Yoshke is Evil | The Couple on the Bus
This is a part of the Yoshke is Evil series, in which I will narrate incidents where I thought I was inconsiderate, insensitive or evil. This incident happened a few months ago and I’m still not over it.
image courtesy of www.cabq.gov
I love taking the bus at night, especially when the roads are almost empty. That’s why one time, after a night of shopping and conversations over coffee with my friends at Trinoma, it was my default choice to take the bus.
I made my way out of the mall through the Mindanao Exit, walked along North Avenue, crossed the overpass to EDSA and waited for a bus. After two sticks of cigarettes, one finally stopped. I hopped in and chose a seat among completely vacant rows at the back of the bus.
In that part of the bus, there were just me and a couple — a man and a woman. They were seated opposite me. They seemed like they didn’t know each other as they were occupying the end seats and there was one seat between them. Seated closer to the aisle was a man. The man looked like a laborer, a construction worker. He was dirty and was carrying a big bulky black bag, which was on the floor. He was thin and he looked like a drug addict. I even joked in my head and though that this was the type of man you would expect to just stand and declare a hold-up. I laughed secretly and scolded myself, “God, Yoshke, you’re being too judgmental. Not because he looks like that doesn’t mean he’s gonna do something bad. Bad, bad Yoshke. Stop it.”
A Dose of Reality
First of all, let me ask this: Is it just me or is Safeguard‘s new TV commercial for their promo raffle a little off? It’s starting to make my head itch. I mean, come on, we’re in the middle of El Nino and their commercial seems to be encouraging people to waste water!
I’m trying to find the video on YouTube so I can post the TV ad here. Does anyone have a link to that video?
Anyway, this is the time of the year when I am usually irritated by insensitive TV ads hooked to reality shows. Allow me to talk about them.
AMERICAN IDOL Season 9
Almost every year I hear my friends say “this is the worst season ever.” They said that about Carrie Underwood’s season, also Chris Daughtry’s, and Jordin Sparks’, and David Cook’s. And I was always like, “That’s so not true.” My favorite so far is still Season 5 (Taylor Hicks, Katharine McPhee, Elliott Yamin, Chris Daughtry) and Season 7 (David Archuleta, David Cook).
What can I say about this year’s American Idol? I have three words: WORST. SEASON. EVER.
Especially after this week’s elimination? Gooosh. If it weren’t for Didi Benami, I’d stop watching this show. I mean, Alex Lambert and Lily Scott got eliminated!!? What’s wrong, America?
<insert frustrated sigh here>
Darn. But my love for Didi Benami is greater than my hatred towards the entire season. So I’m still in.
THE AMAZING RACE Season 16
The latest season of my most-loved reality show has been airing for a month already and I am sooo enjoying it. I honestly am surprised why I still love the show when my favorite team never wins (except for Tyler Denk and James Branaman, they’re so hot, I was rooting for them since Day 1 and I almost threw an Amazing Race party when they won).
Last season, I was so in love with Maria and Tiffany but they quit. Season 10 (All Stars), beauty queens Dustin and Kandice got all my loving but they lost. Season 4, Colin and Christie failed to win the race, either. Still love the show, though.
This season, all my cheers and prayers go to the cowboys Jet and Cord. Smart, smart players, I love it. Here’s hoping they win.
And I’m loving Caite. Her boyfriend Brent is a piece of wood but I love her. Hope they make it to the final 3.
So Long, Green 2
It’s still so vivid. One evening in 2007, I sent him a text message, inviting him for a meetup at McDo Philcoa. He said, “Sure. What for? What up?”
I replied, “I dunno. I just missed you.”
A few hours later, I arrived at McDo and I saw him inside waiting for me. I had Chicken McNuggets. He had McChicken, large fries and large coke. He asked me how I was. I said I was great. He asked again why we were doing this. I told him I just wanted to bring back the old days — back when we called our group Bioman. I was Blue 3. He was Green 2.
He laughed. Way before we drifted far apart, we were close friends.
And that night, we stayed there at McDo, just talking about that summer — collecting newspapers and PET bottles from subdivisions, killing time at Vinzon’s Hall, playing games at Sunken Garden, pretending to be Bioman, the music we used to listen to back then, shooting an “Ikaw ang Lahat sa Akin” music video for our film org, and watching “Nasaan Ka Man” with the freshies.
A huge chunk of our time was spent talking about our radio hosting stint at dzUP for Project: Live Sound (Film stuff, Life, and Everything in Between). How they messed up on their first day as DJs. How fun it was. How he would want to do it again.
We even talked about that one time we walked along the Academic Oval while singing M2M’s “The Day You Went Away” out loud.
Yes, it’s so vivid. It was an unforgettable night.
Unforgettable because it was the only night we spent hours alone together. It was the only time I made an effort to revive our lost friendship. It was the last serious conversation we had. The sad fact is, it will never happen again.
So long, my friend. Rest in peace.
Do They Read Blogs in Heaven?
Note: Today is my dad’s fifth death anniversary. Allow me to post this.
Whenever I say that the earliest memory I have is the accident wherein I had my left arm somewhat toasted, I lie. My earliest memory is, in fact, months before that.
It was a Saturday morning. I woke up to see the house in complete disarray. It seemed like we had been robbed. But there was no thief. There was only my father, rummaging through the house, looking for something. That time, he had just undergone surgery. He had a nasty liver.
