the clean-up

I was enjoying my much-earned afternoon nap after cleaning my room spic and span in the morning when my phone rang. It's our San Andres Office Accountant calling. Wait, shouldn't the ring tone be that of BEP's Audio Delite? Why am I hearing a different song? Non-hiphop.

Then, as soon as realizing it was a Lettermen song, a wave of melancholy hit me. It hit me like a Manny Pacquiao punch.

A series of scenes began to flashback like a really well-made sappy movie.

...JR looking so angelic at 10 years of age in his handsome coffin. I was 14 then and thought it was such a tender age to experience sadness. It was sadness, nonetheless. And the fear of not seeing JR tomorrow when we all wake up.
Why should the die young?, I remember Ace flipping a question aimed at no one during All Soul's Day...

*And some more Lettermen songs get solid airtime*

...Raymund telling everyone last Saturday that he is leaving everyone again for Manila soon...

...Last real tight hug with someone you used to think the world of...

...Seeing Pops cough up and catch up with breath...

...Seeing your nieces and nephews off and watching your Mom cry from a distance wishing the whole year is a non-working holiday.

You know I could go on but it pains me to look back and think of more poignant scenes.

Yeah. Fuck the Lettermen.

-Well some folks get bent in strange ways. Like some folks are meant to feel the pain. The sorrow gets sent down their heads. The sadness, it twists them. They are never the same.-

the skamama year-ender special

I fall weak; I rise strong.

And who would have imagined Bea falling? She with the strong guts - as strong as Popeye's muscles in spinach overdose. She with the devil-may-care attitude. She with the brawny resolve in everything extraordinary - so brawny her High School gang is now convinced that she's gone lesbian. (Blah..Had to chuckle on that one. It's my sorry attempt at self-deprecation)

Well surprise motherfucker, even heroes run out of much-revered potency and sugar and spice and everything not-so-nice.

Call me conceited. But it's the time of the year when I pat myself in the back. I tell you it's hard. I'll start taking acrobatic lessons.

The year that was 2007 was a proper mixture of ups and downs - mainly downs. But I've been better.

The 2007 work-related blunder actually opened new and exciting doors for me. I've been promoted from Supervisor to Assistant Manager and Head of the Central Accounting Unit (side-lining as the head of the Central Clearing Unit). It's hard reclaiming self-confidence after much bruhaha. At the end of the day, it feels good. I hope every downfall goes that way. Inspiration out of perspiration.

I've been blessed with wonderful families. (Not sounding bigamous there)Firstly, I have my almost-biological family who, ever since I came out the rheumatic womb of my mother, has been proud of me. Oh when they brag about me being an honor pupil since kindergarten. Oh how they would shame me with praises in front of old family friends and the friends of my late mother. And then there's the office family. It delights my heart that I am considered important in the group as much as they all are important to me - except for some self-serving mofos, mind. The trust given me makes it all easy. And yes my friends. Friends...how many others have them? Friends...ones you can depend on. Friends...who takes all of my bossy prowess to great heights i.e. Lignon Hill and KawaKawa. Friends...who would never tolerate a cheating boyfriend but would call the druglords above to get you to try shabu (our local coke). Hahahaha. Oh yes friends! Lastly, but cliche-ey certain not the least, I have met a new family in Bleatherland - the place for scrabble-loving, dope-smoking, booze-adoring, tattoo-worshiping fucktastical people. The internet philosophers can say what they want about people mixing internet with real life but what the fuck are you doing in the Net anyway?? Heh.

Welp, two bombs after and I'm already frazzled. I'll do the rest in bullets.
1. I have been more organized this year than the last 25 years of my life. I now know where I misplaced my favorite skirt - not on the shoe rack but under the bed, silly!
2. I have improved my public speaking skills. But I have yet to talk to Bleatherites.
3. I have polished my leadership potentials by bossing every single one of my nieces and nephews.
4. I have verified my incredibility by drinking from 4 in the afternoon to 4 in the morning and still be happily awake 'til 4PM. (For an anemic, that's an accomplishment.)

And yes, this year, I still smoked, drank and swore. I had to check my 2008 New Year's Resolution for that. And yes, again, I haven't had my self a tattoo yet. Now that's frustrating!

But it seems that no matter how almost perfect every life story has become, there's always that one thing which makes it fucked up, or should I say spicy.

