sandwiched

yeahh!! astig tlga ang Sandwich! really really "alternative" to alternative. and what makes them more interesting is their YahooGroup! msaya dito. like its not an online community. though i have yet posted thrice because i really prefer to just read and most of the listers are from Luzon, nostalgia prompted me to post again. DAMN! i have my hands down to the person who first brought up this good discussion (i think, this all started from the lengthy-but-worth-reading testimonial of the guy from Hawaii). then, the idea was localized and warped into "because of yahoogroups..." subject.

i went to know Sandwich from just browsing through the tape racks of a record store way back 1998. i have a pleasurable habit of spotting and exploring "cool or really alternative music" daw! (the type that i alone plays the music in our neighborhood) and buying them esp. when im bored. lame but it really hooked me to Sandwich and most especially to Original Pilipino Music (OPM). honestly, i had prejudices to OPM. I never bought one until Francis M. BUT IT WAS SANDWICH THAT REALLY KILLED THAT PERSONAL BIAS!

when i saw Sandwich's Grip Stand Throw album, i grinned. and said, "id buy this. cover's cool and since it had only one copy, it must really be authentic alternative, another experimental electronic FOREIGN music and id alone be playing this" hehehehe. unfortunately, i didnt have money on hand, only a tiny doubt pushing me not to buy it. so, i started looking for mag articles about Sandwich in 1 week. but found none. then i heard Butterfly Carnival in NU107. i started to be jittery. I HAVE TO BUY THE ALBUM before that single copy is sold. but my prejudice initially struck me - what if its not a good find. IT'S OPM e.

so, i pushed my boardmate to buy it. if it is an average music, my money is saved but still get to hear it if id soon like it (evil noh? hehehe). and VOILA! i unofficially own my first Sandwich album and their songs became my national anthem esp. the unreleased single grip stand throw. the synths and rap are cool.

from then, i promised to buy the next album. SHET!!! to my surprise, my boardmate bought ahead of me when the second and third albums went out. i didnt buy because we basically share the same sound system in our flat and it would only be a money waste if we have 2 same albums in our tape rack.

gradually i shed off my biases against OPMs and started to trace back good fil rock music!

rakenrol!!!!

lateryears, i have been grasping unverified newsbits of the band gigs in the city. crap, its impossible! big Manila bands like them rarely visits other cities. but then we found them.! ayos!! my gf and i instantly hurried to SM. for the first time, i got starstruck and so did my gf. my gf was even more jubilant after taking pictures with them. and yes! myrene/sir raims and i even almost traded jackets on my gf's pleading because the couple liked my jacket - biggest compliment from the stars, ey. sorry guys, it was my favorite hehehe. besides i (finally) bought your fourth album.

there started my sandwich tailing. my gf and i became hardcore sandwich fans. then my gf hooked me into this Yahoo Group. she earned few friends and im regularly updated of their gigs and other rock scenes even outside Davao.

more goods are counting on our Sandwich tailing and maybe...just maybe...id soon be shedding off too my biases against online communities.

astig mga Sandwich (no, the not the band alone but the sandwich community!!)

fag you

i am gay. i look one. and believe me, i still look feminine even if i shave my head and grow beard.

gay branding was common since i was 10(?). it is (not was) deafening but i thanked God. He gave me a slim pair of (hairless) legs, skinny hollywood construct and a female face. less the curves and boobs and plus the dangling bells - pity me, i remained gay. and i have lived with it. but more different than the third wave.

i live with it with more feminine privileges: 1. i drew laughter in just being one; 2. girl-friends; 3. trust from girl-friends' fathers on night-outs because i am simply harmless on their views; 4. undisturbed sleep on night roadtrips, where men are forced to step out the bus for military checks; 5. 2 baggage line options in airports for faster entry; 6. of course, the classic gentleman's offer in public places including jeepneys. eat your heart out, boys and girls and thirdies. but i am chuckling in every privilege i get from your branding.

wish i am gay, until i realized i am hallucinating. :))

i am keeping though my slim-fitting pink striped long sleeve polo, gay acts and the crispy funny tag on me by Pami, Farah, Anabel, Chelyn and my other girl-friends - hoy! igat/bayot/uwagan.

so go on! spread this disclosure. even distribute a blogprint.

i definitely have my last good laugh. hahahahahaha

im picking a pleasant fight :)

physically and biologically, there is an inarguable difference between men and women. but there are advocates who pushed for gender reforms through policies like Violence Against Women Code (VAWC or RA 9262) and Women Development Code of Davao. reforms to re-inculturate society especially men of respect, fairness and women empowerment. certainly, these moves rooted from violence against women, discriminate treatment of women in workplace and male domination.

once again, its inarguable! those roots really happened. i too have gender biases (note: minor ones) and played one of the sideline culprits. but they have my heart when they are bluntly marginalized.

my sole rant over this movement is the contradiction of their prime advocacy: respect and fairness and empowerment

women w(r)anted respect but they walk with low necklines and short skirts or fits. (yes, i understand you only wanted to look and feel beautiful but hey you can be respectfully beautiful)
women w(r)anted fairness but they still demand "ladies-first" and "men-should-pay-dates" arrangements.

women empower themselves, climb overboard and guess what...they become one of the boys who they once accused of (sexual) harassment, discriminate treatment in workplace and dominance. hmmmm... women just wanted a share of the pie after all, not respect and fairness.

i understand their effort and we admit we too have issues but advocates seem to overdo and outweigh the balance - that both men and women should compliment each other and not compete.

yes! its a pleasant collision that we need to accept. we just need to manage it well and recognize we really are different by nature.

