artist’s definition. She liked, for me, the fact I called her my soul mate. But, she’s not my type.

I know that beggars cannot be choosers, but I just accepted her as a friend. She can be weird at times. When I would text her sometimes she would reply “Hehehehehehe…” and parang lahat ng ginagawa mo may ibig sabihin sa kanya. I fear that if I would court her and we would go steady she would always bother me with nonsensical texts and kung anu-ano iisipan nya. At di sya sexy. I know it’s really unfair, pero I had a philosophy na “lagi ko na ngang nakikita sa bahay nanay at ate ko na mataba, pati ba naman girlfriend ko mataba??? ” which I still follow up to this day. It’s like if your vital stats are not those of a beauty queen, or at least close to it, wala, “Hi friend” na lang tawag ko sa yo. Yeah, I’m a beggar that chooses. Pake mo?

But even if I have no interest on her whatsoever, she helped me, and in turn I helped her too. There was this time that she had a feud with one of her best friends and she gave Las Pinas a crumpled letter. The letter read that she doesn’t want to be her friend anymore. Girls can be cruel. I comforted her and she was able to vent out her frustrations on me. There was also one time that I wanted to talk to her on the phone so I called her up and a family member

answered it and he called Las Pinas. I was shocked that she talked to me and it’s like she was panicking. Heck, it seems like she was hyperventilating. Parang madami syang gustong sabihin sa akin. I calmed her down and she was able to speak at a normal pace. Then at our annual University Christmas celebration she gave me a letter. Some parts of it read:

Ei… soulm8! Hello poh! Ok na poh me… di naman halata na di ako ok kc taba pa rinakoh… hehe. Thanks for being there…thank you poh talaga…Flash back lahat ng nangyari pus bigla mong nahulaan problema koh…kaya pala soulm8 kita lam mo lahat! Hehehe… Nga pala pasensia ka na kung medjo tinatago ko pa sayo pati pag-iyak ko kahit obvious… nahihiya lang me… tulad ngayon… nahihiya ako sayo…pasencia na ha…medyo magulo at ang daming iniisip ng utak koh. Minsan nga parang bigla na lang sasabog…hay…nahihiya lang ako kc baka isipin mo mahina ako, tanga…etc…pasencia na talaga. Gusto ko pang makipagkwentuhan sayo pero ikaw naman magkwento. Thanks for the time ha. Sana lagi kang andyan para kung gusto kong umiyak ulet…may magsesermon sakin. Hehehe…Enjoy ko pohmakipagkwentuhan sayo…Salamat poh talaga ng marami…ingatz lage…ditto lang poh me if you need me… God Bless

It was nice to be cherished by an opposite sex. I mean, I rarely get that, save my mother, of course. The same cannot be said for this one girl that I wanted to court (which I will give a name on the next “Road”) where I learned from Las Pinas that she has no interest on me. I mean, she just looked at me as a “friend” lang. I heard this from her over the phone that night. I was on our living room and everybody on our house retired on their beds. I was so aggravated at the world that I made a leap of faith:

Me: Las Pinas, bakit di na lang maging tayo?

Las Pinas: Ha?? Anong pinagsasabi mo?

Me: Wala, bakit di natin subukan?

Las Pinas: Ano ba yang pinagsasabi mo, (my name), gulo lang utak mo, itulog mo na lang yan.

You know, I thought during that time that she would say yes. Magulo lang talaga utak ko nun, di ko lang lubos na matanggap na magiging single ako forever. I guess she thought it would be a bad idea ( which it really is) to put together a relationship based on a spur-of-the-moment. After a few days I shrugged off of what happened that night and became distracted with DotA and making paintings (or what we would call “plates”).

But count it to old faith as it was the Holy Week that time and me and my family went out to a one-of-a-kind Visita Iglesia where we went to different Churches on the outskirts of the Philippines. We were going home then when she texted me. At first it was just small talk until she replied:

Las Pinas: ( my name ), naalaala mo pa ba yung tinanong mo sa akin dati?

Me: Oo, bakit?

Las Pinas: Oh, try nga natin.

Me: Ha???

I chuckled out loud at what she texted me. It seems that she’s aggravated at the world. Throughout that time I had no interest in accepting her offer because I just wanted to finish my Thesis next semester and I’m preparing my body for all the workload I’ll go through. So women can wait. I’m looking ahead for work life since I would have some more free time and more money to buy things I wanted (which got me into a full-fledged spree collecting toys). Anyway, I declined her offer and we graduated not as a couple, but as a fellow classmate.

