kent: uy, may gagawin ka ba sa friday night?
friend: wala naman, why?
kent: may pageant ako sa friday eh, punta ka naman. malaki kasi percentage ng audience votes eh, so sana makapunta ka.
friend: naks! pageant ulet! never say die talaga ah! kahit alam nang walang chance, laban pa rin.



honestly, that response hurt me a lot.



i remember my first pageant ever. it was during my second year high school. i wasn't the original pick for our section, but when the official candidate decided to back out, my classmates picked me to represent the section. at first, i was really hesitant, especially knowing that they only picked me because it will be hard for them to convince other boys in the class to join. so, i ended up joining the pageant. my classmates were there to support me (maybe because i represent our class, i don't know) but it felt good to walk in stage with my head held high and see people cheer for me. that felt so good, and i wished that i can experience that same feeling again. i did not win the title (i won 1st runner up), but i didn't care. because i know i was able to show people a different side of me, and the feeling of basically having people cheer for you has already consumed me up.

after more than 10 years, i joined a second pageant. the difference? well, there's a lot. first, i don't represent a section or a group. i just represent myself. second, this is not a one time big time pageant, but rather a series of weekly ramps. third, i am competing with people i don't know, people who may have had participated in a lot of pageants already, and people who have a wide circle of friends.

the first legs of the competition has already commenced, and though i have only won one special award (2nd runner up for broadway attire), i have heard quite positive comments from other people, telling me that i have good stage presence and a sparkling (yes, they used that word!) attitude. and those things light up the dying flame of confidence inside me. it may not be that overwhelming, but it's not bad for a starter.

i can see myself in the candidates. they joined and did this pageant just for fun, just to unleash the model in them, just to have a good time. they're all up for a friendly competition. and in the end of each leg, we just hang out at the dressing area and goof around. but i know that deep inside them, they do this because of the good feeling it gives them after the pageant, just like the feeling i had during my first one, and the same feeling that i've been wanting to feel again.

i can see one major difference, though. they have friends and people to support them. i don't. every pageant, you will see packs of gay guys in a table cheering for them everytime they walk the ramp. i don't have those. so at the end of the pageant, they get this feeling they've been wanting to get... but i don't.



friend: try ko ha, baka kasi may gagawin ako eh
kent: akala ko ba wala? anyway, sige, sana makapunta ka
friend: pag sumama sina *bleep* at *toot*, pupunta ako
kent: eh pag hinde?
friend: edi hinde! ahehehehe...
kent: ahhh... sige... kaw bahala
friend: san ba gaganapin?
kent: sa isang bar sa cubao
friend: ahaha! akala ko sa araneta, akalo ko binibining pilipinas yung sasalihan mo



no one takes me seriously about this pageant. everytime i invite people to watch me, the initial responses i get are things like "anong kalokohan naman yan?" or "ahahahahaha!" or "ngek!" and for someone who wants to pursue something like this, it hurts. it's like telling your son who wants to be a pilot that airplanes are the corniest things on earth. it's like telling a girl who has confidence issues that a gay guy looks prettier than her. it's like confronting a jollibee staff and telling them that mcdonalds taste a lot better than them. and most people don't seem to know how much that hurts.


the finals night for this pageant will be this friday, and up to now i haven't found a single person who will watch me. does it matter? to me, yes. to them, no.

looks like i'm alone in this again... as always...


kent: so punta ka po ba?
friend: ewan ko, di ako sure
kent: okay po. text me kung makakapunta ka ha
friend: sige, wait mo na lang text ko
kent: pupunta naman sina *bleep* at *toot* diba?
friend: baka daw hindi
kent: oh. edi ikaw, pupunta ka?
friend: bahala na
kent: sige... thank you na lang
friend: ok


and i closed the chat window, and some 5-10 more chat windows with the same context, with a heavy heart...

guess i better start preparing my stuff for the pageant now... para kahit man lang sa outfits eh may laban ako, dahil talo na yata talaga ako sa audience votes.

this will be my last entry in this journal... as i have launched a new livejournal account.

guys... let's all say goodbye to ASTROBOI09 and welcome KENVITOLOGY!!!

please add me up so we can still keep in touch...

http://kenvitology.livejournal.com

a new name

a new site

same old crap!

watch out!

i have not updated my livejournal for weeks... and i still don't know the reason why. not that i don't have stories to share, in fact, i do have a lot. but why, i don't know.

but anyways, before i go on an indefinite hiatus in this journal, let me share you something.