Davao Grocery Sale

People go gaga over sales. Even those prideful rich are drawn to sales. The only difference is they do it in another country.

Sales is the concrete proof of entrepreneurs' over-head profits. And yes! Discounts definitely tells us how much they selfishly pocket for their goods! Eventually these entrepreneurs always have a way out of these rantings through...economics. Grrrrr. Profits are capital goods that ensure quality of products and services. They not only cover production costs which range from materials, logistics to entrepreneurial wits, but also social responsibility. Duh! Social responsible entrepreneurs are not countless, fakes are.

Sales are privileges that need not to be missed, said the entrepreneurs through their ads that almost cover malls. Simply because sales are rare gifts to buyers from entrepreneurs. It is when they sell with very minimal or no profits. Duh again!

These marketing sweeteners grip me hard but well..sales are part of economics and they do bring prices (prizes for entrepreneurs) down. More importantly, sales do help C&D consumers and made me acquire a new pair of football (not soccer because Im more Euro than American hehe) cleats for the Frisbee Game

We just hope (more) profits are invested more in quality and social responsibility. Better yet if entrepreneurs hold grocery sales. That would really be great and eventually would even surpass Singapore Shopping Festival :)

Mnymosine Story

I never heard bedtime stories, only playmates' stories. Appreciated one neither until M. Night Shyamalan's Lady in the Water. The movie was monotonous and dull yet illicited a very eerie feeling, scarier than the Asian horrors. It has lesser flashy scenes but more hand-gripping (and arm bruises).

I gave the movie 5 out of 4 stars for evoking my deepest emotions even at the first 10 seconds of the movie. Paul Giamati's stutter did it perfectly along with charactered characters and serene yet serial musical score.

It brought the child in me again. Provoked me to share bedtime stories. And better, write one or more because I am once a good storyteller in my childhood years. I know I could write like my father. I believe I have his blood. I just lost it and shook my big mouth off in me because people told me so.

The movie evoked a real memory of childish excitement for heroes to show up and defeated villains. An excitement more manic than what adults are excited when watching superman or spiderman. An unlikely giggly stir when animated heroes like the Ghostbuster, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, or even Dora (for the most recent generations) appear.

I am giving it more stars for taking me back to Friday night storytelling which usually followed after most of my childhood playmates quit hide-and-seek while others still lurked in the dark.

The movie indeed reintroduced me to bedtime storytelling. A simple activity that not only encourages creativity but promotes good parenting and builds better family. It gave me a happy feeling that kept me awake past midnight (Jen!? Bing!? Yoohooooo :)).

A feeling that placed me fast forward to the time that I am telling bedtime stories for Mnymosine Story Mebrano Sibbaluca - my child with Greta.

Para lang, Manong!

"Dili jud ko mopareho sa akong papa na sige lang work na nakalimot na naa syay anak", I mumbled after leaving office at 9pm. i could have worked later than my father did but its isaiah's birthday. more, i promised greta. i could have not murmured emotionlessly against my father without the promise but i already made one less the pirated dvd collection of Shrek as a gift to Greta's favorite nephew.

its an overaching work because Gerry doesnt give overtime pay. unless you love your job. and i do with, of course, fragments of stressful work realities.

so to Jenny (no, the other Jenny), i am not accumulating more wealth by overworking. i just love my work and excited to temporarily take my boss' usual task in big events - show off a powerpoint presentation of our project. this time, i made my own. simpler and more honesty. Thanks Seth Godin!

im close to Mintal and finally rid off the evil murmur. my father overly worked for us to live better than he did. but still im not dispensing the thought of stopping overtime work. As for Red, you are not productive if you work beyond 5pm. "Para lang, manong!"

Now its Trash Talk!

Finally, we have trash bins around the city. Not only bins but bins for biodegradable and non-biodegradable solid waste. They are perfectly distributed and accessible to every household within an estimated 50 meter radius. Thanks to the garbage collectors and street cleaners. They must have lobbied it to our solid waste managers. Households now have the ease of disposing their garbage properly. More importantly, scavengers and garbage earners can instantly spot and rake money (and stomach)-worth garbages. The bins reduce the garbage of being strewn open for further scantings by undomesticated felines and canines, leaving a pile of dirty dishes in the streets.

But look into the bins! Are garbages really segregated as intended? Do households really manage solid waste? NO, says the local government survey.
And so do I because I too am one of those irresponsible households who dumps unsegregated useless things in plastic bags to the street.

You've read it - l have not tried the bins yet. For one, I have thrown garbage at the time bins were overloaded. Second, I often forget the simplest task of disposal even though a big board informing the neighborhood to throw the garbage at 9:00-9:30pm faces my front door and gate. (Thanks Mike for perfectly installing it halfway the streetlight post!).

Next stop! ACTIVE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT AT HOME. Id reread the garbage classification in pastel green and yellow paper pasted in the bins, segregrate my household trash and try the bins! Hopefully, I could spread the act among my housemates. Certainly, my bestfriend Dax Ang would be an easy follower.

Would we foolishly wait for DDS to run after households for irresponsible waste disposal? Should we still wait for barangay officials to enforce it? Dumb question, isnt it? Of course, such household task is simpler than ABC.

PS (pahabol na sulat hehe). You might include the plastic bag containing biodegradables in the bins for biodegradables.