Saints and Sinners, Angels and Demons, Jesters-in-Holiness and Other Stuff

Before I get into writing the scheduled post, let me first put a few things out of the way relating to personal stuff. For this week, I want to get some rather less important stuff out of the way before writing about the serious stuff.

See, so many things have happened in the past week to my beloved Las Islas Filipinas and her people, so much so that I think the right amount of emphasis can only be given to these by writing about them separately. Thus, these are vignettes from a week of my so-called life... my continuing mission -- to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations...

To split infinitives like no infinitive has been split before.

(I've been reading this Business English for Dummies book or something of that nature. Not that I've learned enough as it is -- I need to try to reduce the book to a download I can jack into my head. Haha.)

***
Probably a whole load of posts have already been made about last night's blogger mixer sponsored by Coke. I spent the evening hanging out with Doc Tess and Arbet, but likewise had the pleasure of seeing the usual suspects. Partial roll call, folks (the floppy hat arrived late, you see), and off the top of my head I remember seeing among the crowd these bloggers:

Ade
Aileen
AJ
Azrael
Benj
Billycoy
Dine
Geri
Fritz
Jayvee
Jeff
Jehzlau
Jon
Joy
Juned
Lauren
Mica
Nina
Poyt
Rico
Shari
Tiffany

... and a whole host of others (Aileen's registration list is turned off so I didn't write those whose URLs I've forgotten).

(If you aren't on the list, and if I had the temerity to say hi to you, do leave a comment and your URL so I can update the list and offer my sincere apologies for my forgetfulness. Maybe this list will be useful for other folks, too. Thanks!)

I need a new hat. The other host couldn't tell who I was and the floppy hat I was wearing. Bleh. Haha.

***
One of the things I did at the Buhay Coke Bloggers' Party was blurb up FilipinoVoices.com, at the supportive insistence of Noemi. I said something along the lines of inviting people to visit the site and maybe contributing to the Philippine Issues Writing Project.

I also asked people to blog about what they know about the current efforts being done to address the damage and provide relief to Typhoon Frank's victims, as a means of spreading the word and getting more people to help.

(I'm not sure if it was my imagination that there were deers-in-headlights in the crowd, but since Noemi was smiling about what I had said, maybe I did okay.)

I hope people knew I wasn't jesting, and was dead serious about encouraging people to help in any way they can.

(Of course, blockmate Myuzeeshun says that the hat just might be getting in the way of putting the serious message across. Oh snap.)

***
I was able to capture local vlogging royalty Lord Coy and Her Royal Hottieness Kring, in a not-quite-sufficiently scandalous pose.

Vlogger scandal. Not.

Based on last night's show, I think Kring just might have a new career with Marcelle, by being his assistant in magic tricks with the man, possibly wearing one of those skimpy feathery outfits and all; although we can't say for sure if the tricks involve grabbing his magic wand, apparently there's lots of rope and chain involved. Coy can shoot the video of Marcelle's magic hands on Kring.

(Oh wait, I don't think I'm sure what that means. Haha.)

***
Yes, yes, I know that the current ad campaign of Coke involves an angel meeting a devil, but since I hadn't had the luck of seeing the angel I would've wanted to see at the party -- even after popping a Coke Zero open and guzzling it down -- I decided to protest the lack of truth in advertising by getting myself a proper saint's drink.

Not Coke.
See what you made the angel in the floppy hat go and do, Coke? Hahaha.

(Arbet and Doc Tess did rather vehemently register their protest over my angelic persona. Can't believe anyone would say that the jester-in-exile is no angel. Hoo boy.)

***
Here's a before-the-party story: that day of the party, I was at our company's summer outing. We spent the morning at the Ipo Dam watershed in Norzagaray, Bulacan planting trees. (My sib will be pleased to learn that all the trees we planted were all endemic species.)

I feel a deep sense of pride for the company I'm now working for -- I think it's rather uncommon that there are local companies whose top management make a direct effort in contributing to the fight against the threats to our environment. I think it helps that our top cat does realize that what we do to the environment is something that will affect his kids later... and the man cares deeply about his kids.

(A gentle reminder to those who've taken the first step in this pro-Gaea stance, though: please don't leave your plastic and other non-biodegradable trash -- like those heavy plastic wrap of the seedlings -- after your tree-planting jaunt. It's not right that we be pro-environment in one way and act differently in another. Here's an idea: why don't we encourage those who sell seedlings to ball their trees in papier-mache wrap? That way, the trees can be planted directly into the ground without having to remove the wrap and bring back down to the jump-off point four or so pounds of plastic seedling wrapper.)

It was a good day, made even more fun when we had the chance to cool off after the hot and heavy work by hanging out at the Vista Grotto Resort. I had an especially fun time on the water slide -- it's such a head trip; given the fact I can't swim to save my life, it was a double adrenaline rush to go zooming down the slide and into the water... head first.

(I wanna go again. Climbing a mountain, planting a tree, then cooling off in a pool with a waterslide -- the adrenaline rush coupled with the feeling of accomplishment, of having done something good... priceless. The aches and pains of the next morning are well worth it.)

***
In other news, I had the chance to go eat dinner with a pretty nice person this week. I had a great time, although I did spot something that the local Office for Senior Citizens' Affairs might want to take a look at. Here are pictures of the establishment's menu:





Yup, a restaurant is openly flouting the law. Hmmm. Gimme a few more years and I may be able to do something about things like these.

(On the other hand, I didn't pay too much mind to the menu; my attention was on the person sitting on the opposite end of the table. Hey universe, thanks for two things: thanks for that evening, and thanks for giving me a reason to thank you. Now be a good universe and do be consistent, please.)

***
Now back to the fray. We have much to sharpen our swords over.




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