Years have gone by and we went on our separate ways. I worked at a call center (I would like to note that I still got in touch with my passion for the Arts by joining an Independent Comic group, which is my first Love, and blogging ) and she pursued her passion for the arts by becoming an Art teacher at her High School. She had a handful with the students because she is teaching First Year to Fourth Year sections. Siguro kulang sa pera yung Alumni nya to get more teachers. I remember that I saw her again at a small reunion in a famous mall and she had eye bags as black as a mole. But all

her hard work paid off as she passed her board exam and got her license to teach recently. Good for her, at least she gets a little bit more on her paycheck. From what I’ve seen on her FaceBook profile she is in a relationship with her childhood friend and occasionally meeting with her college barkada. Up to now we were still teased and I still feel up to now she has feelings for me. Kapal ng mukha ko, oo, pero we men have that intuition.

So what have I learned here? It seems that there are people who chose to be single by choice. Even if there are some that fall for them, that person will still sift through the choices given to him/her and wait or pick someone they would much prefer. That person feels that life will give him/her something better if you just wait a little bit more. And if you just wait, you’ll get your just rewards. So wag mo na pakialaman mga ganun, di mo naman problema/buhay yun eh.

The Torpe Road (Pit Stop)

It's been a while since I've posted something here, but I am a writer, and I do have my moods (palusot!!)

Well, actually, I have internet problem (in short, walang load) and I do have a hard time writing what with my call-center lifestyle of "kain-tulog-idlip-nuod-ng-konting-TV-pikit-ng-konti-ang-mga-mata-pahinga" ek-ek... So my rest days are wasted on FB and writing more of my past. And oh, manual labor.

So here is a "pit stop" to sate your appetite while waiting for the next "Road" (soon, I promise) heck, I might even do more of this since I could post my playlists when I was young, post some excerpts from my "journal" that I'm writing on for 4 years or anything in between...

Anyway, here some music I am listening to get myself in the mood for being the "Lonely Torpe Traveler"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-WUpL1RORs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWNRUVMboq4

here is also something that I really love to listen back in highschool.. .it was a treat to download this on my laptop recently.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkS-QKaI-0w

here is also something that I associated this song when New

Zealand broke my heart... I remember that I cried to this once...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sz-NhGanOAE

And the ultimate anthem for the Torpe:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Une3L86kKk8

As a parting shot, here are some images I've edited using PhotoShop (model is Jahziel Manabat, Premiere Condoms Model Contestant) Like her on FaceBook, http://www.facebook.com/pageofjahzielmanabat:

The Torpe Road (Part 3)

Welcome back to the third part of the “Road”. First off, I’d like to thank all the people who read and enjoyed the last two posts regarding about my past heartbreaks and letdowns. I’ve had a lot I should’ve changed this instead to “The Loser Road.” But when you think about it, almost all of us had a fair share of failures where it changed you entirely or it made you stronger. I mean, because of it, you made a smash-hit song ( like the case with Jimmy Bondoc or Ogie Alcasid ) or painted masterpieces ( like with Vincent Van Gogh ) or made an influential comic ( like with Gerry Alanguilan ). But enough with the history. But hey, you got to thank me forgiving a little bit of trivia. Who knows when the answers to the questions in a game show you’ve joined are those that I’ve mentioned? But moving forward, this is about a girl that got away; the girl that probably will be mine but I got stupid. My first (and probably last) textmate, to whom we will call Qatar.

It was the year 2000. I was a third year high school student who loves Anime and drawing comics. The comedy part of GMA-7’s Bubble Gang “Ang Dating Doon” was pretty famous that they have a theme song and a catchphrase (remember “ALIEN?” “ALIEN.”) I also remember that there still wasn’t channel Animax yet so most of the Anime shows I watched are on AXN and GMA-7. AXN even has an annual Anime 12-hour Marathon that I always keep a close watch on. Today they make Marathons every other week or so (like the case with Star World on America’s Next Top Model or ETC on GLEE.). On my reasonable allowance I was also able to buy some stuff. One of the stuff I buy on a monthly basis back then was an Anime magazine named Questor: The Ultimate Anime Magazine. It was based on an old magazine back in the 70’s that the editorial team has revived. They have sections on everything Anime. Looking back, the magazine was okay. If you have internet access you could’ve gotten all the info that they’ve featured there. The comic was also crappy. The articles were full of those irritating emoticons. But it was that magazine that I met Qatar.

It was Volume 2 Number 7, which had a cover of Toguro smashing Eugene on the ground of Ghost Fighter fame that I skimmed through the letters section and saw a parting shot of the managing editor of the Letters section saying “ Nice to know you found new friends [a nickname]. By the way, others have followed your lead. [two email addresses] would like to hear from you guys via email. =^_^=” As soon as I read that part, I got myself thinking, “Hmmm… bakit hindi? Wala naman mawawala sa ‘kin… try ko na rin. “ I was rather new to the internet, but I knew the dangers of it. I knew the spam emails and the people who wanted to befriend you but have different motives. Being aware of those I decided to just go with it and picked one email from the two that seemed “safe” and appealing. I typed my name, age and something regarding about her request on the magazine and sent it to Qatar. A few days later she shot back a reply. I was thrilled. The messages continued for some time with emails containing things about our interests and where we study, etc. I also quickly knew that she is a year older than me but that was never a hindrance. There’s even an email where she showed her talent on making poems.

