Category Archives: personal

For days like this, you need 90 proof drinks

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Patron Silver and the shot glasses I’ve downed this lunch time. 90 proof (45% alcohol). Photo by CallMeCreation.com

Things are so bad that press conferences come with alcoholic drinks because our hosts know how stressed we are right now. Twitter has made every reporter I know depressed today with a series of bad news after bad news, the primary one is having an incoming press secretary who is a lawyer suspended by the Supreme Court and her only claim to fame is being a fake news peddler VLOGGER/blogger. She red-tags people and is very hostile to media.

During Duterte’s admin, I have experienced being unwelcomed by the government as we legit reporters were not given seats in a national economic conference while the bloggers like uTh*king P*noy are given a special section where they can write and tweet inanities. These people who just add GDP cumulatively and declare that Duterte will end his admin with a 45% GDP growth 🙄 These people who cannot make heads or tails of FDI, stock market, mergers and acquisitions, and benchmark interest rates. I had to write my stories on the floor on those days despite my being in business clothes. That’s how bad it was.

My group chat has been on fire today. Marcos is putting hostile people in place to barricade us to prevent transparency and truth.

A lot of my friends and colleagues said they have turned off Twitter today due to the series of WTF stories coming out.

At UCC. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

Despite downing a couple of shots of Patron, one of the strongest tequilas known to the market, I didn’t get tipsy. But just to be safe, I went down from the hotel where we had the lunch briefing to have coffee and work.

My laptop bag with cat scratches. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

I wasn’t really productive today but I was able to secure an interview with an Indonesian company for one of my reporters. I’m a generous boss; I farm out the things that land on my plate and I do not hog them for myself. Besides, I should be doing more value-added things like big scoops and more global/regional stories so I shouldn’t be doing small stories that suck up my time.

Sketch. Art and photo by CallMeCreation.com
At UCC. Art and photo by CallMeCreation.com

But I’m so brain-dead now that I could not pull up my watercolors to finish this sketch. Perhaps tomorrow when I’m in the zone?

My friend from my old TV network told me he wants to quit now and join corporate. I told him, he better jump now when the offer still stands because the threat of the incoming justice secretary is serious. It’s martial law all over again, closing down independent media and promoting crony media like SNI (owned by a Duterte ally wanted by the US FBI for sex trafficking and other offenses) and Net25 (Iglesia ni Cristo station).

Oh WTF.

Clothes and book donation drive

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So I’m typing here using my very pink Logitech keyboard and my phone to blog about how terrible it is that there is a system-wide Converge blackout here in QC. I’m using my Smart data just as my phone is on fire due to multiple calls, which I will write about later.

First off, I drove to Msi-ECS this afternoon for a Lenovo repair. This company also accepts gadgets (laptops, tablets) from other brands like HP, Asus, Acer, Dell, etc).

Driving along Marcos Highway. Took me 1.5 hrs roundtrip for 20 mins of service. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

The service was quick since I called them up on Friday for scheduling and pre-fill up of data sheet.

Photo by CallMeCreation.com.com

The rest of the afternoon was spent on emailing and instant messaging people. I can’t believe that it takes hours to do these things.

Then the group that I had been helping during the height of the lockdowns in 2020 had asked for assistance again as the Aetas of Capas, Tarlac have no means of livelihood due to the pandemic and the children would be having face-to-face classes now. The teachers are asking for white shirts for the children as they have no clothes to wear to school.

I began my messaging and call brigade to mobilize my connections. So now they have been sending financial support and another friend said she can have the shirts made in Taytay T-shirt factories for only PHP 40 each. My mom’s friends are sending books and other people are sending school supplies.

I will ask my corporate connections for donations in kind (probably through their own foundations) for school materials or food supplements for these kids, whose families were displaced by the Clark Development Corp.

Sixteen years ago, I’ve written about the Aetas’ dire situation (in Morong, Bataan), especially when it comes to their education or the lack thereof. Sixteen years have passed and it hasn’t changed much.

