Fixated

I've always been proud of being freaking normal, like I'm thisclose to boring. I mean, I would like to believe I'm not manic-depressive, schizophrenic, or antisocial.

Perhaps I have bouts of the disorders I mentioned, like you know, one second I'd feel like I'm Jacqueline Jablonski and the next second I'm Tao Okamoto (that's my version of bi-polarity).

OK, OK, I have my delusions, but tell me, who is not delusional these days, aber?

One time my colleague recommended this quiz on Facebook to test if I have some sort of a psychological disorder. And gosh, I said if it is on Facebook it must be a valid uber scientific test! So off I took the quiz, which surprisingly had about thirty items instead of the usual five questions. I thought, hmmmm, this is more scientific than I initially thought.

Just as I expected, I fell under the boringly normal category, somewhere in the middle of some freaking spectrum... EXCEPT that I have a tendency to be obsessive-compulsive.

Gasp! Finally, I have a claim to some disorder after all! How exciting is that? I would've wanted something more romantic, like I don't know, depression or schizophrenia, which would lead me to do grand works of art or saintly deeds (hello, Joan of Arc?).

Anyway, I reckoned, obsessive-compulsive is not that bad. I can live with that. So I was prompted to do a mayjay self-reflection and soul-searching to see if indeed I have patterns of OCD.

I was doing this grand self-examination while brushing my teeth and intently looking at the timer to make sure I dedicate at least thirty seconds brushing the top of my left-side lower molars before I proceed to the right-side upper molars and so on.

Tanaaaah, epiphany galore!

I checked my toothbrush holder and I saw three toothbrushes that I use everyday. The softest toothbrush in the morning, the mid-soft toothbrush after lunch, and the hard bristles for the evening.

And then I continued further on my self-examination of my supposed OCD while I carefully floss my teeth, making sure I reached the tiniest gaps in my teeth, which was followed by cleaning my tongue with these tongue cleaner thingies, and eventually finishing the whole oral ceremony with exactly fifteen seconds of gargling mouthwash to make sure I have a totally clean mouth.

Wait... I do have to run my tongue around my teeth hoping I did not miss some bits, otherwise I have to brush my teeth even more.

This whole mouth-cleaning routine consumes about twenty minutes each night that God makes. Does that qualify for OCD?

OK, OK, I am quite concerned about having order in my immediate surroundings.

Like, in my bathroom, I make sure that all the bottles of shampoo, body wash, and facial wash have to be white. I do not base the choice of shampoo for instance on whether it gives me bouncy or shiny hair. Fuck that. I just need the freaking bottle to be white to match with the body wash.

And the books on my shelves. Oh my god, where do I start? I arrange them according to size. Nothing annoys me more than a book protruding from among its shelf-mates, in which case, I have to transfer it beside a book of its size. I don't care if the books are not arranged alphabetically or by topic, I just want them neatly standing according to height.

The thing is, I'm not exactly crazy about cleanliness. Like I don't mind dust so much (like I haven't swept my floor since Thaksin was ousted from power) as long as things look neat and in order. My mind could not just be put to rest if things are out of place.

However, the obsession for order does not cut across everything. Like my closet is one big mess (God bless my closet). It's just that I demand more from my books, CDs, and bathroom stuff.

Oh, I'm also constantly crazy about the flat iron. I always think that I forgot to unplug it.

Several times I'd already be at the bus stop and I'd run back to my building, scared out of my wits that my floor is in flames just because I did not unplug the flat iron (only to find out that I did, as always). Or I'd be inside the shower and from out of nowhere I'd panic at the thought that I left the flat iron on so I'd rush outside with just bubbles covering my nipples.

One last thing, I have this obsession with pencils, pens, and notebooks. I only use my Muji pen for my Muji notebook, which I bring with me all the time. I have a notebook and a corresponding pencil beside my bed just in case I need to list something (or someone's name... hihihihihi).

Meanwhile, I love pencils. Let me say that again... I LURV PENCILS. I steal pencils from hotels where I attend meetings... just because. I don't use them though coz I have specific requirements for the ones I use.

I swear by Staedtler 2H for the notepad beside my PC. Nothing else writes on that notepad, puhlease. And then I use a Staedtler 2B for my "work notebook" coz it writes in heavy black that matches my eyes.

Oh, nothing frustrates me more than un-sharpened pencils, BTW. Show me an un-sharpened pencil and I'd die in two seconds flat. At least now you know how to kill me.

