Deck the halls

This post was inspired by The Spool Artist. 

I love greeting cards. I love receiving them. I love sending them. Back in the Philippines, I would often go to my favorite bookstore (National Bookstore is a favorite, then Powerbooks later) or stationary shop (Gift Gate or Blue Magic) to browse greeting cards. I’d buy cards that caught my eye even if there was no specific occasion. I’d store them and when the need arises, I’d just select from my stock (which was good) or shop for the card (even better!) that would be appropriate for whoever is receiving it. If i had lots of time, I’d even make my own cards for some really special people.

Since becoming (sort of) tech savvy, I’ve lessened buying these cards and opted to make electronic cards instead. Sometimes I’d browse through on-line greeting card sites but most of the time I’d just whip up something in CorelDraw then email it. My cards were simple then, but very personalized.

When I arrived here in Cambodia in 2004, one of the first things I noticed is that stationary shops do not carry greeting cards. Even the supposed upscale shops have only the littlest selection. I remember buying greeting cards whenever I traveled to make up for this lack (B2S in Bangkok, Kinokuniya in Kuala Lumpur, and Borders in Singapore, among others).

I started making my own electronic Christmas card in 2004. The 2004 Christmas card was very simple and easy to do. No photos, just plain text and the simplest graphics. I think I spent about 15 minutes designing this card. Nevertheless, I injected my own brand of humor in the text. Friends and (a few) relatives loved it.

In 2005, I performed in a drag show for the first time. It wasn’t my first time to be in drag; I did that in an office Christmas party in 1999. In between the shows, my friends and I would practice putting on make-up and dressing up and hamming it up for the cameras. In a pinch for an idea for a card, I decided to use one of these photos as the main image. The colors of the original photo were not very pretty; it was tinged green so I tweaked the photo a bit then designed a card all around it. The design of the whole card sprung from the photo. I christened myself Lil’ Miss Naughty. The design takes off from the ‘wanted: dead or alive’ posters we often see in western/cowboy films. The fonts, the images, and the color scheme all pay homage to the western/cowboy films design and imagery. A lady friend couldn’t get over the 4 layers of false eyelashes I wore on each eye (two up and two down). I was just happy at how it turned out.

In 2006, I did another drag show with my friends. This was the show that I am most proud of. All our numbers featured the music of Dame Shirley Bassey. We called the show, ‘Oh, Shirley!’ and while we were selling tickets to the show, some people actually thought that Ms Bassey was indeed coming to Phnom Penh. Now ain’t that a kick in the head. But I digress. One of the more applauded numbers on the show was a back-to-back number, where I lipsynched to “Climb Every Mountain” while another did “I Don’t Know How to Love Him”. Of course, I was the nun and the other queen was the whore. I decided to use my photo taken in this number. I named myself Sistah Blistah (inspired by Alanis Morisette). Since the photowas taken inside a club, I decided on a disco-esque motif. My aunt, who was living in the States, called my Mother in Manila to tell her how cute I looked in my Christmas card. My mother didn’t know what she was talking about so I showed the card, which was the wallpaper in my iBook. My mother remarked on how we looked alike.

By 2007 I had somewhat retired from the drag show scene. Nevertheless I realized that I had so many photos from my last performance in 2006 that I can still make a drag-themed card for yet another year. I chose my photo from the opening number of the show because in this number I was wearing a fabulous robe with ruffled collar. I was tweaking the photo when an idea struck me. Why not turn this image into a playing card? This led to my monicker for the 2007 holiday season: the Queen of Hearts. I designed a red & white starburst background for the photo, with bubbles, well, bubbling out. It’s like a snowed-on Japanese Samurai flag, so stark in its color scheme of white, red, and green. My boyfriend that time liked this card so much he used it as wallpaper in his PC in his office.

So now, what’s for 2008? The inspiration hasn’t struck me on what kind of card I will make. I’m still retired from the drag scene, in spite of a false start a few weeks back. I am very open to other people’s ideas and suggestions. I am tempted to not dress up like a lady this year, though to be candid, as a fellow, I’m just not visually interesting. A couple of weeks ago, tired and listless from too many hours in front of the computer, I wore my old wig, wrapped a red dupatta round my head and cam-whored by myself. About an hour later of selecting and tweaking the photos, one of the photos turned out like this:

I posted a bunch of similar photos in my facebook. I like to call it the hybrid of two iconic images: Afghan Girl (in National Geographic) and Sadako (Ringu film).

