Rockin' Valentine: An Estrogen Valentine Concert Observation

February 14. The date is very well-known to people all over the world as it is the day that we celebrate Valentine's day, a celebration of love to a family member, girlfriend, boyfriend or your wife/husband. While some go to great lengths and cash to find a perfect venue for their Valentine date, others just settle for something different. Something...alternative.

This is what I experienced when I attended a Valentine Concert entitled "An Estrogen Valentine" at B-Side at the Collective in Malugay Street, Makati City last February 14. It was produced by my cousin who manages a music studio in Canada and an OPM advocate. The name of the event suggests that it is mostly women performing in front of a crowd. And it is not far from the truth.

I attended the place at a suited time, with my date in tow. She was opting for a Ogie Alcasid-Regine Velasquez concert at Smart Araneta Coliseum but I promised a long time ago that I'd support my cousin's concert. Besides, it was pretty close to where I'm residing. It was my first time to go to The Collective, so I really don't know what to expect. Turns out that it is almost what the name of the place implies: a place for a select group of people like rockers, skaters, art aficionados, food connoisseurs and music critics. There are stores that sell foreign food, skateboards, art toys and bars. The place is at B-Side, a bar as well. The ticket price is 200php/person, with a special rate of 300php for couples. There are 2 free beers per ticket and a free copy of December 2011 Esquire Magazine, with TV5 President Manny Pangilinan on the cover. The event was pretty big and had tables and chairs. The makeshift stage had the large amps installed along with party lights hanging from above. It also has some LED lights and a smoke machine placed on the stage for some effects to the music experience. Trippy. There are some air conditioners as well since it was outside the actual bar but there are places that the air conditioner doesn't reach, which is where we are at. It was a little humid but it can be tolerated. The place was dim but not dark. We were near the stage but we were facing the left side of the performers.

As usual with Filipinos, there is the notorious "Filipino Time" so the event started at least 3 hours late of the set time. But we could also attribute to the large traffic since it is February 14. Dylan of JACK TV's The PEEP show and UN radio DJ fame hosted along with a tall, foreign guy that I have no idea who he is. Sorry, guy.. The first performers were Flying Ipis. They're an all-girl band that plays indie-punk music. This is my first time to listen to the band but they're featured in FHM but I wasn't able to follow what they're playing. They're pretty loud, or that's one of the disadvantages of live music. The vocalist was going around in circles while singing, so their band name really applies to her. You almost want to swat her with a slipper. Their last song started with the vocalist screaming using a megaphone. It was a pretty good touch.

A filler singer-rapper came next, Urban Hope of Fliptop fame. He was the one who was supposed to play first but was late. He's disabled so he's on a wheelchair. But that didn't stop him from rapping about peace and the "hard life". He also sang the late Francis M's masterpiece, "Kaleidoscope World" to which the crowd sang to, especially the chorus part. He also invited some street kids that would be on Kitchie Nadal's act later on to sing with him, and the 2 kids were very talented.

Next on the act was Turbo Goth, a 2-member couple band that plays techno-pop-goth. The vocalist is a very statuesque female who models. The guy is the one who supplies the sounds through his guitar, tambourine and a synthesizer as well as entertainment in the form of him gyrating a lot and jumping all over the place. I kept on shouting after every song that he should be sedated. They were pretty good , they made a very explosive start. Their music is not that loud like the first band, but as usual I can't follow their songs except for their cover of "Bizarre Love Triangle". In the end they asked a friend in the audience to play along with them and if I didn't know better, they'd almost want to thrash the stage if not for the sake of other bands performing after them.

After some "parlor games" were done to give time for the band to sound-check their equipment and also to promote the event's sponsors, Imago was up. My girlfriend and I was really waiting for them to play because at least we can follow what they are playing. I was a little surprised that the vocalist was pretty small in person. But it was never a hindrance, just an observation. I'm glad that after all these years the band is still together with the original members still intact. Everybody in the crowd sang to their hits "Sundo" and "Akap". It was a good set.

Next came Kitchie Nadal. It has been a while since she moved to Canada, and she looked more girly than before, with leggings, a yellow sequined sleeveless top and a purple scarf. She played her new songs first, where I've noticed that it is more political than her previous songs about love and relationships. She also collaborated with some street kids who rapped and beat-boxed along with Kitchie's chords. She played a lot of songs, more than the previous band's, which also includes her old-time favorites "Wag na Wag mong Sasabihin" and "Same Ground".

