Off-balance

Friday. And I so welcome the weekend.

I feel so tired and it's my turn to be a bit under the weather.

Much as I want to dilly-dally, I still have a conference call from 6:00-7:30pm. On a Friday. When everyone else is preparing to go home, attend dinner or cocktail parties, here I am, waiting for the clock to strike 6 and start the con call where my entire team needs to do some mental gymnastics to understand new designs.

I am so not in my element.

For one, hormones. Blame it on the female hormones.

Second, Boyfriend still doesn't seem to get why I take offense when we discuss working or studying abroad and that my only choice is Hong Kong.

Uhhhhh... do I still need to spell that one out?

True - I love the place, the fashion and the seasons. But why would I insist to stay in a country with citizens who dislike speaking in English to customers (who by the way are foreigners who infuse money in this shopping capital/financial district) and who'd eventually like to have a so-called 100% Chinese work force in the not so distant future (for some locally-owned companies, this has been blatantly brandished in their missions and visions)?

Singapore is a lot friendlier these days in terms of welcoming students and expats to study and work there - but I never even considered this option.

Do I even have to explain why?

Sometimes, I'm not sure if he gets it at all.

Or don't I?

I badly need cocktails tonight.

And a very good doze of Zzzzzzzzs.

Of gay men and the kitchen

Gay, gay, happy and gay

It’s no secret. I love gay men. And they love me. I’m a constant fag’s hag, so to speak – the Grace of every Will (not that I had a gay ex-boyfriend, though). And I really like being one.

I watched the Drag Ons show at the Teatrino Promenade in Greenhills. The drag queens were amazing! They’re so pretty and flawless – more so compared to us, girls! The show had great costumes and dance choreography. The intermission numbers and fillers were all ballet.

Ang gaganda talaga nila. After the show, the drag queens mingled with the audience. I had this favorite – Claudia – who was really a stunner. When she went to our table, I couldn’t help myself. I told her: “I soooooo love you!.” Hahaha. What a fan-freak.

It’s a different albeit interesting experience – watching a drag show. And this one isn’t cheap and tacky.

For fag hags like me, you can catch Drag Ons every Friday at Teatrino Promenade, Greenhills. Show starts at 9pm.

Adobo, anyone?

For 2 days now, I’ve been going to the bookstore trying to find a good, user-friendly Filipino cookbook.

And by user-friendly, I meant with visual and graphics of how the dish looks like and easy-to-follow step-by-step guide.

I’ve been obsessing about learning how to cook Filipino dishes since last summer.

Imagine the irony: I can cook chicken scallopini, beef casserole, pasta parmigiana and paella valenciana. Yet I don’t know how to cook menudo or chicken tinola.

I know! I’m a disgrace to my grandmother!

Call me conservative – traditional, even. But for me, no matter how cosmopolitan a woman is, she should at least know how to cook basic things.

Who’d want to live with someone who doesn’t even know how to fry an egg? I’d have to be honest, I still can’t do a perfect sunny side-up until now. That’s why I have to do something about it!

(While writing this part, I remember my Nanay telling me when I was younger that I only know how to boil water and cook rice, with a rice cooker at that!)

A kick-ass girl, I remember Nanay saying, has to have at least these 3 in her metaphorical kitchen:

1. a signature recipe
2. her own signature sandwich; and
3. knowledge of 1 basic dish for breakfast, lunch and dinner

For a Filipina, add to that a family recipe of adobo.

Sounds sensible.

I’m so envious of people who know how to cook Pinoy food. And do it well.

But not for long. =)