The Sharonian

For some reason, I had an 80s day today starting with searching for Claire dela Fuente's Sayang on Youtube. That song is not even 80's, no? It should be something like 70s at least.

Anyway, Sayang led to Sayang na Sayang by Manilyn Reynes and then Tamis ng Unang Halik by Tina Paner, and then eventually Mr Dreamboy by Sherryl Cruz. (The links bring you to the videos.)

Now talk about nostalgia overload!

As a child of the 80s, I totally reveled with these finds.

Searching further, I stumbled into this vintage Sharon Cuneta video singing Here Comes the Rain Again on GMA Supershow. I had a fucking blast watching this video. I swear.

The set's just hilarious. It looks like it's made of Styrofoam or, I don't know, cardboard perhaps? And the flashing bulbs! Girl, it looks like a peryahan, di ba?

Then in comes Sharon in a billowy neon fuchsia dress that completely swallows here up. Actually she's wearing a kind of maternity dress here coz she was pregnant with KC Concepcion then. Pero chica pa rin! Gosh, those shoulder pads! I wonder why they're back in fashion. And the hair, dahling, the hair. Should've cost us the ozone layer to keep them hair stiffly up in the air.

Sharon's very pretty here though. I've always been a Sharonian and I remember I had her single in one of those black discs that you play in a bloody turntable. What do you call them again? In fact one of the pop songs I first learned was Bituing Walang Ningning coz I had her album in a small black thingie. They're called plaka!

It makes me cry every time I see Sharon these days. She looks like a freaking cathedral!

Thank God we still have videos like this to remind us of the good old days of Sharon Cuneta. She was probably the most popular star then. I love it when, courtesy of 80s TV technology, she's made to float over her fans. Classic, di ba?

Here's the video anyway. And do wait for it to end coz no other than German Moreno, the Master Showman ITSELF, will come out to greet Sharon.

Bakla in Motion

Weekend report... in pictures with premier stariray Donita Rose Mary "Baby" Arenas.

Bangkok Arts and Culture Centre

Shopping at a second-hand store in Siam Square.

At Tha Tien market (near Silpakorn Univ and Thammasat Univ).

Old cassette tapes.

Say cheese!

The clavicles are giddy... damn right they're better than yours...

Wang Lang market (across the river).

Some finds at Wang Lang's famed second-hand shops.

Twilight Dancers.

Bulaga!

I Heart Lyka Bergen

It came far and wide.

From San Francisco to Hong Kong (thanks to the erstwhile Czarina of Penang).
From Hong Kong to Manila.
From Manila to Roxas (thanks to Fuchsiaboy).
From Roxas to BangCock.

Ladies and bayots...

I. Died. And I'm talking MAYJAY multiple orgasms here, my sweethearts.

Khorp khum maak kha, Miss Lyka.

It all started with a wish. I just said the three magic words: Up To You.

Remember this post when I threw a wish to the universe? And then a month later Lyka posted this on his blog.... proof that wishes do come true!

Do you recall the Miss Universe song? As his little sister, I wanna sing this now for Miss Lyka...

You are my star
You light my way
You brighten all my nights and make my day...

Like a hope…like a dream
No request, is too extreme
When you wish, upon a star
Your dreams, your dreams come true...

La la la, la la la...

Moving on... look who's in town, bitches?

WTF: Comelec says gay party 'immoral'

Report by Kristine Servando

abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak.

MANILA - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Wednesday rejected Ang Ladlad for party-list accreditation on the grounds that the party advocates "sexual immorality" and "immoral doctrines."

Ang Ladlad is an organization of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgenders (LGBT).

In a ruling dated November 11, the Comelec said that although the party presented proper documents and evidence for their accreditation, their petition is "dismissable on moral grounds."

Page 5 of the ruling states that Ang Ladlad's definition of the LGBT sector as a marginalized sector who are disadvantaged because of their sexual orientation "makes it crystal clear that the petitioner tolerates immorality which offends religious beliefs."

The document quotes passages from both the Bible and the Koran (taken from internet site www.bible.org) that describe homosexuality as "unseemly" or "transgressive."

The Comelec goes on to state that accrediting Ang Ladlad would pose risks for Filipino youth.

"Should this Commission grant the petition, we will be exposing our youth to an environment that does not conform to the teachings of our faith," the ruling stated.

'Gays are threats to youth'

This statement is followed by a quote by preacher Lehman Strauss published in a website saying "older practicing homosexuals are a threat to the youth."

