Moving on

A popular topic, this.

And way easier said than done. One of those things where it looks straightforward in theory, but sorta unexpectedly complicated when one attempts to put it into practice.

Because favorite mistakes tend to get very addictive, even if you fully and consciously realized what you're doing is a mistake.

Take a friend of mine, for example.

He and his girl broke up, then they sorta entered a no status relationship, then the girl sorta got another boyfriend, and yet she refused to let him or the new boyfriend go, and things become downright pain-in-the-ass complicated from then on.

All because she can't make up her mind.

Or won't. Since we all know, the temptation is strong to be able to keep your cake and eat it too... But then again, greed is listed as 1 of the 7 deadly sins not for nothing, so perhaps it's best to consider that also when facing this sorta temptations  :p

Anyway, the reason she can't choose is supposedly because one party will end up getting hurt if she made her choice, and she doesn't want that to happen because she doesn't want to hurt anybody. Which we all know, is pretty much a crappy reason with a shitty logic. Why? Because she's already hurting my friend anyway by insisting to hang him out to dry within the uncertain-zone in the first place. And she's also hurting her new boyfriend by going behind his back to still hook up with my friend. The fact that the new boyfriend had chosen to keep swallowing lies after lies from her to calm his own growing suspicions was just...sad. Yet, I do understand that he did all those in an attempt to avoid getting hurt.

I think we all agree unanimously that hurting is no fun. Unless you're the masochistic type.

But really, that poor sod should've listened to his gut. 'Coz in the end, the girl went back to my friend, leaving the new guy high and dry in less than a month. Or maybe two, I wasn't really keeping count. So much for avoiding from getting hurt...

You all should've seen his twitter timeline.

Back to the story, her attempt at moving on, applaudable as it may, fell short and end up causing collateral damages.

Needless to say, it is established that my friend kinda sucked too at moving on.

Because moving on is never that easy if you have really fallen for the other person in that relationship. Be that in love or in lust.

Still, given enough time, things won't stay the same, people change, lights get turned off, and life goes on.

Regardless of how many heart shrapnel you left behind.

Life lessons, part 5

There are 2 kinds of surprises: the good kind, and the bad kind. And remember kids, there's no such thing as a neutral surprise; because if it's neutral, then it definitely ain't surprising.

Now, a decent example of a good surprise would be getting sex when you least expected it.

An example of a bad surprise would be getting sex when you least expected it, in prison.

See how thin the lines separating them can be?

So here's a reminder not to use the term "surprise me" lightly, 'coz you may not like what you're gonna end up with.

Like when I was asked what do I want for my anniversary present, since I was kinda caught off-guard, I said to wifey, "Surprise me."

And boy, a lot can sure happen in a period of one week, 'coz suddenly the budget that had been set aside to buy my present got downsized considerably in a family emergency.

Surprise!

So technically, I got what I asked for, even though it's not quite the way how I picture it is gonna be...

But as a consolation prize, I'm getting a water heater with what's left of the budget. Although now I'm not really sure if it's actually a present for me, or for her, so that she doesn't have to boil hot water for my bath every morning anymore.  :p

Well, whatever it is, at least it's something that's gonna get our bodies warm.

And wet.  ;)

Fresh from the oven! Or burner.

So there we were, taking a quick cigarette break on the outside fire escape stairs, and one of the guys ran out of smokes.

I offered him mine, saying that that particular pack had been taking forever to finish anyway, on its way to survive 2 weeks, so might as well he helps finish it.

The bugger then promptly turned my offer down, and took a cigarette from another guy.

So, politely, I asked him why did he pick the other guy's cigarette instead.

His reply was sorta scientific, stating that an open cigarette pack can only retain its contents' freshness for 5 days up to a week, due to direct exposure to air, humidity and whatnots. So he concluded that a pack that's been opened for over a week is definitely not fresh.

My reply was "..."

Quickly followed by a raised right eyebrow.

Dude, if you want freshness, the eff were you doing smoking?

The hell is fresh about breathing smoke derived from burning tobacco anyways? The tar content is definitely not. Neither is the 43 known carcinogens you are inhaling. Nor the 400 or so toxic chemicals it contained.

If you've chosen to smoke despite all the health warnings and the tears you shed as the smoke gets in your eyes, please don't ridicule yourself by demanding freshness.

Natural morning air, free of smoke.

Now that's fresh.

Bridge-building 101

Bridges.

Some people put so much effort into building them, only to watch it burn and crumble in the end.

Which would be such a waste, no?

I mean, when you had bothered to put in so much of everything including blood and tears into building 1, then why let it be destroyed at all? Why not built it with something that would withstand the tests of time?

Why built it in the first place?

Which is why when I built my bridges, I make sure the materials are fireproof, and the result rigid enough to have the strength in supporting a whole lotta weights, and yet flexible enough to avoid shattering.

Mine are kick ass adamantium bridges for sure.

Still, even when the bridges are indestructible, the fact remains that people at both ends may still choose not to cross it and take other ways instead.

But again, that's a different story then.

Of ass and men...

It is often said that one of the first thing that draw a man's eyesight on a woman is her boobs. And however hard we try to resist and be civilized, it is unavoidable that we will look, or at the very least steal a glance, even if the face above them is below the universal average. Seriously, we just can't help it.

