A Break-up Letter


I never expected I'd be writing you this letter. We've had six years of wonderful memories but I'm afraid it had come to the point where you started to Read more

The New Yoshke.com


New look. New attitude. New experiences. Honestly, I had been neglecting this blog the past few weeks because of my awfully hectic schedule. Work had been unforgiving on weekdays and Read more

Sometimes We Burn to Live


Whenever I meet people for the first time, it always happens. When they start their sentence with "I hope you don't mind me asking but," I know they are going Read more

Fireworks, Hormones, and this Blog Post


You remember last week when I told you I found it difficult to blog since I met you? Since we became a couple officially, I have not had enough Read more

Do They Read Blogs in Heaven?


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 Read more

Unusual Breakfast


Here we are again. In the usual corner. Usual table. Usual diner. Usual time. And most probably, usual meal. I'm getting tired of this really. Everything's a routine. And Read more

Top 10 National Stereotypes


Heaven is where the cooks are French, the police are British, the mechanics are German, the lovers are Italian and everything is organized by the Swiss. Hell is where the Read more

Why Nursery Rhymes Are So Violent


A few months ago, I was teaching my 4-year old nephew some nursery rhymes with a DVD. After a lot of singing, he slowly digested the story that the Read more

Top 10 Worst Things to Say During Sex


Sex is the art of love. It must be done in the most enjoyable and most satisfying manner. This act of love of two naked individuals reminds us that Read more

The Promil Kid Drops the Bomb


Of all the living things created by God, I love my nephew the most. I call him the Promil Kid. He’s the cutest thing. I’ve always written about him Read more

•••••

Health

The Promil Kid Goes to School

Posted on January 22, 2009 by Yoshke in Conversations, Family, Health, Humor |

I’ve been sick since Monday. Tonsilitis again. Last year, I had this seven (or eight?) times. Gaaaah. Told ya, the relationship between infections and my tonsils is almost romantic. They love each other sooo much, they might elope in the near future. But if there’s any consolation, I’m losing weight FAST! Yay for that.

Anyway… Guess who’s back!!!

BECAUSE TEPID RAIN ISN’T FROM HEAVEN

One night, I was in the middle of a barren land. A few months before, it was a cane field. Then my childhood started playing in my head again. This was where my brother and I ran kites. This was where my friends and I played softball. This was where I used to kick my football around on. But this time was different. It was a cold evening. And it was raining. And I was happy. I haven’t walked in the rain in a long, long time.

Something was wrong, though. The water was warm.

And I woke up. It was a dream. I opened my eyes. And there was my nephew. Standing on the bed. Peeing. Sleep-peeing. On me.

Cue: Abba, “…I’ll cross the stream. I have a dream….”

BECAUSE GLOATING IS FUN

If there’s one thing that my nephew didn’t get from me, that’s shame. I have always had a strong sense of shame since I was a baby. (Yeah, I never made dede in public. Haha. Weh?)

My nephew, on the other hand, does what he wants when he wants it. Like dozing off. NEVER have I ever slept at the workplace or at school. But my nephew, gaah, his classroom is his bedroom. He finds it comfy. And no matter how hard his Teacher Janna tries, he always uses Science class hour for his nap time.

So when his first Periodic Exam came last August (?), I was a little scared for him. When we passed the gates of his school, he was greeted by many of his classmates’ parents with disheartening remarks. One of them even asked my nephew sarcastically, “Oh, how are you gonna pass this test when you always sleep your way through the classes?”

I couldn’t reply. Wait there, you old hag; I’ll come up with a sinister, condescending comment, I thought. But I couldn’t. No condescending comment was thrown. I was not sure how he was gonna make through this exam, either.

When the exam was over, I asked my nephew how it was. He shrugged, “It’s okay.”

The next day, I was waiting for my nephew’s class to finish. Apparently, the papers had been checked and the results were out.

Read more

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Top 10 Foods for Men

Posted on September 24, 2008 by Yoshke in Health, Lists, Science |

Men and women have different biological structures and needs. Hence, they need different food to keep them healthy. The truth is, men know exactly which foods to eat and which ones to avoid. The only problem is that temptation is too delicious to resist.

