Tag Archives: United States

Oxford Hunting on Buy.com (Among Others)

I am on the hunt for the perfect pair of Oxfords. You know, the shoes.

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Unfortunately, the ones I’ve found in these ‘ere parts apparently do not fit midget feet. And this, in a country predominantly populated by midgets.

So I’ve taken to trawling the shops online, but I’ve been very disappointed with the ones most Philippine sellers are selling. They’re a freakin’ dime a dozen, and I really do not fancy running into people wearing the same stuff as I am. My days of shopping for Korean pre-orders are over, thank you very much!

Right now I’ve broadened my search a bit more to include US and Canada shops. And it’s been very disappointing, too. But I guess shouldn’t expect too much from the land of non-midgets with non-midget feet. I did, however, find 14K white gold diamond stud earrings on buy.com for $180, but I can’t seem to muster the same amount of enthusiasm for jewelry as I have for Oxfords.

Why couldn’t my feet be a size – just ONE size – larger?

5000 Words

I figured out a long time ago that I want to write for the rest of my life. And that’s exactly what I’ve been doing. I earn a very good living out of it, too, so I really can’t complain.

But writing hundreds – if not, thousands – of online content for subjects you really do not care a thing about . . . well, it just gets to you. Every once in a while, I find myself wondering what the hell I’m doing writing about constipation (among others) when I ought to be writing a novel, or a memoir, or something that may very well win a Pulitzer (who knows?), or at least something that would reach out and touch people, bowel problems notwithstanding. Then I go through the whole litany of reasons why I’m settling for what I am doing, and I end up forcing myself to be grateful for the chance to even write at all and get paid for it to boot!

Still, this doesn’t stop me from wishing I was a more ‘serious’ writer. I would love to be respected, to be revered, to have a cult following. I would love to see my name in print, preferably under the words “#1 New York Times Bestseller.” It’s all fanciful thinking, I know. But does it really have to be?

Every day, I’m getting to know myself more. I’m starting to figure out what I want out of life beyond the next 6 months. And I’m starting to make the plans that would make me the person – and by extension, the writer – that I want to be.

First thing’s first – I need formal training in writing. I don’t have one, you know, not even a humble certificate from a writing workshop. I’d like to go back to school and get an MA in Creative Writing. And I’m not talking about an Online College, either. I’ve found that there are universities and colleges in London and the U.S. and Canada that would take on post-graduate students for their writing programs, even without a writing-related undergraduate degree. Of course, one will have to prove one’s aptitude in writing in a 5000-word essay to be considered, and even then, one will have to be prepared to spend thousands of dollars (or even pounds sterling!) to take the course. Unless, of course, one somehow lands a scholarship, which is already the most fanciful of all fanciful thinking.

Well, I don’t think I’ll be landing a scholarship anywhere anytime soon (or even ever), nor do I have thousands of dollars (or pounds) to spare. But I will write that 5000-word essay, anyway, in between constipation [articles]. Just in case.

- Posted using BlogPress on Agrippa, the iPad

My Second Born, Agrippa

Since the release of the iPad was announced months ago, I have been dying to get one. That took a while because I finally decided (after changing my mind a gazillion times and after just as many sleepless nights) to wait for the 3G version. Not only that, I had to literally go through hell and high water just to get one from the US because I couldn’t wait for the local release.

To make a very, very, VERY long story short, I finally had my spanking new 16GB 3G iPad in my grubby hands on the second of July, hooray! I know, I know. That’s almost a full month ago. You’d think I would’ve sent out baby shower invitations in my excitement, but these days, I’ve got very little time to blog, let alone throw a shower for a gadget. (Not that I really would, but you get the picture.)

But I digress. Everyone, meet Agrippa.

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Isn’t he gorgeous? ♥♥♥

For anyone who might be wondering why I’ve named my iPad ‘Agrippa’, here’s a little history lesson. Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa was the best friend and son-in-law of the Roman Emperor Augustus, also known as Octavian, which, incidentally, is the moniker I’ve given my Macbook Pro. Aside from the this little bit of history, Agrippa also happens to be one of my favorite Romans because he’s absolutely brilliant and kinda sexy, for a dead guy. Methinks I couldn’t have chosen a more appropriate name for the iPad.

Moving on, Agrippa is everything I absolutely wanted and needed. I’m not going to go into an in-depth review because the iPad is one of those gadgets that have been reviewed to death. But to sum up my entire iPad experience, all I could say is: “Agrippa, where have you been all my life?”

Much like my first born, Octavian, Agrippa also needs to be outfitted and accessorized. And I’ve been shopping for this gadget even before he got here. Here’s what he has . . . so far:

1. Hot pink Audio-Technica Onto headphones.

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I love Onto headphones. I already have a perfectly good pair of white ones that I’ve been using for months, but when I saw this limited edition hot pink pair in an HMV in Singapore, I just could not resist. (I mean really, they’re black and hot pink!)

