A Perfect Night

My JOC friends spent the night at Le Château Hanté. They're my relatively newer group since I only got to know them this March, after the Jars of Clay concert at Araneta. I won't even be part of this group if not for   who introduced me to a friend who's a member of this e-group. From that first meeting at Coffee Bean in GB3 I've grown to love this group for its healthy(?) sense of humour and of course, for its sensibility. They're my panabla from being oh-so-very-bad, always on the wholesome side (i guess for now, hehe...), always a source of inspiration. I can always be my shallow, blissful self when I'm with them and actually feel good about it.

 

As I was saying, a dozen of my JOC friends spend the entire saturday night at our humble abode. There was non-stop chatting. We devoured everything edible that we had. I cooked seafood pasta for them (a labour of love). Doc Lei bought us pizza. BTW, it was her birthday some days ago so this overnight thing was also sort of a celebration for her. Albert the latecomer made a smiley chocolate cake and a box of chewy chocolate chip cookies for the group (another labour of love - a bigger one!). There were donuts and chips and coffee and oh, a lot more stuff. No wonder we were high that night.

 

So many things to talk about that we only got to watch one movie - Big Fish. Daks, the creator of the group picked it and wouldn't rest til we were all gathered around the TV. Oh, I almost forgot. We explored Le Château Hanté and I think they enjoyed it, though I personally think that the house is a total mess for all its ruined glory. They also got to see the following: (1) where my peasant neighbors live (a private joke); (2) the "swamp" that used to be a pool; (3) the ala-Wizard's Chessboard (a person is the actual chesspiece); and (4) the giant 3-storey birdcage (bakit mashadong malaki? kasi kulungan yan ng mga kalapating mababa ang lipad. hwehehe...). Too bad I couldn't show them the "hidden rooms" for I feared that our monstrous mosquitoes might devour them.

 

Castle exploration, eating marathon, daldalan, baby-sitting (Lemon loved them!) one movie (except for Dex who enjoyed watching Super B), Pinoy Big Brother, over-flowing coffee. Then came the time for, guess what... Guesstures! It's played like charades, only it's noisier. Well, at least the players were noisier than normal. We had so much fun playing and we laughed so hard, even if it's already 4 a.m. The funniest players were: Fer, our own psycho bunny + king kong na pabaliktad mag water ski, was a good sport; Master "Crazy" Daks who laughed his guts out at my pang-aasar and  Detty, the Magic Magician with the 20/20 vision. Argh! I don't remember much anymore. I remember though that we probably woke half of my peasant neighbors (ha-ha) with our laughter.

 

They stayed til 8 a.m. the next day. I hate to see them go and would really love to have them back. For now, let's enjoy the pictures na lang. There's always next time you know. -wink-

 

Thank You: Doc Lei, Jeeldz, Shawie, Lenard, Dex, Daks, Fer, Detty, Naning, Albert and Jomar (hopefully I dint forget anybody). Oh, and Roy, Fer's friend from PGH too. I had so much fun!!! You can always come back. -wink wink-

LSS

Ack! Imagine me having LSS. If that's not bad enough, imagine me LSS-ing the Papa Cologne song from Parokya ni Edgar's latest release.

PAMATAY!

ANd oh, i also can't stop singing Mang Jose and Order-Taker. Halp!

A day in the Life

Took a leave from work to go to my babe's fieldtrip. I can hardly make her stay put, with the excitement bursting right out of her face. It was indeed a day to remember (and probably the best day of my life, except for the occassional motion sickness I'm known to have).

First stop, St. Peter's church in Quezon City.

To my utter, disappointment I discovered that my camphone wasn't fully charged. It started giving out this low-batt noise I'm allergic to. I only had one thing in mind: when I get home I'm gonna kill *bleep* for it seems he forgot to charge the phone before handing it over to me. Juuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuust perfect! But then I decided that I wouldn't ruin Lemon's day just  because of my urge to end *bleep*'s life abruptly. It's not fair that I let her suffer. This is her day, not mine. And maybe, no, surely God was on our side, because after a few minutes, the phone started back on.


Second stop: Avilon Zoo. It would have been a more tolerable ride for me (I can barely stand buses) if our guide was a little more sensitive. She mentioned this incident where a bus full of students fell into the river a few meters before reaching Avilon Zoo over and over. Gawd I wanted to stuff her mouth! Oh well, sabi naman nya, di kami dadaan sa tulay na yun. But still... ahh... you get my point.


The highlights of the zoo trip:


Nice facade. I literally fell inlove with the landscape!



The not-so-shy Ostritch.



The rather friendly bear named Orange.



Huge Tiger. RAWRRRRR! I only hope I could come closer. Teehee...



The owl and my brave Lemon.



