My Life In the Noughties First Quarter

The Noughties had been quite a naughty decade for me. If the past decades were remembered with smiles and laughter, this one had a tinge of pain on it. This was my introduction to the adult world. There had been many firsts. Some were good experiences, while some should be charged to experience. Nevertheless, I am grateful for such events for I will never be who I am today without them.

2000

• On April, for Ginger's 18th birthday, instead of having a debutant party, we went to Hong Kong for 3 days. Mom's gift to her.
  
• Our flight was delayed for almost half a day because dad's name was needed to be cleared from criminal charges. May kapangalan siyang kriminal kaya kinailangan ng documents which will prove na hindi siya 'yung kriminal.
• The HK trip included a visit to China. T'was a long trip! Halos naubos ang oras namin sa biyahe para lang kumain sa isang authentic Chinese restaurant. Afterwards, balik HK na uli. Nine hours 'ata ang biyahe all in all.
  
• Di kami masyado nakaikot. Malayo na 'yung hotel namin, ang mahal pa ng taxi!
• Wala ring masyadong shopping na nagawa. Kulang sa budget. Saka di namin alam ang pasikot-sikot.
  
• On our way home, from the HK airport, I bought my very first DVD player--Philips!
• While my co-teachers are just beginning to appreciate VCDs, DVD na ko. Mga old school kasi sila, saka oldies na rin! ('Yung iba nga, VHS pa rin!)
  
• I don't remember the first DVD that I bought, but t'was from Warner Home Video, I think -- either Deep Blue Sea or Gossip.
• I stopped pursuing my MA Psych in Ateneo. I received my very first failing grade! I was disappointed. I had been a good student, and I couldn't believe na sa MA pa ko magkakabagsak.
• On August, via Vid-OK (now MYX), I won Madonna goodies--14 CDs and VCDs!
  
• On September, Miss Saigon in Manila! My first exposure to expensive theater!

2001

• I left NF. Got tired. Felt boxed-in. Couldn't go any further.
• Boys Life was my first gay-themed DVD. It is a compilation of three short films. First of a series of DVDs I ordered online.
  
• Super favorite ko ang A Friend of Dorothy which was about a closeted college freshman who was in love with his roommate. Naka-relate ako!
  
• First (short-lived) relationship. He was also a CEU graduate.
  
• First OS. Didn't like it. Felt violated. Gagged on it. Bad-smelling bush.
• Got into a (short-lived) rebound relationship. I was bad.
  
• Di ko siya kinakausap every time Once and Again was airing on Channel 9.
• To top it all, nagkagusto ako sa kinakapatid niya, or so I thought.
• It turned out, rebound lang talaga nangyari sa kanya.
  
• Good thing that I am still friends with him 'till now!
• Vid-OK and MYX were merging. I applied as staff.
• I got accepted only that I'd be trained for a month under unholy hours without pay! And if ever I'd passed the training, I'd be an on-call talent.
• I didn't pursue it. I needed a regular job then.
• I didn't see the future of it then. Tanga-tangahan pa ko nu'n!
• I discovered Megamixx (now closed) on Megamall! Bought The Others and Sex and the City Seasons 2 & 3 R1 versions from them, and Madonna singles.
  
• On October, I won tickets to see a1 concert in Cebu! Airfare and hotel accommodation are free. First time in Cebu!
  
• I brought Than-than along with me. (Pwede kasi magdala ng companion nu'n.) Pareho kami walang pera nu'n pero go lang!
• We were accompanied by Jen Pimentel who was working for Sony Philippines then. We became good friends with her. Nasa US na siya ngayon with an American hubby. (Read her thoughts on dating here and on US life here.)




• We got to meet a1 backstage, but didn't get to personally "meet" them. Di pa kasi ako close kay Jen noon at hiya pa ko mag-request na ipakilala kami. So we sorta "stalk" them sa hotel. Haha!
  



• Patay na patay ako sa a1 noon, particularly kay Ben Adams!
  
• Than-than had the hots for Mark Read, while Christian Ingebrigsten flirted with Jen on the dance floor.
• Ni-record ko halos lahat ng guestings nila dito sa Pinas! I still have them on VHS.
  
• Jen asked me to write a review of the a1 experience. This was it. (Click for larger image.)
  
  
  
  
• However, before the Cebu concert, I already saw their Araneta Coliseum a week ahead with Elma.
  
• Nakabili na kasi ako ng ticket before I won the Cebu trip.
• The Cebu trip was second place.
  
• The first place was Thailand trip. Pinagpapalit ng nanalo ng Thailand trip sa 'kin 'yung winnings niya kaya lang wala talaga akong budget for it.
• Nagkaroon ng raffle because of the compilation of TV themes that Sony released where a1's Heaven By Your Side was included. Tape nga lang ang binili ko nu'n para lang makasali sa raffle.
• Solved na ko sa Araneta concert. Ang aim ko lang ay ang third place which was the meet and greet. Didn't expect the Cebu trip!
• That was when I realized na if you really want it badly, you'll get it! (The question now is, how bad is badly?)

