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Being a Makati boy has its advantages and disadvantages. The biggest disadvantage is that I live in the lakes of Caloocan; travel time is at least an hour if it isn’t rush hour yet. I have to leave at 6:30 AM if I want to arrive at 8 AM. And then there’s the MRT. And then the rush home.

I had been hoping not get employed at Makati, since the cost of working here is high - the food, the travel fare, the costume, the works. So when I got a job offer here, I was consoling myself that I would be lucky enough if the company would match my salary from the previous employer. While the offer did exceed the previous one, the increase was eaten by inflation already. And the EVAT.ha

It has been a week. I think I got the hang of the travel. Mornings: take the MRT. Afternoons: take the bus. Bus is slower, but at least I get to sit, and not engage in wrestling. And smelling arm pits. Yeah, I do get bombarded by fumes, but that’s way better than smelly arm pits, IMHO. And I get to avoid entering Trinoma, which saves my wallet from impending bankruptcy.

The food is very expensive. The cheapest is fifty pesos, delivered to your building in styro. Your food choices are limited by your budget; the smaller, the limited choices you have. Good thing my mom sees the philosophy in bringing packed lunch. She’s the ultimate cheapskate, and I got that from her.

Going back to food: there’s McDonald’s, 7-11, and Mini-Stop downstairs; Starbucks several buildings away; Krispy Kreme, another McDonald’s, and another Starbucks across the street. And I have never been into any of them. Wait. I had been to McDonald’s downstairs and Starbucks several buildings away.

I don’t like smart casual. I like casual. I like going to work in shirts and pants. My morning dress up ritual is simple: just grab what’s on the cabinet. But smart casual has changed that. I should be thankful, though; unlike that rock star who always appears to be selling insurance (kidding, but you get the point).

The irony of my Makati life (so far) is that I know some bloggers who work here, but we haven’t met yet for coffee or merienda. It should be a small world, but we are separated by tall buildings and heated underpasses and US time. And also, Glorietta nor Greenbelt is my tambayan. I don’t get to tambay, since like most grunts, I join the mad rush towards home.

There’s a certain belief than when you work in Makati, you have arrived. Heaven knows what a lie it is. It is an airconditioned purgatory, where men in ties and women in heels (or vice versa) atone for their mistake of even thinking that there is glamor in Makati work.

What I like about Makati is that everywhere you go, there is a bank. Paying bills has always been a good excuse to get off the office. And Smart Tower’s just across Rufino; that’s where I had applied for Smart Bro, and that’s where I had paid my cellphone bill for last month. And The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf is just a block away, so spending my GC is not a problem (how to spend it, that’s the problem).

Also, I am forced to walk. I must admit that a month of inactivity (plus eating) has led me to high blood pressure. I am glad to have my forced walk back; it is my online exercise.

Anyway, I am not sure how I will fare as a Makati boy. Indicators are not good at the moment. Seeing people go and hearing others talk about leaving, all at your first week is I think too much for my morale. But people come and go, as they say. But we’ll see.

Treat the author to a cup of coffee.

If you find yourself charged with a crime, it is best that you know what to do, what your rights are, and how to protect yourself.

First, know what to do. It helps to be calm at all times, and be logical. It cannot be helped if you feel afraid when the law enforcers knock at your doors - that feeling may give the false impression that you are hiding something. When cops ask you questions, stick to what you know, and don’t add anything else. This applies if you are not being arrested. If that is the case, see the next paragraph.

Second, know your rights. Ask for a warrant of arrest. Let them state the Miranda doctrine. Ask for a lawyer before you start answering their questions.

Third, protect yourself. You can do this by finding a good lawyer. If you live in Los Angeles, you can look for good Los Angeles Criminal Lawyers | California Criminal, DUI Defense lawyers.

Remember, always keep your cool.

Treat the author to a cup of coffee.

Attended last Friday’s Buhay Coke ng Blogger’s Party at Taste Asia, which is at the SM Hypermarket, SM Mall of Asia. Before that, I took a walk, savored the cool breeze, and saw my attempts to find a network attached storage fail miserably. The tech shops at MoA were disappointing and uninviting.

One queen famously said “After us, the deluge.” Well, I dunno if there was a queen before the event, but indeed there was a deluge of Coke Zero. For the record, I had two cans that night, a personal record. I dunno, I find Coke Zero to be lacking in sweetness. Maybe that’s just me, since another blogger told me that he found Coke Zero to be sweeter than regular Coke.

