My KFC Experience

The most convenient food for people who work at night - like me, is, of course, fast food.  Good thing though, there are a lot of fast food outlets that are open for 24 hours.  Though how convenient it could be, you'll soon get the hang of eating fast food everyday.  Unfortunately in the area that I work, only a few are open for 24 hours.

KFC is one of them.  The KFC Bonifacio Tower branch in BGC is a mix of heaven and hell.  Lemme tell you my story.

Part 1

Angie (my officemate) and I were sooooo hungry at 1AM, which is our "lunch break" and we decide to eat in KFC. 1AM happens to be the godly hour of lunch for most nocturnals like us in the area so expect that the store is jampacked, almost all seats taken and loooong queues.  Luckily there were 3 counters open but for some reason, the service was sooooo slow.  I happen to wonder why.
When it was our turn, then I knew the reason.  i decided to order the hotshots value meal (and I dont even know if that is the right term). Not Available. Option 2, the Twiser. Not Available.  1 pc Hot and Crispy. "Sir, 10 minutes, OK lang?!"
"Magsara na kayo!"

Angie and I decide to eat somewhere else.  It appears that everything that I ordered wasnt available, or, may take a while to prepare - and consider it as the "rush hour" of lunch for nocs.  They were totally unprepared!  Worse, they did not bother to put the "Not Available" sign on their smorgasboard. 


Part 2 and I wanna call this episode the Bitching Episode.

I was working in Ortigas back then and my shift ended at around 2PM.
I decided to skip eating lunch so I could head to KFC Buendia which is just a few steps away from where I live.  With all the traffic and passengers hopping on and out of the bus, my stomach was already complaining of hunger.  Maybe it was past 3:30 when I finally stepped inside KFC.

There wasn't a lot of customers, though I was 3rd in line in one of the counters.  There were 2 counters open at that time. To save me time, I notified somebody from the counter that I would want to have their Twister so she can call it in advance to the kitchen crew - and yep, I saw she did notiied the kitchen crew.

For a good 10-15 minutes, i waited for my turn.  For some reason, the two other peopel ahead of me took a while to assemble their orders, but nah, I was still patient, coz afterall, I did had an "advance call" for my Twister.

My turn.  I told the cashier my order.  She prepared the soda, looked at the kitchen, then looked at me.

"Sir, 15 minutes, can you wait?"

Then she burst my bubble.  Furious, I told her I had an advance call and I do not need to wait for another 15 minutes.  What the hell happened to my "advance call"?!
The lady who notified the kitchen heard me, and she did acknowledged that she made an advance call, but nobody in the kitchen prepared my order.

I told the cashier to cancel my order.

i drank from the glass of soda that she was supposed to give me. I was not able to pay her yet, so just before I left, I got the glass of soda, poured the contents on the counter top and left.  I never looked back again.

Next Attraction

It's time to watch Divergent again.  Coming na kasi ang INSURGENT.  Exciting.

I only wathced Divergent online nung panahong wala akong magawa.  Nope, di ko siya na download (hehehe...) as in watch online lang. 

Nice effects and theme - na parang MockingJay lang.  Parang ganun.  Uso ang rebelde.

Anyway..eto muna ang Trailer.

To Infinity and Beyond !!!!

Oh... I just luuuuuv this song.  Lakas maka Bb Pilipinas candidate.  Sarap rumampa. Ahahahaha

21M to "Forgiveness"

Nakakalungkot naman isipin na nagkaroon ng halaga ang buhay ni Jennifer Laude.  Sa Php 21M, tuluyan na nga kayang maibasura ang kaso?  Magkakaroon na nga ba ng "kapatawaran" at "hustisya" ang pagkamatay ni bakla?

Well, well, well... sa totoo lang, inaasahan ko na ang mga ganyang pangyayari.  Jusme naman, obviously, sooner or later naman mauuwi din sa ganun ang mga pangyayari.  Look at what happened ot Nicole na ni-rape diumano ng mga American servicemen sa Subic.  Ang malanding yon, nagcause lang ng gulo, media frenzy at attention, only to find out sooner or later - babawiin ang mga sinabi nung nahainan ng pera at opportubnities abroad?!

I will never change my stand on the issue, na kasalanan pa rin ng malanding baklang yun kung bakit siya namatay, at pointless ang mga pinaglalaban ng pamilya, at NEVER talaga nila makukuha nag sympathy ko.  pare-pareho silang ambisyosa.

Tama lang din naman ang hakbang ng government na wag pagaksayahan ng panahon ang isyu na ito.  Tama rin naman na di na pinuntahan ng Presidente ang burol ni bakla.  Sino ba siya para puntahan ng President di ba?

Anyway, try to read this na lang for more info on this issue.

What I Think about the Miss Universe 2014-2015 Pageant

I have been following the Miss Universe pageant since 2010 - that was the year when the Philippines started to penetrate the top 5.  Admittedly, though this pageant has a lot of controversies and sometimes, seemingly interesting choices of winners, this is still the most awaited pageant year after year.