A friend, upon seeing the photos, said she’s looking forward to what my Christmas card will look like this year. Pressure’s mounting!

Not too late

As the Filipino proverb goes, ‘Huli man daw at magaling, maihahabol din’ (or, better late than never?). So here it is, after 6 months, the 6 winners of this blog’s anniversary CD Life’s A Bitch! Music from the blog! (Palakpak, mga dukha!)

In no particular order:

Ging

Gibo

Gerry

Mai

Nina

Blue-bourgeoise

Congratulations! I will send you an email to make arrangements on how I can send you your CD. Thank you for joining this little (self) promotion!

It’s going to take some time

Last night I caught ‘House’ over at AXN. The main case of the episode involved a 600-pound man whose disease turned out to have absolutely nothing to do with his most obvious symptom: his morbid obesity. Like other cases in the series, most of the time was spent on the efforts of the medical team to find out what was wrong with the man, as their assumptions and theories (and disparaging remarks from a member of the team, and it’s not House) are shot down like birds during open season. This particular episode struck me because in many ways, the obese man and I are alike in many ways.

Well, let me just clarify that I do not tip the scales at 600 pounds. But like the man in the episode I love to cook (ergo, to eat). I also work mostly from a home office. I have few friends. I am almost always single but manages to have an active sex life (he, through a series of female sex workers while I, through a few, well-placed fuck-buddies). I rarely exercised (emphasis on the ‘d’–more on this later). I drink periodically but never smoke. And, my blood pressure, glucose, and cholesterol levels are all normal to the point of boredom. But like him, I still got sick.

My surgery, the ensuing complication, and my somewhat protracted recovery got me thinking really hard. Gallstones are not directly linked to obesity, though it is a predisposing factor. But having it, and getting my gall bladder removed really provided the impetus that, yeah, it’s probably time to seriously consider taking steps towards losing all these weight. Not that it hasn’t crossed my mind already.

I mean, I’m not the obese guy who loathes himself for being fat. I was a skinny boy who didn’t gain weight until I was 11 years old, I think. Sure, I went from being plump to chubby to fat then back to chubby, to plump, then fat again in a span of 25 years. And yes, I also had my share of teasing and taunting because of my weight and ineptitude in sports. However, I did not emerge from these psychologically scarred. If anything, my self-esteem remained intact, probably because I have possessed a heightened self-awareness at a young age.

I remember laughing off an enemy’s poorly written barrage of insults that focused on my weight, in reaction to my attack on his despicable character and questionable intellect. But I digress. The point that I’m trying to get at is simply this: I realized that at my age (at any age, if you ask health professionals, I’m sure), my weight is simply intolerable. While my blood chemistry remains normal (in spite of that minor blip with the gallstones), I should take the opportunity to really work on losing weight. For my health, most of all. So I can continue living as the devoted companion of my friends and the scourge of my enemies (joke!).

My weight has fluctuated over the years because of many reasons. A mostly sedentary lifestyle with sporadic periods of physical exertion, stress eating, joyful eating, adjusting to a new country, among others. I gained a lot of weight between 2003 and 2004 when things became untenable at work in Manila. In my first year here in Cambodia, I lost a lot of weight adjusting to the new food, new water, new mode of transportation, etc. I ballooned again in 2007 when professional frustrations and relationship nuisances seemed to have converged right at my doorstep. And then, I got sick in March 2008.

In between these fluctuations, I took diet pills and diet supplements, enrolled in gyms but didn’t continue after only weeks of training, became a vegetarian for almost 2 years (but didn’t really lose that much weight–improved my bowel movement tremendously, though), did yoga and meditation, etc. In early 2007 our family doctor prescribed an appetite suppressant but it worsened my insomnia, increased the break-out of my pimples, and gave me palpitations so I stopped taking it altogether.

