Here's something I've read recently... (first of two parts)

ANG MGA BABAE TALAGA OO
by redrope

*gabe. usapang lalake*
*sindi ng yosi*
*hithit*
*buga*

Musta na, pare? Ako, okay lang. Eto. Nagmumuni-muni. Nag-iisip. Minsan talaga may mga bagay na hindi ko maintindihan. Ewan ko ba.

*hinga ng malalim*

Bakit ba ganun pare, ilang beses ko na pinag-aralan pero lagi na lang lumalabas na parang kahit `sang anggulo mo tingnan, hindi nagiging patas para sa mga lalake ang ilang bagay pagdating sa pagmamahal.

*tingin sa stars*

Minsan naiisip ko, alam kaya ng mga babae ang hirap ng lalake na gumawa ng first move para magtapat ng pagmamahal? E yung hirap na dinadaanan sa panliligaw at pagsuyo sa mahal nya? Ang feeling ng masaktan pag nabasted? Malamang-lamang siguro, hindi ano. Wala naman yata silang alam sa mga paghihirap naten e. Ang alam lang ata nila e mamili, manakit, at magsaya. Tingin mo?

*tingin sa malayo*

Lagi naman ganun. Una pa lang, lalake na ang naghihirap. Hassle saten ang panliligaw pero bago pa yun, kung ano pang diskarte ang gagawin naten para masabi naten sa kanila na mahal natin sila. Alam kaya nila yun? Mahirap magsabi na mahal mo na yung babae, diba? Tapos liligawan pa naten. Patutunayan na mahal nga sila. Susuyuin to-the-max. Maghahatid sa bahay,
tutulungan, sasabayan,palalamunin, pagtyatyagaan, lahat na. Kulang na lang e pagsilbihan mo nang walang sahod.
At ano ang kapalit? Well, depende sa trip nila. Oo tol, sa trip lang nila. Wala silang pake kesehodang mahal natin talaga sila. Basta ang alam nila, pag di nila tayo trip, isang malaking HINDE ang makukuha naten, kahit umiyak pa tayo ng dugo o lumuhod sa mga asing buu-buo. Para lang silang namimili ng damit na di man lang sinusukat bago ayawan. Kaya kahit mahal na mahal na mahal na mahal natin, sorry tayo. Hindi nila alam kung mahal mo sila. Kailangan mong maabot ang kanilang mga standards o uuwi ka lang na bad trip, iiling-iling, at minsan, luhaan.

Wala tayong magagawa, marami silang alibi. "Hindi pa `ko ready eh..", "Sorry pero I think we should just be friends..", "Ha? Uhhmm.. nagpapatawa ka ba? Hahahaha.." "Better luck next time na lang muna, okay lang?", "Give me a decade. Pag-iisipan ko muna..", "Para lang kitang kapatid e..", yaddah yaddah. Isang malaking pagsasaklob ng langit at lupa `yon para saten.

*kuha ng bote ng beer*
*lagok*
*lunok*

At hindi lang `yon tol. Sa pre-relationship stage pa lang yon. Pag sinagot na nila tayo, satin pa rin ang hassle. Tayo daw ang mga
lalake kaya tayo ang hahawak ng relasyon. Tayo ang aayos kung may gulo; tayo ang dapat magpapakabait; tayo ang magtatyaga; tayo ang magiging devoted at faithful; tayo, tayo tayo.

Sila? Ummm... Teka, isipin ko.

Ayun. Sila ang magsasabi kung anong oras kayo dapat magmeet; sila ang magtetext ng mga mushy at kabalbalang texts; sila ang magdedemand sayo ng kung anu-ano; sila ang magbabawal; sila ang magsasabi kung kelan ka dapat mag-shave, kung kelan ka pwedeng tumawag sa bahay nila, kung kelan sila di dapat bad tripin dahil meron sila, at kung kelan ka korni. Ewan. Ganun ata talaga.

*kuha ng bote ng beer*
*lagok*
*lunok*

Hindi pa yun tapos pare, dahil dapat tayo ang bahala kung ano ang magiging takbo ng relasyon. Pag maganda, edi okay. Pag may problema, kasalanan naten. Haay buhay. Minsan talaga kung tutuusin sakit sila ng ulo. Kaya lang mahal naten kaya di na natin iniintindi yun.