* * * * *

this is the story of a call boy... me!

unfortunately, i did something stupid again (not reporting for work just because i don't want to), and was terminated from the 9th call center who hired me. when was this? weeks ago! technically, i am already 2 weeks jobless. still counting? yes, still counting!

so how am i surviving?

just like what i said... call boy!

yes, not as a call center boy but as a call boy, the one that we all know. in tagalog -- tagabenta ng laman!

it all started with my "talent" to give massage, yes, i really know how to give massage. i get clients from the best source i know -- mirc. and, as expected, there will always be clients who will ask for extra service. at first, i decline. but then i realize that i will earn more if i start giving them what they want.

and so that marked my sideline job, which is now my current job, of being a call boy.

call me anything you like, i don't care.

at first, i was one of those people who really hate call boys. but now, i am one of them. and i now understand their story, since i already share the same story with them.

will i stay like this forever? of course not.

actually, after this, i got inspired to strive more.

i still have a lot to say but i lost the mood.

as i stated, i will be in an indefinite hiatus here in livejournal. all other accounts (facebook, multiply, etc) will be active.

before i go, i want to leave some messages.

KUYA ARBET -- thanks for always inspiring me. i know that i have done you a lot of trouble, but everytime i need advice, you are always there. thank you.

KUYA ROCKY -- i miss you loads!

THE DIVAS JOBY, BRIAN, CHRIS, JAMMU, and everyone else -- i terribly miss you. i'm sorry if i don't keep in touch. one day, i will. kapag ready na ulit ako humarap sa inyo, haharap ako. as of the moment, i can't see myself spending time with you guys. nahihiya ako kasi hindi ko kayo ka-level. though i know that you never look or consider that, to me it matters. anyway... i will see you again, i promise.

ICE -- super thank you!

to everyone else -- thanks for being a part of my happy lj life. you may say that i speak here as if i have no plans of going back. i am, actually, unsure. so i wanna say thank you, at least, before the hiatus.



KEN, astroboi09, now signing off...

Tags: self
i am at: net cafe in farmers
i feel: sad
i hear: Goodbye -- Spice Girls

Subject: Tendjewberrymud

You must read this aloud (for the full effect). Just say any unfamiliar words phonetically. It's amazing, you will understand what 'tendjewberrymud'means by the end of the conversation. This has been nominated for best email of 1999. The following is a telephone conversation between a hotel guest and room-service, at a hotel in Asia. The call was recorded and later published in the Far East Economic Review. Here goes....

Room Service (RS) : "Morny. Ruin sorbees"

Guest (G) : "Sorry, I thought I dialed room-service"

RS : "Rye..Ruin sorbees..morny! Djewish to odor sunteen??"

G : "Uh..yes..I'd like some bacon and eggs"

RS : "Ow July den?"

G : "What??"

RS : "Ow July den?...pry, boy, pooch?"

G : "Oh, the eggs! How do I like them? Sorry, scrambled please."

RS: "Ow July dee bayhcem...crease?"

G: "Crisp will be fine."

RS : "Hokay. An San tos?"

G: "What?"

RS: "San tos. July San tos?"

G: "I don't think so"

RS: "No? Judo one toes??"

G: "I feel really bad about this, but I don't know what 'judo one toes'

means.

RS: "Toes! Toes!...why djew Don Juan toes? Ow bow english mopping we

bother?"

G: "English muffin!! I've got it! You were saying 'Toast.' Fine. Yes, an

English muffin will be fine.

RS: "We bother?"

G: "No...just put the bother on the side."

RS: "Wad?"

G: "I mean butter...just put it on the side."

RS: "Copy?"

G: "Sorry?"

RS: "Copy...tea...mill?"