Next up is a new band called Junior Oca Experience. It's like they're a filler band but they really delivered. They're the best example of a band playing live music. They're loud but audible. The vocalist sings very clearly. But they played almost for 30 minutes with 2 songs ("Banal na Aso, Santong Kabayo" and "Englishman in New York") and 1 instrumental. Why that few? Because they played too long, with their saxophone, drums, bass guitar, lead guitar solos. There was even a part where the drummer went to the microphone and did some beatboxing as well as the vocalist using a voice synthesizer and imitating some guitar chords. It was entertaining and you get your money's worth but it was too darn long. I joked that if they would make a full-length album it would take 2 and a half hours to finish. And after they finished their set you would think twice about asking for an encore.

Finally Up Dharma Down performed in front of the crowd, and you could see that they are the ones that the people are waiting for. They got excited, and clamored to be in the nearest place to look and hear the band. The vocalist had a new hairdo and performed well, although most of the songs on the set are new to me. I only know one song from their set and it's the song "Oo". What I noticed is their sound requires a lot of sound-distortion technology. You'd see the guitarist step on the foot pedal that controls what sound his guitar is making numerous times. I humorously thought that when he stepped on one pedal his car would drive by itself. At near of the end of the set the vocalist urged the audiences to get really close to them. I guess she'd want their fans to get a good picture/video of them to show to their friends. She was very hospitable. In the end they looped a soundbyte that gave a surprising exit of the stage.

The show ended at 3am. It was tiring but the show was a success and made me renew my interest in OPM. It just goes to show that Valentine dates don't need to be really expensive as long as it makes you spend time with each other and learn a thing or two from your partner. Like girl empowerment. And knowing the meaning of the word "Estrogen".

-"the king"

P.S. I kid, I know what estrogen means.

all photos copyright 2012 Mari Arquiza

Rants Galore

- It has been a while since I've ranted on this blog. I had to sacrifice that so I could tell my story on the many, many women that I've caroused before. And now that it is done ( plus a "reaction paper" of sorts to those who have reacted ) I feel like I want to set fire to a building.

- I want to say a lot, I just don't know where to start.

- Heck, there are some things I want to say that are pretty political. Well, here goes:

- I think people joining the marathon as a way to "save the environment" is a big baloney. For one, the money that you pay mostly goes to the drinks that they would give to the thirsty runners, those numbers that you place on your body, prize giveaways, the rent of the road, the security to avoid having runners being run over by motorists and the goodie bags ( I remember a conversation one time that there was this one guy that joined a marathon just to get the giveaways like the tote bag and lanyard and didn't finish it ). So only 20% of your money goes to the environment. Sure, you could think about the sponsors and the government shelling out cash just for promotion and a humanitarian effort, but I still think they'd get money from the registration fee. So for me, run just to meet new people and to melt some few pounds.

- Because of the popularity of social networks, I find it quite irritating that there people complaining of an "invasion of privacy". PLEASE. There are "apps" on Facebook, for example, that tells your friends of where you are at that exact moment. So the "invasion of privacy" skit? You're creating your own ways of invading your privacy.

- Every time I go to the grocery, I'm quite impressed by the huge number of foods available, ranging from fresh produce to processed foods. So it is pretty impossible that there are lots of hungry people out there. We people of the world are just greedy, that's all.

- I also notice that the ratio of trees to buildings in a cityscape is 2:15. That's why there is that "global warming" thing. A lot of architects, engineers and the CEOs of those buildings can sacrifice a little space just for those trees to grow more. Sure there are still some that growing out of a condominium, BUT IT'S NOT ENOUGH.

- No matter how smart you are in this world, it's quite sad that men judge women by their cup sizes.

- Because of the humor website 9gag, many people all over the 'net would say juvenile things like "BITCH PLEASE", "stupid lvl over 9000" , "thank you captain obvious", etc. etc. Man, where is the substance?

- Die-hard toy collectors still look "single-by-fate", balding, fat and nerdy. When will that stereotype end?

- oh yeah, i'm back...

- "the king"

The Torpe Road Aftermath

It has been less than 3 weeks since I’ve finished my “The Torpe Road” series and I was glad it was over. Looking at my track record of making something, I have the tendency na hindi tapusin yung nasimulan ko. With that said, I was really happy to tell my story to the world and all the reactions I have gotten. There were times na nagugulat ako sa sarili ko at kaya kong magsulat ng isang passionate na blog post. Here are some of the quotes that I received from those who have read it:

“Ayos tong story mo man. I actually read the whole thing”

“nice blog dude”

“nice one”

“detalyado masyado nakalagay”

“thanks for the memories (teary eyed) hahaha...”

“nabasa ko blog mo. Maganda…”

“im now a fan…”

“ayos yung blog mo na the Torpe Road a”

“ok naman nakakarelate ...dapat sayo mag DJ kanalang pare se

ryoso“

“naalala ko ata lahat yan lol”

“kinda maganda”

“damn it! where is the like button? *fist bump

And of course I would get this:

“masyadong mahaba”

Lazy cretins.

