NO H8 - Let's Make It Count

If you're in the Los Angeles area or if you're planning to drop by sometime next month, there will be an open photo shoot for the NO H8 campaign on January 21, 2011.

For those who can't make it, you can grab Twibbons for your profile here. I have done so with mine, as you can see.

For more details, please visit the website at http://www.noh8campaign.com/

Life: 360

Moving to a new country is initially thrilling. There's something about being exposed to a new milieu in general. The food, people, customs and way of life in foreign lands seem to have probed me at a young age. I can vividly recall my family's weekly drive to my grandmother's house in another city. The car ride took 30 minutes and extended to an hour or two with heavy traffic. We would recurrently pass by an international airport by the freeway where I would gaze out of the window and smile at the sight of airplanes. My mom told me that even before I could speak, she would point out airplanes to me during long drives and I would respond by being in awe each and every time.

"Wooow, Mommy! It's an AIRPLANE! 

A flurry of emotions came over me when I left the Philippines. I went on a shopping spree just like anyone would. I had my send off dinner and spent time with family. To say that it was difficult to walk away from my family at the airport is an understatement. I shed tears knowing that I was willingly giving up the life I had along with a family I have never been away from. No matter how lonely I may have been, I was also relieved that I was finally going to be with my then fiance again after several months of being apart.

Hair raising - I spotted differences between the Philippines and America as soon as I got here. At the airport, I was stepping off the pavement to cross when my husband yanked my shirt and I fell back at full force. The next thing I knew, "whooosh!" a bus grazed the tip of my hair.

Jordan: Nena, jay walking isn't observed over here. Look! Press the button.
Me: Was that a bus!? :O


Stand up and clean up - A few weeks later,  I went to Porto's to meet with a childhood friend of mine. I introduced her to Jordan as we noshed on succulent sandwiches. After our lunch, we all stood up and I began walking away as the ladies next to me began staring.

*I looked back at my husband and friend who seemed to be taking long.*
Me: What are you guys doing?
Friend: Here, let me get it.
Jordan: Nena, we clean up after ourselves over here.


Pack it up - If you thought that was embarrassing, that's not the last of it. I went to a restaurant with my husband and after eating, I had a substantial amount of leftovers left. The waitress asked me if I wanted to keep my leftovers so I nodded and thanked her. I lifted my plate and froze when she handed me a box. I gave her a look. My husband quickly took the box and thanked her while I still had a puzzled expression on my face.

Me: What was that about? Wasn't she supposed to take my plate?
Jordan: You have to pack the leftovers yourself, nena.


Lingo 101 - It doesn't end there. I not only surprise people in public but in the comfort of our home as well. Let's talk about vocabulary. One day, I was conversing with my sister-in-law when the menstrual cycle was brought up.

Me: I like those napkins by Whisper but I think they're called Always over here.
SIL: Napkins?
Me: Yeah, the ones you use when you're one the rag, silly...
SIL: Oh! You mean, PADS! 


Don't get me wrong. I was raised speaking using English as the main vernacular within our familial and social units. My parents elected a formal manner of speaking in order to gear us towards a fruitful future. It's always an advantage to be well versed in a language other than your own.

Hearty Party - One of the things I have recently been acclimated to is attending parties hosted by an indirect friend. A friend's friend who later on turns out to be a friend of yours after an amazing night of fun!

Introduction ->  One liners ->  Alcohol consumption ->  Inside jokes ->  Daylight ->  Facebook friend request

Well, it's somewhat in that order. I'm not the type who parties but when I do, I prefer lounges and house parties over clubs since I'm not comfortable with the latter. Call me crazy but I'm done with clubbing at the age of 24. Considering that I've been to a club twice, I feel that it's one too many times. Over here, it's far more frequent than what I was accustomed to. I was undeniably awkward at first but being married to someone sociable made me loosen up and insert myself in conversations.

Taboo or not taboo? Considering that I originated from a conservative and religious country, adjusting to the Land of the Free has been both bewildering and humbling for me. Sex talk isn't seen as offensive since it's more openly accepted. My husband's family like to tease me for being such a prude because of my childish giggles and tomato cheeks at the onset of sexual connotations.

I respect the culture that is embedded in every fiber of my being. The values that I have come to know have allowed me to embrace who I am as a person. Residing in Los Angeles has been a revelation in disguise. I've been here two months short of a year and I'm already in love with the city and the people. Contrary to what I
formerly believed, America is a suitable society to nurture a child. Sometimes, it's okay to expose them to the ugly truth. Repressing such realities only compels a person to feed their urges. Of course, with freedom comes boundaries wherein both nature and nurture come hand in hand. Crossing the pond answered lingering questions that grazed my mind for years. It's okay to be eccentric. Not being as skinny as most girls is fine too. Having pale white skin isn't always ideal. California girls love to tan after all. Judgement is your prerogative yet being here has helped me see past labels and stigmas. This move has benefited me more than I thought it would. I've blossomed in the past few months more than I have in my adolescent years. It may take me a while to fully acclimate myself to the L.A. lifestyle but I like where I'm at now.