G: "Yes. Coffee please, and that's all."

RS: "One Minnie. Ass ruin torino fee, strangle ache, crease baychem,

tossy singlish mopping we bot her honey sigh, and copy....rye??"

G: "Whatever you say"

RS: "Tendjewberrymud"

G: "You're welcome." 

'Kolgirl'

By Pamela
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 01:13:00 01/08/2009

If you are familiar with the terms "QA," "Queuing," "EOP," "ACW," "AHT," "avail," then you are one of us, the thousands of "kolboys" and "kolgirls" in the Philippines.

We belong to the sleep-deprived, nicotine-inhaling, cab-riding new breed of Filipino youth. We infuse our anemic, caffeinated veins with ferrous sulfate every day so that we won't be "NCNS" (no call, no show) for our next shift. "Ginagawa naming araw ang gabi." [We make the night our day.]

Glamorous? Well, if your idea of glamour is staggering down Ortigas Avenue wearing Paris Hilton shades at 8 in the morning, looking dog-tired while everybody else looks fresh and new, then we are the kings and queens of glamour.

Bohemian? Ha ha! We follow a very rigid schedule. We cannot go on extended breaks. We cannot hang up on cursing customers. We cannot refuse to take calls. And we have to ask for permission to answer nature's call. We are like prisoners in our stations for eight whole hours. Ours is a Spartan life.

I cannot help but be catty and melodramatic about it. We say, "Good morning" when we all know that everybody but us (at least in this part of the Pacific) is in his deepest sleep. We say (with an audible smile), "I'd be glad to assist you," never mind if we had to leave a feverish son under the care of his "yaya" [nanny].

We can afford to miss family occasions and national holidays because we know we will be well compensated. Every birthday of a family member that we miss means we have P700 more to pay the bills, rent and tuition. The added pay for every national holiday that we worked helps pay our taxes. Yes, my friends, we are paying for the street lights along the avenues and highways that we must brave every night.

Contented cats we are not. "Laway lang ang puhunan" [Saliva is our only capital], we some people say, but we are in one of the most stressful and draining jobs you can find. And like the rest of the working class, we are overworked and underpaid.

We are forced to defend big banks, superstores, telecoms or any account we are handling. Just like any member of the proletariat, we are alienated from the giants that we work for. We apologize for things that we do not have anything to do with. We fix problems we did not create. We are the cheap, apologetic and docile answering machines at the other end of the line, the receiving end of the frustrations and ire of customers who feel shortchanged.

Apolitical? I have to disagree. We are tax-paying citizens like most working Filipinos. Yes, most of us get the latest news from Inquirer Libre (while riding the Metro Rail Transit on our way to work), but we are also appalled by the P500,000 "cash gift" congressmen got to kill the Arroyo impeachment complaint last year. We are also furious with this government for spending half of the national budget on debt servicing so that it can borrow some more. And we are enraged that some people cheated their way to high offices.

We may speak in English for more than half of our waking hours, but it doesn't make us less Filipinos. We share the sentiments and burdens of every landless farmer, every laid-off factory worker, every out-of-school youth, every hungry Filipino mouth. We find time to mourn slain activists, priests, journalists and innocent civilians. Most importantly, we share the aspirations of the Filipino people to build a just society where we can say, "I'd be glad to assist you," and actually mean it.

Pamela, 28, is a single mother who works as a call center agent, a job that pays her enough to splurge on mango shakes, banana cues, rambutan fruits and Marlboro reds. She has a generous health card that takes care of her brain scans, EEG and MRI, paid for by her call center company, which she thinks is the source of her migraine and headaches.

i am still not in the mood to write, although there could already be a thousand reasons for me to write now...

am i losing my passion for writing?