Memorable moments:

* For the first time (finally), I get to be a volunteer for Marcelle’s magic. Either I am not a good liar, or he’s a shaman.

* Shari’s “scary moment” turned out to be an elaborate Punk’d. So says Marcelle. BTW, go read her blog post about the youth’s involvement (or non-involvement) in politics and governance.

* The Jester-in-Exile’s attempts to appear as an angel. MONUMENTAL FAIL, translating Dra. Tess‘ comments in LOLspeak. And their attempt to make me violate my own curfew. Me=fail.

* Jeff almost slumping down, due to being awake for 24 hours. Seriously, you should see it. Like this one.

* Fritz making good his promise to be whoop-ass P&S photographer. Seriously, just take a look.

* Juned’s bad-ass, it-could-kill lense. Which played well with his scary mask. Take a look at the casualties. Fritz is partly to blame for some of the casualties.

* The Manila Foodistas came in full force. Tiff was mighty proud of her figure. Jeff, Josh, and I saw no difference, really. Kidding!

* Loads of Bloggers Da Who moments, but I’ll leave that for AJ to chronicle.

Kudos to self-confessed Coke addict Aileen Apolo for a blast of an event. You can find other blog posts about the event listed in her blog.

Treat the author to a cup of coffee.

Last Tuesday, June 24, bloggers trooped to The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf at Bonifacio High Street for a workshop about Flash Creativity. The workshop was divided into three topics - creative writing, photography, and short film - and bloggers were allowed to choose what topic they could attend.

The subject matter experts are all respected and known in their fields:

Dean Francis Alfar
If anybody can teach you about writing it’s Dean Alfar. With nine Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature under his belt - including the Grand Prize for his novel Salamanca as well as the Manila Critics’ Circle National Book Awards for the graphic novels Siglo: Freedom and Siglo: Passion and the Philippines Free Press Literary Award – Dean’s writing can express something truer than the truth which is the story.

Mike Cabardo
Explaining to someone what having an eye means is to show them the works of Mike Cabardo. This director, producer and owner of Salt Lab Creative - a motion picture and video production company specializing in creative broadcast video, film, animation and graphic design – is the visionary behind the lens of ADJECTIVE music videos Sabihin Mo by Hemp Republic, Kitchie Nadal’s Run and TL Ako Sa’yo as well as Drip’s In-Between Live.

Jay Tablante
His images will amaze you, but his passion will inspire you. Jay Tablante started out as a photographer tagging along his high school magazine’s editor with a throwaway camera, but now thanks to his tireless perseverance and unique style and inventiveness that suffuses his work, Jay quickly found himself an accomplished photographer that he fervently describes as someone who will live and die by the camera for the rest of his days.

After thirty minutes of lecture and iced tea, the bloggers were let loose in the Boni High Street expanse to put what they have learned in practice. Those who attended the short film workshop made funny videos using mobile phones and point-and-shoot cameras, and with little to no editing, the videos were funny and creative. Budding photographers were to take ten pictures using any camera - mobile phone, point-and-shoot, and DSLR. While the two groups were busy milling around for their shots, those who attended creative writing were seated and hunched at their tables, some staring at nowhere, trying to compose words and put them into writing.

At the end of frantic flash creativity sessions, the fruits of the bloggers’ flash creativity were read or viewed, and three written works, three photos, and all the videos were awarded prizes.

The host took this opportunity to invite everyone to join its What’s Your Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Story? contest. What’s your coffee bean and tea leaf story? Log onto www.whatsyourcoffeebeanandteafstory.com for more information.

Treat the author to a cup of coffee.

After the medical exam last Friday, I was distraught. For the first time, I have high blood pressure.
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I had a medical exam last February, and my blood pressure was 130/80. Last Friday, three different nurses took my BP each: 140/90, 150/90, and 150/80. I got a sermon from the doctor who made the physical examination (valid excuse for molestation he he), telling me to avoid oily, salty, sweet food - basically all of them. The doc wanted me to starve to death!

Anyway, I am distraught. After all, I have just started delving into food blogging, and then this.

What a one month hiatus can do to your health.

Tomorrow, I will be a Makati boy officially. That means more MRT woes, and double them (since I would be taking the MRT both ways now). As exercise, I promise to walk from the PBCOM Tower to the Ayala MRT Station.

Oh well, wish me luck.

Treat the author to a cup of coffee.