Everyone waited for the 63rd edition of the Miss Universe pageant, and it all started out with a lot of hulabaloo - since 2014 - since there was no announcement of the date and venue.  Nagalala ang mga sang kabekihan dahil gusto nilang may pageant na maganap sa 2014, kesyo madudungisan daw ang ang pangalan ng Miss U Org dahil simula't sapul pa walang mintis ito kung magpatimpalak.  Bigo. Bigo sila sa mga kung anumang petisyon na sinasabi nila dahil walang Miss U sa 2014 - but ginanap ito ng January 2015.

Ayun na nga.  Miss Universe na.  Ang masasabi ko lang sa edition na ito - chaka.  Here are some of my observations and comments on the recently concluded pageant:

1.  Di ako masyado convinced sa isang festive na mood sa opening number pa lang.  Isang latin song na di naman naiintindihan ng lahat ng tao sa buong mundo, at ni hindi naman siya super catchy na kanta.  E ano naman ngayon kung sikat yung kumanta - sikat lang sa Latin community?  Wala akong pakialam pero di talaga nakakaindak, di nakakadala ng festive and exciting mood.  Ikumpara mo sa "Commander" na kanta ni kelly Rowland na kung saan sumayaw ang mga candidates, napakaganda at catchy ng kanta, nakakaindak, nakakaexcite.
2.  Makulay at makinang angm ga suot ng mga candidates during the opening number pero ang ipinakita sa TV ay ang pre-taped na national costumes ng mga candidates.  Ok lang naman ang ganun.  Mas mainam na para di magkakagulo sa stage kapag lahat sila naka national costume.
3.  It was good na nag-announce agad ng top 15.  Yun lang, top 15.  Sad to say, nakakawalang gana ang pag putol ng pagtawag ng mga semifinalists.  Una muna tinawag ang 7, then commercial, then yung 8.  Nakakabitin.  Although may excitement, nakakainis lang na mabibitin ka.
4. Top 15 lang, at walang Internet Vote.  Both a good and bad thing. i would have love it to have a top 20 than a 15 or 16 - just to give chance to others who may deserve a second look but - nah, it has always been a 15 or 16.  Ang walang internet vote would mean that those candidates who made it to the top were adjudged based on their own merits during the preliminaries, and no influence at all from the fans. More often than not, had there been an internet vote, candidates from Asian countries would have made it - like the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand or Myanmar.  Buti na lang din wala.
5.  I like it when they showed videos of the candidates when they were called to be included int he semis.  It gives us an idea on who and what these candidates do at their own country.
6.  Only half of the stage was used, and there was no loooong runway.  This is a downside since the contestants can't fully show their elegance and grace.  On the previous editions, they make use of a long runway at the middle of the stage where the candidadates can be a bit closer tot he judges, can walk longer, have a longer exposure at the camera.  There could have been a lot of time to scrutinize the ladies.
7.  Bitin na naman ang pagputol ng announcement ng top 10.
8.  Again, ang panget ng prod number ng swimsuit competition.  Ang panget ng kanta, ang panget ng latin flavor. Mas OK sana ang upbeat - kagaya nung panahon ni Lady Gaga sa Vietnam.
9.  I don't like Jennie Mai as a backstage correspondent.  I don't like it when she describes the candidate when they walk onstage.  She kinda injects personal views.  Maybe she can read something instead, that will tell people what the candidates do or were doing at their home countries.  I guess it will help people get to know the candidates more.
10.  The 2-set Q&A is great!  It would have been better though if they had the first set of questions when there were 10 ladies just to screen them and come up with the best top 5.  This edition's top 5 was the most boring set of ladies in the Q&A portion, and I am pretty sure that there are others in the top 10 who are more deserving to be there. 
11.  The final question, though has a universal appeal, may seem to be a bit biased towards the United States.  Hello, alam naman ng lahat ang kaepalan na ginagawa ng USA sa lahat na lang ng usapin sa mundo, kelangan pa ba ipagdidiinan yun, lalo na kasama sa top 5 ang Miss USA?!
12.  I like the "final look" song.
13.  What I also like in the pageant is the participation of the audience in the selection of the  national costume, and the questions.  Nabasa ko ang iilan sa mga questions sa FB page ng MU and ilan sa mga tanong ng mga judges ay doon galing.  Ewan ko lang sa final question, pero napakagandang innovation ang ginawa nila. Sa national costume naman, though may pagka biased na ang resulta dahil syempre, mas madami ang fans ng Asia, pero sana lang percentage ang gawin nila - kahit 50-50 lang ng judges at audience.  Naramdaman ko kasi na aliw na aliw ang mga hosts (and me personally) sa costume ni Ms. Canada - kaso - mahina ang fan base kaya talo sa national costume. 
14.  Si Paulina Vega, parang inaasahan na siya ang mananalo.
15.  Si Ms. Jamaica na elegante, nakakgulat lang na pang 5 lang sa top 5.  Kung bakit, ay ewan ko na lang sa mga hurado.
16.  Nakakagulat ang pagkapanalo ni Ms. Netherlands.  Totally unexpected, but, she was beautiful.  Baka lang hindi telegenic kaya di masyado maapreciate ng lahat ng nanonood sa tv.