However, if you can’t help eating, then at least, eat right. You’ll be surprised that some of the most healthful foods for men are readily available. Here are ten of them.

10. Tomato Sauce

 

If you love eating tomatoes, tomato sauce or pizza covered with lots of it, you may be doing yourself a favour. Harvard researchers who studied the eating habits of over 47,000 male health professionals found that men who ate tomato sauce up to four times a week has 35 percent lower risk of getting prostate cancer than those who ate none. This is said to be caused by lycopene, a carotenoid that tomatoes have in abundance. However, it must be noted that lycopene is best absorbed when cooked. Thus, eating pizza might be healthier than gorging on fresh tomatoes after all.

9. Berries and Cherries

 

Berries and cherries are not just delicious; they are healthy, too, especially the blue, violet and red ones. These little tastebud-pleasers contain a truckload of anthocyanin, a health-protecting flavonoid. You will be surprised to know that these little wonders do not just contain vitamin C but also more than 4,000 different compounds that all have antioxidant properties.

Aside from fighting diseases, they may even slow down the decline in some of brain functions that accompany aging. In fact, they can even enhance brain function and keep it healthy. There is also no need to be worried about your weight because these are low-calorie fruits. So make sure you have strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and cherries in your diet.

8. Bananas

 

Yes, B-A-N-A-N-A-S! If you want a great source of energy, bananas are what you need. Aside from that, bananas can help your body regulate heartbeat, nerves and above all, blood pressure because of their high potassium content. Potassium-rich diets can reduce the risk of stroke.

Not only that, the mighty banana is also a rich source of vitamin B-6, just what you need to aid your immune system, maintain your nervous system, assist protein metabolism and form red blood cells. From now on, make sure you get to have one banana a day to keep health problems away.

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Protected: Am I Nuts or What?

Posted on July 27, 2008 by Yoshke in Family, Health, Oddities, Vanities |

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I’m in Pain

Posted on September 2, 2007 by Yoshke in Emo, Health, Love, Rants |

Status: In Pain
Music: Never Be the Same Again - Melanie C feat Lisa ‘Left Eye’ Lopez

BREATHE IN, DAMN IT!
My nasty lungs are giving me the torture of the century. Every effin’ breath hurts. Damn. And now I’m imposing a cigarette ban on myself. For now.

###

A TALE OF MY BLOODY TOENAIL
My right big toe is swollen. I got ingrown toenails, and I had been complaining about it since, like, forever but I couldn’t do anything because I was afraid it would bleed. And you know how I react when I get up close and personal with blood. Aargh. My housemate told me to forget about shoes for a while. What?! Are you kidding me? I could stand that pain but not the feeling of looking like a fashion disaster. So I still wore my fave pair of Chucks and got through my day filled with walking, walking, and uh, walking. It was excruciating. Like I said, every breath hurt, and every step did, too. I knew I should’ve just worn slippers. Hehe.

Later that day, I went home limping. Bad mood, of course. I took off my shoes and turn my PC on. But it wouldn’t boot. I pressed power again. Nah. Restart. Nah. In utter frustration, I began jerking the monitor and kicked the CPU with my right foot.

HOLY MARY MOTHER OF CHRIST!

The ingrown nail cut through my big toe and blood started to squirt. Painful is a freakin’ understatement. Not to mention the blood that made me feel more uncomfortable. My initial reflex was to wash away the blood with something. Looked into my bag and found my bottle of Green Cross alcohol, and without thinking, poured some on my bloody toe.

You know what happened next. (Was I cursing in Russian?)

Damn alcohol.

###

THE TROUBLE WITH LOVE ME IS
And of course, there’s this painful feeling of being alone. I’m happy but I still believe I could be happier. My last relationship ended almost two years ago. It was with Liza. Back then, I was busy with my thesis and crazy over someone else (ehehehe, I was so evil).

Hmmm. I’ve been single that long already. Wah.

Prech and Patti told me once that I didn’t know how to handle relationships. That all I was good at was just fall in love. But relationships… I suck (they say). I believe them.

I’ve only had three girlfriends (and zero boyfriends, hehe) but not one of them lasted more than five months.

###

“OKIE. NO BIGGIE.”
Here’s how one of my exes, Michi, and I broke up.