:'(

i just want to be loved... is it too much to ask for?

yesterday marked a special day in my calender and a special spot in my heart...

i woke up feeling uncomfortable and really bad because of a certain situation i'd rather not discuss here (haha!). at first i thought i can handle the pain, but eventually it became unbearable i literally bang my whole body on the wall and in my my bed just to forget the pain (which, by the way, didn't help at all!). i needed help, an immediate one. i texted two of my friends, hoping they can do something.

and just like what they say... trues friends will be there when you need them.

after about an hour, one of my friends suddenly appears on my door. i was really surprised (and he was, since he saw me in my sleeping wear glory, haha!), but was thankful because i know that even if he can't alluviate the pain i am feeling, he is at least there to make me feel that someone cares. he bought the medication i needed despite the fact that he is also running out of budget, and then he informed me that friend number 2 and another friend are on their way.

in a few minutes... they are there -- one of them leaving work early just to see if i'm okay, and one of them travelling all the way from antipolo just to check on me! so from one solo guy in pain, i was then in my room with 3 people who i know will do their best to make me feel better.

to REIN, JOEN, and MARC... thank you for being the best friends, or i must say, brothers, i've ever had. situations will definitely be worse (you know what i mean!) if not for the three of you.

i am so proud and happy that KonZepto existed, because if not for it, i would not have met the three of you.

first of all, happee 2009 to everyone.

so that it will be easier for me to keep in touch with my online world, i have decided to create a single e-mail address for all my online accounts.

also, i have reactivated my sun number, but i will still be keeping my old globe number.

so, for 2009, please update your phonebooks and yahoo messengers!

name: kent vitor
globe: 09167849348
sun: 09229485265
email: kenvitology@yahoo.com
ym: kenvitology

i will still keep my online accounts active.. and introducing... KENT on FACEBOOK!!!

yay!!

HAPPEE 2009 GUYS!!!

i don't know why, but i am not really in the writing mood lately. it's the end of the year and i don't even plan of writing a yearend special or whatever...

neks taym na lang siguro...

putukan na tayo!!!

the little drummer boy, all tied up! hee hee...

happee christmas!

Tags: post-its, self
i am at: net cafe in 15th ave
i feel: loved
i hear: Give Love on Christmas Day -- Jacksons 5

it all started on a photoshoot where the main characters E and P were in. together with them are some of their friends who they always see in photoshoots like that.

oh... wait... it did not actually start there!

*recalls* there you go!

E and P became friends because of their interest for one same thing -- photoshoot! together with their friends, they usually invade open-call photoshoots in the metro and basically just strut their stuff there. then days after, they will discuss their adventures online, exchanging comments as fast as they can!

P is an noisy fun-loving guy. most of the time, especially during shoots, he is the crowd pleaser. he loves telling jokes and stories to people, and makes sure that everyone is out of the gloomy mood and has a smile on his face.

E is not the exact opposite, and not the exact duplicate as well, but there is something in E that compliments with P's childish attitude, making them jive. E is also a joke-cracker, and is also on the childish side, but not as much as P.

working in the same field (though different companies), plus their common ground, P and E was able to develop a good bond of friendship. most of the times when they are together, they can't help but talk about anecdotes they experienced.

the relationship was simple. friendship. brotherhood. with their friends around, they are a good combination of fun and friendship.

but P accidentally changed the way things go.

( Read more... )

</div></div>
shou xin de tai yang - angela chang</div>

i am at: net cafe in 14th avenue
i hear: Shou Xin De Tai Yang -- Angela Zhang

no, this is not a movie review.

i turn a year older!

wow! up to this moment i still can't believe that i survived another year, haha! not that i want to die or something, but i am just amazed at how wide i can smile despite all the problems and challenges i had this year. if i consider 2007 as my worst year, 2008 is my most, er, educational (?) year. i have a lot of life-turning experiences and events that eventually taught me how to live life the fullest. it may be hard, really hard, and overwhelming, but thank God i still was able to survive it with a smile on my face. i don't have wishes, but i have things to be thankful of. happy birthday to me. :-)



The Sweet Surprise

a friend, MARIUS, and i went to krispy kreme in gateway last friday after my shift to just hang out and talk. when we ordered our meal, we were surprised that we were charged 150 pesos cheaper. after some math, we were able to figure out what happened... the cashier wasn't able to charge the donuts. she apologized for the mistake, and i jokingly replied "akala ko pa naman birthday gift na sa akin, hehehe..." the other cashier asked me if it is my birthday, and i told her that it will not be until tuesday. she asked for my name which i casually gave (they always ask for your name in krispy kreme gateway, i don't know why) and then off me and MARIUS went to a vacant chair.

