YVANISM: I Miss You

I miss how we'd laugh every time it's hard for you to explain something in english.

I miss how we used to sing together.

I miss how you'd hug me and make me feel like I'm the only one.

I miss how you surprise me in the office and bring merienda.

I miss how you'd say that you need to take a dump so badly even though we're at the mall.

I miss how I'd cook for you and you'd lie to me that it's good even though I know it's not.

I miss how I'd get so drunk and you'll be the one driving us home.

I miss how you'd always sleep-over. And I mean ALWAYS.

I miss how you'd get jealous even for the silliest things.

I miss how you'd always force me to eat oysters.

I miss how we'd go out even though we're running a little low on cash.

I miss how you'd laugh at my jokes.

I miss how you'd kiss me like it's our last day together.

I miss how you'd say "I love you, forever." to me.

I miss you.

YVANISM: One Crazy Saturday Night!

Every time my friends and I would go out, we would always drink somewhere first before totally "going out". And my room is one of our most favorite spot. Haha! Last night, I decided to call all of them for our "wine night". So my friends were all here. Everyone brought bottles of wine, and me? I cooked dinner.

Mark (one of my closest friend) went to my place earlier than everyone so he could help me cook. So we went to the nearest grocery store first (which in my case, Rustan’s Shopwise) and shopped for what I will cook. Funny how he asked me what I would cook, and all that I said was "bahala na" Haha! Cause I really don't know what we'll see inside the grocery store. So I ended up cooking Roast Beef with baby potatoes, and Farfalle Pesto pasta.

Judging by the left-over, there was none. Ha-ha! So I guess it was a hit then.

Now comes the fun part, the wines! I really don't know the names. I just drank whatever they gave me.

My personal favorites were Natalie and Gossips. Both were sweet, but totally traitors. We had two bottles of each except for Kangaroo Ridge and Primo Amore. We were all crawling afterwards. Oh, I forgot, we finished one GSM blue and one The Bar apple again after all the wines. So can you imagine how f*cked up we all were before headin to Prive? LOL

YVANISM: Dear Crush

Dear crush,

When I saw you at the Preview Ball, I immediately thought of two things: 1) how is it that I've never seen you around before and 2) weeeew ang cute mo.

You don’t know me, and I don’t know you; but the way you grinned through that insanely cute dimpled smile of yours made me care less about how the night was going to turnout.

Thanks for making me squeal like a fanboy inside my head, even if it was just for awhile. Now I’d make this letter longer, but right now, I have to go.

Love (or is this too forward?),

Yvan

YVANISM: Imagination rules!

I'm not really fond of reading Pinoy quotes. Not that I have anything against it, I just can't seem to comprehend Filipino that much. Well wait, let me clear that up. I can perfectly understand Filipino, but when I'm reading quotes or notes written in Filipino, I always have a hard time realizing what the quote or whatever it is, meant. I remember my high school days...we were forced to read El Filibusterismo and Noli Me Tangere (Well I think everyone was). And once class starts, I remember my heart starts beating so fast just because I didn't read "again". So I remember asking everyone to tell me parts of the story, and I'll glue them up together. Haha! 

So, I was doing my regular routine. Jumping from Facebook and Twitter, then I suddenly came across this "status" from my friend Kurt; I cut-out some parts. I just wanted to get the core of the statement.

"Hindi baduy ang filipino. ang baduy ay yung naka-neon orange na long sleeves, neon green na pedalpusher, at neon purple na boots, with matching flaming red hair na burnt sienna ang dulo na naglalakad sa tabing-dagat habang suot ang neon pink shades at bright yellow na shemag."

Apparently, it was a statement shared by his Filipino teacher. When I read it, I was laughing so hard I was almost crying. Not because of the content of it, but because I suddenly used my imagination in seeing what is baduy for Kurt's teacher. Or as they call it, Jejemon. And oh God, I should kill myself for even typing the word here. HAHA. And please, don't ask me who or WHAT a Jejemon is, cause I won't answer. Haha! But aside from the overly-expressed and detailed explanation of what baduy is, the statement is actually correct. The language is NOT "baduy" at all. In fact, we should all love it. 