At the end of the trip to the zoo, me and my babe are already dead tired (I was running after her all day). But in fairness, Lemon had behaved relatively well. Oh you should have seen those mean kids! One of the mums asked me how I could "control" my daughter. I simply answered, I don't.


Two stops done, only three more to go (oh my how my head ached!)


Third Stop: The Doll Museum in Marikina. We weren't allowed to take pictures. I was only able to take this one shot. Yeah, I know... I'm sooooo bad. LOLx!



Fourth Stop: The Shoe Factory. Not much to see really, plus the smell of the rugby and leather offended me. Kung rugby lang sana, ibang usapan na yun. Mwehehe!


While waiting for the rest of the class to get back on the bus, Lemon and I saw a truck filled with dogs. A guy ran after an askal, caught it, and loaded it into the truck. Oh  how Lemon cried! She's just so compassionate and it filled my heart with so much pride and warmth.


Fifth and last stop:The Shoe Gallery I wasn't able to take a pic of the largest pair of leather shoes in the world (which btw, were Pinoy-made) because my stupid camphone died on me.


We were given half an hour to explore the Marikina Mall (which I've explored so many times already since I work nearby). Lemons asked for some stickers and sticker notebook. What is it with kids and stickers? When we got back to meet with the others, she sat on the floor, opened her bag of stickers and started working on her album. It only took one tiny scream, and half of the class was already there, seated around my Lemon. She gladly shared her stickers and let even the meanest bully of the class to dig in and violate her sticker album. All the mothers took pictures of the cute little monsters on the floor. Again one of the mums asked me, "buti di sha umiyak." I wanted to say, well kasi mataas ang EQ ng anak ko eh'" but then it'll be too much. I only said that Lemon, being an only child, loves to be around kids her age. And that she didn't mind sharing.


Then finally it was time to go home. While the other parents are busy checking their prized photos, I was hugging my already exhausted daughter and kissing her chubby face. I told her, "you know what, Lemon? You made mommy so proud." Yeap, I truly am proud of her, my little Lemon, my one true love. While the rest of the kids' parents took home with them nice photographs of the entire day, I was taking home with me the kid who shared her stickers with the rest of the class and actually felt good about it.


Ang kulet!

To my beloved immortals

A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE

It was a year ago when I first laid eyes on them - seemingly conventional beings who answered my call for companionship. My beautiful creatures of the night, bound to me through a fiber in our soul. In the dark lair of my beloved Louis we first took pleasure in each other’s warmth. Since the day I met them my life was never the same. I’ve found love where others are terrified to look. I found out that in darkness, where my eyes have failed to lead me, my heart is my better judge.

With only the sincerest intentions of finding out about and exchange ideas with beings who fell in love with the same preternatural creatures of the universe that our beloved Anne Rice alone could create, I took a huge swallow of air, closed my eyes, and began calling out. It was terribly ambitious of me to presume that a handful would answer. To my utter bewilderment, a legion of loving night prowlers took me in, away from the coldness of a solitary existence I’ve tolerated for so long. I shook off my fear of rejection. I offered my heart and willingly loved them, surprised that such love could be returned a hundredfold.

Now we are family. Trust and affection have blossomed to a degree that I feel like I can no longer imagine life without them, let alone to never have met them. I’ve broken my heart a thousand times in loving this group. I’ve had my share of disappointments and episodes of incurable depression. Yes, I’ve felt the fangs of rejection a considerable number of times. But all I can say is that what I have now is an entirely new and meaningful existence, a heart that could be broken over and over again, but nonetheless a heart that beats for so much love.

A year, perhaps even more, and I am happy. In my Talamasca I’ve found comfort in being an outcast, an antisocial of some sort. I’ve proven that darkness is not that bad. I found out that I am not a lone being in my insane passion for the hazy unknown. That there are others like me who are just waiting to be summoned from the shadows.

And so we’ve grown. From challenging each other’s knowledge we’ve become inseparable. Often going out into the night in small groups, we kept each other company and promised that never again shall we spend eternity alone.


SOPHOMORE IMMORTALS

The group is relatively young. But each and every one will agree with me that such measure of time is not significant, not when you vowed to stay forever. Exactly a year ago The First Gathering took place. And now, armed with much more trust and affection, we’ve gathered once more to renew our vows of eternal companionship and love.

The evening started early, just moments after the sun had set. I was feverish, unusually anxious of what could and would happen. The necessary preparations had been carried out, and in time. My beloved Emyr wholeheartedly took us in for the night, allowing us to do as we please, to make his lair even darker for the occasion. I shared the day with Maya and Nii, my own two dark angels. All four of us gave our very best to create an abode worthy of our much-loved brothers and sisters’ grace.

