My Life as a Young Entrepreneur

These kids are pretty lucky they have parents who supported them business-wise like I did. In the summer of 1985, Mama gave me seed money to sell cigarettes and candies in front of her dress shop in the busy P. del Rosario St in front of what is now the ABS-CBN station in Cebu City. I was technically a cigarette vendor with my pwesto in front of Mama's dress shop. I was earning an average of 120 pesos a day and I was so happy because in 1985, that was good money for a 14-year old boy, and Mama never took my earnings. She allowed me to plow it back to 'my business' so I opened an account in PSBank in Colon Street. I also did my own buying of stocks!!

Ang tapang ko pala nuon! I would go to this wholesaler in Colon street and I would buy my stocks of cigarettes and candies from her, every few days. I loved my business because most of my customers were male and some of them were really cute!! I remember this young guy would buy a pack of Champion Lights from me, everyday around 7AM, parang 20 pesos pa ata yun per pack, and my heart would always swoon when he bought from me! I had this huge crush on him and when he would speak to me, ayun, nganga ang baklita!! I was so happy because busog na ang mga mata ko sa boys, kumikita pa ako!

I remember I would open my 'store' at 7AM to catch the early morning crowd and pack up around 7PM just in time for dinner. Everyday yun, including Sundays!! Ansipag ko raw, sabi ni Mother!! Di lang niya alam na my incentives were I get to see hunky men tapos, I don't do household chores pa kasi nga, I have to man my store!! O dibah!! What an enjoyable vacation!! May datung pa ako!!

One impact of that experience though was that I learned then that I would never work for anyone except for myself. I really hope that I can impart a similar experience to Dylan and Laura when they grow up.

Starting ’em young

Should Transgenders be allowed to Join Beauty Pageants?

This question was posed in a national newspaper last Sunday and a bevy of beauty queens and aficionados made their two cents worth.  I decided to have my say too in my own blog here.

There are separate competitions for transgenders and I don't think they should be allowed to join the Miss Universe pageant, even though the organizers have already said so.  The truth is, many of these transgender women are more beautiful than real women, and I'm not kidding!  There are many of them in Thailand and here in the Philippines and they are more womanly than most ordinary women!  However, it will taint the idea of a Miss Universe.  "Oh, this year's Miss Universe was formerly, a man!".  That would really sound strange. I guess it's just putting things in their right places. Women with women, gays with gays, men with men.  I don't know technically where transgenders stand but they were once men, so basically, they should compete with other gay men.  Oh well, I don't know how that ruling will affect the local Binibining Pilipinas though.  But it surely is a dream for any gay man here to become a certified Binibining Pilipinas!  Now, they have a chance!

How My Mother Still Wants Me to Marry a Woman

I admit Mama and I sometimes get into conversations which are straight out of the Twilight Zone. We had another one today - while munching on Jollichicken and Burger Steak. She asked about the possible women in my life who I could possibly have a kid with! Really Twilight Zone material!

Still, like a dutiful son, I indulged her, not with tall tales, but with actual women I’ve met who may have fit the bill, if only I did not have THAT fatal flaw! I don’t want to get into the identities of these ladies, for privacy purposes, but what intrigues me, is that we’re having that conversation at all. Really, sometimes, I just want to tell her straight – which part of gay don’t you understand?

Yeah, a lot of gay men get married – but that’s their decision – and they have to live THAT kind of life! Staying married is hard enough – just ask any heterosexual – just imagine how much harder it’s going to be when you don’t have one of the most basic instincts for it – lust for your wife! How am I going to survive each and every night? Taking Viagra can help but taking it everyday and every time she wants me to do it to her will drive me to my grave early, due to kidney failure – it won’t have enough capacity to cleanse all the drugs I would’ve pumped into my system – just to get an erection!

And of course, the deceit! I simply cannot, in conscience, live with that. Because I know if I do play that card, it will be with a nice woman – and you don’t do bad things to nice women! This wise storyteller once said - ‘Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.’

It’s a cliché when we say our parents always want the best for us but can we live our lives the way we want it and still make them happy - or do we have to pander sometimes to what they desire for us – just to make peace?

Why It's Hard to Hate Imelda Marcos

I know I have written some articles here that have an anti-Marcos slant, so this post might come across as confusing to many of you.

I think one reason why the Marcoses are still popular now is that they are actually very nice when you meet them in person.

The truth is, I have met many Pinoy politicians in social gatherings here and abroad and many of them are veritable snobs!! Marami sa mga supposedly "good" politicians are mga snabero in person and they don't even dignify you with a hello. Mga bwisit!

But not the Marcoses.

Mama and I met Imelda Marcos in a CCP show. When the show finished and as everyone was leaving their seats, Imelda looked towards our row and Mama and I waved to her and she smiled back. I thought it would end there.

When we were in the lobby, surprise, surprise, she sidles to us and says how are you, like we were her friends! I almost fainted!

We are nobodies in Manila society and Manila society was in full force that night, maybe she thought Mama was a former Blue Lady. Alam mo naman si Mother magbihis, parang Imeldific din!

Yun lang, we had no camera with us. This was during the time when cellphones did not have cameras and cameras were left with the guard. Kaya ayun, no evidence. But she was so gracious in making small talk and she made us feel important.

She has this incredible presence and this modulated voice (parang voice ni Meryl Streep sa The Devil Wears Prada).

You couldn't believe that a monster can look this beatific! LOL

I guess that's how she maintains her con game.

The Beautiful Church Featured in the Movie 'A Second Chance'

People who have watched the movie Second Chance have been telling me that the church that I was going to today was the same church where they filmed the wedding of Popoy and Basha.

It is a beautiful venue for one's wedding as there is a forest cover around the church and its architectural design uses enough height and room to allow enough natural light and natural ventilation in the church.

The whole ambiance makes it easy for anyone to commune with God.

I wouldn't be surprised if this church will be the church du jour for couples next year mainly because the box-office of that movie has been phenomenal. Everyone who sees my invitation would say, "Oh, that's where they filmed the wedding scene of the movie!"

Just goes to show that Bryant and Ari have exceptionally good taste in choosing the place where they want to seal their wedding vows.

Yun lang, make sure most of your guests have a ride because it's somewhere in the boondocks of Antipolo.

I and Katherine Dienzo Samson didn't have a problem looking for it though.

We used Grab Car and left all the worrying to manong driver, who was very thoughtful enough to drop us at a 7-11 store to buy candies and drinks since he knew the drive to Antipolo from QC would take about an hour and a half.

With that great customer service from Grab Car, who needs a f****ng taxi with their smelly boorish drivers!

Definitely one of the churches that I would include in my Visita Iglesia next year! Sana mahanap ko siya ulit!