FOR THE RECORD, I speak Filipino fluently.

xo,

Jack

YVANISM: Hate Bait

Whoever said “Don’t hate! Appreciate!” probably never meet these people. Now, I’m not a hater by nature— or so I think— I just really need to work on my patience.

pic from: http://www.123rf.com

But then again, whoever said      “Patience is a virtue” probably lived in a world where people ate rainbows for breakfast anyway.

Sigh, I’m letting it all out here. As a friend says, “Stone stone in the sky. If you’re hit, don’t mad ha.“

1. People who don’t reply to text messages.
Because, how the hell am I supposed to know if you even heard what I had to say?! *pant*


2. People who fish.
There’s a reason why people aren’t complimenting you, okay. Stop trying so hard.


3. People who settle for mediocrity.

I get how some people won’t agree with this. Being “average” these days works like some sort of a life strategy, so I’ve been told.

But to that I say, please don’t kind yourselves. Everyone wants to be the best they can be— it’s just the perception of the “best” that isn’t the same for everyone. What can be considered as mediocre, however, I’m sure everyone can tell; just like how people can tell “Alive Lassie!” from “Roadkill Lassie“.

4. People who argue their way through life.
Because sometimes, “Because I said so” is a valid argument.


Why? Because I said so.


5. People who online banter their flattery on social networking sites.

I absolutely loathe this, because 1) it’s hard to tell any of it is real and 2) it floods my News Feed, and pisses me off.

To this, I propose the following solutions: 1) Don’t tell your friend her photo is “HOT” “Omg sooo pretty!”  or “Damn sexy!!” if it isn’t. That only means you’re lying to her, and lying is bad. 2) When someone compliments you online, say thank you after. If you don’t have anything good to say, shut up. Don’t make the annoying thread any more annoying that it already is.

(And no, “YOU’RE pretty one ano ka ba!” doesn’t count as ‘good’.)

6. People who are insecure, but shouldn’t be.
Like, if David Beckham tells me he has fat days, I will seriously slice his head off.


7. People who overshare.

Person: Hay…

Me:

Person: Hay nako…

Me:

Person: Hay nako…. Nakakainis talaga….

Me: *blood boiling quietly* What is it

And then I hear everything, from how Person was teased as a kid, to how his five million relationships never worked out. Never, ever, ever do this please; have some respect for lives that aren’t your own.

* * *
I feel so much better.

YVANISM: Tipsy

When I arrived home last night, the first thing I did (and the only thing I could do), was sink my heavy body on the comforts of my warm, welcoming bed.

I took my time just lying there, listening to my breathing and actually feeling my body greedily sucking in the thick air around me. I was panting, that much I knew; but soon after, a strange buzzing noise started filling the little, invisible corners of my ears.

Where was it coming from? I couldn’t help but wonder. Was it from the monotonous, incessant whir of the fan beside me? Was it from an unknowing lack of oxygen inside my body?.

I stared at the ceiling with my mouth agape. How very strange this feeling is, I told myself. And were the fluorescent fixtures on my ceiling always this bright? Where are these little colored specks of light coming from? My eyes caught a red speck and a blue speck, before the fleeting rainbows disappeared altogether.

I started smiling like a fool, sheepish and giggly from whatever it was that was happening to me. Small spurts of laughter bubbled up inside me, warming my insides and heating the corners of my mouth, before they erupted loudly enough for my audience of none to hear.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is what it feels like to be drunk— except I haven’t had a good, hard sip of alcohol for almost 3 days. Except I didn’t spend the night with a bottle of dripping beer on my hand, but rather, with someone else’s hand clasped around mine.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is what it feels like to be high— except I haven’t had so much as a little whiff of weed or grass or salad since forever. Except I didn’t spend the day sniffing on a rolled up piece of paper, but rather, inhaling and taking in equally addicting traces of Cool Water. Snuggled deep on the car seat covers, lining and caressing the surface of cho’s skin.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is what it feels like to be in love— drunk, on a high, tipsy and confused. Except of course, minus the hangover.