This baby sat patiently at the back of my closet for almost 3 months, just waiting for Agrippa. I had to keep it out of sight; otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to resist it that long.

2. Pink leather folio case, an eBay find.

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I love this case, I really do. Mostly due to the pink that its pink perfectly matches the pink on the headphones. (How girly does that sound???) Also, it has this really soft suede interior that’s really nice to the touch.

My only gripe about it is that it opens at the bottom and the iPad tends to slide out somewhat. I don’t use it as much now because it gets a bit uncomfortable. I wish it opened at the side, like a book, which is why I’m now trying to convince The Husband, my shopping police, to let me buy this and/or this. Still, the pink is breaking my heart.

3. Glittery iPad hard back case.

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Trust me, it glitters. Those little white dots are actually little crystals, while the black base is faux leather. I found this in an obscure little shop in Sham Shui Po in Hong Kong. The little old lady selling it won’t give me a discount, so I walked away, thinking that I’ll find it cheaper elsewhere (like everything else in Hong Kong). I didn’t, so I had to go back the next day, tail between my legs, to get it. Thankfully, said little old lady wasn’t there because it was her husband’s day to mind the shop, tee hee.

4. Red leather sleeve from Powerpee.

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This is my newest acquisition. Because I’ve started using the pink case less and less, I needed a sleeve that would fit both the iPad and its sparkling back case for whenever I go out. I belong to the PhilMUG forums, and this guy, Powerpee (aka Perry), came highly recommended.

I love, love, LOOOOVE this leather manila air sleeve! It’s so classy and soft, and it even smells good! And it fits the iPad with the back case perfectly, too, so it’s everything I wanted. I’m so happy that he had a red one left. It matches the glittery black case to a tee.

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(I opted for red because The Husband was starting to look a bit sick from all the pink stuff lying around the house. I had to show mercy on the poor man!)

5. Wrapsol.

It doesn’t show, but Agrippa is completely wrapped – both front and back – in Wrapsol. This was rather pricey and I nearly balked, but it’s absolutely necessary. Now I rest easy, knowing that Agrippa is completely protected from scratches and from me, in general. Tee hee.

6. Apps and Books from iBooks.

There’s only one thing I can say about these nifty little things that make Agrippa an even happier iPad: they’re going to send me to the poorhouse. Strangely enough, it’s the free ones that are driving me nuts, like Harbor Master HD, a bunch of classics from iBooks and my newest acquisition, the Diablo-like Underworlds. Kill me now, please?

And it doesn’t end there – yet. I’m still waiting for The Mother to get me a Camera Connection Kit from Canada (because they’re still overpriced on eBay). And hopefully, The Husband will let me get another purrty folio case that actually opens the right way this time.

But on the bright side, that’s my gadget fix for the year. At least, I like to think so.

Free TO Pee, Or Be Free FROM Pee

Our neighbors, they’re a nasty bunch. They like to scream and piss on walls and let their dogs out to run amok. They’re crass and tacky, and they do disgusting things.

I’ve been brought up to ignore people like these because they simply aren’t worth my time and attention. The Husband, on the other hand, has been brought up not to take shit from anybody – which means he ends up in scuffles with these people from time to time. I’ve spoken to him tons of times about how futile and exhausting it is and that we can’t expect to change an entire neighborhood just because we wish it so, and he’s actually mellowed down somewhat.

And so it was that it has been months since the last incident. Unfortunately, the problem with avoiding trouble is that trouble finds you – and it did about two weeks ago.

The most notorious ‘screamers’ in the neighborhood live in the house beside the one across from ours. These people have screaming matches amongst themselves AND with both of their next door neighbors (which, incidentally, are their father’s sisters). Just goes to show what kind of people these are, right?

They have a son, who is a total jackass. Occasionally, we see him walking his dog and deliberately leading it to do its business right in front of our gate. I know Steve had told him off a couple of times, while he just strutted away laughing with his pants halfway down his skinny ass. He’s also leered at my sister and myself a couple of times, but we’ve always just ignored the ugly motherfucker.

Anyhow, the night of the Boyz II Men concert (my sister and I had front-row tickets, baby!), they had a party. Now, let me just say that they throw parties every couple of weeks or so. These parties always start at about 8 in the morning and go on well into the next day. They get drunk and sing “My Heart Will Go On” nonstop. Their guests also park in front of OUR (mine, my sister’s, my mum’s) gates, blocking our right of way, so we all have to sorta walk sideways towards each other’s houses like crabs.

Anyhow, this particular night, The Husband was taking out the trash. By sheer chance, he actually caught the son pissing against OUR wall! WTF? Naturally, the husband told him off and told one of his friends who was parking in front of our gate to move his car. He then proceeded to hose down the urine best as he could.

I think he handled it pretty well, considering how the whole pissing thing is something that we both seriously loathe. He went back inside the house and we watched TV for the next couple of hours, putting the incident behind us.