The Comelec said it is "not condemning" the LGBT community but "cannot compromise the well-being of a great number of people."

The document was signed by Commissioners Nicodemo Ferrer, Lucenito Tagle, and Elias Yusoph.

Ang Ladlad also applied for party-list accreditation in 2007, but was denied this due to the lack of regional membership in the Philippines.

'Painfully obsolete ideas'

Danton Remoto, President of Ang Ladlad, told abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak in a phone interview that they will contest the Comelec ruling before the Supreme Court.

"This is a decision of painfully old men with painfully obsolete ideas on homosexuality. We are in the 21st century already, we are fighting for human rights. They do not know what they are talking about," he said.

Remoto, who taught literature at the Jesuit-run Ateneo de Manila University for over 20 years, criticized the Comelec's allegation that older homosexuals are threats to the youth.

"How would I have stayed in the country's premier exclusive Catholic school (Ateneo) if I were a threat to the youth?" he stated as an example.

He also took issue against the Comelec ruling's frequent citation of internet-sourced reports, saying that a legal document should at least use primary sourcing. Remoto said this spoke of "intellectual bankruptcy" among Comelec officials.

Remoto said that the Comelec ruling is offensive to the LGBT community and an insult to their human rights.

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez, however, said he does not consider the Comelec's dismissal of Ang Ladlad's petition for party-list accrediation as a human rights issue.

"They might bring it up because they might feel offended of being called immoral. In that case, it's their right to bring whatever action is deemed necessary," he told abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak in a phone interview.

He added that the right to be voted for is not absolute and is subject to reasonable regulation.

Immoral institution?

Remoto also questioned the Comelec's decision to deny the party's accreditation based on moral and religious reasons since the Constitution provides for separation between the Church and State.

"Since when did the Comelec become a moral arbiter? The Comelec is a state institution, [it is] not the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines," he said.

"The Comelec has no right to make decisions on morality because it is not a moral or religious institution. It is a political institution, and hence, should confine itself to politics," Remoto added.

Jimenez said it is standard for the Comelec to consider what each party-list stands for before accrediting them.

He cited the case of the Samahang Magdalo, a reformist group led by detained mutineers, who were denied party-list accreditation on the grounds that they "advocated violence."

The Ang Ladlad is requesting help from the Ateneo Human Rights Center in filing a motion for reconsideration before the Comelec, before raising the issue to the Supreme Court, where Remoto believes the party may have "some hope."

All is not lost for Remoto and his crusade for LGBT rights, however, since he announced plans to run for Senator in 2010 "under a big political party." He will make a formal announcement in 2 weeks.

Should the Comelec approve his candidacy, he will be the first openly gay senatorial candidate in recent history.

Link from abs-cbnnews.com.

Liwayway's Birthday

Obligatory weekend report... if it's not too late yet.

Last Sunday was the 20th birthday of uber girl friend Ms Liwayway... one more year and she can legally drink alcohol.

But wait, doesn't she look 17? I swear, the concierge at the cinema still asks for her ID whenever we watch R-18 movies. I'm sooo not joking. I wish Liwayway would one day tell me what her beauty secret is.

But really, I have an idea. Liwayway consistently has the most positive disposition. I have many friends who are naturally sunny but she is simply on top of the list. And she has this child-like exuberance that's totally infectious. Don't we just wish there are more of her around us?

Let's go back to the weekend... Liwayway brought Bubbles and me to a restaurant near Asok. The place is called Crepes and Company (I'm not exactly certain) and it's set in a small, pretty garden brimming with... plants, what else?

Fortunately, Liwayway reserved a table outdoor, which was probably hard to get on a Sunday. The place is packed, I tell you. And there were gazillions of these little human-looking creatures running and screaming and crying all over the place. What do you call them again?

Otherwise, the restaurant was a very pleasant escape. It felt like we were not in the middle of the madness of Sukhumvit.

The crepes of course were the highlight of the afternoon (well, except for the company, needless to say). I don't really remember what we ordered; I guess I had something called Casablanca or some title of a black and white film.

And while Liwayway and I had another set of crepes for dessert, Bubbles dug deep into his ginormous serving of banana split. I crossed my self and prayed to the Virgin Mother when I saw that heap of sugar landing in front of Bubbles.

Apres lunch Bubbles and I went to Central World for some window shopping. I love window shopping with him coz he always stops me whenever I attempt to buy something (although I did insist on buying a polka dot bag last Sunday).