I went out to see a number of people looking at my dad on the roof. He was also searching the roofs. And he kept on yelling, “Where are my millions?” It sounded silly because we were poor and there was no way our family savings could reach the million mark. But my dad kept looking for his “millions.” Take note, “millionS.” Plural.
We Crash Like Planes Do
I don’t want to start this blogging year with an emo entry but I really have got something emo to say. And I’ve got to say this now.
Even before I hit puberty, my friends have been emigrating — to Canada, to the US. That’s why back then, I developed some sort of hatred towards these two countries. I felt like, “North America is stealing my friends.”
Years passed, and I noticed that I’d been losing friends not just to Canada or the US but also to Australia, to the UK, to the Middle East. It’s as if all the other nations are conspiring to make my life miserable. I felt like being left behind. Left alone.
But then, as I grow older, I’m starting to realise that this is life. And that it’s not about me. It’s about them. That although the friendship you share is deeply treasured, your friendship is not all there is in the world. That no matter how much distance the world puts between you two, the value of that friendship does not change.
That people come and go. Just like that.
But it’s hard to accept this truth because when people come into our lives, we love them. We love them as though they will be with us all the time. We just don’t think about the moment they’re gonna have to leave. Because we never think they are gonna. Until they do.
Who could blame us? They are friends. We get used to the comfort of their presence.
That when they reach out, it’s hard not to hold their hands.
That when they speak, it’s hard not to listen.
That when it’s their turn to listen, it’s hard not to cry.
That when we need to cry, it’s hard not to be with them.
That when we are with them, it’s hard to leave.
And that when it’s their turn to leave, it’s just hard — so hard — to let go.
To JT. You will be missed.
image courtesy of bifsniff.com
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Inside the Previous Room
The other night, I had a strong urge to text someone. Kuya Ethan (name changed to protect our friendship, haha). He’s my 23-year old friend who had been my roommate since my early days in college until we parted ways middle of this year.
Although extreme opposites, we got along really well. He doesn’t like my political stand but I’m not a fan of his Republican ways, either. His sense of humour is very different from mine. He smirks at my favourite films and songs. He doesn’t like me being gay although he understands and respects me completely. He’s very reserved and serious while I’m very vocal and opinionated. He’s more of the logical type (a Law student) while I’m more creative (a Film graduate). He doesn’t like some of my other friends but he is totally aware that most of my friends have a huge crush on him. (He’s cute, btw.) He’s a light sleeper. I’m a late sleeper.
Despite all our differences, I found an older brother in him. And yes, I miss him.
Days after we decided to live separately, he was always telling me that there was no chance he would miss me. And I would just laugh it off, most of the time. Not sharing the room with him required tectonic adjustments at first. But eventually, I got used to it. A week after we separated, I received a text message from him.
Ethan: Hey, where are you?
Yoshke: Home. Why?
Ethan: Aaah.
Yoshke: Why?
Ethan: Nothing.
Yoshke: Why? Why? Why?
Ethan: It’s just that I’m in Trinoma and I was wondering if you were around the area. Maybe we could grab dinner.
Yoshke: Wahahaha. Someone’s missing me!
Kuya doesn’t like showing emotions. He doesn’t like mushy things. But back then, a number of times, we always found ourselves in rare mushy friendship talks. One time, I came home late. He asked me where I had gone and I told him I was with my friends. Kuya is always cynical when it comes to human relationships.
Allow Me to Be Emo
And just like that, it all comes crashing down. And my one dream is shattered. As shattered as I am now.
If you wanna be friends with me, I’m telling you, now is the best time.
I’m OK now. You see, I move on easily. Haha. Over it.
Despondency
The comedy is that even after all this time, we’re still like this.
The tragedy is that we’re still like this.
And that’s just nasty. Oh well.
Define Euphoria
National List of Passers
2007 FOREIGN SERVICE OFFICER WRITTEN EXAMINATIONS
Held 19-21 December 2007 (Released: 29 August 2008)
Department of Foreign Affairs – Philippines
Gaaawd. Just when I start envying my friends (especially Bebs) for reaching new heights in their careers, something like this comes my way.
From a thousand examinees, now we’re down to 58. (Yeah, the mortality rate in FSO Exam makes us all go suicidal.) I didn’t expect this. I absolutely hoped for it but not expected. I mean, come on, the questions were like:
- Formulate an ECONOMIC policy for the Philippine Embassy in Paris and back it up with a theoretical framework. (I didn’t have any Economics classes in college, thank you very much.)
- Trace the history of the Middle East from the Mesopotamian Era up to the present. (What?! Are you frakkin’ serious? I’m a FILM graduate!)
And there were almost 30 questions. Maybe what they needed was a thesis dissertation prepared within half a day. It was the craziest three days of my life. And knowing I failed to follow some test instructions, I really did not expect anything. In fact, I ALMOST GAVE UP ON IT.
Now, there’s just one more round left. Another 3-day exam. Just one more. I’m gonna need a tuxedo. Haha.
Dahil dyan, magpapa-cheeseburger ako! Burger! Burger!
I am sooo gonna become a diplomat.
On May 31, 1985, tragedy struck when 41 tornadoes hit Canada and the US, leaving 76 people dead. At the same time, a doomed couple in the Philippines were having the best orgasms of their lives. Nine months (280 days) later, a healthy baby boy was brought into this world by normal delivery. That was exactly a week before Microsoft had its initial public offering.
Today, Yoshke Dimen resides independently in Mandaluyong City. He got a degree in Film from an overrated university in Diliman but is now pursuing a career in Social Media.
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