The Aeta children c/o trekkingpinatubo.com

It’s about time that I make that long-delayed trip to Tarlac and meet this community of indigenous people that I had been helping remotely. I will ask a friend for book donations as well. My reporter-friend and I will arrange a trip together since he was the one who helped distribute the milk powder that I solicited from a food conglomerate way back in 2020.

This is the reason why I can’t leave the Philippines. I have the means to help them and make a difference, in my own little way. I can also write about their plight for one of the broadsheets since I’m friends with most of their editors, as I had been doing in the past. The indigenous peoples of this country are the most forgotten/neglected groups in this impoverished country. They don’t have voices and only a few of us can lend ours.

As I said in my essay, Love Letter to Myself, we need to work at the bottom of the pyramid to be able to spark change.

And oh, my crazy cats have destroyed the screen on my bedroom window because they’re chasing birds outside my window. 🙄

My destructive monster, Kimchi. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

Taking it easy

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Herbed chicken for dinner. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

I was basically useless the whole morning since I was asleep most of the time. I’m sleepy still.

I fixed my container garden again after it was ravaged by the heat that battered us pre-election and election week. I pulled out the casualties and re-potted the new ones that I bought yesterday. Gardening is really therapeutic because you spend hours doing something with a blank brain. I’m still not satisfied with it so next week I’ll be adding more plants 😄

I got frustrated with the rain today that I decided to book 3 days, 2 nights in Pico de Loro. Rain or no rain, we will return to the sea. At least the rains would not be that disastrous at the beach compared to if we went camping.

Pico de Loro by Hamilo Coast.

I hiked this area (used to be called Hacienda Looc) in 1996 and it used to be surrounded by mangroves. It was a very beautiful and secluded paradise but at that time it was a scary moment because one wrong turn I faced an armed soldier…It’s ironic that I would be coming back to this area after 25 years as a guest of the land grabbers. 🥴 I’ll see if I can live with myself being here as part of the bourgeoisie set that fueled the land grabbing.

Anyway, I think I need to take a vacation leave during the week we would be here. After my trip to Singapore (if that would even push through), I think I deserve a break.

I saw in our group chat the photos of the other journos who went to have an after-party following our drinking session. The photos showed they haven’t broken up the party even if the sun was already high and bright and they were all sipping coffee. I was asked to join them before I went home at 11 pm but turned down the invite and said this tita is already dead and needs a bed. I could never do that kind of night out at this age. When I was younger, I was like that every week as I had all the energy and will. We even bar-hopped until the wee hours. I guess age really catches up with me and my priority right now is being comfortable. What I promised a friend who also attended the event last night was a lunch date because there are so many things we needed to catch up on.

two clear wine glasses with straws
Photo by Oleg Magni on Pexels.com

Hahaha! Now I get why there are those who “do lunches”: It’s because they could no longer do the cocktail hours.

I hate to say it but lunches and coffee dates are more preferable these days. 😂

S. Korea is starting to open up to tourists and I guess I can go to our Seoul office later this year. Japan has yet to follow, which is kinda frustrating because my multiple-year visa is already expiring in April next year.

Let me see first how my travel itinerary for the year shapes up. Getting OKs from London is really frustrating. Which reminds me, I have to battle it out tomorrow with bosses regarding my travels and coverage. 🤪

In the meantime, I’m staring at this Sombrero island painting. Waiting for inspiration again…

I’m so sleepy

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Body clock still out of whack. I slept before 12 last night then I got woken up at 4 am. Had to fall back asleep. Then woke up at 9 am! Despite that, I still fell asleep at 1 pm and woke up after 1.5 hrs.

What’s wrong with me???😢

Anyway, got my groove back and tackled this Sombrero Island watercolor. I’m waiting for it to dry then do another layer.

Art and photo by CallMeCreation.com

I’m missing the sea again. I wish I could go now but the weather is uncooperative. I want to try checking in at Arthur’s Place or Planet Dive.

It’s quite annoying that my trip to Singapore this June is yet to be approved. Needed to justify why I need to attend such and such conference, do we often attend such, etc. Like hello! That’s my freaking job!!!