“Hey, so how are we?” She said.
“I don’t know,” I answered.
“Do you want it over?”
“It’s up to you.”
“Won’t you say anything?”
“If you want it over then fine. It’s really up to you.”
“I want it over.”
“Okie. No biggie.”
“I’m serious. I want it over.”
“I am, too. And it’s really no big deal.”

After that, we hated each other sooo much. Both claiming how we still loved each other but incredibly hurt that the other did not even try to fight for the relationship. Yeah. I know, right? I just didn’t want to look like I was on the losing end. Too bad, she shared the same thought.

Oh, pride.

###

“…So when I’m lying in my bed, thoughts running through my head
and I feel that love is dead, I’m loving angels instead….”
— Angels, Robbie Williams

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My Eyes and Nature Drive Me Crazy

Posted on August 7, 2007 by Yoshke in Emo, Health, Public Affairs |

Status: My eyes are in pain
Music: Miss You Like Crazy – Natalie Cole

It’s been a crazy week. And everything’s driving me crazy. But first, I would like to apologise for my unannounced week-long hiatus. I have a pretty good explanation.

Last Friday morning, I woke up and realised that my left eye was sore. And it was itchy. And teary. And sooo red. And it dawned on me: OH.MY.GOD! I got a “sore eye,” or pinkeye or bloodshot eye! What’s the medical term? Aha! Conjunctivitis. Whatever. And that simple realisation marked the beginning of a terrible week for me. The next day, both my eyes were infected. (I’ll be posting pictures soon. Hehehe). I officially became a walking viral infection. Read more

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7 Random Facts About Me

Posted on July 1, 2007 by Yoshke in Health, Lists, Vanities |

Status: Higher
Music: Stickwitu - The Pussycat Dolls

I was supposed to post an entry about my ex-girlfriend and my high school friends today but I noticed I was tagged by Janus. You all know I’m not the type of blogger who is into web memes or whatever, but what the hell, I think, as a sign of courtesy, I gotta give it a try.

Here are the rules: Each player starts with 7 random facts about themselves on their Blog. People who are tagged need to blog 7 facts about themselves and post the rules as well. At the end of their blog list 7 people you are tagging. Let them know that they are tagged by leaving them a comment.

I think I have described myself well on this blog’s About page, so I’ll be getting some parts of this post from there, and I’ll just try to add some things.

The first two facts are things you HAVE to know for my safety (and perhaps, yours, too):

1. I’m a hematophobe/hemaphobe. I am extremely afraid (more like disgusted, really) of blood — human blood, in particular. I dread the sight of human blood. Even my own. ESPECIALLY my own. I can stand seeing blood as long as I don’t know it’s HUMAN blood. And I can stand seeing them on TV and in films. I only freak out when I know it’s REAL HUMAN BLOOD.

2. I am allergic to dogs and cats — specifically, their fur. I have a bad pair of lungs (but I’m a smoker, hihihi), and when I was a kid, I always got hospitalised because of asthma. But as I grew up, my body became stronger and less susceptible to allergens: pollen, dirt, and smoke. For some reason, my system never learnt to tolerate fur. I suffer mild asthma attacks whenever I got in contact with dogs or cats, or anyone who had been with these animals before getting near me.

Read more

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Definitely Not Ready to Go Six Feet Under

Posted on October 31, 2006 by Yoshke in Family, Health, Personal Life |

I’m updating this blog using my PC here in the office. And of course, my boss thinks I’m working very hard, when in fact I’m just waiting for 6pm so I could go home. Hmmm…

Halloween is one of my favourite occasions. Actually, the only holidays that our family observes are Christmas, New Year’s Day, Holy Week, All Saint’s Day and Halloween. We usually redecorate our house to match the season. So if you pass by our sweet shelter right now, you’ll see a dummy hanging on the facade. The dummy looks horrifying that people freak out upon seeing it. I’ve seen a lot of funny reactions I wished I had caught them on cam.

I also join the children as they play hide-and-seek even up to the wee hours. (It’s the only time of the year that these children are allowed to play at night.) But I doubt if I’d have enough energy to play with the kids tonight. I’ve been terribly sick since Saturday morning. Waaaah. I feel so hot (literally, whew). And I’m just updating this blog because I don’t have anything to do even if I really don’t have much to share with you guys… (sneeze) Damn illness!