One of most thought-provoking reactions that I got is from a friend on the office. She said that I seemed pretty proud for telling my story sa mga niligawan ko, that I seemed to embrace my failures and that the “The Torpe Road Series” exposed my personality more. Hey, without knowing your failures and learning from it, you wouldn’t get far. Hats off to her.

Anyway, what surprised me is I received violent reactions from the people I have written about 9 months after I have posted my story. At sila pa yung di ko ine-expect na magre-react (in fact, I was just expecting one). Alam ko naman na me mag-rereact, di ko lang inasahan na ganito katagal. Just shows how today’s generation got lazy and would prefer to watch the movie adaptation instead of reading the actual novel. That, and also walang magbabasa ng blog mo kung di mo binanggit ang isang kakilala mo, na ikwekwento ng kakilala nya, and so on and so forth.And the reactions from these people that they’ve posted are something else. I read them and kita mo na me pinaghuhugutan, na she didn’t like me ever since. And the other one misinterpreted my story on her. Kids today. Sheesh.

I felt it is proper to make a post on my blog to have my say on what they’ve said to me, ‘coz some of them are sorta low-blow. So what I’ll do is show to you people what they’ve said, and then explain more clearly my opinion and what they should understood…

Read this post first here, then get back here...

“For the record, kaya hindi ako nagpaligaw sayo kasi obvious ang desperation mong mgka-gf! My Gad! Sa sobrang desperate, pumasok ka sa callcenter kasi alam mo na dun madami chicks, madaming bading, konti lalaki. may 90% chance ka talaga mgka-gf dun! Yakang-yaka naman ang [my name]. Wag mag-feeling! (uunahan ko na, hindi ko nilalahat ang callcenter, karamihan lang!)“

See? Talagang me pinaghuhugutan. While she may be true that I was kinda desperate sa pagliligaw sa kanya, my reasons for working in a call center is because I want to get a high-paying job. To quote myself, “I know na medyo malayo sya sa pinag-aralan ko, pero one thing led to another. Besides, I don’t want to be that one guy na 8 buwan na naghahanap ng trabaho na related sa work nya at wala pa ring mahanap, or yung nakahanap nga ng ganung trabaho pero nasa isang environment na paulit-ulit ang tinutugtog na pambatang kanta at walang water dispenser sa pinagta-trabahuhan nila. Believe me, I know some people.” I never knew that the ratio of man to woman is 1:4 not until I was already there.

And by the way, hayop sa english skills ah! very..hmm..artistic? Sa uste mo natutunan?

Back then I was already well-versed in writing and speaking in English. I’ve already been writing blogs in Friendster. And hey, this is art in itself. Art is not limited to just painting strokes on a canvas. Art is, as defined by Merriam-Webster, “skill acquired by experience, study or observation”. A skater doing backflips, a speaker having his stand on pollution and writing a fictitious story is an art form in itself.

Read this post first here, and then get back here…

you do need a permission to use other peoples picture or they can sue you... (so think)

While this can be done, it just would look silly asking for permission to get a photo and that person asking you why, and then telling that person why. It would just complicate things. Di syapractical. It was a calculated risk. And besides, madaming mga Facebook fan page na kumukuha ng photos sa ibang tao, dapat ma-sara na sila kung ganun.

and people who think so low about teaching? what do you know? ...pati profession ko as a teacher tinira mo? ndi kana masaya sa mga pinagsusulat mo, matira mo lng ang isang tao dahil napaka bitter mo, yes we couldn't get that high salary they are paying in your field, but we meet and share life and grow together, I earn respect, love and happiness.

Now I never made fun of her profession as a teacher, what I’ve said was, “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.” Clearly I am questioning her Alumni’s budget to get more teachers, and not making fun of Teachers. It just wouldn’t be right because I was also taught by teachers, that’s why I can do Trigonometry and speak in a large group of people.

So there. I had my say, if ever they wouldn’t invite me to any reunions, I’ll respect their decision. But honestly, I could care less, I want to write more and explore the world…

In closing, a colleague comforted me by saying that we are shock artistes, we live for reactions.

- "the king"

The Torpe Road Conclusion

And here we are again, to end all that needs to be ended. It was fun while it lasted, despite my unpredictability to keep the story moving because of my failure to keep the gears on my brain working. I mean, sure, I could have just write all of it in 2-3 months, but it just wouldn’t be the same. Mawawala ang wit, ang humor and most especially, the passion (naks!) to tell the most wonderful story ever done since The Notebook by Nicholas Parks. Or maybe Hachiko: A Dog’s Story (kahit di ko pa napanuod yung either versions sa DVD.) Again, before we begin, I would like to extend my gratitude to all those who read, natawa and nakarelate sa mga sinulat ko. You made this Torpe guy happy. Mas matutuwa pa ko kung na-recommend nyo pa ito sa mga kakilala nyo. At kung sinabi na “ayoko, ang haba naman” you have my permission to maul him/her.

