25 Random Things About Raz

Once you've been tagged, write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you.

Choose 25 people to be tagged, including those who tagged you.

Lemme just say that this is really hard. I blog about myself so much I think I’m running out of new interesting things to say about myself. That’s why a lot of what I write here I ripped off from those who tagged me :)

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1. Despite vowing to learn how to cook here in London, I now survive on meals out and microwave meals (I am eating one right now e, hehe). I am therefore renewing my vow to cook for when I settle back in the Philippines. I promise to make use of my show kitchen na.

2. I make bad first impressions. I’m extremely shy and insecure with strangers, which for some reason leads people to think I’m aloof. It takes a while before I warm up new acquaintances, but I eventually do. I’ve become really close friends with lots of people who first hated me when they first met me.

3. I’m allergic to seafood (especially shell fish). Ironically, my mom craved for talangka (small crabs) during her pregnancy.

4. I’m godfather to so many kids, I’ve lost count. My first godson was my cousin. I was just 3 years old then. I don’t know why the priest allowed that but it was legit. My name was on my cousin’s baptismal certificate. With the others, it was because I was often the alternative to my Dad, who used to be the mayor of his hometown. They either couldn’t get hold of my dad or already had him as a principal sponsor in their weddings, so they I was the next choice for their child’s godfather. Honestly, I’ve lost track of them. I don’t think I’m exaggerating in estimating I’ve more than 50 godsons & goddaughters. My close friends need not worry though… yung inaanak ko nang may isip na ko, I remember very well :)

5. Asked to choose between being deaf, mute, or blind, I’d choose to be mute. That’s not an informed decision ha. I reserve the right to change my mind on that.

6. I enjoy road trips with friends and cousins, especially them spontaneous ones. I particularly love it when the company I have stay up with me (singing along songs or having tired conversations of the same things).

7. I NEVER say no to videoke (that's 'karaoke' to those not from the Philippines).

8. Generally, I’d rather sleep than eat. Takaw-tulog ako. I can sleep 14 hours straight, although I also stay up long hours. I’ve always said that it would be perfect if days had 36 hours in them, cause I’m comfortable staying up 24 hours straight, but also need half a day to recharge.

9. I’m more sentimental than I care to admit. I can cry watching movies and MMK episodes, listening to country songs, and reading novels.

10. Sometimes, I wake myself up crying because of a dream, then fall back to sleep again. Just last night, I woke myself up laughing. As in, I was chuckling out loud.

11. I love the outdoors. I’m very physically active, and able, but not really very fit. How to explain that? Hmmm… Imagine this: I’d be sprinting all over one moment, outrunning everyone, working all the muscles in my body, being all flexible, strong and impressive. And then my muscles would be cramping for minutes.

12. I don’t think I ever regretted anything in my life. That sounds like I’m waxing philosophical, but I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately and I really think there isn’t any. Many things in my life didn’t go according to plan, choices I made that weren’t the best or the right one after all, but I always survive them and get changed by them, and often in a good way (so I’d like to think). Like when I studied law. Someone told me that I could’ve started my movie career much earlier if I hadn’t, but then I wouldn’t have met three of my closest friends and go to that Fellowship program in Singapore. I hope that qualifies me as a glass-half-full kinda guy.

13. I get embarrassed by people embarrassing themselves. I have to turn away, close my eyes, block my ears, turn the TV off, or flee the room altogether.

14. Writing isn’t something I particularly like. I kinda just stumbled upon it. I was never the go-to scriptwriter (or director, for that matter) back in high school and college. The only reason I worked and trained as a writer in a film company is because it was the only opening available when I was looking for a job (after filing for my leave in Law School).

15. I was in Law school for one year and half a sem. I filed for LOA a few weeks after midterms. Until now, I don’t think Tia, my seatmate and close friend, has forgiven me for my abrupt decision.

16. I'm an only child with a million cousins and friends.

17. I realize I don’t have a singular, definitive, personal hero, the way others look up to Barack Obama, Aung San Suu Kyi, or Tony Meloto (or whoever). I really admire them and aspire for lofty goals like what they’ve achieved, but also feel distant (detached?) from them. I’m more inclined to look up to friends or people I know or with whom I have access. The good thing about that is it releases me from inhibitions in setting goals. It inspires me to just work hard and expect a pay off because I have ordinary people like me for paragon.

18. Picking up from 17… my parents are significantly flawed individuals, but I take a lot after them and I’m mighty proud of them.

19. My sensibilities are extremely pop, and that embarrasses me to no end. It was only in college when my taste evolved and occasionally went off the middle of the road – thanks to cooler and more sophisticated friends. Naks!

20. I’ve been told that I was a Viennese poet who wrote sonnets in my past life.

21. Nothing disappoints me more than friends disappointing me. I’m really patient with friends, because I know I require a lot of patience. My loyalty’s rock solid, but the trust I repose is fragile.