And I just hope this is not dengue fever because I’m no ready to go six feet under yet. I’m a little sure that it is not because as far as my doctor and I are concerned, there are only four types of dengue virus and once you get one, you’ll be immune to it. I already caught the virus four times, so it means I will never get this disease again (unless the viruses mutate, which I really pray not to happen).

Anyway, HAPPY HALLOWEEN, EVERYONE!!!

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No More Drama

Posted on September 26, 2006 by Yoshke in Career, Health, Personal Life |

Status: No More Drama
Music: No More Drama – Mary J. Blige


Three weeks ago, I woke up smiling. It was the first time that it happened to me for a very long time. You see, my last year in college was hell. Filthy org politics, thesis, friendship issues, identity crisis (haha), days of depression, black-outs, standstills, failed one-month relationships, and so on. But that morning was different. I didn’t know if I just had a very nice dream, but it really didn’t matter. I was smiling. And that moment, I told myself: My life is good. And I’m gonna be happy.

Since then, a lot has changed in me. I have consistently refused to go to Starbucks and avoided coffee. Waking up early (no matter how late I went to bed the previous night) has become a habit. And with the help of someone, who, ironically, is very far (yey, Plam!), I have successfully finished the last stick of cigarette I’m gonna put between my lips ever. And beer? It’s not included. Beer is already a part of my circulatory system. I love beer so much. But I have been controlling my alcohol intake. (After all, Andre is the only bad influence around.)

And for the past month, I have not only puked all the unhealthiness out of my system. My career is also doing really good. A new company adopted me and made me the Research and Development Head. And the compensation? Heavenly. Let’s just say that my monthly salary is more than what a call centre agent earns in two months. Cool, huh. All because of my work ethic, my good relationships to my workmates (and bosses), the Book of Success that I’ve been reading for the past four weeks, and the fact that I’m from UP. Really, being from UP does matter. At least it did for me. I’m also setting up my own business, and hopefully, I could open it to the public before October ends.

So there. When I attended some success seminar in Makati, I was hit by what a speaker told me: “You’re on the right path. You’re in the right vehicle. You just don’t know how to drive.”

And now, I’m not an expert yet but at least I know how. And I’m pretty aware that learning how to drive is just the start of the journey. But at this moment, I’m so glad. After all, finding the right path is the most difficult and the longest phase of all.

What do I want to say in this post? Simple. I’m happy.

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Munich Loves Me. Sickness, Too.

Posted on July 30, 2006 by Yoshke in Friends, Health, Music |

Ayn gave me a “Munich Loves You” flag, which she got from some guy in that German city, and a Germany travel-slash-football guide. Thanks, Ayn! I sooo love it. But I’m sorry I didn’t have much energy to jump out of my seat in utter happiness when you gave it to me. I needed (and still need) some rest. But I’m really grateful. Promise. And oh! Munich, I love you, too. I envy Ayn for doing that Euro Tour. Waaah! I wish I had much time and money and support from my family! Hahaha. Anyway, in 2008, let’s invade Europe. Come on! Football Euro 2008!!! Sugod Ayn and KZ!!!

I’ve been sick since Friday. I’m still trying to figure out the cause. Was it my excessive smoking? Was it too much work and stress? Or was it simply the weather? It must be the weather (or at least that’s what I want to believe). Anyhow, I need to get rid of this hell-like fever, runny nose and coughing like there’s no tomorrow. Ironically, I still managed to get drunk last night at the UP Cinema Videoke Party/ Team-Building Seminar, but to no effect. Being sick and being drunk did not make that much of a difference. Anyway, Thanks Ace for all the beer! I was also not able to hug anyone because I feared passing on the viruses. Suddenly, I became a walking viral infection.

# # #

Reen said:

“I’ve been watching a lot of music videos lately. I’ve seen Paris Hilton’s semi-slutty ‘Stars Are Blind’ video and I have nothing to say. “

My dear, you just said “semi-slutty.” Haha. And there’s no other way to describe it.

# # #

“Peace is not the absence of crisis. It’s the presence of justice.”

I got that quote from some CNN International viewer who commented on the Middle East crisis. Stop the war. Please.

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