we were just having fun talking and chatting when i noticed that about 5 staff of krispy kreme approached our table with balloons! i thought that were just doing their usual rounds of giving away balloons and paperhats. but then, i was surprised when another crew stepped out of the serving area with a saucer served with something special in it...



it was a raspberry-filled chocolate-iced donut with my name on it!

then they started singing happy birthday amidst the many customers inside the restaurant. i was really surprised and i didn't know how to react. next thing i know, there were slight tears in my eyes as i laugh, obviously overwhelmed with what's going on. i can't thank them further, and i am so happy. this is, actually, the first time, that a bunch of people (strangers, to be exact) surprised me in a public place.

i'm starting to love krispy kreme again...





Reunited, and it Feels so Good...

saturday was the scheduled date for our high school's 10th year anniversary. to be honest, i am scared of reunions. because it always ends up comparing what you've achieved with others. and with my current status, i don't think this is something i can be proud of. but since i promised to be there, i decided to go.

arrived at the school around 8pm. the minute i stepped in, the feeling of nostalgia started enveloping me. i must admit -- i miss my school. as i register in the registration area, i see a lot of familiar faces, all in a happy state. then MEGAY, one of my closest buddies during high school, approached me -- she has been waiting for me for 2 hours! haha! well, i actually told her that i will be late, but she didn't mind. we went straight to the food corner and ate. then it's time to go sit with my batchmates in our area.

i was surprised with their reaction when they saw me. the initial reaction was "wow NIXON (my real name), ang gwapo mo na ah!" which makes me think...panget nga yata talaga ako nung high school. but, i must say, it looks like all of my batchmates look a lot better today. well, what do we expect? anyways... i sat down just in time for the program (which was already halfway through when i arrived) to show a slideshow of old pics. as the slideshow was flashed, we can't help but laugh and reminisce the happy memories we had during high school.

the program ended and then there were guest bands. i enjoyed watching fmd (i'm not really sure if that is the name of the band) and jeepney joyride. then the night ended. killed more time with ELEANOR, JONNIE (another best bud), and KRISTEL in 7-11, enjoyed a serving of ice cream and red tea, and shared more high school stories.

went home with a smile, and, weird enough, i started to miss my high school. it felt good.



(i was the one who took the pic, kaya wala ako!)


Marionettes Gone Wild

it was my first time working with Pixels Production (http://densemodestopixels.multiply.com) and i am really excited for the project. scheduled for the 1pm slot, i made it to the location at around 1230pm. the concept for the shoot is marionettes, and i decided to go for the scottish bagpipe player look, with the skirt and the tassels. when it was my turn to be styled, the stylist did not approve my skirt, thinking it would look too costumey. they handed me a pair of black pants and "converted" the cape of my top to a sash. so from being a scottish bagpipe player, i became the king of persia! haha! a few hours after (i still hasn't been photographed), the stylists left. the minute they're gone, i decided to change my look. removed the sash and placed it back as a cape, then i rolled my pants up, and wore knee-high socks. so there was a total conversion. from bagpipe player, to king of persia, i became the little drummer boy. and it looks cute! i will post the pics once i have them. for the meantime, just in case you are wondering, this is the king of persia look.



after the shoot, my friends KonZepto friends JOEN, DHAN, and JOSEPH decided to eat at greenwich, then went home. DHAN and i were together since he's going home to crossing and me to cubao. on the ride, we suddenly thought of spending the night at palawan bar in cubao. so instead of going home to crossing, he went to my place to leave his stuff and rest for a short while. then, we started texting our friends to join us. so from 2 people, we ended up with 5 partygoers -- me, DHAN, JOEN, MARC, and SHO. though SHO will just meet us in palawan 2, DHAN JOEN and i went to palawan 1 and met MARC there. had one round of colt 45 bucket, and decided to go to palawan 2. it is DHAN's and JOEN's first time and i think they will enjoy the drag performers in palawan 2.