Now that is out of the way what I find interesting is I promised myself na isusulat ko lang yung mga experiences ko sa mga niligawan ko, at hindi sa mga girlfriend ko. Pero I felt like it just wouldn’t be right if I didn’t tell my story on them. And besides, I only had 2 girlfriends (I’m a late bloomer, really), so this will be short. I decided not to tell all since some are pretty intimate.Sa amin-amin na lang yung ibang detalye.

It was 2008. So there I was, being dumped again for the 8^th time by Singapore at work. I was so frustrated at the world that I just want to piss at it. No girl is giving a damn on me so I felt like I just want to concentrate on work, be with my friends and laugh at everything and just let a potential girl come to me. Ayoko na maghirap pa. Kung me magparamdam man o wala, okey lang sa akin, I’m having fun without a girlfriend. It seemed the most logical thing to do during that time.

Until I met this girl at our office. She will be named Cubao. Cubao is of average height, almost at 5’6, has long shiny black hair, a distinguishing mole at her upper lip and a morena. One attention-grabbing thing here is she works as a security guard in our office. Now before you all raise your eyebrows and say something demeaning like “pumatol ka sa guard?, Lola na ba yan???” or “bumaba na standards mo p’re” hear me out. For one, she is not your ordinary security guard. She was statuesque. In short, seksi nya. In fact, what attracted me

when I first saw her at the front of the glass door separating our production floor from the lobby is her hubog. She had curves on the right places.

She was new to the agency pero di ko sya napansin until mga few days ago. I remember when really I saw her I did a double take. Parang, “wow, guard ito???” What’s really amazing about me and men in particular is sasabihin mo na ayaw mo na umibig ulet, pero once na me nakita ka na natipuhan mo, gagaling agad ang puso mong nasaktan. Which is what happened to me. I would go in out of the doors more often and talk to her. I remember when she asked me what my name is I gave a fake one. I gave Armando, if I’m not mistaken.

Then one time after work it was still in the afternoon and I was already at home since malapit lang ako sa office I have decided out of the blue to get her number. I mustered enough courage and reviewed the tips given to me by my friends and when I stepped out of the elevator I saw her with a fellow male guard. She was playing with a rubber ball since mga ganung oras wala nang tao sa production floor at petix mode na lang. I asked for her number and she obliged. I texted her in the evening and dun na nagsimula lahat.

Sa mga sumusunod na araw me routine na ko: after work, tambay muna sa office para makipag-kwentuhan kay Cubao. Then after her shift nagte-text-an kami. I learned a lot about her dahil sa pag-tatambay ko. She finished College from Davao but one thing lead to another that’s why she took the job of a security guard, likes Hamonado and treats her hair with hot oil. What I also found out that surprised me is that we have a 7-year age gap. But honestly, it wasn’t a factor. Heck, di nga pansin sa itsura nya. We clicked and I felt na me tsansa ako sa kanya. I guess we have that feeling.

A month or two after that first meeting, I asked her the magic question during one time na hinatid ko sya pauwi. Kung tayo na ba. She said yes and I can’t remember what happened after but I feel like a million bucks. I was the happiest guy on the world during that time.

After 23 years of being single, I’m a boyfriend to someone.

News spread fast on the office. Some of my officemates gave me a “mental fist bump”, congratulating me on the effort that I did. She is a looker, after all. There is also the usual teasing, like “uuyyy, si [my name] binata na”, “makakapasok na si [my name] ng kahit ano sa loob ng production floor” and “pag-swipe ng scanner nya me kasama pang kiss”. But I didn’t mind. Kasama talaga yun pag me nalamang balita na me jowa ka.

Speaking of kiss, with Cubao it was the first time I had an “intimate” kiss. Torpe as I am, I was not a “dude with no kiss experience”. I had my first kiss with a gradeschool classmate. Then after that I had some run-ins with some “bars” but it wasn’t passionate. There was no emotion involved. With Cubao I got that. I remember during Highchool a classmate of mine said to me that kissing a girl is no different from kissing your own skin. He even demonstrated by kissing his hand. I guess he has his opinion (and besides, gwapo rin sya so I’m sure nakarami na yun ng babae) , but for me, iba pa rin eh.

We were able to go out and watch movies and shop around on malls, despite her tight schedule. I was even able to meet her older brother one time. What I like about her is regardless of the age gap, or the “November-December” affair, she can be easily amused. Natatawa sya agad sa mga jokes ko. And her maturity helps when we have arguments; we can never be mad with each other for more than a day. I guess you could say I found the girl I’ve been looking for, unconventional as it may seem.