*hinga ng malalim*

Pero alam mo tol, feeling ko mas sincere pa tayo magmahal sa kanila. Alam mo yun, iba tayo magmahal e. Hindi lang parang laru-laro lang. Seryoso. At kung magmahal man tayo, lubus-lubusan. Mas mature. Hindi yung parang pambata lang gaya nila na kesyo magseselos-selos, iiyak-iyak, iina-inarte, dadradrama, at kung anu-ano pa. Hindi lang kababawan. Ka-mushyhan. Kababaihan. Iba tayo pag nagmahal.

*hinga ng malalim*
*tingin sa malayo ulit*

At ito pa ang pinakamasaklap.

*singhot*

Ang ending ng relasyon. Sa mga panahong `to, either sawa na sila, hindi na tayo trip, may nahanap na silang better saten, o kaya they need f*cking space and time muna. Bad trip no? Wala na naman tayong choice. Sila ang masusunod.

At ano pa ang kasamang hassle don? Syempre wasak na ang imahe naten. Tayo ang lalabas na may kasalanan. Na playboy. Na nagpapaiyak.

*iiling*

Tayo siyempre ang mga antagonist at sila yung mga bidang inaapi at parang mga pusang iiyak-iyak. Ang ending: mag-ooffer sila
ng "friendship" kuno matapos tayong pagsawaan, lahat ng gifts naten nasa kanila, sawi tayo sa pag-ibig, "player" na ang image naten, at higit sa lahat, mag-iisip kung papaano ipagpapatuloy ang buhay. Maiiwan tayong tulala, mag-iisip kung saan nagkamali, mamomroblema sa pag-aadjust sa pagiging single, at di na naman makakatulog.

Haay buhay. Ang hirap maging lalake. Lagi ka na lang naiiwan sa ere. Ano? Hindi ka na nagsalita? In-love ka no?

Ako, kamusta? Eto. Yoyosi-yosi. Bubuntong-buntong hininga. Titingin-tingin sa bituin. Mumuni-muni. Lalagok-lagok ng alak.

Ang mga babae talaga, oo.

###############
Sa totoong buhay, hindi nagyoyosi ang may-akda. Kasalukuyan siyang may minamahal at naisulat niya ito isang gabing wala siyang magawa.
###############

I went to Mango Comics' DARNA launch last Friday with my wife at Eastwood City in Libis. Didn't get to see much, I'm afraid, since they said the launch was at 7 pm but it started around 9, at which time I was getting a bit antsy so we left already.

From what I hear, I missed a spectacular Darna dance number. Oh well, at least I finally got to meet Gerry Alanguilan, who introduced me to Leinil Yu. These two are really great artists, and they're working on a project for DC Comics called SUPERMAN:BIRTHRIGHT with writer Mark Waid.

Anyway, that's all I have to say for now. Funny, I haven't blogged for close to two months now and I still can't seem to find anything interesting to say. My life must be soooo boring. Maybe tomorrow will be different.

It's my birthday today. Argh!! Can't stand the thought that I'm 30 years old already.

Well, happy birthday to me, I guess.

Hey! Congratulations are in order for Gerry Alanguilan who, as I understand it, is getting married by the end of the month.

I haven't met the guy personally, but exchanging e-mails and messages on his message board makes me feel like I know him a bit. Can't believe it's been a year since I joined the fellas there who call themselves "Komikeros."

Congrats again, Gerry. Welcome to the club.

FROM THE FORWARDED E-MAIL DEPT.:

I am thankful...

For the wife who says it's hot dogs tonight, because she is home with me, not with someone else.

For the husband who is on the sofa who is being a couch potato, because he is home with me and not out at the bars.

For the teenager who is complaining about doing dishes, because that means she is at home, not on the streets.

For the taxes that I pay, because it means that I am employed.

For the mess to clean after a party, because it means that I have been surrounded by friends.

For the clothes that fit a little too snug, because it means I have enough to eat.

For my shadow that watches me work, because it means I am out in the sunshine.

For a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning, and gutters that need fixing, because it means I have a home.

For all the complaining I hear about the government, because it means that we have freedom of speech.

For the parking spot I find at the far end of the parking lot, because it means I am capable of walking and that I have been blessed with transportation.

For my huge heating bill, because it means I am warm.

For the lady behind me in church that sings off key, because it means that I can hear.

For the pile of laundry and ironing, because it means I have clothes to wear.

For weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day, because it means I have been capable of working hard.

For the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours, because it means that I am alive.

It's the holiday season once more, so me and my wife, Kuki, decided to go to Greenhills for some Christmas shopping.