Fast forward a few years and New Zealand and Valenzuela City came. I was at first do not have plans on making the moves on Qatar since exchanging emails can be rather slow. I sent her a message asking for her celfone number. Sure enough, she sent her number and I saved it on my phone. The “getting-to-know” part got a lot easy because replying was quicker. You don’t have to refresh the page on your computer to know that you got new mail. I was also thrilled with one of her texts before that I had new hope on college:

Me: Ay, Qatar, saan ka ba nag-aaral?

Qatar: Sa [a famous University], Nursing kinukuha ko…

Me: Ay ganun ba? Dun din ako mag-aaral eh. Hahahaha…

Qatar: Talaga? Buti naman kung ganun…

When I read that text message I was pretty lucky to know her as she is also studying at the same University and meeting her for a quick chat or a pseudo-date would be easier. Yeah, I was one of those people who want to be several steps ahead of a certain position. So then I made a “ bet” on her. In other words, “binangko” ko sya. I said, “ pwede si [Qatar]. Kahit di ko pa nakikita sya sa personal close na rin kami. Pwede ko syang ligawan.” It was also during that time that I was with Valenzuela City. I was having feelings for her, and at the same time I was falling for Qatar. I know it sounds childish and foul, but I was really new to this courting thing, and besides, di ko pa naman sila jowa so okey lang din mamili kahit paano. But faith can be playful at times as deciding who to “court” got simple as to what happened to Valenzuela City (check Part 2 for more details.) Honestly, I was ready to court Valenzuela City and (perhaps) leave Qatar altogether if she didn’t do that stupid stunt. Anyway, I graduated from High School and at one time I almost thought I would finally meet up with Qatar at an Anime Convention (one of the first in the country, I might add) that she backed out. She said she was busy with something so we can’t meet. I was disappointed but I still enjoyed the sights that day.

It was right through that instance that I asked what she looked like. It’s a very funny story, read on:

Me: Qatar, tanong ko lang, sinong kamukha mo?

Qatar: Uhhmm.. sabi ng mga kaibigan ko na kamukha ko raw yung batang version ni Claire Dela Fuente. Eh ikaw ?

Me : Well, sabi nila kamukha ko si Mike Shinoda ng Linkin Park…

I know that it’s pretty far-fetched, but if you look hard enough, I do look like the famous singer of the Nu-Rock band. Back then, we both have same nature with styling our hair, minus the goatee and I was 50-70 pounds lighter. It was a pretty hard gamble, but it paid off in a way. So wag nang kumontra, sapakin ko kayo eh..Thanks also to our constant texting (one time I was even texting her while I was eating lunch at home) that we developed a term of endearment for each other. That was also my first, so it was pretty memorable. She called me Keiichi, since I have told her that I love the Anime Ah! My Goddess and that was the name of the lead male character in the series. I was thinking of something to call her, I just looked up a Japanese word and called her Kunoichi. She then replied:

Qatar: Ano yung Kunoichi?

Me: Japanese word yun for female ninja. (FYI, Shinobi is the word for a male ninja).

Qatar: Yun na lang tawagan mo sa akin, since katunog nya Keiichi. Hehe.

Me: Sige ba. Hehe…

I also had an opportunity on talking to her on the phone when she gave me her landline

number. I called her at night and since we had a wireless phone, I often talked to her at places in our house that is quiet. I finally heard her voice and she sounded sweet. One funny instance that I did was while I was talking to her, I felt the urge to pee. Sensing that I don’t want to lose the “feel” of the conversation, I talked to her even while I was peeing on our toilet. I made sure that my trail of urine would not hit the toilet water so she would not get turned off and suspect that I was relieving myself. Not sure if she did notice it, but she didn’t brought it up during the entire conversation so it was fine, although I’m sure the echo in the background because of the bathroom tiles could be a dead giveaway.

Anyway, luck finally caught up with me as I was able to meet up with her. I was going to be interviewed at the University as it is one of the requirements for enrolling there. I asked if she would like to meet up, “EB” or “eyeball” as she has said and she agreed. I also asked for my sister’s companionship on my trip to the University since I’m still rather new at commuting. Can’t really remember what the questions are, and I didn’t care much since I was really looking forward to meeting with Qatar. She asked me to text her when I’m already finished and she gave out a description of what she’s wearing so I could notice her immediately. We were supposed to meet at a car park near the building that I got interviewed and said she was wearing a red shirt.

