WTW

I am just your boy next door in a typical neighborhood. The place where I live is an ideal place just like in most Western movies — it has almost everything a bachelor needs to have. In fact, my own home is furnished with stuffs I need access to at any time of the day: a full fridge, a comfy sofa and a TV (though CRT), and my own bedroom has an equally cozy bed. In the toilet, decent fixtures are installed.

My proximity to the essential places is also something that most people might be envy of. From my house, the municipal hall is just across the street; to give me the things I need for my interests is an adjacent hobby shop; few more walks, along well-paved sidewalks, is a grocery store, and a couple of meters more is a bistro just in case I feel like dining in. Finding a job isn’t that hard too. At the very least, wherever I choose work, I get paid a hundred dollars at the end of the day – more than enough to sustain my daily needs.

Remarkably, social life couldn’t be any better. Just nearby are houses of several people. I can name a few acquaintances – there’s Nina, Luke, Marcell, and Kia. Most of them are friendly as long as chatting with them remains constant and relevant. I have yet to meet the others however I am quite sure that it is just a matter of time when it will be fulfilled.

But just like anyone else, I feel that I need more. There are days when I wish to woohoo. Yes, woohoo. It doesn’t sound like a familiar word for any four-year old but it is something carnal. This item is already on queue among my other wishes like wanting to repair, to get promoted, and to plant a corn. Woohoo kid. I know you can see it. Make me woohoo.

That’s my life. I am a Sims 3 character under the control of a kid with an iPad. I don’t know when he will make me woohoo but sooner or later I know he will see figure out. Sooner or later before he turns five.

***

And this is the reason, Marcus, why you won’t see the Sims 3 icon on my iPad anymore. I have deleted it. I know you enjoyed it but after seeing that ‘wish to woohoo’ I just knew that it’s a bad game son, bad game. Go play Angry Birds for now.

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Mood: 2/10 Honks! (Lunch was good. Thanks, wifey.)

‘Masa’ iPhone in the Works?

Apple is not stopping and it seems to target the lower-end market this time. If the article from rappler.com is true, then people who currently can’t do anything but envy those who can afford to acquire (whatever it takes) an iPhone will soon be able to get one for themselves.

According to the report, this less pricey Apple smartphone will use cheaper materials for its housing but the rest of its features, hopefully most capabilities, will be retained. Rappler.com adds, however, the folks from Apple have neither denied nor confirmed that this is happening soon but I know that less privileged consumers can wait. At least, I can speak for myself and until then I might stay stuck to this my|Phone which I bought just yesterday to replace my Nokia 5800 phone. Ti abi. Life of a masa.

***

I’m back to basics. The my|Phone B88+ Duo has made me deal with one that doesn’t have a touchscreen and with only an alphanumeric keypad. It is a far cry even from my 5800 — which has quit working — but anyway it gets me connected…through SMS.

Update: Apple has spoken and it’s bad news: the rumors aren’t true which means pricey iPhones stay. Conos — 1, Masa — 0.

***

Mood: 3/10 Honks! (Kiddo demanding to go biking.)

Weight Conscious

I bet that among the dreaded moments for most people ending their vacation is when it is time to pack up. Whether that be from the separation anxiety that comes along with it or just the thought of finding stuffs and figuring out which one goes where back inside the bags. There are others of course who worry about having excess baggage because of the new items that they have accumulated over time such as due to impulsive shopping or, for lucky ones like me, stuffs received as gifts or hand-me-downs from people from tate. But nevertheless how these things were acquired all of these could get someone in trouble at any airport’s check-in counter. And I’m not letting this extra stress happen to me especially that I’m traveling with my ever restless 4-year old.

So yesterday after buying some pasalubong for folks back in Luzon, and suddenly remembering that other than the box of BongBong’s delicacies I just got is an additional big Samsonite luggage (this is among my freebies and majority of its content also hand-me-downs) at home, I rushed to the mall’s Handyman store and purchased the cheapest analog luggage scale available.