But alas. Things started to get complicated for me to handle and kapal man ng mukha ko, I just don’t know what to do that time, I LET GO… As I’ve written on a blog post years ago “…accepted a terrible fate and moved on.” While I cannot expound much on what happened, let’s just say that I was placed in a situation where I had to make a choice and my decision made me break up with her. She got hurt and I was depressed during the next few days. I wasn’t able to move on properly so I still “became friends” with her in the strictest sense. Kinakamusta ko sya sa work, tine-text ko pa at kumain pa kame sa labas. I know it sounds pathetic, but I thought that I’d let her first find someone then stop pestering her.

This occurred for a couple of months but then something happened in a way where I saw how she can get angry that I decided not to talk or pansinin na sya. Maybe it’s just karma for what I did to her before or a method from the Heavens to stop me from dwelling on the past, but I had to toughen up and just throw my lovelife in disregard. I remember na pinatugtog ko yung kantang “The Last Time” by Eric Benet habang naghuhugas ako ng pinggan sa bahay. This time, I had enough. My only consolation is I was able to experience being a boyfriend and at least di ako mamatay na single since birth. Hey, some people are a lot Torpier than me.

And well, you know what happened after that if you’ve been following my “Road” series. Our team had a new agent, fresh from training. She will be named Fairview.

Fairview is of average height, almost at 5’4. She has long flowing black hair up to her upper arm, has a petite frame and a very distinguishing face. I only saw her when she was taking calls when I was just about to go my respective station. I thought that she’s an agent from another team who took up our space because there are no more available stations. I was introduced to her and several of my teammates by my Team Manager. When I saw her she looked cute and wanted to get to know her better. I was given that chance when my Team Manager made me sat next to her because she needed someone to help her with the concerns of the callers. What was really amusing about that time is I “broke the ice” with some corny jokes.

Me: May joke ako sa mayonnaise…

Fairview: Ano?

Me: Wag na, baka i-spread mo eh… Ito na lang, me joke ako sa dahon…

Fairview : Ano yun ?

Me: Wag na, green eh…

Really clichéd as it is, it helped me introduce myself to her despite the forced laugh from her. I learned from our talks between taking calls that this is her second job, likes 90’s Tagalog romance movies (Jolina-Marvin, Rico Yan-Claudine, John Lloyd-Bea etc.) and rates Sinigang na Baboy as her favorite food. Nagustuhan ko na sya nun since she’s very down-to-earth and very girly, something I look for in a girlfriend. The only problem is she has a boyfriend that is still working on her previous company. Pero sinabi nya na medyo nagkakalabuan na sila because of the “things men do”. I just thought that I should just be there for her when she really needs it, most especially those times. What’s really outstanding about my time with Fairview is that di ako humingi masyado ng payo sa mga kaibigan ko. Every joke, comfort and any manly thing I did to her, sariling kayod ko lang. You could say that my “teachers” (Bone Guy, Air Man 2 and Smooth Guy, see Part 7) taught me well.

I just waited patiently for the time when they would break up so I would seize the opportunity. That time did come and I presented myself in a different manner to her. We ate at some nearby restaurants after shift and I would accompany her to her ride home. It was that moment where my brain asked a question that has been bothering me ever since I found out that she’s single: “Pare, di ka ba mukhang rebound lang nyan?”

That’s when I asked some advice to my “teachers” and a few officemates and all of them gave me the same conclusion: “Wag mo na isipin yun masyado”, “Sa tingin mo papatulan nya lang yung unang nanligaw sa kanya after sya nakipag-break dun sa jowa nya???” “Di importante yun, pake nila???” I heeded their advice and I even asked her out to watch a movie and she said yes. It was that time at the mall that I got to know her better. I even presented to her my passion for collectibles in a toy store. She even learned my time with Cubao. What was really touching and showed that she also had interest in me is she bought me a toy that I’ve been looking at for some time during our date at the mall. I’ve been meaning to buy it but it’s a little expensive. That was very memorable and sweet.

A few days have gone by and eventually I became a little demanding and on the last few minutes of the shift I said to Fairview that our time together would be useless pag hindi pa naging tayo. She checked the clock on her telephone where she is taking calls and marked it as our official time as a couple. I was very, very proud of myself.

I saw in Fairview a very sweet woman, who makes little gestures that makes you feel loved. She also loves my jokes and my constant commentary sa lahat ng bagay na nakikita ko. While we do have our differences on music and movie choices, it was never an issue. And while we do have our ups and downs, they are not enough to bring our relationship to an end. We’ve been to places, celebrated birthdays, gone on countless dates, ate at a dozen restaurants, saw a lot of different kinds of movies, laughed together, met the potential in-laws, met each other’s friends, shared stories and so on and so forth.