Gian coming and going into my life was one big Enchanted Kingdom space shuttle ride-all-you-can edition. Many crying-over-dumbness-nights after, I have learned to turn off the switch engine with my telekinetic powers and lease the ride badge to some other adventure-seeking person.

But then again, we are entitled to our own little love story which won't-probably-see-silverscreen-showing-but-who-cares-anyway-I'm-a-20M-worth-character-actress. It's more of the indie films that NORMAL people love to dislike. Lurb and peas and beans and poop and beer and ska and cartoon and kape always go well together like the ying-yang force. Thank you, Max, for making me feel loved and important. Much lurb for concocting the kape of my dreams. Let us hope that this will not be another good love story gone to scriptwriters. Rather, let us make this the ultimate cartoon tale which will make everyone who has ever messed up with our sincere hearts flinch with shame.

Many camera-ready smiles, humongous mugs fulla beer, buckets of tears, red-filtered ciggies and early mornings after, I'm still ok. Actually, better.

I fell weak; I rose strong. Now fuck off.

maxness

*trying to snort up the almost-outside-the-nose booger*

Postwoman: Here's your box.
Beatriz: Thank you.
Postwoman: (being nosey) Who is this Maxwell?
Beatriz: He is my internet friend.
Postwoman: Is he soltero? (single)
Beatriz: Yes he is, ma'am.
Postwoman: Ohh he must be the one for you!
Beatriz: I hope to god he is ma'am!

and i went home with a fixed grin on my face and excitement on my actions.

yes, bitch, Shoghi's package has come! Yayyyy!!!






thank you max!

P.S. the officemates were asking if the package came with chocolates. ROFL!

party party join us join us

i love love that song!!!

which leads to the South Bicol Federation of Rural Banks (SBFRB) last Nov. 28 at Kanzo Hall and Restaurant.

Food was yumm...

Drinks were fine...





games were shite! hehehe (because i didn't win!)







we tried to dance to dance the night away...





and yes Sir Miel got drunk! hehe

Advanced Happee Christmas!

doon sa pinilakang tabing...

eagle eye is one of those movies i find depressingly good.

aside from the thrill it gives you for the non-stop chasing scenes and the feeling of being ticked-off on someone you can't see but can see you, it also gives you the depressing factor - at least to me.

man's enemy is man himself. man's enemy is man himself and his creation.

the feeling was the same when i watched Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) back in the 2001 when our favorite cities (or your favorite cities) are submerged in water and a thing tries to spread some love but doesn't get the same love in return.

*sigh*

Lurve...

by the way, Artificial Intelligence is one of my favorite movies of all time. Go figure.

to ease out the depression, our friendly reel operators put on Madagascar 2 - Escape to Africa. It was ok. While the movie is shown, I was grinning (not laughing, mind) and feeling cold. Having my officemates as seatmates didn't help with the coldness. hehe. There was one scene though that made me laugh for about 5 minutes. Moto-Moto's quite a character too. He was, errm, huge and ermm hot. (Moto-moto means hot).

Not bad, eh. My 65 pesos was all worth it. Good popcorn, good movie, good company. But fuck the air-conditioning. ROFL!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

boy meets girl...



topher just bought a new digital camera and yay we are the subjects of photographic ignorance. topher took this shot during Baby Charly's Christening. Mark and I were his camera whores and we eagerly posed as lovers mocking the restroom sign.

Cute!

when we were innocent not so long ago...

...ice would ask me, norie, markie and kuya dan what a dildo is. we, as concerned as we are about our officemate's education, advised her to google "dildo". "ice, click images." "ohmigosh ate bea, it's like one of those wooden products from Baguio City!"



pfft...

and we thought we made ourselves clear...

and how norie learned that that circular colored skin surrounding the nipple is called the AREOLA. it was a new word for our favorite officemate, ice, too. "isn't Areola a surname?" "I know someone. Her name is Sarah Areola."

FOR

FUCKS

SAKE!

i like to move it

blame it on will.i.am and the madagascar gang. :-)

i've been meaning to blog about the latest happenings in my not-so-exciting life but it's been busy busy the past week and i've only had the time to blog tonight. besides, shoghi is not online, i miss him :( gotta while away the time.

