Narcissistic Gay Bird?

This photo is a concrete proof that it’s not just gay men who are self absorbed, but birds as well. Wonder if it’s gay… This was taken at Auckland Zoo, and this really tells us how considerate the zoo keeper is. I don’t even have a mirror in my room, and I consider it a zoo.

I Heart my Moleskin!

2008 is nearing its end and I can’t wait to use my new moleskin diary! Moleskin, as many people know is the legendary brand of notebook used by Hemingway, Van gogh and Chatwin. Of course I’m ridiculously the opposite of these people on the Brilliance department but hey, so what. Visit their site http://www.moleskine.com/eng/default.htm

Sun Orgy?

I planned it to be a boring sunday as usual, you know just wake up early (haha), dress up and drive down to St. Paul’s methodist church to repent for sins committed and of course trespasses yet to be carried out, come home, have lunch and probably start the office work that I was putting off because I always have more urgent things to do like sing to my venus fly trap, which decided to show its displeasure for spring by the way (which I find weird because It looked ok during winter and I bet they will look even more fab in spring because I thought they liked humid environment, what’s up with that?). Anyway so I got home from church and saw my flatmates busy working the kitchen, packing up my lunch (ok, our lunch) and told me we’re eating at the beach. They said its sunny, its a fine day to stay out at the beach, probably sun bathe a little just to know first hand what these white people are fussing about, and why they try so hard to catch skin cancer. Of course I vehemently told them I’m not going to drag my ass to the beach and burn my skin. I’m on a strict Likas Papaya and Chin Chun Su therapy! No fuckin’ way. In the end of course I went with them because they have my lunch. Plus they need an extra car because they’ve invited people to join us in our sun and skin cancer love fest.

So there I was, eating under the shade, with my dark sunnies plastered in my face, over-actingly shielding my eyes from the sun and true enough, the beach was packed! It seemed like they knew something that I dont know about? like going to the beach today is part of the program you idiot!

Of course I thought this is the perfect oppurtunity to scout for hot meat! I mean why do people go to the beach in the first place? – to show off their hard earned toned body and probably hook up with someone. They bring their dogs so that they’ll get noticed. Heck they bring their babies too just to get noticed! Anyway so there I was imagining that this blasted heat is going to melt me any second now when I saw this vision. (Okay that’s melodramatic, let’s change that to probably a page from DNA magazine?)

Sorry I could’nt get a good angle of him, I can’t risk appearing like a stalker, and he’s not THAT cute to be paparazzi worthy. My gaydar was buzzing which made it more interesting. I was of course planning on how to get his attention (stripping down and wearing nothing but a lip gloss came to mind) when my flatmate asked me to drive down mission bay to get a popsicle. I begrudgingly obliged although I also wanted to grab a coffee at a local starbucks there. When I got back, the bastard is now engaged in a conversation with this guy who probably is just a random beach bum who decided to lay beside him in the sand and check out his ass. Well that’s the whole point in going to the beach right? So mission accomplished for those two.

And then I had enough of this whole sun orgy thing and decided to go home. I have more important things to do and hopefully something that doesnt involve carnivorous plants.

Culture Shock?

Working in audit certainly is the perfect oppurtunity to get exposed to different cultures especially that Auckland is so multicultural. It’s like the melting pot of all races, one would think of  a conspiracy where different countries agree to conduct some sort of high scaled social experiment. Anyway a few days ago I was assigned as the in-charge on one of the firm’s client. With me as my staff is one dutch guy, who’s been here in Auckland since he was 15 and one russian girl who settled in NZ with her family years ago. A newly-grad from Uni, and just married a kiwi guy. Since I don’t have a car yet, dutch guy gives me a ride home every afternoon. Thankfully, the burden of starting a conversation to kill the awkwardness was lifted from me as he is very chatty. One afternoon he asked me what I think was the major difference so far between Auckland and Manila, where I came from. I told him, well kiwi’s generally are very friendly and polite and courteous. People would smile and greet you on the street which I think Filipino’s don’t normally do to strangers that they randomly pass by on the streets or on a public bus. Some of us even makes it a concious effort not to make eye contact. He said its normally the case where so many people live in a very smally place. They tend to become agitated. In Holland he said, where marijuana and prostitution is legal, people also try not to get into other people’s way. He said he really likes Auckland because its laid back. I said I miss Makati City’s pulse though. Somehow the conversation steered into the problems inherent to a “developing country”, like poverty, corruption, violence etc. It was a heavy topic and I wished he would drive faster. Of course all of what he said was true. I did’nt even try to deny that because I simply can’t. It’s a reality that everybody is aware of. In my 3 month stay here so far, this is the pre-conceived notion that they have about the Philippines and who can blame them?

Russian girl and I went back yesterday (and a saturday at that) to the client’s warehouse to observe their stock take.  As an in-charge It was basically my role to delegate some tasks and to guide her with the stock take procedures. Much to my amazement though, she was the one acting as the in-charge. Hey I can’t really complain as I like the idea of getting some responsibilities off me for a while. What really pissed me off though was that she assumed that we probably have a “different” procedure back in the Philippines. I said not really! Since I came from the Philippine branch of our firm, the methodology is absolutely the same, and I’ve been to alot of stock takes back then, so I definitely know what to do. Russian girl dismissed this and we went on to do the stock take. All the while she acted as the in-charge which I did’nt mind. After two hours we’re finally done. As part of the procedure we will prepare a stock memo where we document how we observed the client’s procedures and how variances were reconciled (boring stuff actually). That memo is usually done by the in-charge. I thought, as THE in-charge, I will let her do the memo, because she mentioned earlier before the count that she has experience in accomplishing it. Blood rushed to my ears when she pointedly told me that she should’nt be doing that as she is not the in-charge and I should learn how to do it since I dont have experience with it! I guess what she meant was the ”kiwi” way of doing it. She was obscenely condescending and I was utterly dumbfounded because this is the first time that a staff, a newly-grad at that, blurted to my face that she is not doing something that I, as her in-charge, told her to do.