Loving is panting over and over again, but knowing you’re never going to run out of air. It’s feeling dizzy and deaf with sharpened senses. It’s laughing uncontrollably, because you have a reason to, and because you don’t need one. It’s smiling, because an entire day with cho is enough, and because it isn’t. It’s feeling overwhelmed, but knowing in the end, it’s just right.

Love is a funny thing; loving, even funnier. :')

xo,

Jack

YVANISM: Maple Syrup Sweet

You know what’s great (and sometimes, annoying) about having a partner who’s into theater/acting?

Whenever you share sweet-nothings or have arguments, sometimes your conversations seem like they were ripped and recited right off of a movie script. So today, when I was pouring out anxious sentiments about the thought of cho heading for the real world and leaving innocent, schoolboy me behind, cho drowned all my fears and worries in one picture-perfect line: 

 “I’m leaving the industry, but I’m not leaving you.”

Unrehearsed and ad-libbed, but cho got it all in one take. :')

xo,

Jack

YVANISM: Birthday Gift Gone Early (Sperry Top-Sider x Jeffrey NY Boaties)

Cho is the best. No going around it, cho’s simply the sweetest, especially with surprises. If you recall, I raved about these Jeffrey NY boaties weeks ago. We came across the very same pair while going around and I pointed it out. Next day, when I left for an early event, guess what I came home to? Go ahead, guess! Yup, it was an advanced birthday gift that's proof yet again of cho’s best-ever status. Truth be told, if it weren't for Face Time with cho everyday, I'd go home in a heartbeat! 

After a hard day's work, going home to this capped the day off well. 

Love the fact that such a preppy item can also carry 

a lot of street swag

About a year ago, Pharrell Williams declared that boat shoes were over. To his point, it was the exact same time when everyone and their mama started sporting 'em, shooting up demand and forcing most every brand to make their own uninspired versions. The mass acceptance actually hit me so hard that I stopped wearing my beloved white shoes altogether.

I'm usually wary of suede shoes, but this was a no-brainer!

Well, during our recent business trip to Hong Kong, I also spotted ‘tis Sperry’s at Lane Crawford. It was the lone item on the rack. Hah! Green all over, tasty suede on the upper, barrel-tied laces making for slip-on wearing - these were absolutely perfect! If Pharrell thought that boat shoes were dead, then this, my friends, is a damn resurrection!

Here they are in action at Power Plant Mall, Makati. :)

xo,

Jack

YVANISM: The Tragedy of a Ticket

Yesterday started out fine. Cho and I went to Bikram, then had lunch in this small deli in Serendra after. On our drive to cho’s pad, I thought, “I’m having a good day!” Maybe it was me getting ahead of myself, because at a little after lunch, my day wasn’t even half done. It was a good day, until a traffic enforcer decked in dark blue hailed us down and told cho to pull over. I rolled the window down and asked him what the matter was. “Sir, coding po kayo.” Huh? There’s coding window on McKinley. It’s only 2:30pm. I butted in, “Kuya, 2:30 palang. Diba may coding window hanggang 3? Nagtanong ako sa MMDA, may window daw dito.” To which he replied, “Sir, hindi po ‘to jurisdiction ng MMDA. Makati po dito.” WTF.

Not gonna lie, I was caught off-guard by his statement. What? I’m so sure there’s no coding here. A couple of months ago, I tweeted at MMDA (because really, how else do you contact MMDA anyway?), asking if there was coding window in McKinley. They said yes, and this information made us pass through the said road during window hours with confidence, over and over again. But apparently, on this lucky day, I learned that the stretch between EDSA and 5th Avenue in Global City is still under Makati traffic jurisdiction.

