The Makiav3llian Enchantment…

The latest project I have been working on is my place of residence. For the past four months I have been staying in a room in “sharaa” Khalifa. All is well except now that I am bringing my wife and daughter with me, living with 13 other tenants in the flat seems impractical. I don’t really want to bad mouth my current place of accommodation and I know I haven’t really been the model tenant except when I am in my room. I never cleaned anything there since I was only stick to two places, my room and bathroom. I’ve never cleaned the kitchen since I never set foot there except for getting water and cleaning dishes, I never cleaned the bathroom because of the “pila” system, the only thing I cleaned was my room which was right in front of Khalifa street, which sucked because my room was a dust magnet.
I am now moving to an accommodation called a “shabiya.” A shabiya is basically an old villa owned by local residents, rented out by business minded sub-cons, which have been divided into parts and is being leased to anyone. Basically it is a flat that expands horizontally instead of vertically. Although my dad would never approve of such living accommodations, I believe this would do. It actually gets harder because this 2 bedroom shabiya requires 2 window type air conditioning units. So aside from the XXXX AED I have to shell out, I have to pay for electricity bill as well as the internet.
At the moment thought, these are trivial matters which I will not be concerned with at the moment. The next project is basically turning this shabby shanty into a livable home with a cozy atmosphere. Thus, I am so excited to get things up and running for me. I’ve bought the essentials for surviving and now to make it mine. Honestly, I am excited to be moving to a place which I can call my own. I mean living with my dad for years has basically taught me to be a bum, but now that I am on my own, I’ve learned to fend for myself. The transition to being a bachelor type of man has been smooth, it was as if I was designed for this type of living and hopefully when Angie and Isa come back, I can “serve” them. I want to treat my queen and princess the way they should be cared for. Hopefully at the end of the day, my shabiya will be my safe haven, my refuge, my home…
Check this album out and see me work…

Lynn Minmay is one of the oldest anime heroines to ever grace the world of anime. I remember watching her in Macross: Do You Remember Love? and how her songs helped in repelling the invaders away. Then, I guess the idea of “idols” came into play. I mean Japan has so many unique things and ideas, anime and idols are just one of the unique blends they have introduced into this world. Click on the play button below to hear this timeless Macross: DYRL classic. You may not understand it but in your heart you know what it means.

Now ever since seeing Macross: DYRL, I’ve always been trying to find out who would be a real life idol should in case aliens attack and music their weakness. Mariah Carey, Carrie Underwood, Britney Spears… Potential idols that can save the universe? Well since we all are entitled to an opinion and this is my blog after all, I think no one else is worthy to play the part of Lynn Minmay other than Kusumi Koharu.
Yes, she is the girl from Morning Musume and I think she’d be perfect for that role. She has a couple of songs and they are all catchy and up beat. OK, so she’s Japanese and only 16, maybe some of you will say why not Utada Hikaru or these other singers I have mentioned who are more experienced. Personally, I just don’t think they have the same appeal as Koha-Chan. She’s young, she dances and knows how and when to be cute. But what makes her distinct is being able to create a positive and happy emotion in her songs. Unfortunately, a lot of people criticize her for not singing live often, singing anime oriented songs, being a brat in Harmoni@ with the Morning Musume girls and rumors of her breathing problems, and I just still wonder how she manages to sing at such a level. What if she did take this singing to the next level? She is still a diamond in the rough. Anyways, check out these Youtube videos below and who knows she might really save the universe one day? By the way… Benjie and Mike, wipe that smile off your faces, this is not some under-18 girlie obsession, she’s just a great performer.

Balalaika

Happy

Papancake

My peers are always thinking how bored I must be in Al Ain. Being one of the most vocal member in TipidPC Middle East Chapter, most of the guys are thinking that I’ve become so lifeless (in our language we call it ‘bato’). On the contrary, despite popular belief that Al Ain is lifeless, it isn’t. I work up to 3PM which actually means half day’s work to some but unfortunately, there are a lot of things for me to do around here, so I don’t technically get “bored.”
As boring as it seems, I am actually doing household chores, either washing my clothes or ironing them. I’ve already mentioned a couple of times how this experience is a fulfilling one and after 3 months, my point of view has not changed one bit. This is really not fun for anyone but it sure beats staying idle all day. My dad had a way of beating home sickness when he was at Baku, it was simple… Just do your household chores. It keeps you busy, doesn’t cost anything and best of all you keep your house clean or have new cleaned / ironed clothes.
Things was tough when he was in Baku and as for us we grew in an environment where we had household help, we hardly lifted a finger at all. At the end we developed laziness to the point that my mom was shouting out instructions and you could clearly hear under her breathe how our lives would have been difficult when we get out into the "real" world. How a simple task could become such back breaking labor. Thank goodness that despite all this, I trained myself in the arts of cleaning and now that I live alone, I have managed to make the transition of Don Pepot to “masipag” Mang Jose. Although I am still at that stage that I am going to learn how to cook, I know I can manage as a bachelor and as a husband and even though you can’t really put ironing as a hobby on your CV, I can simply say is I’m the "real deal."

Just wanted to put in a small entry warning anyone of the deadly combination of orange juice and dates. It’s a combination so lethal that it destroys the natural harmonics of your bowels. Vitamin C agents (from oranges) plus super fiber sweetness (of dates) equals toilet Armageddon. They’re both good for you but you just can’t have them at the same time. So much good in them that is spawned evil.