On the other side of the equation, woman's eyes are said to be drawn first towards a man's rear end. Perhaps because checking the package in front is a bit too rude, or just plain harder to do without getting caught at it.

But of course, to every norms, there are exceptions.

There are lots of asscentric guys out there, and Sir Mix-a-lot's Baby Got Back sort of made that official. After all, lyrics like: "I like big butt and I can not lie" are pretty darn straightforward, don't you think?

As for myself, I appreciate a curvy female ass as well as any guys out there, but deep down, I'm more of a leg man. To catch my attention, firm shapely legs that go up and up is the surefire hook. A complete package on the upper torso would be the line. And the sinker? Well, as cliché as it may sound, it will be personality.

And although I'll put my money on the majority of us eagerly agreeing about the merits of getting physical and it's positive impact in a relationship, I do believe that in the end, it's the connectedness that makes us stay.

While it's true that we're only humans after all, I'd like to think that in general, we're not that shallow.

Or are we..?

Still, as long as there remain those of us who put importance in pillow talks and cuddles, all hope is not lost...

Saving Private Gadget

A few months back while I was still using a berry, I've managed to successfully soak it in water, through and through. The poor thing was practically submerged in water and when I opened the battery case, everything inside was wet.

So I quickly took some precaution -- or perhaps the more accurate term should be postcaution -- by switching it off as fast as I can, dismantling everything that isn't screwed on, and being very extravagant in my use of tissue paper.

To Mother Nature, I'm really sorry to be indirectly participating in natural forest destruction, but truly, it was an emergency, and hopefully for that one time only.

When I got home, I buried my berry in rice grains and waited until morning, praying all my postcaution efforts would pay off.

This morning, I reassembled my berry back together and switched on the power, and everything seems to be normal until now. Still holding my breath though.

So here's some steps you might find useful to 'save' your gadget in the unlucky event involving it being drenched in water for whatever reasons:

• Get it away from the water ASAP. Don't bother with the niceties or proper etiquettes. Dunk your hand into the cocktail bowl and retrieve your gadget if you have to. People will understand. And replacing ruined cocktail is usually cheaper than replacing your gadget.

• Switch it off immediately. No finishing of your call or sext, or twitting about it first. Find that power button and give it a firm squeeze to show that you mean business. If it refuses to shut down even after mashing the power button, remove the battery straightaway.

• Dismantle everything that's not screwed on from your gadget. The list usually include but not limited to: back cover, battery, memory card(s) and sim card(s). There's absolutely no need to peel off the screen-guard though.

• Jerk-shake your gadget vigorously until no visible liquid drips from it anymore. Be sure to have a firm grip on your gadget. You wouldn't want to have it slipped away from your hand and meet the wall or floor or cocktail remains with the force that will surely cause damage to it and rendering this whole tutorial futile.

• Use plenty of tissue papers to absorb away whatever remaining liquid that still sticks to your gadget. Create tissue-drills (you should know what I mean) to reach those hard to reach nooks and crannies.

• Air your gadget. Fan will work. Air conditioner is even better because it has a drying effect, just make sure its dehumidifier is still working properly or you'll end up blowing more moisture into your gadget. You might be tempted to use hand/hair drier on your gadget to expedite the drying process, but I would advice against it because the heat might damage some sensitive parts in your gadget instead.

• Bury your gadget for a few hours in rice grains. The grains act as dessicant to pull and absorb moisture away from your gadget. While finer grains like silica pellets or talcum powders act as a better moisture absorbent, their micro size make it possible for them to be trapped inside the inner parts of your gadget and interfere with its functions. And make sure to bury the gadget screen up (battery side down) to minimize the risk of getting unwanted grains stuck inside your gadget. You can also bury your battery along with the gadget to be extra sure, but not connected together. I buried my battery next to my berry last night, and when I switched it on this morning, everything was ok.

• Say a little prayer to whoever Higher Power you believe before reassembling your gadget and switching it back on. It won't hurt anyways.

PS - Time is crucial. And also, the above would most probably not work if the liquid you're dealing with is somewhat thick or particularly sugary.

PPS - Good luck.

Lord, I thank Thee...

Ever felt that you probably don't deserve all the good fortunes coming your way? Well, I sometimes do. Like just recently, I kept expecting all these goodies will vanish into thin air, and then I will be awaken in a much unfriendlier circumstances, but so far, things are going well and smooth with no signs of all these being just a dream.

Of course, I'm not hoping for things to blow up in my face, or to jinx myself for that matter.

Far from that.

It's just that I seriously doubt that I did enough good deeds to receive all these blessings. And although I am very thankful and grateful, I have to admit that I haven't been expressing them nearly often enough. At least not according to my religion's standard.

It's obvious that I'm not a model practitioner of my religion. I very rarely pray 5 times a day, I haven't exactly been trying my hardest to avoid temptations, and even if I have been, often times that's not nearly enough to steer clear of trouble.

So here I am, feeling extremely blessed, yet somewhat ashamed to others that had done much better in making their life useful according to the Creator's will, but didn't fare quite as...lucky..?

Well... Isn't this a weird turn of mood on a Friday night.

Enough reflecting, let's go club-hopping!