*fidelity by regina spektor plays in the background*

1. RBAP Symposium (Manila Hotel, November 18 - 19, 2008)

The Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines hosted a Symposium with the theme "Banking on Technology". Guest Speakers were: businessman Jaime August Zobel de Ayala (JAZA), U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Kristy Kenney and the former Senate President (and future President of the Philippines, as the emcee has boastfully put it) Senator Manuel Villar. Well, the businessman made sense. The diplomat inspired the crowd. The senator...oops I went for a smoke break when he spoke. :-)






Everyone was well dressed and flashed every shining stone they got - which made me love more my social incapacity and my lack of care for socialites and my hate for my know-it-all officemate.

The highlight of the whole trip: PUTTING THE FUCK UP WITH MS. KNOW-IT-ALL'S ENDLESS YAKKING! It was hell temporarily holding office on earth. She bitched about how she loved the bankers' jewelries, wondered how much JAZA's suit and tie cost, wished she was a flight stewardess and shhh-ed me every freakin' time i try to mouth and utter explicits at her. hehehe.

And hey, since we were with each other for two days, i had all the photo ops with her. Pfft. And Boss Geri and Miel of course!











It was also my first plane ride. Feedback: The roller coaster was better! :-)


2. Trainer's Training (Social Action Center, Legazpi City, November 22-23, 2008)

One of the most fun and educational trainings Ive attended, I admit. Kudos to the bank management for thinking up the activity.











to be continued. im sleepy

the ways of the scheming trader

a piso for every dirty look he gives
his client would be unchristianly rich by now
he swears by the spawn of hypocrisy
the man is nothing like the perfect crow

he shalt sail the seven seas
for good ol' bounty and filthy fees
u give him all, he gives u banter
for him that is good barter

haggling begets haggling,
and the stench of deceit
plus the feeling of dissatisfaction
as proof of official receipt

the blur of the moment took the role
as the clear conscience of the business
transact at your own risk, you've been warned...
sense. experience. deal. get unharmed.


---------------------------------------------

the date says its the 13th of November. But it's actually the 15th. Feliz Compleano, mi sobrino Juan Alberto!

teka lang ha

i want something cleared.

i just wanna know.

will someone tell me why we're not allowed to smile with our teeth out on passport pictures???

dia de los muertos y todos los santos

It's that day of the year when the Catholics, practicing or otherwise, swarm to the cemeteries to visit and remember the dead. It has now been known as a merry-making day as such holiday is characterized by foods (offering for the dead and the err alive), music (singing in the videoke/karaoke til the wee hours of the morn) and families getting together for the occasion. Not to mention the occasional riots and rumbles when people get tipsy and things look blurry.

The remains of the departed members of my family - which includes my real mom, grandpa, grandma and aunt - are kept in one of them apartment/compartment-type thingies beside the city church. It is actually a very strategic location because less people go there and it keeps the anti-social me happy.




This year's celebration was rainy. You can see people lighting candles, laying flowers all under umbrellas. While "hanging-out" there, my nephew, Ace, muttered a line which took me to a strange and contemplative state.

"Why should the good die young?"

Ace is about 8 years old, loves the Cartoon Network and speaks like a grown-up. Such words from the mouth of a young. Clever ikkle bugger.

And the memories of my other nephew named Arnulfo came to me. He died when he was 10 - electrocuted days after a big typhoon visited our place and died in the arms of his mother. It was kinda like Pieta come alive.



He was the sweetest nephew ever. I was only 3 years older than him but even when we were young, he called me Auntie Beth. One Christmas Eve, we stayed up til we caught the oldies bring in Santa's goodies. That was our last Christmas together.

He could've been 23 years old and dashingly handsome if he was alive right now.

So yeah, Ace was right. Why should the good die young?

it's one of those days...

shame on you.

because of all the goodness, patience, understanding and care that I've given you, you repay me with nothing but pain. oh how more sadistic could you be? even the masochist in me surrenders and shatters that glass of serenity.

and then, i charge it all to experience - life lessons and additional strong muscles - to fight the men who are so at home with being pain in the arses of women.

but then again, shame on you still.

the smell of blood and vodka on halloween...

----------------------------------------------------------------

and...

it's funny how ex-es bullshit you.

*preferential theme intro*

"im moving to the country, im gonna eat me a lotta peaches..."