got a good seat right beside the stage in palawan 2. the moment i sat down, i already noticed a cutie looking at me. flirt mode follows. he keeps looking, i keep smiling, basically luring him, haha! i went to the washroom and, as expected, he followed me! exchanged numbers and then left (nothing happened, promise!)

on with the show. the five of us are really enjoying the performances (SHO finally arrives after a few minutes), especially the first timers. after the show, it's time to strut and dance. all in our tipsy modes, we went straight up to the stage and danced the night away.

then i thought of a dare for myself. i should kiss 9 people before the night ends!

the guy who followed me at the washroom, his name he said is MARLON, danced with me, and started flirting. then he asked me what gift do i want (as we talk, i told him that i am celebrating my birthday). i told that i want to locklips with him as a gift (i don't know why i said it). the next thing i know, we were french kissing like crazy. the group was just watching and cheering until the almost-a-minute kiss ended. it was hawt!!! sadly, MARLON has to leave early because he still lives in pampanga.

wait wait... that isn't actually a sad thing! at least i am not tied up with someone for the rest of the night!

so i danced and danced again. until i got tired, sat down, and puffed a cigarette (oh! i haven't informed you guys, i already know how to smoke... as if it's a good thing! anyway...). as i smoke, my attention was caught by a pretty girl dancing in the stage, making hand gestures as if asking me to approach her and share my cigarette with her. i did. she introduced herself, TETCHIE, and a friend, MAY. and, again, the same routine... dance dance dance. then i don't know what crossed my mind, but i asked TETCHIE if she can do a favor for me. i told her about the dare, and asked her if she can give me a kiss. when she asked me what kind of kiss, i told her that a smack will do. but she doesn't want a smack. and then...

she pulled me in and started french kissing with me!!!

and it didn't end there.

i did the same thing to MAY!!!

whoah! did i just french-kissed two girls? well, i must say, if the kiss with MARLON was hot, the kisses with TETCHIE and MAY were wicked!!! haha!

on with the dancing, TETCHIE introduced me to one of his guy friends... someone named RAIN. and OH.MY.GOD!!! RAIN is so good looking and so yummy, i think i am willing to sacrifice the 6 more kisses in my dare list just to locklips with him. when TETCHIE asked him if he can do it, he refused, saying that his boyfriend is just sitting a few meters away. i was disappointed, but it's okay. it did not ruin the already ecstatic mood of the night. but as i danced... someone tapped me.

it was RAIN.

he danced with me, and i did the same. he just said one thing while dancing... "i lied." honestly, i did not understand what he meant, but the next thing could have been one of the best palawan moments i had so far.

we french-kissed. and unlike MARLON's, TETCHIE's and MAY's, i felt that there is sweetness and passion in RAIN's kiss. the kiss was also long and wet (haha!) and we finished with a tight hug and some sweet dancing (even if they're playing trance tracks in the background)

but, sadly, no exchange of numbers. it's okay.

i went back to our group when i noticed that JOEN is actually doing something that we can just call... dirty dancing! haha!. oh, by the way, JOEN is straight... and his partner? MAY!! enough said. on, one more thing... DHAN was missing! haha!

wasted, i did not that i fell asleep on the table. the minute i woke up, the bar is almost closed, and my friends are just waiting for me to wake up. left the bar and JOEN has to part ways with us because he has to go home. the rest decided to go to my place and rest a little. i ended up sleeping soundly for 2-3 hours while the three of them just shared stories. waking up with hangover is bad, but it did not stop us from playing board games. they all left at around 2pm.

it was one of the greatest bonding moments i have had with them. definitely unforgettable.


let's finish the entry with a pic that JAY, another KonZeptor, made for me.

Tags: friends, interests, post-its, self
i am at: net cafe in 14th avenue
i feel: happy
i hear: Midnight Special -- Jeepney Joyride

yipee!!

remember this entry?

finally, i was able to find the song!!

Title: Shou Xin De Tai Yang
Singer: Angela Zhang
Album: Aurora

here's the video... listen and enjoy...