I noticed her right away. She was of average height, pretty slim, straight hair of shoulder length (but she tied it in a ponytail fashion on that day) and has a dark complexion. I approached her and we “dated” on a nearby mall. I say “dated” because my sister also accompanied us there. I know it’s a big no-no for “EBs” but she wasn’t much of a nuisance, plus I wasn’t ready on those kinds of dates where I was “ridin’ solo” so I appreciated her being there. Qatar was very nice to me and she was the one who usually brings up a subject for us to talk about. We watched “ICE AGE” and I could’ve made those “moviehouse moves”, like the “mag-iinat-na-kunwari-inaantok-tapos-biglang-akbay-sa-kanya” or “tipong-nalalamigan-ka-ba?-sabay-hawak-sa-hita-nya-with-matching-himas-pa-para-kunwari-pinapainitan-sya”. Yeah, style ng mga bulok, but I never did those since I’m Torpe and I’m with my sister. Too bad we didn’t take a Neoprint picture during that time to preserve the meories.

We were able to meet up again between the texting and one phone call on my first week as a college student, or freshman as often called, during those orientations-slash-festivals to make us freshman comfortable and be aware of the sights and attractions of the University. I remember that I want to meet Qatar again and she agreed. I almost backed out since I was sweating like crazy and I don’t want her to see me in that condition. Still, I took the opportunity and we met at a place in the University that I was not yet familiar with so I asked someone for directions. When I walked there a woman stood up and smiled. It’s a good thing she recognized with my uniform since she looked a little different while wearing her Nurse uniform. She looks beautiful. I mean, I’m a sucker for women in uniform so I was dazed when I saw her again. We talked about college life and her duty on the hospital. I gave her a keychain as a little gift that I bought 2 months ago. Can’t remember what it is, but I think it’s a Spongebob Squarepants mini-figure since she loves the show. She liked it and said that it goes well with her apron on her uniform. Flattery can get you anywhere since I was touched by what she said. A fellow classmate also saw us during that time and I thought to myself I have bragging rights now that someone saw me with a girl. It’s like a fresh new start for building my “cred” at school. Yeah, that's how I measured it back then.

We met up again a few weeks ago and I was with my barkada, and she was with her barkada as well. We met at a nearby Jollibee store and talked about stuff, like how their mammoth books costs and their medical equipment. One really, really funny incident that happened during that time was with my best friend. I wasn’t really yet aware of those “kikindat-sa-yo-sabay-sesenyas-na-aalis- na-para-smooth-exit-para-di-nakakahiya-sa-kinakausap-mo” moments, so I was surprised when he texted me saying he has to leave and we have to make an excuse or alibi for him to leave the place. Instead I said:

Me: Pare, ikaw itong nag-text ah..

My Friend: Ah, eh, oo nga… sige aalis na ko. Me pupuntahan pa ko. Sige!!!

It was really funny. I was so naïve back then. I remember my friend saying to me after a few days: “Putang-ina, ang tanga-tanga mo. Bobo!!!!” Even a few years has passed we were still bringing that incident up and I can’t help but laugh about it.

We were able to meet up a couple of times during the first few weeks of college, like the time I accompanied her to buy a ping-pong paddle for her P.E., when she was preparing for her duty so I had to wait at the lobby in her dorm and when she had a hard time making a request to update her name plate since she has two Middle initials.I mentioned all of our meet-ups because that’s all the time I had with her. Qatar became immersed in her studies and I was also adjusting to college life as well. Whenever I would text her she wouldn’t reply or she would say “busy ako sa studies eh. Sorry…” I just shrugged her off and I became busy with girl-watching and playing network games like Counter-Strike with my barkada. It was 3 years later that I met her again unexpectedly at our annual University year-end festival. She was the one who first noticed me and it took a second or two for me to recognize her since it was really out of the blue. We talked a little and she introduced me to her boyfriend at that time. (cue audience track AAAAAWWWWWW…)

Qatar became one of the few girls that I courted that I’ve added to

my Friendster and Facebook profile so I was able to know her status even if I still don’t see her personally. From what I’ve seen on her pictures, (yeah, I’m a stalker, Pake mo???) she graduated a few years ago and has worked as a nurse at the operating room (not sure if that is one of the higher positions in being a nurse, but that is pretty impressive, to say the least.) in a famous hospital. She broke up with her boyfriend that I met before and is currently engaged (cue again : AWWWWWW) with her present boyfriend and she is working in Qatar. Hopefully the recent escalations that are happening in the Middle-Eastern countries won’t affect that place. Honestly, I wish her well on her future and it was nice that I’ve met her, even for a short period of time.

So kids, the moral of the story? Be persistent. Eyes on the prize, and all that stuff. If she’s worth something, fight for it.