I hate our HQ head.

They’re giving me lots of headaches.

Good thing my cats provide me some stress relief.

Sushi. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

I hope tomorrow will be better.

You know, life goes on

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Back to cleaning my room. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

After writing Love Letter to Myself and seeing my friends yesterday, I felt much better. The Philippines is still fucked up but at least I’m not alone in feeling this way. A group of journos will be meeting for dinner next week so we would be able to prepare for the riskier environment we would be operating in. I guess we have to do this more often because the government is hostile to us, plus people allied with the government and incoming administration had been red-tagging various institutions like UP and Adarna Books (a publisher of children’s books????? Damn it!)

But we have to function normally. Life goes on…albeit we are more threatened now. And fucked up. I have said that twice.

So back to regular programming. Back to doing household chores and cooking.

We went to Tiendesitas to buy cat supplies and check out swimming gear but we ended up with more cycling wear and accessories (new helmets and bike lock). Well the girls got rash guards but no adult size for me. I guess I would have to go to Speedo for my own swimming gear.

Ah Decathlon, the bane of my existence. Photo by CallMeCreation.com

I’m looking at camping grounds now so we can go next week before the rains become more frequent. I need to push through with this as I would be flying to Singapore on the first weekend of June because the following days I would be attending a 3-day conference and I need to meet some of my sources.

I’m thinking of going back to Mount Purro Nature Reserve for river trekking and camping or at UCM Adventure Park in San Mateo to watch the stars and city lights.

Camping at UCM Adventure Park.

But I think Phillip’s Sanctuary is a better bet because there are more activities like river kayaking and rafting.

Hoping that we have a clear weekend ahead.

This

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A video shot by my sister-in-law who watched the UP vs Ateneo game live

We all had a very bad week (and bad next six years or so). But at least the UP Men’s Basketball Team gave us something to be happy about last night.

First championship since 1986.

And in 1986 a woman led the people to oust a Marcos. You know, hope springs eternal. I have a feeling Junior will not finish his term.

I’ve been supporting the UP Men’s for decades as a former Maroons player myself (football) with an ex-bf who was also a UP basketball player. My sister was also a Maroons, playing volleyball in the WNCAA. I know the struggles of UP athletes—underfunded but full of fighting spirit. And to win the basketball championship—the most watched and anticipated UAAP event—after 36 years of struggling is super sweet.

My friends and I had dinner and drinks in Makati last night. Three of us are international news wire editors and one is a former reporter who is now a mid-level government official. We all covered the Treasury at the same time so we had this deep bond that spanned more than 15 years. What was supposed to be an election crying session turned into a laugh trip dinner and drinks. We hardly talked about the election and we just picked up where we left off when we had our last get-together dinner in March last year.

Since K had his appendix taken out a few months ago, he told us about his experience and the lingering horrific pain of having a catheter pulled out. 🤣 We three women agreed that catheter pain is what we remembered most during our own surgeries. Catheter > epidural needle. 🤣 I told them that pain relievers don’t work on me and I have a weird relationship with anesthesia. My dentist is forever frustrated with that. Even my anesthesiologist was surprised and alarmed when I was awake, talking, and still felt “something” during my gall bladder operation. I clearly remember asking her, “Why am I still alive?” when I wanted to ask why I was still awake 🤣 she hiked my anesthesia to put me back to sleep. When I woke up from surgery, I was on a higher dosage morphine drip.

Our conversations have changed from year to year and now we’re talking about hospitalizations and health. Gee, we’re old 😂

K asked me how I was since my anxiety attack in Feb. I said I’m already fine and that recognizing and accepting that J was just truly evil that’s why I went through all that shit is part of my healing process. And art therapy. I may not yet be healed but I’m much better—to the extent I had been off alprazolam for more than a month.

We were like Cinderella and had to break up the party at 12 midnight. Three of us are moms while K has a strict sleep and gym schedule.

These friends keep me sane ❤️

TGIF! Photo by CallMeCreation.com