And then we stopped by Siam Square to visit a couple of galleries. At White Space, one of my favorite galleries in town, we found this exhibit of paintings wherein the artist used his own blood as medium. I love it!!!

So there that's my weekend report (looking straight at you, Gibo...).

I'm seriously occupied at the office this week and for the rest of the month so my posts would either be very brief or sporadic. I'm on Twitter though and that's where my whining and faggotry will be posted for the meantime. My account is @GirardPhilip.

Also, I'm looking forward to the visit of La Fuchsiaboy this Friday... straight from Las Islas Filipinas where he presented his latest collection.

I'm expecting yet another shopping marathon this weekend (at least for Fuchsiaboy).

No. I'm not going to spend... that's my mantra for this month. I'm like saving for this two-week trip in December and that's where all my energy and money are going.

Must-Watch: 9 Songs and XXY

I had one major movie weekend and so I want to share two of the more remarkable films I saw the past two days.

9 Songs (2004) is one of those random movies I downloaded via torrent and it turned out to be surprisingly compelling.

It does not help of course that it is the most sexually explicit mainstream movies I've seen EVER (and that includes In the Realm of the Senses, which I also previewed this weekend). I'm talking about all the way sex here and the only thing that separates this film from real porno is that the former has beautiful cinematography and an intelligent story.

9 Songs is intimate, there's a poetry to their love-making. Watching the two lovers spend their time in bed feels very voyeuristic. Read more about the movie on its IMDB entry here.

Here's the trailer...

I also watched XXY (2007), an Argentinian movie about a 15-year old hermaphrodite, Alex, living in a secluded village in Uruguay. One day they get a visit from a doctor, who comes together with his wife and teenage son. The latter witnesses Alex as she discovers her sexuality and how her condition clashes with the people in the village.

The acting in the film is superb overall, but standing out is Ines Efron who portrays Alex.

The film could've been told in a more conventional manner, i.e. freak faces a harsh world. However, this is where the film excels because it chose to be very subtle, focusing instead on how Alex's family deals with her "disorder" (if I may call it as such).

This is definitely one of the best movies I've seen this year and I strongly encourage you to check it for your self.

To know more about the film, you may refer to its IMDB entry.

Dear Santa...

It's been rather chilly here in BKK the past couple of days... and chilly means 22 degrees in the evening. Brrr...

If anything, the cool weather reminds me that Christmas is fast approaching and for sure Las Islas Filipinas is deep into the holidays already, at least starting September, di ba mga kababayan?

Christmas is so not my thing. It just does not go with my skin tone.

But then, I love receiving gifts, who doesn't, non? And since I know Santa Claus reads my blog, instead of sending him a letter to the North Pole, I might as well post my wish list here. I'm writing this early so he has enough time to pack them and send them to BKK.

Dear Santa, I know I've been a good boy this year. I have not been eating carbs since June and I have been refusing plastic bags from Seven-Eleven. Don't you think I merit a larger loot from you this year?

Santa, I really, really insist that you give me these stuff on Christmas day. I would even put up a Christmas tree this year so you'd know where to place the gifts when you visit my little room in the attic next month.

Now let's start, shall we, Santa? Do you have a pen and paper with you all ready?... Game!

A Canon G10. I heard they're releasing the G11 sometime next year, so if you can get it in advance please do so. I mean, try using your influence. You're Santa Fucking Claus after all.
One year subscription of Vogue Paris, Italian Vogue, American Vogue, i-D, Arena Homme Plus, Les Officiel Hommes, Dazed and Confused, Time Magazine, and Newsweek. Hmmm... Why don't you make that a three-year subscription so I don't have to bother you with this wish next year?

A Vespa... in black. Ciao!
Hope in a Jar... coz Oprah said so. Hmmm, make that a dozen bottles coz I don't want to ask it from you next year.
An air ticket to India... round trip of course. And no, Santa, I don't fly budget airlines. Like, HALER???

And if you can add a two-week stay in some ten-star hotel there, I would not mind of course. I'm like so tired of being a backpacker, you know.

An air ticket to Brazil. I haven't visited my home for... I don't know, I've lost count of the years.

I know it sounds like human trafficking, if not white slavery, but if you can add a Brazilian-Japanese into the package, well, I promise not to feed him carbs. Wait, make that two Brazilian-Japanese so that they can play with each other when I'm not around, no?

