happy-sad

Los Angeles, CA -- it's time to go home. my boss, my dad, and my dad's lawyer have been looking for me and, you know, all good things must come to an end.

my tita is the first pinoy i've seen in 5 weeks. she and my tito picked me up at LAX after my tiring brasil-argentina-lima-us flights. i only have several hours before my next flight leaves for manila. i spend it wisely by having american-style comfort food at their house: a peanut butter-jelly-banana sandwich with hot chocolate. i shower, nap, pack my things and have a strawberry milkshake and cheesecake afterwards (my relatives know how to fatten up their guests).

i'm catching the last philippine airlines flight tonight and will be sharing space with manny pacquiao, recent victor against mexican boxer diaz. i only know this stuff since the pinoys at LAX are excitedly talking about the pacman. when the man of the hour arrives with his entourage and media crew, people shout "manny! manny!" and a man yells "manny! what's up, baby?"

more stuff on sulamerica, when time permits.

see you in manila, chickies.

constant rain

Rio de Janeiro, BRASIL -- it´s wednesday night and i´m alone at a cafe in leblon reading that elizabeth gilbert book jushtine and jeetas kept throwing spoilers of back in peru. it´s so popular you can get a copy of it here in portuguese (comer rezar amor).

getting a bit lonely. i´m back here in rio for the second time in 4 weeks. i flew in from salvador de bahia last night without jan (hi manay & marcos). the terrible tandem left south america a week ago. right now i´m waiting for my friend to finish his errands. i called my other friend daniel to see if he wanted to hang out but he doesn´t get off from work ´til late.

this is just fine, though. i´d rather be lonely halfway across the world than back home. it´s easy to feel hidden here, away from things and people you´d rather not think of.

maybe it´s the constant rain.

* i´ll stop here before you all let out a collective aww which i might not appreciate ;p

in this blue shade

The Huntington, Singapore-- Music for those days when you just have to wallow (but refuse to play anything that wails, drags, or just plain stretches on forever):

1. tears dry on their own - amy winehouse
2. dakota - stereophonics
3. when your mind's made up - glen hansard & marketa irglova
4. if i had eyes - jack johnson

5. feel like a woman - mary j. blige

as amy says, we should just be our own best friends. not f***ourselves in the head with stupid men.

wallowing: check.

*lomo by reese

missing home

Neptune, NJ -- I'm on a roll...

A few nights ago, while I was desperately trying to iron my clothes, I was listening to Gary V ( I know, I know -- very CHIMAY moment) when suddenly "Pasko na sinta ko" started playing. I couldn't help it - I just bawled. It must be the combination of the cold weather, Gary V, the upcoming holidays, homesickness, and just the desperation with ironing. I called up Joy. She asked me what would make me happy at that moment. And my reply was a paper bag full of hot pandesal. That's it. What I would do to have a pandesal right now.... :(

audio candy # 4: not walking on sunshine

so you're not feeling perky this week. let's douse the rest of the world with pseudo-emo.

1. silver lining rilo kiley * reese

and i'm not going back into rags or in the hole
and our bruises are coming
but we will never fold

and i was your silver lining
as the story goes
i was your silver lining but now i'm gold
hurray hurray i'm your silver lining
hurray hurray but now i'm gold.

2. baby britain/elliott smith * reese

Baby britain feels the best floating over a sea of vodka
Separated from the rest
Fights problems with bigger problems
Sees the ocean fall and rise
Counts the waves that somehow didn't hit her
Water pouring from her eyes
Alcoholic and very bitter

For someone half as smart you'd be a work of art
You put yourself apart
And i can't help until you start


3. you're gonna make me lonesome when you go/ben watt *justine

Situations have ended sad
Relationships have all been bad
Mine've been like Verlaine's and Rimbaud
But there's no way I can compare
All those scenes to this affair
Yer gonna make me lonesome when you go.

Yer gonna make me wonder what I'm doing
Stayin' far behind without you
Yer gonna make me wonder what I'm sayin'
Yer gonna make me give myself a good talkin to'.

I'll look for you in old Honolulu
San Francisco, Ashtabula,
Yer gonna have to leave me now, I know.
But I'll see you in the sky above,
In the tall grass, in the ones I love
Yer gonna make me lonesome when you go.