Just as we were getting ready for bed, however, we heard a bit of a ruckus outside the house. When we looked out of our bedroom window, lo and behold! It was the son – drunk, shit-faced, and raving. He kept saying: “Fuck you, bitch!” (Fack you, betch!), “You’re so O.A., bitch!” (You’re so O.A. [over-acting], betch!) “Motherfuck!” (Mother-fack!), “Come down here, bitch!” (Come down here, betch!), “Patyon ta mo tanan, bitch!” (I will kill you all, betch!) Well, you get the picture.

I told the husband to ignore him because he was drunk, which he did. We even laughed about it as his friends dragged him back into their house. That should’ve been the end of it, but not five minutes later, he was at it again! This time, his parents came out to drag him back into the house while we watched, still from our bedroom window.

Again, that would’ve been the end of it, but horror of all horrors, his mother comes back out and starts ranting! She started ranting about how we complain a lot and how it’s amazing that we’re acting like we own the place when we’ve only just moved there a few months ago. She was an old lady, so I tried to reason with her. I calmly told her how we caught her son pissing against our walls and how we needed our right of way. You won’t believe it, but she actually said we should just let her guests piss on our walls and park in front of our gates because it’s her 60th birthday. And that’s not the end of it. She actually accused US of ruining HER birthday.

What. The. Fuck.

I totally lost it. But I didn’t lose it first. Our landlady and her husband (who lives right across from them) heard everything and got to her first. Being decent people, they tried to reason with her, but NO, she just won’t be swayed. To make matters worse, her son was still somewhere in the background, screaming his endless litany of “Fack yous” and “Betches.

And it gets better. Our landlady asked her, “How would you like it if we all just peed on YOUR walls because we’re having a party?” You know what she and her husband (who joined the fray at this point) said? They actually said we’re FREE to do so!

We were all absolutely mortified! So just because they act like animals, they expect us to do the same? I’m sorry, but we’re not disgusting people with small brains. In fact, I’d be surprised if there’s a single brain cell shared amongst everyone in that house. And to think they’re a pretty well-off family, too, and maybe even fairly educated. You’d think they’d have a modicum of respect and consideration for other people and other people’s property, but NO. They’re just as bad as the most uneducated beggar on the street. Hell, I’ve seen beggars with better manners, and Lord knows how that’s saying something.

So this, ladies and gentlemen, is why this country will never go anywhere. What is it with Filipino men and their predilection to peeing everywhere they feel like? Why is it that many Filipinos have this sense of entitlement to things that they are not, should not, and would never be entitled to, such as their neighbor’s right of way? It’s sad, pathetic, and completely unacceptable. I’m sorry if it seems like I’m generalizing, but every decent Filipino who reads this would know the exact kind of people I’m talking about and would, therefore, take no offense.

I love my city and my country. It saddens me to see people using it as a toilet. It annoys me even more, knowing that these people actually BELIEVE with all their hearts that they are entitled to befoul other people’s property. The urine may eventually wash off and the smell may eventually go away. But it’s a violation that no amount of industrial products could ever clean up.

Yes, sad to say, my country is going to the dogs. No surprise there when the majority of the population insist on acting like dogs. It’s a thought that truly depresses me.

Of Robots, Magic, and The Perfect World

Harry Potter and Half-Blood Prince is showing today, and I am absolutely giddy with excitement! I am not, however, looking forward to watching Dumbledore die, but hey, that’s what tissues are for.

I don’t think I’ve been this excited to watch a movie since Wall-E last year (and that’s saying something because I love, love, love movies, so I’m always excited). I have great expectations from the sixth Harry Potter movie because if I had a favorite book of the series, the Half-Blood Prince would be it. I sure hope the movie won’t disappoint!

Speaking of Wall-E, why does it take ages for Pixar films to get released in Asia? I’ve been dying to watch Up for the longest time, but though it was released in the US months ago, we have to wait until August to see it here. So, for the moment, I’m consoling myself with Wall-E (yet again), which is by far my favorite Pixar flick (so far). I just can’t get enough of this little guy:


I love how he gives a little shake when he hops off his little green line. M-O (Microbe Obliterator) is so cute, I could just squeeze him! (Though how one is supposed to squeeze a hunk of metal without some sort of heavy machinery is beyond me.)

On a side note, in a perfect world, we’ll have robots to do the dirty jobs for us, while we lie on mobile lounge chairs and get fat. We won’t have to worry about getting them social security disability from Allsup, though we might want to stock up on spare parts from True Value for good measure.

But then again, if robots are like M-O and Wall-E and Eve, I might not have the heart to make them work because they reek of cuteness, plus I don’t want to get fat, so let’s scratch that perfect world scenario. Maybe we can have Harry Potter-esque wands and spell books, instead?

Double, double toil and trouble; could somebody please stop Iris’ babble? Like, now?

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