Right after my surgery, the same doctor prescribed a couple of post-operative medications that will help replace the lost function of my gall-bladder, resolve the anemia which I got after the surgery, and to help me lose weight (jump-started by my surgery, I think), a mild form of appetite suppressant. He also advised me to exercise. He suggested walking. Phnom Penh is a city of parks. I imagined it’d be a suitable option.

So I started to walk right after coming back from Manila. I would wake up at 5.30 in the morning, put on some shorts, a white shirt, socks and sneakers, clip on my iPod shuffle, and hang a white facetowel over my shoulders. Then I’d proceed to Hun Sen Park, or the Vietnamese Friendship Park, or the riverside and walk for an hour or so. I also started eating less and watching what I ate (though this may be difficult to discern because I still love to cook for my friends, eat in restaurants, etc.). After about a week or so, I began to feel better about walking, about being vigilant on what I was eating. I didn’t take the appetite suppressant because I was afraid of its side effects, despite my doctor’s advice to the contrary.

Then I started losing weight. At first I didn’t weigh myself regularly. But I felt clothes becoming loose, especially around the waist. Then I discovered old clothes that I couldn’t wear anymore suddenly fitting me again. Friends began to notice before I did. You can even compare my two photos in the previous post, taken one year apart, to see the difference. And I began to feel good. I mean, the aesthetic aspect of losing weight is, of course, very flattering to the ego but I think feeling good physically and psychologically are far more important benefits. I find that now I have more strength, stamina, and more zest to enjoy life. So far, I’ve lost about 12 kg in 8 weeks.

I am, however, not perfect. I have been sort of a truant on walking. I still walk, though not everyday as I did in the last 6 weeks. In fact, I think I didn’t walk for about a week before taking it up again. I would probably need some other form of exercise, just for variety. The gym comes to mind. Despite this setback, however, I am determined to give this all my best. I will see this challenge through and a year from now, I promise to be very close to my ideal weight. It took me a while to become huge. So I know it’s going to take me some time as well to lose these excess weight. But I am willing to wait. After all, patience and persistence are virtues of winners.

Sure looks good to me

I first met my friend Derick’s mother and younger sister more than year ago. When Derick told me that they were coming to Phnom Penh on holiday, I was eager to meet them. Because Derick had earlier told me that his mother and sister were both beauty queens in their home province of Samar (Miss Samar in different decades). Images of these gorgeous but aloof mestizas from an island province’s alta sociedad, regal in their gowns and crowns, waving to the darker-complexioned and mud-heeled masses (hehehe) flickered inside my mind.

When I finally met them, they struck me as good-natured and down-to-earth. Both seem to be mildly embarrassed when they discovered that I knew of their ‘celebrity status’. Their company made my supposed business trip to Koh Kong (with Derick) fun and interesting. Olga regaled me with tales involving her experiences in beauty contests and her gay entourage of make-up artist, hairdresser, stylist, walking, posing, and public speaking coach, and an assortment of groupies. Her story of how a Pitoy Moreno gown, first worn by Mother, was ‘re-constructed’ to fit the styles in the next generation of contestants like Olga and her nieces was priceless.

This year, Olga and Mother came back for a longer holiday. Though I wasn’t able to join them in their holiday in Siem Reap, we often saw each other in church and in dinners. The photo above was taken in one of those dinners. The baby is Micah, Derick and Michelle’s first born (and my god-daughter). What I’m most thankful for is that they found time to make me some new drapes for my new home. I have known of their skills in the sewing machine but I never thought they would be able to make something just for me. When I realized they were really serious, I took Derick and Olga to the market to buy fabric. We had fun shopping for fabrics and accessories. They immediately set to work right after. I would’ve wanted to watch them work but I was afraid my presence would put undue pressure. I remember I used to like watching my grandmother and mother sewing stuff in their electric Singer sewing machine (Gawd, I’m so gay!).

A few days later, my new drapes were done. I offered them to have dinner at the house, so they can also meet Vic, my room-mate. I also invited other friends that night. I cooked my so-called signature dishes: pork menudo sans tomato sauce and chicken asado. Derick and I hanged the drapes the same evening. I loved it. Olga was self-deprecating of her work but I think it’s just brilliant.