Anyway, kahit ganun ang pageant this year - im sure aabangan pa rin yan next year (or late this year - who knows). 

Miss Universe - Philippines

Mary Jean Lastimosa, 27, PHILIPPINES !!!

or it could be:

Mary Jean Lastimosa, Tulunan, North Cotabato, PHILIPPINES !!!

Im sure madaming sangkabadingan ang magffile ng leave sa office para mapanood ang Miss Universe 2014 pageant sa TV on January 26 ng umaga (Philippine time).  Kulang na lang siguro magpropose ng bill ang lahat ng bakla na gawing holiday ang mga dates na may international beauty contest para mapanood nila.  In any case, inaabangan na rin talaga ang Miss Universe ngayong January.

Si MJ, as what lotsa people call her, ang magrrepresent ng PHILIPPINES sa Miss U sa Florida ngayong taon.  Alam naman ng lahat na 3 times siya sumali sa Bb. Pilipinas: nanalo as isa sa mga runner up sa unang sabak, nagfeeling, sumali ulet, umuwing luhaan, umulit - nagwagi!  Try and try ang peg. Nagbunga naman, in fairness.  Pero this time kaya, siya na talaga ang hinihintay na maguuwi ng 3rd Miss U crown?

Sa ngayon sumasabak na siya sa mga kung anu-anong mga activities sa Doral (Florida, USA).  There is a certain "Latina Vibe with a  twist of Asia" so to speak.  We'll never know how she will end the beauty conquest but for sure she will put up a good fight.

May chance nga kaya?

Para sa akin, hindi ko masyado naaaninag ang korona sa kanya.  Hindi ako nagpapakanega, nagsasalita lang based sa aking nararamdaman. Parang may kulang sa kanya para maiuwi ang korona.  Maganda siya, oo, pero di masyado katangkaran.  Pero ang height naman di naman yun assurance na magpapapanalo sa isang kandidata.  Facially, she has the makings of a Miss Universe - malaki ang bibig para sa isang ear-to-ear smile, makinis, pero ang mga mata niya parang hindi masyado expressive.  Parang kulang sa connection.  Based lang yan sa pictures na nakikita ko.  Then again, hindi natin masasabi kung ano ang magiging performance niya sa preliminaries at sa finals.  Importante ang magiging performance niya sa Prelims dahil dito malalaman ang pasok sa top 16 or top 12 or kung anong top man maisip ng MUO.

Kung hindi man masyado kagandahan ang performance niya sa Preliminaries, anjan ang Fan Vote that will propel her to the Semifinals.  Jan kelangan ng supporta ng buong madla na may email address.

Basta lang ba papasok siya sa Top 10 or Top 12 or Top 15, sa tingin ko makakaya na niyang makapaguwi ng isa pa ulit na Runner Up or, fingers crossed, ang Miss Universe crown.  Support support din pag may time.

Pinoy Bash

 

Nagsisimula na ang Miss Universe Fever at ang sangkabaklaan ay buhay na buhay na naman!

Matapos namayagpag ang mga Reyna ng Kagandahan ng Pilipinas noong 2013, mejo hindi masyado kainitan ang naging performance ng mga ito noong 2014.  Siguro nga mahirap na magkaroon ng back-to-back na panalo sa beauty contest.  Eto nga at ang Miss Universe na lang ang huling hoorah kaya all out na ang suporta ng mga bakla.

Nakakairita lang minsan na OA na sa pagsuporta ang mga bakla, to the point na nangba-bash na ng mga kalaban.  Napakaraming name-calling sa mga kalaban ni MJ - lalo na inaaway ang kapwa naman sanang Asyano na Thailand at Indonesia.  Napakarumi na tingnan ang imahe ng mga fans ng bawat bansa pagdating sa beauty contest.   Kung iisipin mo nga naman, hindi naman magbabatuhan ng mga masasamang salita ang bawat kampo kung walang nagpasimula.  I'm not saying Pinoy ang nagpasimula, pero kung patuloy na gagatungan ng ilang baklang parang walang pinagaralan ang pambabastos, kasiraan din ng buong lahi ang ginawa nila.

Walang masama sa pagiging nationalistic at sa pagsuporta sa sariling kandidata, pero kung OA naman at nakaka apekto na sa imahe ng sangkabaklaan ng Pilipinas, aba, teka lang, dahan dahan naman.

Ang mga usual na binabash - Thailand at Indonesia, ay ating mga kapatid sa ASEAN.  Sila ay kapwa Asyano.  Nararapat lamang siguro na ikakatuwa natin ang magiging tagumpay ng mga ito sa patimpalak ng pagandahan.  I think the next best thing after being nationalistic is to be regionalistic.  Para bang, kampi ka sa mga pambato ng sariling region, say taga Region 3 ka, kakampihan mo mga kapwa taga Region 3 - kahit anong probinsiya pa siya.  Sa patimpalak sa labas ng bansa, siguro nararapat na simulan na rin ang ganyang kaisipan, na matapos kampihan ang ating pambato, sunod na kampihan ang ating mga kapitbahay sa ASEAN.

Anyway, tingnan na lang natin sino ang uuwing luhaan sa January 25.