I’d like to think that the UPs are what makes it worth it in a relationship, while the DOWNs are the ones that make us think if it really is worth it. So is she worth the journey that I’ve been through? Is she the diamond in the rough na matagal ko nang hinahanap? Is Fairview my “End of the Torpe Road?”

Ay pare, p*t*ng*na, oo…

In the strictest sense ,for now,

THE END.

The Torpe Road Part 8

At times we have a motto that best reflects what happened in a part (or “slice”) of our life. It can either be something that changed how you handle situations or your train of thought. It can also be something that many people follow, like those found in many self-help books. Each and every one of us has mottoes, but I know this particular one you people have experienced. It goes:

“Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it.”

That simple but deep saying is what this post is all about. Sure, I could cite some examples supporting this saying, like the succeeding People Power movements that occurred in the Philippines, or the U.S. invasion of Vietnam and Iraq, and that question in an exam that you heard or saw before, pero di mo binigyan ng pansin na feeling mo di mo na siya makikita muli. But in a nutshell it’s all about me not learning from my past experiences with women. It seems I never really learn.

It was the second half of 2006, and I am working in a call center. I have met a lot of friends in my batch ranging from unusually-looking transvestites, working students and people who work for a couple of months and then “jump” to another call center company (we call those “call center hoppers”). We were already in the stage of taking calls and seeing if we are ready to be transferred to a team or if we still need training. Luckily, all of us pass and one really lucky thing here is a small part of our batch would be made into a whole new team, led by a newly promoted Team Manager. Nasama ako dun sa team so di na ako mahihirapan sa pagkikilala sa kanila. The others were placed on other existing teams and I believe that our closeness with each other made them feel alienated so they resigned a few months after. It was sad, but it didn’t matter to me. I was all set to be a “yuppie” or “young professional”. My team consists of my close buddies on training (as I have talked about on my previous post), as well as this unique girl, which we will Singapore.

Singapore is petite, but not small. She has long black hair up to her forearms and has a faint moustache (like with Qatar, see Part 3). She has this cute smile and uncanny innocence that would make you want to talk to her (more on that later). Besides that she is from the same training class I’m in, me pumorma na rin sa kanya sa class namin before pero di sya sineryoso. She is the best friend ng niligawan ko before, si Bacolod (see previous post). She is also from Bacolod and also took the course of being a teacher.

Okay, okay, okay. Alam ko na kung anong sasabihin nyo sa akin. “Di ka pa ba natuto sa nangyari sa iyo dati nung Highschool?” or “Best friend nanaman ng niligawan mo before ang popormahan mo?” But hear me out. Let me tell you the rest of my story before you roll your eyes and stop reading this. Sipain ko kayo eh, malayo na nabasa nyo. Sayang naman yun.

Anyway, even before I was making my moves on Bacolod I already met Singapore then. She’s not really outspoken and talks softly. I guess probinsyanas are really shy (well, some of them anyway). She’s with us whenever I was able to walk Bacolod to their boarding house or when I gave her gifts. When I noticed that Bacolod doesn’t give a damn about me, my senses quickly set on Singapore. She’s the girly type, which I prefer. And she does have this purity that would make you sit up and notice. But I hesitated, because I’ve been on this situation before back in Highschool. I don’t want to be that guy na magmumukhang chickboy. I thought to myself, “Easy lang p’re, wag kang magmadali. Makipag-kaibigan ka muna sa kanya bago mo isipin na ligawan sya.” That time I really wanted to make sure that she will be the one that will say “YES” when I would ask her the question. So I got close to her first, which was pretty easy.

It was not difficult because even before we were promoted to a team we were already paired up when taking calls. I remember our trainer did that because I talked fast, while she talked slow. Our improvement on taking calls depended on one of our talking styles rubbing off on each other. We talked, but it was nothing special, because our conversation goes like this:

Me: Singapore, okay ka pa ba dyan?

Singapore: Okay lang.

Me: Baka pagod ka na ha.

Singapore: Hinde.

Me: Sure ka ha?

Singapore: Oo.

Me: Sabihin mo lang ha, ako na bahala sa yo.

Singapore: Sige.

Yeah, I know, right? Sure, she’s not the most talkative person in the world, but it wouldn’t hurt to at least say something more than 2-3 syllables. I guess she’s the really, really, really shy type. Or I just have to get to know her more so she would open up. Feeling ko nasa loob yung kulo nya.