Yes, there was pleading, anger but still Officer Fernandez wouldn’t budge. The next parts of this scene are going to be censored–- let’s just say that we’re not very proud of how we handled the situation. At all. A ticket, a short sermon from Fernandez’s colleague on keeping my cool, cho’s confiscated license, and a (P4000) damaged hubcap later, we we’re on our way to cho’s house, still livid from the ordeal. And until now that I’m writing this, a day later, there’s some bitterness in there (obviously).

That three traffic enforcing bodies cover this tiny city of Makati is ridonkulus in itself, but that’s another story. (Also, three traffic enforcing groups, and they still can’t get the traffic problem right?) What really pissed me off is that we actually made the extra effort to ensure that we’re not violating anything before we acted. It wasn’t like when we’d try to sneak out knowing that we’re coding and really just hoping no enforcer would spot us. I actually thought were in the right this time because of the information given to me. Yeah, it was based on a tweet alright, but like I asked, how else do you reach MMDA anyway? Plus, when you think a reliable source is answering your question, I think it’s safe to say that the answer is reliable. It’s not like I was asking about rocket science or anything.

So basically, I feel slighted because I thought we were doing the right thing, only to be punished for it anyway. To be honest, it disturbs me that I would let something as small as a traffic ticket bother me like this. It seems petty, but I know some people who would get as upset, so maybe there’s just a bunch of car-issues-sensitive people, and we’re part of the club. When I think of the bigger picture though, it was really just my reaction that got me into most of the trouble. Sometimes, I just get too caught up in my tiny issues, I guess. Heavy Sigh.

On the brighter side, at least the traffic enforcers were doing their job? I don’t know if they would have accepted a bribe, because I’ve never tried giving those. (Plead, cry, smize haha!, play cute, just don’t bribe! Don’t add to the rotten system!) Fernandez confiscated cho’s license, “kasi ganito kami sa Makati,” he said.  I kid you not. Unlike MMDA, the claiming process for Makati (or any city, I think) is more tedious because you have to go to their office to actually get your license. Anyway, he explained what we’re supposed to do and remained calm despite my histrionics. Ugh, give credit where credit is due, even when you hate them.

And here I am, still feeling awful every time I see this damn ticket on my table, reminding me of “how things never go the way you plan them, even if so carefully done, so suck it up and get on with your life”. Very Heavy Sigh.

So guys, remember: There is no coding window on McKinley Road.

xo,
Jack

YVANISM: The Life Cycle of A Shoot (Mercator Shoot)

Since blogs are all about life-sharing and making yourself the center of the universe, I'm giving you guys a peek into what is the center of my universe (for now) five out of the seven days of a week—(Mercator campaign shoot)

The work week usually begins with a lot of texting and BBMing (not on my part since I’m not a crackberry anymore). Our head puts together the shoot-- booking the talent, the make-up artist, hairstylist, studio, me for the wardrobe and photographer.

We text back and forth--with Mercator founder Jonas Gaffud, of course--and decide on a concept. And, especially because he gave me 8 hours to search pegs. I worked on a very tight schedule (hello? overnight? ARE YOU SERIOUS?!) I used a lot of pegs to help communicate with our collaborators better.

For the Lovi Poe shoot, the main peg was Megan Fox's Wonderland shoot:

 

Using a peg, of course, doesn't mean we copy the photo exactly. It just serves as a sort of point of inspiration, a jump-off point, creatively, for the shoot. I was hit with the idea to portray Lovi as an Aztec goddess. I pulled-out (industry lingo for borrowing clothes from a store for shoots) from Charina Sarte, Glasnost, and SM accessories :

 

Now, the thing with shoots is there is a lot of waiting...

That's make-up artist Jake Galvez and hairstylist Buern Rodriguez working on Lovi.

From there, we shoot. For the Lovi Poe shoot, we worked with New York-based photog Lope Navo.

Most of the time, we shoot with Xander Angeles so we shoot at his studio in Makati. When we're not working with him though, we usually shoot at Pioneer studio. It's a nice studio, with interesting interiors and a cafe.