22. I am thinking of adopting a child within the next coupla years.

23. Over the years, I’ve owned and lost 4 Nokia 8910’s; a couple more mobile phones of various models; a Pentax camera; dozens of wallets, spectacles and sunglasses; 3 ipods; a Mac powerbook; and my Rav 4. My Rav 4 was stolen when I was still living in Katipunan, and my laptop was in it (among many other things).

24. I have never been on a date. There might have been occasions when I did but didn’t know that I was in one.

25. I sign my signature upside down – and that’s really because my Mom has a propensity for forgery.

London Forecast: WORST WEATHER CONDITION IN 18 YEARS

In eighteen years. EIGHTEEN YEARS!

An extreme weather event.

Where I live, it's -3ºC here in Maida Vale. Generally 1º in Central London. Winds up to 9mph.

All bus services are suspended. Major delays and suspension of certain parts of the underground.

Freezing temperatures with snow the heaviest and worst it's been in nearly two decades.

Well and good if I had nothing to do for the day. I'd probably stay in, snuggle, then go out and frolic in winter wonderland outside later on. It's something else when you have to walk to the tube or bus station to get to school.

I imagine this to be akin to the irksome floods during or after heavy downpours there back home. The only difference is, knowing the streets so well, I'd probably find myself a way around the flooded areas.

Here, I don't have personal means of transport. Snow is everywhere, not just where the drainage and the sewage system are crap. Worst of all, it is literally FREEZING. Arguably, that's worse than being wet. Maybe not, since with snow, you manage to stay dry. Then again, at least in the Philippines, the temperatures never reach the negatives.

BBC's Breakfast advises that we forget about the internet today as hopes of getting updates on the transport situation are dashed by the heavy traffic. As expected, since everyone's eager to find alternatives to their usual routes to school and work.

Friends will have to bear with me. The wonder of seeing snow has yet to wear off. Though right now, I really wish I was at home (and not have to go to school).

Bologna

I spent a total of ten days in Italy. As my stay there came to a close, I spent most of it in Bologna, where it all began.

My Mom and I spent New Year's eve at her place. She actually managed to squeeze in some work in the day, leaving me in her apartment to sleep in and catch some much needed rest. I woke up in the afternoon but went immediately back to bed after having a terrible migraine attack (a nasty prelude to something great).

Later that evening, my mom and I had dinner, a pretty uneventful New Year's eve celebration. She was in bed by 9PM, and I spent the rest of the night surfing the net. I took a shower 15 minutes before midnight, just in time to dress in some decent clothes and wake my mom up to greet her a happy new year. She woke up, returned my greeting with a kiss, and fell right back to sleep. For my part, I slipped back into my pyjamas and hit the sack.

The following day, I realized why I had that migraine. I woke up with everything blanketed in snow.

My first white Christmas!

It totally compensated for the lackluster night previous :)

We then visited Santuario di Madonna di San Luca in the afternoon, had a coffee date with Tita Lina (Mom's best friend) in the evening, and was treated to dinner and a movie (Natale in Rio) by Luca later still that night.

I left in the afternoon the following day, January 2.

It was tiring indeed, but oh-so-worth it. I couldn't have thought up a better way of saying goodbye to Bologna, and the rest of Italia.

Lugano é Milano

After a being pleasantly saturated by Italy the previous days, my Mom and I decided to rest on my sixth day in Italy. That gave us renewed energy for the following day, when Luigi decided to take me across the Italian border to the Lugano, a lovely, quiet town in Switzerland. I would've wanted to explore more of Italy but Luigi wanted me to see another country.

Lugano is perhaps not uniquely representative of the Swiss culture. Being so close to Italy, it is significantly influenced by its southern neighbor. For one, many people here speaks Italian as well. Nevertheless, the difference between Lugano and the towns and cities of Italy are notable. Lugano felt... calmer. Then again, anything put beside anything Italian would always look calmer! (I do say that with much affection Ü ). Besides, it was refreshing to see the Alps and be introduced to Switzerland.

After having lunch and roaming the streets of Lugano, we took a short drive back to Italia and in a couple of hours found ourselves at the fashion capital of the world, Milano.

Though it is richest city in the most developed region of Italy, Milano paled a bit in comparison to the other cities I've been - not that I've been to so many or explored them extensively. Based on what I've read and my Mom and Luigi's impression of this city, what makes Milan alluring is really the posh and modern lifestyle of its dwellers. It is therefore more urban than the most of Italy, and in that sense, it is a lot like London.

My mom, as expected, took me to the most iconic of Milano's tourist stops. The Duomo. Just long enough for a picture, actually. I didn't even get to go inside. We actually spent a longer time in the LV shop on Via Montenapoleone (where my Mom bought me an iPhone case to remember Milano by - so no complaints).

I chalked it up as another teaser and promised to go back. Then it was back to good ol' Bologna.