Irked!

Have you ever felt so infuriated to the point where your senses are obscured? You have so much pent up anger that you begin to act indifferent towards a certain person. I'm afraid to be swayed by my emotions because I might run her face against the rough pavement.

I have learned to stretch my patience by a mile in order for me not to bludgeon those who irk me. There's a certain person in my life who has such a foul mouth that it wouldn't shock me if she gets slapped one day. That will teach her a lesson. She has the ability to answer back, devoid of qualms about her attitude problem. Your family can only hack your attitude to an extent and still love you despite of your lousy behavior but once you step foot into the social scene, you'll be fending for yourself. Fix it and swallow the harsh reality because whether you like it or not, you're bound to deal with others.

Some people just never learn. Pull your crap together! TSK TSK TSK!

Salamat, Music Player

I've been continuously going back and forth about tweaking my blog though I couldn't figure out what feature to install. After a slow day at home in the unbearable heat, cloistered in a quasi sauna and a cacophony of noise, I had a brief a-ha! moment. Enter, thought bubble. I admit to my own share of blonde moments.

"Music player! Silly Toni didn't think of it any sooner. Genius. O.O"

I was on Windows Live Messenger with my fiancé when the thought came about so he witnessed the excitement on my part. I'm relatively new on Blogspot so I haven't completely dissected the controls yet. Upon registering on a music site, I searched for appropriate songs to place in my blog. I decided to veer from my beloved goth music and in stead, give the readers calm tunes to listen to. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate other genres but goth music is undeniable ear candy to me. I'll disclose my top 10 music preferences in an upcoming entry so that's a story for another day.

I must confess, I am the direct antithesis of a techie. (A non-techie?) I had to wade through a vast music selection, none of which appealed to me so I sent Jordan the link and asked him to look for my favorite love song. I occasionally croon my favorite love song, Just Like a Star by Corrine Bailey Rae to lull him to sleep. He insisted on insisted on inserting Last Kiss by Pearl Jam as one of the songs in the music player though I vehemently said NO - - - at first. After selecting two slow songs of my choice, I included Last Kiss as the main song on my player. Due to connection problems, I didn't see Jordan's reaction but he thanked me for it since the gesture was unexpected. My fiancé and I have a history with that song since we live thousands of miles apart and due to other factors, communicating with each other is solely based on technology. Whenever I'm nowhere to be found, he sends me a message with an excerpt from the song.

"Oh where, oh where, can my baby be? ... So I can see my baby when I leave this world."

I was uneasy about featuring the song on my blog since it wasn't chosen by me. It only took me a while to contemplate on the fact that a few days from now, it won't just be about me anymore. It's funny how something so petty can transition into an unanticipated realization. I would normally react by displaying how grumpy I get but surprisingly, I felt none of that. Sharing a portion of my music box with Jordan wasn't so bad after all. My analysis of the situation may seem trivial but majority of life lessons are gained from such basic circumstances. It's high time for me to establish myself as a grown woman and make my mark in society. Being in a relationship, more so, a marriage teaches you to mature into a better person and rid yourself of the negative aspects of your personality. There's an indelible room for growth and I choose to kick off my progress from here. All it took was a music player for me grasp that notion.

Dear Music player,

Thank you for helping me come to terms with my childish ways. I made him smile today because of this and he affectionately thanked me. I never believed in matrimony until he pranced into my life. You came in the nick of time for my wedding date is imminent.

TTYL! <3

The future Mrs. Toni P.

You're So Funny, I'm Gonna Die!

Jordan sent me a message on Skype and said: "BABY, DID YOU CHECK OUR PROFILE ON VJ?". I asked why but he refused to tell me and insisted that I check it out myself. I logged in and saw a notification for a new comment. What I discovered made me burst into howls of laughter! I've never encountered such a ridiculous spam message before so I'm still caught up in the hilarity of it all.

"kisssjasmine@hotmail.com
Hello I am is miss Jasmine, a single girl in search a man for friendship. who understand love as trust and faith rather seeing it as a way of fun but a man with sense of humor reading your profile i derive interest about you please write me on my private email k/i/s/s/s/j/a/s/m/i/n/e/@/h/o/t/m/a/i/l/./c/o/m i wait reply so i send pictures for introductions
ki..."

In a nutshell, that message seriously made me LOL! I'm pleased to know that the account is under investigation. I received a private message from one of the members of Visa Journey's moderation team and she informed me of the action taken. Another busted troll, thanks to the efficient team.