2002

• Got braces. 3-5 years lang dapat siya, pero I still have them now. Overextended na. Di kasi regular ang dentist visits ko. Tamaditis, eh.
• Got into trouble with a kiss! As a result, a friendship since elementary days went sour. Stupid he.
  
• Got introduced to Queer As Folk -- the very first all-gay US TV series! Loved it from the very first episode!
• Sobrang naka-relate ako sa character ni Michael Novotny who was very much in love with his best friend, Brian Kinney, who was so in love with himself!
  
• Aside from that, super dami ng racy scenes! A feast for one's gay eyes!
• It was more daring than Sex and the City!
• Got into another (short-lived) relationship. Jumped on it immediately. Nabaliw sa kagwapuhan nu'ng guy.
• First experience with (matinding) cheating! He was making dates right under my nose, using my own PC through chats with my own prepaid cards!
• I was naive then. Very trusting.
• I cried for days and days. He couldn't stopped cheating even when I begged.
• Ex siya ng bayan!
  
• I even cried so hard when he left. I cried while riding the MRT after I brought him to the airport. Stupid me.
• Recovery was a long process.
• Nakakapag-usap na kami uli ngayon through Facebook. Pero hanggang du'n na lang 'yun.
  
  
  
• Mega Event nu'n. I wanted to see the concert, but he didn't. Ayoko namang manood mag-isa.
• On the night of the concert TV telecast, wala siya sa bahay. Feeling ko may kinakalantari siya nu'n. Though I didn't suspect it back then.
  
• Maka-Regine siya, btw. Tulad nu'ng Kissing Friend 2002.
  



• I had an issue with dad regarding the relationship.
• I had a short stint at AMA Caloocan as Guidance Counselor. Bad boss. Naninigaw. Nanghihiya. Nagbabastos.
• Minura ako ng "Punyeta!", so I resigned! Punyeta rin siya!
• I became friends with people whom I rarely seen now these days. But I miss them terribly!
  
  
  
  
• Angel was born on August 22.
• Mom went home for the holidays. It will be four years before she comes home again.


• Somewhere between 2001 and 2002, my best friend from college stopped communicating with me. His last words on the phone was, "Jheck, kailangan nating mag-usap."
• I was excited, feeling na may "aaminin" na siya. But he didn't call anymore after that.
• I was very much in love with him.
  
• Wala na kong naging balita sa kanya since then. Di na rin siya nagpakita sa ibang college friends namin.
• We only became in touch again through Facebook this year. But it has never been the same with us since his last words.
• Kapangalan niya si Cheating Man 2002.
  

2003

• January, met Biboy.
• It was supposedly just a casual thing for us. He was hang-up on somebody, so was I.
• Apparently, though, it was love at first sight for him.
• He pursued me. I wanted us to be friends first, but he didn't. He wanted more.
• On the eve of my birthday, he played the guitar and sang to me on the phone, "Is It Okay If I Call You Mine?"
• I cried. I was deeply touched.
• I didn't know that I was looking for love until I found him.
• February 10, on the day of my birthday, I was set on having a relationship with him.
• However, he had something different on his mind. It was his last day of seeing me for he was losing hope.
• So imagined how ecstatic he was when I said yes to him.
• We became lovers.
• I didn't regret it.
  
• Angel started living with us.
• I finally came out with the rest of my high school barkada when we celebrated my birthday in Malate.
• I brought Biboy along with me.
• Back then, I was only out to Arnel, Elma, and Than-than.
• His jealousy was our major problem then.
• Meteor Garden became a phenomenon.
• I was not a fan, but got into it because it became a potential money-making scheme.
• Uso na ang pirated DVDs nito. Matino pa ang kopya pati ang covers.
  
• I bought my first CD writer.
  
• I started selling MG VCDs online.
• Biboy's background in computer helped a lot with the "business". He was a computer major before he shifted to Nursing.
• Among the members of F4, I was into Vic Zhou!
• Seeing how good business was selling MG VCDs was, I started ripping my DVD collection into VCDs to sell them to other prospective buyers.
• My main items were gay-themed movies -- straight (meaning movie talaga) films and porn, alongside some rare movies.
• My source for the rare movies was a site also selling rare movies. He ripped his DVD collection, as well, into VCDs.
• Di na siya nag-venture into selling DVDs. He stopped selling na rin a year or two after 'ata.
• He introduced me to the world of Asian cinema such as In the Realm of Senses and European classics like Salo, or 120 Days of Sodom which I can't bear to watch again for its graphic scenes and Irreversible which was stomach-churning to watch for its real-time rape scene. (I didn't see all these though in 2003.)
• The necklace event happened. The necklace that dad gave me was snatched while Biboy and I were riding a jeep. He ran after the snatcher to get the necklace back. It was futile.
• It was then that I realized how much he loved me, and that I didn't want to lose him.
• Dad lost his job -- retrenchment.
• Mom decided not to go home that year (and the years that followed) to save more money.
• Biboy started living with us since Fatima was just a ride away from us.

To be continued. . .