Luckily, I have my close friends (Air Man 2, Bone Guy and Smooth Guy. Again, read previous post) to teach me how. Besides the fact that they’re a little older than me (read: more experiences) and are certified Casanovas in their own right, they are willing to lend their advices on how to woo Singapore. One of their advices on me was that I need to cut down sa paglalandi sa mga babae sa office floor para di ako magmukhang manyak sa kanya. Before in Highschool and College I was a little uneducatedsa babae. Pero ngayon nung nagta-trabaho na ko, I quickly got exposed to all kinds of women. Before it was just FHM magazines, now well, it’s not constant visits to nightclubs or Beerhouses (although I did experience that) but it seems it was easier to talk to women now. I don’t know, maybe it’s because the women I’ve encountered there are outgoing and mature. I became used to talking to women that the ones that I became close with hinaharot ko, like niyayakap ko sila or kinukurot ko sa gilid. Some of them nagustuhan ko, at marami rin sila, mga 7. Tinuloy-tuloy ko lang yung paglalandi sa kanila at baka ma-develop. May isa na feeling ko may gusto rin sa akin pero di ako intersado masyado sa kanya. She’s too boyish and she’s not my type. There’s also this other girl na yung tipong “sana hinintay na nya ko, imbes na natyatyaga ka dyan sa boyfriend mo (cue the Parokya Ni Edgar song “Halaga”).” She was a little chubby and we really connected well. At times we would text and nagbibiruan kami. Pero hanggang dun lang yun. But if ever she would break up with her boyfriend, popormahan ko yun. Pero hindi eh. Oh well.

Then there was this one time that a working female College student from a different team became close to our male group that during times that she is all alone on a shift, where none of her teammates are there, she would sit near us or beside me. Man, she’s got really big knockers at pwede mong silipan sya. She doesn’t mind the stares because she’s like “one-of-the-boys”. She also often wears short skirt that one time I was talking to her and as a way of comforting her, I touched her thigh. After that incident I was so proud of myself I told them what I did. They just shrugged it and said “para yun lang eh…” but for me it was something. I felt like that was one of those times that I became a Casanova. Okay, maybe a Casanova-in-Training.

But, upon my friend’s request, I had to quit the maharot type. Para magka-brownie points ako kay Singapore. Para kay Singapore, babait ako.

And being the easily-influenced guy that I am, while we were having another memorable drinking session, Bone Guy suggested to me that I write Singapore a letter. Writing a letter, he says, can help you say the things that you can’t say when you are in front of the person. And being the probinsyana type of girl, it can also help you look more passionate and serious in courting the girl. I calculated the risk and why not, it’s worth a shot.

I wrote first on a yellow pad to draft the “love letter” and also to avoid erasures. I can’t remember everything that I wrote, but it’s mostly me remembering the times that we were seatmates during the times we were taking calls; me smiling when her conservative persona is shattered when she gets angry with the caller and when she greets the caller with an accent. Of course I included the part when Ii asked her if we can be a couple. Talagang tinuon ko ng oras din yung pagsusulat. I gave her the letter during our shift and waited for a response from her. I waited the whole night but I got nothing. At the end of our shift I approached her on the locker area and said:

Me: Singapore, nabasa mo ba yung sulat ko?

Singapore: Oo.

Me: Uhm, well, anong masasabi mo dun? Totoo yung sinabi ko dun sa letter.

Singapore: Di pwede (my name), may boyfriend na ko…

Me: Ah, ganun, ok.

BAM!!! Rejection again. It would hurt a lot if I wasn’t expecting it. I mean, she didn’t react much to the letter (or that she doesn’t have the ability to, given her short responses to everything. I’m kidding.) And just the “gut feeling” of it. You know how it feels. I remember after our shift ended in the morning and I was already about to sleep, her answer kept on replaying on my head. It almost made me cry and parang nasasaktan ako na parang me tumutusok sa tagiliran ko. It took me a while to sleep that day. I guess it really hurt a lot because I invested on so much time on her, and the fact na di pa ko nagkaka-girlfriend. I admit, I was a little pressured on making her my girl, but I guess it’s not yet my time.

My friends quickly heard the news, and as usual they made fun of me but advised that I still talk to her so the fact that we being friends would never fade away. Plus, I didn’t believe that she has a boyfriend. I thought that Singapore didn’t know me well so she said no that day. In a way my mantra that time was “When a girl says “NO” it means “NO” or “try harder, stupid.”

Days go by and I learned on our team-meeting in Batangas that she DOES have a boyfriend; I saw her going to a corner alone and talking to someone over her celfone a couple of times. My teammates told me that her boyfriend was a seaman. And you know that saying na “Seaman-seaMANLOLOKO” or “Ang seaman me syota sa iba’t-ibang port”? That happened to her. Well, it’s either that or they broke up because of the hardship of a long-distance relationship. So my quest to get Singapore continues.

