Bingo!

Ronald and I played Bingo Friday night for the first time. I have been prodding him for weeks to join me; it had an interesting appeal and I was hoping to win.

It was apparent that we were clueless, we didn’t know where to buy the cards and when we got the cards, we didn’t have anything to mark it with. So I tore the numbers which were called. I probably looked like a loser so Ronald asked the woman beside him if he could borrow one of her four markers. She pointedly said “No” and mentioned that she paid for those. How cruel. I suppose that woman has made a living out of BIngo. Her table was filled with cards and did I say four markers?

So we bought a marker and Bingo became more fun. I had gut feelings of winning, and I had to believe myself, then suddenly, someone screams “Bingo!” Darn.

We played four games, three were black-out and the last was an inverted hourglass. Ronald and I argued during the last game because he marked the boxes even before it was called out. I was fuming because it was unnecessary. He reasoned that when everything is marked then it means we’ve won. It’s not as complicated, but it was all the same unnecessary.

We left with 285pesos less in our pockets, no win and both angered. We made peace at the supermarket and bought food to eat at home instead. Next time, we’ll bring our own markers and play our separate games.

Mommy’s life guide

My mommy taught me several lessons to live by on fashion, food, class, and whatnot;

1.) Don’t be self-conscious. Sometimes, it looks as though people follow me with their eyes. But it is also possible that it’s just me and they’re probably looking somewhere else, or I have something in my head or in my butt. Whatever the case, I’m not a celebrity and they’re not ogling.

2.) Quit tugging at the neckline and the hemline. Wearing low-cut necklines and miniskirts require attitude, but if I should keep tugging, I might as well take it off and wear something else. Tugging all the time calls attention to on-lookers and I will end up looking ridiculous. Besides, who doesn’t get annoyed with girls who have the temerity to wear but not the attitude to keep it on?

3.) Pakipot are stupid. Girls who are in constant denial of what they want end up not getting what they want and eternally regret it. It is essential to speak my mind when asked what I want but I don’t have to say anything otherwise. Life is easier with a yes or no, but it doesn’t have to be an unthought-of answer.

4.) Tea is an instant pretty me up drink. Hot tea increases blood circulation and often makes the cheeks pink. Also, when I feel a few inches bigger, a hot cup will relieve me of the bloat by excreting water and toxins.

5.) Buy Maybelline make-up if I can’t afford better brands. Mommy has reiterated to me the importance of steering clear of cheap make-up to save me from lead poisoning. She said Maybelline is the cheapest among the best make-up brands. When my buying power increases, I can move on to other reliable but expensive brands like Shiseido, MAC, Max Factor and Bobbi Brown.

6.) Barbara Cartland and Mills & Boon heroines are role models. They may be conservative but have enough spunk and feist to complete a good sense of mind.

7.) Flavoring up a dish is not on the recipe. Some recipes indicate measures for spices such as pepper, cumin, all spice, nutmeg etc. But it is almost always a dash and a pinch of this and that. Flavoring up comes from the heart, I will always know when it is enough.

8.) Being Maria Clara is a big BS.

9.) It’s not important to make friends with the neighbors. They can make friends with me and I will accept that but we don’t have to be tight.

10.) Keep the money all over the house. Keeping loose bills and change in different places all over the room will make the appearance of more money. This mind set will actually make the money multiply when you forget about them. Sure they don’t really grow, but getting surprised all the time when finding money in odd places in the house makes it fun.

11.) Don’t be too organized. So much fuss over a squeaky clean place makes it hardly livable. Putting everything in order wastes so much precious time when I have to use it I would have forgotten where it was stashed away. Who remembers little boxes of future useful stuff anyway?

12.) Always rub the face upwards and apply lipstick on the upper lip. When putting moisturizer, powder, foundation or toner, it is always best to point upwards.

13.) Posture must always be perfect. Perfect posture is better than make-up and accessories.

14.) Melodrama is BS. Drama belongs in the ampitheater, because in real life, even crucial events have light moments and makes a good laugh. So, a love quarrel, an office glitch, a political crisis, family feud, or anything unfortunate shouldn’t end a good day. I will say my prayers and cheerfully go on with my life.

Global Antagonist

In my 12 months of working in a high-end fashion retail shop, I have had several unpleasant encounters with customers. Eighty percent of which are foreigners, mostly Korean and Arabs.

These encounters have compelled me to utter words that should be left frozen in thought lest be terminated. However, our company is quite headstrong in terms of policy enforcement, especially in pecuniary matters.

So I am repeatedly absolved even after telling the customer ” That’s your problem,” “Listen to me,” ” I know what I’m saying,” “Take it or leave it,” and “Go sue me.”

In fiery manner I have said these things, and I am forced to raise my voice because either A.) the customer can’t hear me, B.) the customer chooses to shut his ears, C.) the customer has shut his ears and made noise, and D.) it’s the only way to get my point across.

I have mastered the art of being blunt and unsympathetic especially around foreigners because being nice and careful with words make them pushy.

Being very sorry and woeful gives them the feel that I might actually give in to what they want. And they usually want the impossible like refund on a change of mind and sudden discounts.

A Libyan diplomat has commented that unlike most Filipinas, I am not nice. I was tempted to lie about my race, maybe to raise an even more heated scene, I could say I’m Jewish. I could pass for Middle-eastern. He was not the first irate customer to tell me how un-nice I am. So I stared back and said Ok.

It’s fine, angry people only hear and say what they want.

Stubborn Kalye

A lot of people must have had the same sentiments Joanna and I have about Kalye’s journalistic performance. And these comments have probably reached them just in time for their taping for yesterday’s episode.

Atom Araullo’s documentary was shown first, possibly to dispell the trend of switching to a different channel due to his disinteresting documentaries. However, I give him credit for more effort in choosing to immerse into the routine of sewerage workers.

Although this has been earlier documented by Kim Atienza in his Matanglawin show; it was still a better topic and less disinteresting than his previous works.

Sandwiched between Araullo’s and Anthony Taberna’s good documentaries is Sol Aragones’s stubborn effort. Stubborn is good and Ces Drilon’s showcase of stubbornness does not make her any less of a journalist.

But Aragones’s brand of stubbornness is annoying, either she does not listen to feedbacks which reached her co-hosts or these never reached her at all.

Watching her makes me want to hurl a slipper at her. Her questions and remarks, albeit sincere, are irrelevant. I have seen that kind of adlibbing with much charitable words in Karen Davila but she can pull it off, and has mastered the style through years of experience.

Among Aragones’s adlib in “Mandarasal” which annoyed me are; “sige Lola ihahatid ko na lang kayo”, “Sa tingin nyo ba ipinagdadasal din kayo ng mga ipinagdadasal nyo?” and “Nakakatulong ba yung dasal nyo?” She might as well have said “I don’t believe you.”

And in her own crooked ability, ruined her documentary with several wrong turns, bad script and even badder(sic) imitation of brilliant journalistic prowess.

I might not watch it next week, I think I’ve had enough and I think Aragones will not improve very soon. It’s good to know there are two other persons on the show.