Iskul Bukol

Cake to cure all one's worries.

I absolutely dread my yearly checkups. So much that I'd rather get Brazilian Wax than a Pap Smear.

So not surprisingly, I'd skipped two years and finally dragged my feet to the doctor today. Only because my hypochondria has gotten the better of me and I finally started getting paranoid about my pelvic health.

Now, I can truly say that I'm quite lucky with my doctor. She is beyond FAB. No, seriously, she looks like a former fashion model of sorts. She manages to talk you through the weirdest of tests with lively banter and panache.

During this squirmish afternoon, she also happened to find a small lump on my chest. Yikes! No amount of chirpy chit-chat over Brazilians and New York minutes can beat the shock value of being told that.

I know in movies and TV series the character deals with a health scare like this. Contemplates her life. Weighs the what-ifs and whatevers. Cue: light bulb moment. Turns out to be okay. Moves forward, and on with her life.

Me, I know I'm going to be okay... I hope. I'm a little bit scared, only because this is the expected emotion for this particular bit of news. But I really, really hope and pray that life will imitate art, and by my next post I'll be saying, "It's all good."

Watch this space.

(See? I still feel fine, shamelessly plugging my blog ;) )

Brazil, Brazil

At Strip, waxing technicians never “double-dip.”

THERE IS NOTHING DELIGHTFUL about the manmade—South American, if you will—torture device otherwise known as Brazilian wax.

Being slathered with a hot, glue-like substance is one thing, and poked at in one’s nether regions and places where “the sun doesn’t shine” by a complete stranger, another. But having body hair uprooted by the hundreds in one swift sweep is the epitome of what suffering for beauty (and fashion) truly means.

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My Manila

"Who are we, really? Increasingly, wherever our hearts are."
—Anthony Bourdain, "No Reservations"

I don't know why I ended up getting teary-eyed over this video. Lately I've been watching Happy Slip videos on YouTube. I first came across Christine Gambito's channel over a year ago, and recently picked it up again during a family trip out of town. Her skits are just hilarious, and they are such a straightforward portrayal of the comedic qualities that make Filipino families (especially those who have migrated to the United States) unique, and a source of easy laughter and happy banter.

This video was taken on Gambito's first trip back to the Philippines since her first one as a toddler. It's actually a very basic montage of what and how the country is. But I like how it conveys a simple peek into a multi-textured destination, and is shot from the point of view of someone just about to experience a world of interesting and lovable facts about her homeland.

But I must also admit, that as much as I love love love Manila and consider myself nationalistic, the many things I enjoy and can't live without on a day-to-day basis are actually no longer uniquely Filipino (e.g. Ziploc bags, Clorox/Lysol Wipes, Santi's Delicatessen). Nevertheless, home is where the heart is—which poses some sort of dilemma for me because I am trying to steer my career and tailor my life in such a way I could simultaneously call three places home: Manila, New York, and Denver. And down the line, include London in this list. (Goodluck!) Anyhow, I think little by little, I'm saddened by the prospect of having to leave again :(

On another note, all this sunshine is seriously making me want to consider doing an ocular/stopover in Los Angeles and Miami! Thoughts???

Summer beats

What happened between Rihanna and Chris Brown is really none of my business. Although I may be a little intrigued by the recent scoop of the latter pleading 'not guilty' to charges of assaulting and threatening the former on the night of this year's Grammy's. I can imagine the drama, the ire of the women's movement, the Rihanna backlash (if she testifies and denies the allegations) and so forth.



But can I just say that, I really, really like Brown's song, "Forever?" Not only because of its chart-topping melody, but also because of the lovely New York summer memories it evokes: a last-minute road trip to Rockland wherein the song kept playing in the car and we couldn't figure out the title and lyrics ("Willow? Is he saying Willow?"), happy bonding times with friends (imagining anecdotes from the small town they grew up in), and that carefree feeling of all being well (because I was practically fired two weeks after that drive). By the time we'd reluctantly embraced the chill of autumn and braved the cold winter season, unforgettable lessons had been learned, and indelible memories, formed.

That said, I truly am curious about people's personal anthems. Other than "Forever," I have quite a few on my iTunes playlist (yes, Fade). But how about you guys? What makes you stand up and move to the beat? What makes you belt out tunes, from Sinatra to Britney (you know you love her)? As you can tell, I am eager to beef up my MP3 directory.

Ketchup, please...

I take delight in spending time with the little ones in our family. Earlier, one of my nieces saw me with eyedrops and she said:

"Why are you using that?"

I answered, "I scratched my eyes because they're so itchy, so now I'm trying to clean them."

She replied, "Oh, I know why your eyes are itchy: It's the flies—sometimes they suck your blood."

:D

The same evening, I saw her carrying a sandwich she had prepared by herself in the kitchen.

"Ooh, yummy. What's in your sandwich?" I asked, envisioning sweet strawberry jelly oozing out of two slices of white bread.

"Ketchup," she said.

"What?"

"I like ketchup because it's like the red sauce in pizza sauce."


I thank God for adorable five-year-olds :)