In small groups they came, save for my sweet Louis and beautiful Vixie. The first ones who arrived were Mon, Bong and Paul. A cloud of sweet darkness overcame my conciousness. It was almost magic. The red and gold coat that Mon wore added a note of seriousness to his already snobbish appearance. Then came handsome Louis, with an embrace that displayed his affection. Soon everyone was there - hopeful fledglings named Chris, Mara, and Steph, as well as the elders I’ve come to love. Ces was Mara’s hostess, though it was made clear later on that Mara was among the first ones who’ve answered my call. I remembered then that during the time I’ve posted trivial questions for all the members to answer, it was her and Louis who tried to answer everything. Seemingly shy Mara and I instantly bonded, singing the same songs that tell our stories. Ces was a vision – with her black laced dress and matching delicate shoes.

Beauteous Vixie came in her glorious red dress that gave justice to her delicate frame. Chris, the first fledgling who arrived, appeared somehow reluctant at first. His story of his mom being the bigger Anne Rice fan than he could ever be started the conversation with a laugh. Monsieur Jomi and his brother in dark music, Mic, came with boxes of more nourishment for our famished bodies. I embraced Jomi who was then in a battle with his personal demons. With the arrival of these two beings, clad in black, the coven for the night was completed. Or so I thought. But then Steph, christened Pandora by Louis, tiara and all, like a flightless fairy, stepped in and created quite a stir.

There was never-ending talk and free-flowing beer. As our pale skin turned ruddy as the alcohol swirled with our blood, the night grew more and more charming. Louis, with the penchant for baptizing the members, gave Maya the beautiful witch’s name, Merrique. Her dress of ruffles and lively pink blended so well with her dazzling long, curly, black hair. Nii, our own eternal child, surprised us with her heavily ruffled lace blouse and overall simplicity. Emyr, the master of the ceremonies, clad in black robe that touched the ground, made us fall in love with his generosity and charm.

Laughter rang all through the night, mostly due to Paul’s uncanny wit and humor. There wasn’t a dull moment with him. We laughed so hard that I started thinking, what if Paul wasn’t able to come? Surely it would have been a far less unforgettable night. And let’s not forget Bong, previously tagged as the sacrificial lamb, who bravely declared that he’d finished a book already and though troubled by random parts of it, gave his word that he’d continue reading.

After we’ve stuffed ourselves with sumptuous seafood and pesto pasta that Emyr’s mom lovingly prepared and the nachos and mango salsa that Paul made, came the perfect moment to start the programme. It was Emyr’s fantastic idea to give our usual intellectual intercourse a twist by playing vampire charades. The group was divided into two little covens. Upon seeing who my teammates were, the other group whined that the game’s already decided. For with me were Louis and Jomi, both well regarded as elite readers. Midway through, they had proven themselves right. We were winning. Phrases and names of characters such as Those Who Must be Kept, God of the Grove, Candomble Priest, Aaron Lighter, Michael Curry among others were acted out during the two-part challenge. Though I lost Jomi and Louis during the second game, my new teammates and I have proven that we have what it takes to win.

More singing, drinking, playing the guitar and the piano, burning paper and devouring the pizza and nachos followed. Then came the formal raping of each other’s mind, as beloved Louis loves to put it.

Words flowed like wine. We all just got lost in the moment. As each one of us tried our very best to put into words our deepest feelings inspired by our heroine, Anne Rice, time stood still. I will never forget the emotions brought about by the conversation. It made me see the plots and the characters in a not-so-different perspective. I could hardly contain myself. My children, if I may call them such, made me so proud with their good command of words and immeasurable depth of character.

The details of the conversation are now swimming in my head in an unruly fashion. However I can clearly summarize that we all agreed that Anne Rice created for us an alternate reality so intricately and effectively interwoven with historical facts that we sometimes believe, and wish, it was non-fiction. She gave our vampires beauty and emotions, dreams and struggles that it was impossible not to fall in love with them. She made us see immortality in a new and more romantic light. And most importantly, at least as I see it, she gave us a way to express our fantasies – the things we can only dream we have the power to do. She made us believe that it’s okay to be an outcast, to be antisocial when it comes to our passions and even our way of life.

And so it had come to pass. They were leaving one by one. I know in my heart that all of us took home a part of each and every one and gave a morsel of ourselves back to the group. I looked inside me and found peace sweetly entangled in sadness, sadness that I shall miss them when they’d gone. But then I thought that just as quickly as a year passed, the days of not being physically with them would pass me by. And before I knew it I’d be in their arms again, sharing one wonderful evening after another in immortal companionship and love.






"This job was F*ckin tedious!" - Bong, Magic Touch

"Hell yeah!" - Bianca, Evil Genius

Talamasca

made this ambigram. Thanks so darn much Jomi! Thanks for giving in to pressure *wink*

Jomi you're a god!!!

Then my sacrificial lamb friend, Bong, used his magic. Here's the ambigram after Bong's touch:

You're effin wicked!!!