The page usually goes through a lot of changes-- Lope make edits and our head will change the layout etc etc etc.

 

The Mercator campaign mag will be launched next month (I guess)

I really look forward to work every week, which is, I guess, the point of it all. When you love what you're doing, nothing feels like work anyway.

xo,

Jack 

YVANISM: Where did you want to be at 21?

I have less than a month until my birthday, and like how each year goes, it’s time to look back and see how far I’ve gotten in one year. To be honest, I feel like this was the slowest year ever. And the least… I don’t know, impressive of all? It seems like I was exactly where I was a year ago, and in these times of self-making, that’s not such great news.

But when I think about it, I can list a few milestones that I was quite proud of. Could it be that I just feel like the hype from those things have died down and are no longer enough? There’s so much pressure to always do better than your last, and within the smallest time interval possible, that I feel like we just don’t give ourselves enough credit sometimes.

While chatting with my friend the other night, she told me about an ex-officemate who, at 27, felt that her career in advertising was going downhill and decided to pack her bags and try her hand in the medical industry instead. Kind of a wild jump, but what got to me was how she felt kind of already doomed at that age.

Then again, this is the time when you’re supposed to get up every morning and change the world before the weekend. In the timeline of our lives, we’re at the point where you work your ass off for a few years until you finally understand how you want your life to go. If you think about it, 27 is the age when a lot of people think they should be settling down, feeling more secure about where they stand. It’s all just sinking in now, a few weeks before my birthday, and it’s kind of crazy!

I guess my point is, a lot of people feel so stressed about where they are, and where they’re going, and their five-year plans. Keep things in perspective. Step back a little, and ask yourself,

 

“Is this where I wanted to be at 21?”

I think a lot of you would be surprised to know that actually, you are.

Well, maybe some people are a few steps behind. It happens. It doesn’t mean you haven’t gotten anywhere. At the same time, we’re all probably still far from where we want to be eventually, but I think it’s important to at least pat yourself in the back for achieving what you have today, just to keep you sane. 

Relish that moment. And then, get back to work, because remember, there’s only a couple of years ’til you’re 27.

xo,

Jack

YVANISM: Jose Killed Me Last Night

Every time my friends would ask me out to drink, I never said no. I'm always up for drinking. I don't care where we're gonna drink, just as long as I get drunk then I'm cool. As the saying goes, "drinking is a sport." And I've really come to appreciate drinking as a sort of escape for problems. Yes, it doesn't solve anything. But there is just something about being drunk that makes you forget about things you want to forget. Even though you'll only forget it for a couple of hours, I want that feeling. I crave for that escape. I'm 20 now, and it really took me a while to discover what my killer is. (In terms of alcohol.) And I found out what kills me! No, it's not 151. Tequila is my killer!

As you can see from our super dirty table last night, that tall bottle named Jose Cuervo killed me once again. Every time we'd take shots of it, I just cringed. I'm so scared in taking shots of tequila... It tastes like rubbing alcohol. And the lemon that you bite into after taking a shot? It doesn't help either. Maybe I am just over exaggerating about the taste, but I don't know. There are a lot more better-tasting alcohol out there. And tequila is certainly not one of my favorites. And yes, I was so drunk AGAIN. We had a bottle of cheap brandy at home. Had a pitcher of Kamikaze, 2 bottles of Bacardi, a bottle of Jose Cuervo, and a couple bottles of beer at the club. And by the way, there were just only 4 of us. Imagine... imagine.

xo,

Jack

YVANISM: Are you there, blog? It's me, Jack.

Don't worry. There won't be a lot of pictures of my face here. But since this is the official launch of my blog (we were just on dry run before this), I feel like I need to put one up. Isn't that what bloggers do anyway? Put up pictures of themselves then be apologetic about putting up the pictures?

Well, would you look at that? We got ourselves a lil blogger.

 

P.S. Ain't trying to be an asshole. I love my blogger friends and the pictures they post of themselves on their blogs.

P.P.S. Especially when they are cute bloggers.

xo,

Jack