You know those vendors in the streets who sell candies, newspapers, and the like? Some even sell toys (like those animals with the bobbing heads) and mini foldable seats. Well, there was this one vendor who really had us laughing hard. It was along Wilson St. going to Greenhills. Take a guess at what this guy was selling.

Made your guess yet? Believe it or not, the guy was selling FISHING RODS. What the hell?!!? Who sells fishing rods on the street walking around while the traffic light's red? Better yet, who's gonna buy them? I can't imagine anyone seeing this vendor and saying, "Hey! Fishing Rods! Just what we need while we shop at Greenhills!"

I'm still wondering how many fishing rods that guy sells in a day (if ever).

The recent bombings in Bali, Zamboanga and bus bombing in Metro Manila has affected everyone, whether they care to admit it or not.

I was driving along EDSA going to Pasay Road last Saturday morning and there was a commotion in the underpass. People were running towards the underpass wanting to get a look at what happened. I was driving so I couldn't see anything. Police cars even whizzed past by me.

I later learned that something had detonated there earlier. It was a good thing that it was still too early in the morning that no one got hurt in the blast.

Now, I flinch whenever a bus gets close to me. I fear that it may go off anytime, since buses seem to be the favorite instrument of those who perpetrate these attacks.

Why is it that these terrorists strike out at innocents? What if it was their loved ones who got hurt or killed in one of these attacks? Will they see the error of their ways?

Damn.

Women and gay men have all the fun.

Well, at least when it comes to clothes. You know, they can be fashionable, wear the latest trends, wear anything they want without anyone batting an eyelash. They have a wider range of styles to choose from, too.

While straight guys usually just wear ordinary t-shirts and jeans, or collared shirts with loose-fitting slacks or whatever.

Like Sting once said, "I don't subscribe to that point of view." Personally, I like to wear clothes some people might say are "unconventional." Well, for one, I have really short legs, so I can't use loose-fitting pants. I'll look shorter and fatter than I really am if ever I use those kinds of pants. Furthermore, I like wearing tight-fitting shirts. Those loose shirts tend to make me sweat more. I don't know why, they just do.

Anyway, the problem is, some people who see me wearing these kinds of clothes automatically assume I'm gay. What's up with that? Just because an adult male likes to wear unusual clothes, they're automatically gay?

Now I don't really mind people thinking of me as such, and nobody has really said it straight to my face. It's just fairly amusing what some people think. Like this one time, a friend of mine introduced me to a gay friend of hers, and later on he asked her privately if I was a "kabaro." She just laughed and told him no.

I guess it's just not only the way I dress but also the fact that I'm more comfortable around women than with other guys. I have more female friends than male ones. I just can't sometimes stand the "Hey, pare" boisterous, chest-puffing, male posturing, can't-talk-about-anything-else-but-sports-and-cars kind of guys. And believe me, there are a lot of those out there.

It's funny too because sometimes my wife doesn't want me to go up to her office, because I might be wearing something "shocking" to her officemates. There was this one time I fetched her, and one of her officemates was surprised to see me because I was wearing a tight-fitting shirt and shiny jeans. She said (to my wife, privately) that I wasn't what she had pictured in her head of what my wife's husband would look like. She thought I would be the stereotypical collared shirt and slacks wearing type.

Not that I'm a "wild" guy. I don't smoke. I don't hang out at bars or stay up late. I drink only occassionally. I'm just a regular guy, albeit with a different fashion sense than most other men.

Hmmm... this rant seems to be running a little longer than I expected, and really is going nowhere. Well, like it says on the left, I really have nothing significant to say.

But I'm sure there are other guys out there who'd like to try something different. What I'm saying is, don't let conventions hinder you from what you really want to do. It's time to "come out of the closet," so to speak...

Seems changing the template worked. My Blog is up and running again. What a relief.

Okay. I really gotta get back to work now.

There must be something wrong with my blog page. The last time I looked at my page, the last entry was 9/2/2002. But I had written something last 9/30/2002. I don't know why my last blog won't appear, but if that's the case, then chances are this latest blog won't appear on the page, too. That would mean I'm the only one who's ever gonna read this, which may be the equivalent of talking to oneself.

Argh! I hope the problem gets fixed soon. I also changed the look to make my blog more readable. I think the links to the left are gonna disappear with the new look. Anyway, you can head to Gerry Alanguilan's site, KOMIKERO to see some really good stuff.

And you can also head to my site, CAPSULEZONE , if you haven't been there already. Lord knows it really need updating. Just bear with me.

Gotta get back to work now...