This early morning, after packing almost all of our stuffs, I got to test the scale and I think that it’s probably picking up close to the exact weight. I also discovered that this one has a 39-inch tape measure that could come handy in checking waistlines overall dimensions of luggage that anyone plans to hand carry. The luggage scale can weigh up to 34 kilograms (75 lbs.) and costs only P325 (approx. $8).

***

Part of making sure that Marcus’ stuffs are intact is the tedious task of checking that his new Lego bricks (from my sis), not Duplos which means these are smaller, are all accounted for. And I’m now giving myself a pat on the back for sticking to my decision not to open his other Ninjago kit while we are still here in Bacolod.

***

Mood: 2/10 Honks!(I can smell breakfast. I’m expecting more excess weight.)

300 Days

I think that most people would agree that December vacations are never enough as these usually happen so fast. At some point, the holiday activities, no matter what these are, just seem to overwhelm everyone and the realization that they have missed doing something comes always too late — any effort to recover from it is usually futile. And I just woke up feeling like so, just like how it felt back in 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009…

Christmas vacation days are once again almost over.

Today, our parents’ house will be one less family in the evening and couple days later Marcus and I will be on our flight back home. The bedrooms will be once again unoccupied. No more humming of air-conditioners or the rickety sound of the electric fans. Home sweet home will be empty once more — their fat mongrels will have their space back. But I hope that there will be always next time which at the very least, about 300 days from now.

***

Bon voyage Ron, Jing, Megan, and Arisrei. And to quote your ex-governor, ‘hasta la vista, baby!’

***

Mood: 2/10 Honks! (I need a weighing scale.)

How To Jaywalk and Survive

I’ve been running a tight schedule these past few weeks and I’m out of ideas except for this topic. Today, I’ll be an advocate of those who continue to choose to walk on the dangerous side as truth to be told, at some point I myself hated to go to the designated crosswalks just because it is more convenient, it is faster and it is the macho thing to jaywalk at certain times. Others I’m sure have there own excuses why they defeat the law but whatever that is I will now try to help them cross the other side in one piece. So how do you jaywalk and yet survive? Here’s my top 5 list:

1. Remember stop, look,and listen? Yes, that old kindergarten song will help you keep your life and limbs as you try to reach that other side of the road. In cases when you’re in a why-did-the-chicken-cross-the-road situation, for Pete’s sake, at least have that presence of mind: stop, look,and listen. Please.

2. Eye contact! Based on experience and observation, and as complemented by the book Traffic, an eye contact with the driver of an approaching vehicle works most of the time. This relays to the person inside the car some sort of mutual message that you know what you’re about to do and that you’re no road-kill material.

3. Grab a baby. I for one will brake  to let anyone cuddling a baby cross safely and I’ve seen majority of drivers do the same thing (isn’t it comforting to know that there’s still kindness among most of us). By the way, make sure it is your own baby. Ok?

4. Be old. Our country is among many others that don’t have seniors-friendly facilities, such as escalators, that would encourage the elderly to take the safer option yet thankfully majority of motorists take precaution whenever they see someone old inching their way across. Case in point is my father who cannot use those long flight of stairs of the overpass leading to his favorite place. He’s been hanging out in this mall almost whole year round so I know that considerate drivers have slowed down for him as he makes his way to the ‘big R.’

5. Smile..and wear shorts. Wear shorts…and smile. Smile…and wear shorts. Wear shorts…and smile. (I think I’ve made this one clear enough.)

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Mood: 2/10 Honks! (Lego kid still sleeping.)

An Apple A Day

I can’t remember the last time I got something pricey but I won’t even try to recall when or what it was. For now, I appreciate the fact that I now own my first Apple, albeit a hand-me-down. Thanks to you my Santa Clauses, it made me feel I wasn’t so naughty this year.

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Mood: 2/10 Honks! (First blog entry from my first iPad.)