Feeling distressed, I opened up to my Filipino friend what happened. She said maybe its the culture here, that people really give you their opinion. But I said I’m more senior than her and she’s supposed to do what I tell her to do. It’s not like she’s completely ignorant about it, she said she’d done it herself. I wonder if it was a matter of giving an opinion or dodging responsibility or simply not following authority. In the Philippines, you basically can’t complain if your superior asked you to do something for him (as long as its reasonable). This is a sign of respect for us.

At the end of the day, what really bugged me is the question of whether she was just stating her opinion (as part of her culture as a russian or kiwi) or she was undermining my authority because of the condescending way that she told me her ”opinion”.

Looking back, I should have told dutch guy that even if I came from a poor, violent, corrupt and agitated country, at least we give respect to people who deserves it. I’m not saying that non-filipino races are not respectful. But on that situation, I certainly deserved some respect. Now I’m not sure if I’m experiencing culture shock. Or racial discrimination. This is soo exhausting.  

Electrified by my Ipod!

I was feeling sleepy as usual this morning, it’s just Tuesday and Friday seems so far away. I decided to have lunch early and went to Westfield’s foodcourt and probably grab a kebab or whatever. I was holding my Ipod on my left hand when I got on the escalator. I always feel unstable when riding an escalator so I grabbed on the rubber handle (?) to support me. Then my right hand started to itch! Of course I used my left hand to scratch it. While I was scratching my right hand, somehow my ipod got in contact with the steel part of the escalator just below the sliding rubber handle, and then zap! I almost lost my balance. Bloddy Ipod just decided to electrify me. My left pointy hurt so bad for like 2 minutes. It’s weird though coz it was enclosed in its silicone casing!

Flora!

One of the amazing things about New Zealand is that its bursting with plant life. Even the wild flowers in our backyard looks like bouquet quality. Yesterday with so much time in my hands, I decided to walk around our area. I stopped by this garden centre along St. John’s road and I was greeted by this colorful spectacle.

Since I can’t have a pet in our flat. I decided to buy one. But choosing what to buy became such a struggle! I wanted to have the african violet, coz its perfect indoors, won’t need too much watering, and they have flowers almost all year round! Like these…

I decided to hell with flowers! I want a mysterious, disgusting, and nasty pet of a plant. So I got this! Say hello to my babies!

Of course! A venus flytrap! A pet that eats but doesn’t poop! Brilliant.

Shoot!

Yesterday, after checking all the shops in downtown Queen Street, I finally bought a camera! Its a Sony Cybershot W80! Not really the latest model but hey, I’m not a photographer and have no intentions to be one. One like me, only have to buy camera to document the boring occassions in their lives including the deeply depressing birthdays. Anyway, its a 7.2mp camera. I found out that if your not really into photography, and only only uses the camerafor personal use, 5mp should be enough. It has face detection, steady shot features, well the works. After getting so excited, I went to Albert Park (pathetic I know) and tried my new cam! yey! I think I only have three shots because I still have to recharge it. Lets play pictionary!
I felt like a tourist.

Here’s a pic of the city theatre. One of the landmarks along Queen St.

Oh well, I was tired and got on the bus to head home. I was feeling hungry after that excitement and bought a coke. I like this new coke in can, apparently this is from Australia.

Taylor The Latte Boy

I was browsing youtube and searched for the new series called “Pushing Daisies” which premiered here in NZ I think just last week. A scene from one of the episodes, which apparently is a favorite for many, where Kristin Chenoweth sang Hopelessly Devoted to you is posted. She has a great voice but honestly I didn’t know who she is. I stumbled another video where she sang this funny song called Taylor The Latte Boy. Lyric’s witty and charming. Plus I think it’s the way that she sang it. Here’s the link to the video. I’m now googling for the lyrics…

Funny Thing

Is it possible for love to come after a relationship which is based entirely on sex at first? (And why do I feel like a Catholic girl, writing something naughty? Father forgive me for I have sinned…again.).

Funny thing. I thought I didn’t believe in love. Romantic love that is. I think its overrated. Plus I’m one of those people who gets the icky feeling when they see couples smooching in public. Oh please! I’ll get really cynical and say that it’s nothing but raging libido. Give it 3 months and they would hate each other’s guts.

Now don’t get ahead of yourselves. Maybe you’re thinking I should’ve put my bloody foot in my mouth. I’m not completely reformed. And I’m not saying that I was completely wrong, and now I’m a changed person. Well sort of. I still get the icky feeling and the cynicism for other people. But not for my case. Is that acceptable? Because I think it’s just normal. We humans tend to think that we’re way better than others. Correct I am, right?

 Let’s get back to my question. Can love replace what lust started? I think so. I’ve been “making lust” with this guy for like a year. He is a friend. With let’s just say  fringe benefits. Obviously we fell in love with each other. Not that we’re ditching lust altogether, we have to give credit to it actually.

When we decided to say,”fuck it! I’m gonna say I love you!”, I was already a thousand miles away. Sad thing. 

Now were like those countless couples who keep long distance relationships. Another tempting avenue to be cynical. But you know what? I think its about time to challenge that overrated love and see if it survives. What a brave thing!

For the meantime, I’ll treasure every text he will send me every morning to have a great day ahead, and that he loves and misses me.

Now that’s a sweet thing.