Metrosexuality

Some 3 weeks ago I got my hair relaxed. I always wanted to feel how it is not to have my hair standing up all time, or at least became a bit metrosexual. It never turned out that way though.

I have to say I had so many plans for my new found hair. I wanted to let it down and make it style for itself. For a few days I used to shake my head just to style my hair until it stopped working. Then I sat in front of my computer finding a hairstyle which I can pirate. Well now, I had a pretty good list.

Joseph Yeo:



Uhmm, maybe not like that



So I guess I wanted to look like this first. I always thought this pic looked really cool and always wanted to emulate that hair, but it never worked out. So I decided to spend 30 minutes in front of the mirror trying to style my hair like this, but it never ever worked.

David Beckham:


Hmmmm… at least I look good in the Manchester United uniform.

Mike Elgar:



I always thought his hair was cool, and he’s also a kickass guitarist too! But my hair isn’t long enough (darn!)

Rico Blanco



I guess my current hairstyle look closer to Rico Blanco’s than any of the others…

Current hair:



I look like that mop made out of a coconut. But I look a lot younger now (and apparently fatter).

Tinkering with Photoshop is fun! :D

The Third Worldian

A trip to Hong Kong gave me a bit of relaxation. I was actually looking forward to the in-game flight games like Mario or other cool old console games (which I used to play). So once the plane landed the third worldian was perplexed by how modern Hong Kong was. He told himself that the airport back at home was more like crap (pardon the language) than an Airport compared to the Hong Kong International Airport. I guess the third worldian was amazed!

His first dinner out was unforgettable. The term dollars for a third worldian, particularly someone residing in the Philippines would mean instant 50 pesos. But Hong Kong dollars are equivalent to only 7 pesos, this third worldian couldn’t keep that in mind. He was apprehensive to order $32 French fries, $64 pasta and a $26 glass of coke. A good earning Hong Kong-ian would see this as cheap, but this third worldian didn’t.

The train ride was no different, surprised the each ticket cost $14 each, and this third worldian seemed to multiply everything by 50 knowing very well the exchange rate is only 7. It was just too expensive.

Cab Rides there are a lot different. The meters work properly, the give out receipts and the drivers don’t have body odor. My only complain about the cab driver is that some can be overwhelmingly fat, and very few of them understand English. But still, an initial few of $15 and after 2 kilometers, $1.4 for every 200 meters was too much. This third wordlian was still multiplying by 50’s.

Shopping stalls were no different. $70 t-shirts and better ones costing almost $150 were presented before us. Like any typical third worldian, we would look at it, put it over our body and make a wild guess whether it fits or not, and maybe we go into the dressing room. Once inside the dressing room, we don’t like it and return it back the rack as if it is laundry. This third worldian also multiplied everything by 50, and he was still a bit apprehensive to buy stuff.

When this third worldian started looking for something cheap, he saw a McDonalds stand decided to compare prices. But finally he was able to multiply everything by 7 thus seeing McDonalds is just a little bit more expensive than back home. Just a little bit so this third worldian liked eating in McDonalds.

This third worldian also visited two theme parks in Hong Kong, Disney Land and Ocean Park. Apparently this third wordlian doesn’t really enjoy rides, or is it because he isn’t with his friends? Anyway he didn’t feel like going out. But at this point this third worldian still multiplied everything by 50 which are why he was apprehensive to enter the theme parks, buy souvenirs and even eat.

And for his last stop, the third worldian visited a bookstore finally bearing in mind that the exchange rate is 7 pesos. Books which cost $100 Hong Kong are a rip-off! 700 pesos is too much for a single book! Hong Kong was too expensive for the third worldian.

The third worldian was relieved to get back home, where train rides cost $2, where coke costs $3, where books cost $50 dollars and taxi rides cost $5 initially and an additional, 14 cents per 200 meters? Sorry this third worldian is not only cheap, but also mathematically impaired.

A cab ride

One Saturday evening, we had a gig at My Bro’s Mustache. The best gig ever ended pretty early so I was still able to catch a glimpse of the bands which will follow before I left. I walked towards the sidewalk in search for a cab; it was 9:30 in the evening. Past experience tells me that it is difficult to get a cab when it’s late. I was wrong. I extended my hand like a New Yorker trying to get a cab until one cab, opened windows stopped in front of me. The windows were already open and I peeked in.

*note: all translated from tagalong to English
Jio (J): Good evening, sir can you take me to Manila Peninsula?
Cab Driver (CD): The on in Makati?
J: Yeah
CD: Sure, hop in.

The worse was over. I was afraid I couldn’t get a cab to drive me all the way to Makati but this was my lucky day, or was it?

CD: Sir, do you know how much it is going there?

I started to wonder, isn’t that what the meter is for?

J: No
CD: Sir, my meter is broken

No wonder, I got into a cab with a broken meter

CD: it becomes either too fast or too slow, it’s whacked up! Just like our country
J: okay, so estimate, usually how much does it cost going there?
CD: Around 145 pesos, no traffic. I just sure hope this meter works.
J: *thinking: Me too…*

When we reached EDSA, I started to smell something. The cab started to smell really bad, I didn’t want to ask him, it’s not good to ask about touchy subjects, especially hygiene, whether the car or the person.

CD: There it goes! The meter is moving too fast. It’s already 100 pesos and we haven’t even reached Ortigas yet
J: *going with the flow* Yeah yeah!

Oddly the smell started to get stronger. I started getting really dizzy; yet breathing through my mouth seemed grosser than breathing normally. In front of me was a clipping of a news article about driver with Body Odor. When I first entered he told me how the Jeepney drivers can be so unhygienic. Look who’s talking.

And almost the entire journey, every time the meter goes up by 25 pesos, the driver would remind me how fast it goes. Once we reached Guadalupe, I changed the topic

J: Have you watched the Da Vinci Code?
CD: Not yet, but I wanna watch it. I’ve heard that they banned it already here
J: *playing along* really??
CD: Yes! In fact it’s already banned in the United States, India and now here. They arrest all those who buy Da Vinci Code DVD’s
J: I didn’t know that…
CD: Yes, now no cinema is showing it

At that moment we pass by Greenbelt 3, with the big sign up there “Now Playing: Cinema 1: The Da Vinci Code, Cinema 2: The Da Vinci Code” and the other I already forgot..

J: I didn’t… know that
CD: Yes!
J: Want me to tell you the story? I’ve already read the book
CD: Sure!

And I summarize the story for him. I end just in time and I’m dropped off at The Manila Peninsula.

J: Thanks a lot!
CD: Sure no Problem!

I offered him 200 pesos, but he was too modest and he didn’t accept it. He asked me to pay 150.