I remember on her birthday that I gave her a bouquet of flowers. Before nung shift pumunta ako sa isang flower shop kiosk on a nearby mall and bought one. I had it made to order for her taste. I can’t remember what type of flower it is, but its theme is pink, since she’s the girly type. I hid it under my seat when I was taking calls and I gave it to her at the end of her shift. At first ayaw nyang tanggapin, nahihiya lang siguro, but my teammates and my Team Manager persisted on her accepting my gift. Eventually she did and I walked her home that day. She thanked me and I was proud of myself that day.

But that joy quickly faded, since she was not really opening up to me and didn’t show interest after all those months. I was like, “Ano bang problema mo at ayaw mo pa sa akin??” I became so annoyed on her that I kept on saying to myself (and after a few weeks, to others) that she has the charm of a mailbox; di mo sya mapapansin. Heck, I even said that a mailbox has more charm than her. I know it was wrong for me to do that, but I guess every man has his limit; I’ve reached mine. I gave up on Singapore and just saw her as a teammate and nothing else. My biggest mistake was I wasn’t courteous to her anymore. On our company year-end party she asked me if I could watch over her handbag since she wants to take a picture of a band. I said yes but I was rolling my eyes. She noticed it and decided to carry it instead. Just plain wrong, I know.

Well, based on what I’ve seen on her Facebook profile, she resigned and is happily working in that country and is in a relationship with a fellow officemate. The officemate is a little too sure of himself (read: mahangin), so it was a surprise for me on how he got Singapore. I guess some men know how to pursue a woman.

What did I learn? A lot, actually. I learned how to be patient and being respectful with a woman. I learned how to be patient on courting, that a great deal of time can be spent. But mostly the cruel reality that there is someone out there that is not for you even if you really tried your hardest. There will come that time, and you just have to accept it.

What I find that is really funny is that my time with Singapore was a combination of all the girls I’ve tried to court. Her faint moustache (Qatar), best friends with the girl I’ve courted before (Valuenzuela) and yung paghahatid sa kanya (Bulacan). Looking at the rather-ominous signs, could it mean that Singapore is the last of the girls that rejected me and the next would say yes? Hmmm… maybe.

(TO BE CONCLUDED)

The Torpe Road Recap

It’s almost the end of the “Road” for me and I admit I enjoyed the fame, however small it may be. I am a little disappointed that I wasn’t able to finish this on time. I was planning on finishing the whole memoirs by the end of the year (2011) but y’know, I gots lazy. Plus it can be difficult to write a 4-page story loaded with wit, humor and past events with my brain 110% focused and it being easily distracted (damn you internet!!!).

I would like to thank the people who have read all of blog posts (you know who you are) and apologize for the 3-4 months of waiting for the next post.

While I am still waiting for a call from any local or foreign publisher to collect all my “The Torpe Road” entries into one book (bakit hindi? Itsh mah dream, you know? Besides seeing the Eiffel Tower and banging Bangs Garcia, of course)

I thought that before giving out one of my last “Road” post it would be fitting to give a recap on all the past accounts that I had. It’s like a “catch-up” before giving out the finale. Tsaka baka me mga nagbabasa na di pa nabasa yung ibang post ko, o kaya tinatamad na hanapin yung previous entries (I know some people) so here they are, conveniently in one post plus quote(s) from the said post to make you be interested in reading it plus a link, of course.

P.S. Up to now I really thought the idea of replacing the girl’s name with the name of the place that they currently live are pretty clever. Thanks, Men’s Health magazine contributor.

New Zealand

“…we [had a] prom [on our] graduating year. While chatting with my friends New Zealand suddenly appeared. Man, I swore when I saw her beautiful music was playing. The appropriate song would be “She” by Elvis Costello.”

Valuenzuela

“[She] gave me a small letter folded and stapled...I opened the letter and it read… I have fallen in love with you”

Qatar

“I want to meet [her]…and she agreed. When I walked there a woman stood up and smiled. It’s a good thing she recognized [me] since she looked a little different while wearing her Nurse uniform. She looks beautiful. I mean, I’m a sucker for women in uniform…”

Las Pinas

“[I was talking to her over the] phone that night [and asked] bakit di na lang maging tayo… bakit di natin subukan?”

Bulacan

“I always sense that she perceives me as a very smart and mature guy, and hope that in the process of being with her when we are traveling together would make her forget that [other] guy and be with me instead”

Paranaque

“I also noticed that while I was talking to her [on our date] she kept on checking her celfone and texting someone.”

Bacolod

“I gave [the gifts] to her the next day and she thanked for the gesture but parang naramdaman ko na di sya interesado sa ginawa ko.”

So there they are. See, you’re not alone in this, Mr. Emo-guy-na-wala-pang-girlfriend-since-birth. I’ve been there. And, looking at my previous entries, some of them have grammatical errors and typos. Again, I apologize. I’ll fix them soon, but at least nandun pa rin yung idea.