I love the way it changes with the time: during the day it allows sunlight and the breeze to pass through and at night, it provides enough cover from prying eyes. And the details are absolutely lovely as well. Very nicely done; I would’ve paid good money for it (had they allowed me). That evening, we posed for a group photo with the drapes as background. The photo didn’t give it justice, though, as it focused on us cam-whores.

Loads of thanks to Olga and Mother. I do hope to see you again, whether in Phnom Penh or in Manila. Luv you both!

Black coffee

I’m not sure when exactly it started. I mean, I love coffee. I’d been drinking it since I was 10 years old. It was the way my mother woke me up for our early morning trips from Bulacan to Manila. Mother’s idea of coffee is mild, because it was basically a watered-down, instant coffee mixed with very little sugar, but served almost boiling hot. This is probably one of the reasons why I’ve been hyperacidic since I was 12. And why I can only drink piping hot cups of coffee.

Of course, these days I’ve acquired the taste for brewed coffee. I don’t use those pretty coffee presses, no matter how expensive they are. Because the coffee these presses produce is, in my opinions, severely lacking in taste so using them is ultimately pa-cute only. I have an old but trusty coffeemaker, which I got for Christmas 3 years ago. For the coffee itself I alternately use Cambodian, Laotian, and Vietnamese coffee. Vietnamese coffee is really strong. Laotian coffee is more earthy in flavor while the Cambodian coffee is the subtlest of the three, but its flavor remains unique.

I also love having coffee outside, preferably with friends. When Ted was here, we used to have coffee in various places, trying their offerings and going back to those we liked. Same with Joy Oh, before she went to Ulan Bataar. One stall in the Russian Market has good iced coffee. Fresco serves good latte, even if their food is largely a hit-and-miss affair. Java’s capuccino is quite good as well, infinitely better than their pastries. I like the latte in The Shop, plus their smoothies. A warning, though, don’t try their virgin coconut shake: it’s awful.

For the last months, Daden and Mai have been my sort of regular coffee companions. Vic and Serey Phal are two other people whom I regularly meet for coffee. Two different age groups mean differing tastes. Well, not quite. With Vic and Serey Phal we always go to the ‘old reliables’ like Fresco and Corner 33. Meanwhile Daden and Mai (and more recently, Yhen), we venture in many new places like Chow, Metro Bar, the coffee shop of Le Quay Spa whose name I can’t recall now, the coffee shops of Cambodiana Hotel and Intercon, and NGO-run coffee shops like Yejj and Friends, among others.

Recently we discovered Scoop, located just outside the Intercon. First impressions? The interiors look more like a club than a coffeeshop. However, once you sink into its scoop-shaped chairs (keeping with name, perhaps? I’m not sure), the comfort makes you want to yearn for some coffee to further enhance the feeling. We’ve been having coffee there for weeks now. An advantage of the place is it’s so close to the girls’ offices. Not my house. However, I don’t mind traveling to it. We also made another discovery. Scoop serves excellent food as well.

Once, while feeling exceptionally bored, we decided to try having dinner there. We were asked to sit on the other half of the coffeeshop, which was apparently the dining area. Flush, white chair and blue lights. Daden, Yhen, Mai and her boy Ethan, and I were soon sitting comfortably again. The menu doesn’t offer a lot of choices. But we were very happy with what we ordered. I had some grilled chicken, Daden got pan-fried sea bass while mai and Yhen got some bak kut teh. Plus the food were presented beautifully. I mean, the bread basket alone was a conversation piece in itself already. Just look at the photos (I wish the photo quality is better, but it’s okay… this is not a food blog, after all) below.

That particular evening, as we were enjoying some cheerful post-prandial chat, we saw someone pass by. Someone all of us know. Dressed in simple shirt and shorts, she carried two plastic bags filled with grilled chicken and what-not. We rushed outside and kindly asked if she would pose for a photograph with us. I am not easily star-struck (and I’ve seen her many times before, when I worked for ABS-CBN many many years ago) but with her humble demeanor, I couldn’t help admiring her. So much so that I failed to take my camera from my bag. I only relied on Yhen’s camera.

Fortunately, the photo turned out okay. Care to venture a guess on who she is?