Kawadjan on Yvan Rodic's Blog... OH. EM. GEEE!!!

Like I can die now.

Oh.

Em.

Geee!!!

I appeared on Yvan Rodic's blog (that's Face Hunter's alternative blog)... Well at least my precious little brooches. Tse!

I mentioned in a previous post that we went to the Face Hunter party last Friday and that Yvan took photos of my brooches, which I bought from Siam Square a couple of months ago. So there, he posted the photo on the blog, along with the other fabulous pics of the party.

OK, I can like really die now.

See the entire post here.

Photo courtesy of Yvan Rodic.

Loy Krathong Kabaklaan

Dumping a few pictures of the Loy Krathong celebration last night, my third time to experience the festival.

Loy Krathong is one of my favorite festivals in the Land of Smiles. It's not as frantic as Songkran and way less commercialized than Christmas and New Year. Loy Krathong is rather more solemn and just chill.

For a background on Loy Krathong, please refer to this Wikipedia entry, puede?

Bubbles and I decided to wreak havoc in Chulalongkorn University where we were astounded by raging students running all over the campus.

Damn, look what we found? Two gorgeous boys whom Bubbles were daring enough to have our pictures with. Hahahaha. How insane is that?!

Anyway, they are way too cute to let go of, chai mai? OMG, my ovaries! How do you say, "I wanna have your babies pronto" in Thai?

May balloon balloon portion pa! How Sherryl Cruz and Romnick Sarmienta, di ba?

Bubbles and I then moved to Lumphini Park to meet Liwayway and Simply Em. There we released our little floats in one of the park's ponds.

I'm just a bit worried how they'd dispose all those floating garbage, chai mai?

Thanks to Bubbles for the photos 2, 4, and 5.

Halloween Weekend Report

OMG, I can't believe it's already November. Las Islas Filipinas should be celebrating Todos Los Santos today and the Feast of the Dead tomorrow. I miss that crazy holiday already! Anyway, hope everyone's having a grand time at the cemeteries all over the country.

Meanwhile, here in BKK we will be celebrating Loy Krathong tomorrow. Loy Krathong is the festival of lights and surely I'd write about that next week.

For the mean time, I shall do the requisite weekend report. Dios mio, haggard the weekend that was ha, so shall we start?

Last Friday evening I met amiga Nikki, who was my trainer when I worked for six months in a call center in Manila. She recently got married to Carlo and they were traveling around the region (Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, and Singapore) for several days.

Of course I was the Tourism Authority of Thailand's agent yet again, di ba? I walked them around Silom and we eventually ended up in Suan Lum Night Bazaar for dinner where we met up with Heidi (la primera Bitch of Bangkok).

I had to leave Nikki and hubby in Suan Lum coz Heidi and I were supposed to meet Bubbles for the Face Hunter party in nearby Ruam Rudee.

Yeah, I'm talking about the Face Hunter a.k.a Yvan Rodic, street-style blogger extraordinaire.

Oh, don't ask me who Face Hunter is. Like have you been living under a rock these past four years? *Rolls eyes*. He's like more important than the Pope noh!

You can check his street-style blog Face Hunter and his other photo blog Yvan Rodic (the latter blog is actually more interesting for me). He stopped by BKK after Tel Aviv, Seoul, and Taipei. His BKK trip was followed by short visits to Kuala Lumpur and then Jakarta. Only God knows where he's heading next.

I had like four seconds talking to Yvan, and I immediately noticed he was holding a Cannon G10 in his hands. Now that answers what camera I'm going to buy.

Oh, he also took photos of the skull brooches I wore that evening. But we all know he took another 5,000 photos of the fashionable people of BKK the five days he was here, so I can only wish that my little brooches would land on his blog.

OK, let's talk about Halloween.

The Khao San Road area is definitely the place to go for Halloween so off we went walking around its streets crammed with gazillions of revelers in their most horrifying costumes of the year.

We eventually ended up in our usual street-side bar manned by a Burmese guy whose facial bone structure can solve the world's biggest problems.

Miss Liwayway joined us later in the evening with friends from a Manila-based magazine publisher. We also bumped into a BKK-based Pinay whom I shall call Chiqui Nene (do you like the name, Chiqui?). She apparently reads my blog so lemme say HALER!!! to Miss Nene (wearing a pink head band in the photo below).

The evening ended with us heading to some club in a basement full of straight people. I swear nothing terrifies me more than being surrounded by straight people. A fitting end to Halloween, non?