The Pacquiao Effect

So yesterday was the big Pacquiao-Hatton fight and unfortunately for my Ferdie, it was also the day we agreed to go out, watch a movie, and have dinner—-the end result of a massive Ferdie-Kat argument over the undying issue of “not spending enough time with each other.” And yes, I started the fight.

 

As with any day when Manny Pacquiao is in the ring, the streets were almost devoid of people and vehicles, save for a few spots where some kind-hearted fellows took out their huge TV sets for public viewing. As always, hours before the fight was aired on TV, there were several children running all over our little village screaming “Panalo si Pacquiao!” (Pacquiao won!) It was already being announced on all radio stations that after 2 rounds of hopping and punching, the Man from Gen San knocked the Man from Manchester out. Ferdie, who dislikes knowing the result of the match before actually seeing it, had picked up the news when he went outside to buy some soda. It was impossible not to hear what the whole city, it not country, was talking about.

 

With his sweetest voice and cutest facial expression (a trick I had employed on him countless times) he asked me if it was okay that we watched the fight before we went out. Because he had taken a day off work to spend time with me as I always insist, I conceded. It was, after all, only two rounds, and I was sure I was going to enjoy the time I had to wait for him.

 

There’s nothing more amusing than to watch a man watching a Pacquiao fight.

 

 

The Brits in the audience at the MGM Grand Arena were ecstatically waving their flags and singing their national anthem even before the start of the main event, and my man, sitting comfortably on his spongebob-yellow loveseat with a 1.5-liter bottle of Sprite was smugly saying “Mamaya iyak kayo lahat!” (Later you’re all gonna cry!)

 

 

As Manny was about to enter the stadium, my usually soft-spoken boyfriend spotted a huge guy in white, and happily announced to no one “Ayos yung bodyguard niya, si Batista yun o!Ayos ‘to si Pacquiao!” (Great, his bodyguard is Batista! This Pacquiao’s the man!)

 

When Michael Buffer said “Let’s get ready to rumble!” my Pacquiao fan-boy grabbed an ottoman, placed it in front of the TV and sat, leaning forward. I had to stifle a laugh when he shouted “Abshata,” a curse-word he invented, because just as he was positioned and ready to watch, GMA7 yet again, inserted a seemingly endless string of lousy TV commercials.

 

Finally when the fight started, Pacquiao’s punches were punctuated by my Ferdie’s yells of “Ayun o!”, “Ayos!” “Whoooo!” (There! Great! Whoooo!) and the echoing sound of his loud applause. Every now and then he would raise his fist to the air, with a triumphant whisper of “Yes!” and I would have to bite my lip so to not laugh, all the while teasing him that his new favorite song is Manny Pacquiao’s  “Lahing Pinoy.”

 

When Pacquiao gave Hatton that punch that ended their skirmish, Ferdie’s yells turned into taunts of “Now you know!” delivered in imitation of Pacquiao’s accent (Naw yuh- noh!) in his advertisement for VitWater that was earlier shown countless times.

 

He then ordered the television to show a replay in slow motion. As the TV heeded his request, Ferdie continued saying “Naw yuh-noh!” to the Britishman as he received the final blow, as he fell down, and as he was lying flat on his back in the middle of the ring.

 

 

With a huge smile plastered on his face Ferdie finally took my hand and led me out of his house. I had waited for not less than an hour (with all those stinking TV commercials prolonging the fight) and miraculously did not throw a tantrum so he gave me a loving little kiss, saying “Thank you for waiting.”

 

 

We walked hand in hand, smiling, saying “Naw yuh-noh!” and it was the beginning of a wonderful day of being together after all the fights, despite the stress, and in spite of the issues about time and distance.

 

 

So Manny, you have made one whole country happy, you have put one busy, cranky guy in a good mood, you have entertained one usually impatient girl, and you have saved the two of us from petty fights. Thank you.

 

 

Naw yuh-noh!

 

 

 

Unforgettable

The tears threatened to fall even though I was on a crowded bus—the only reason I did not allow them to was because my brother was sitting behind me and he just might see.

He and I parted ways and I went straight to BNCC. It was partly because I wanted to see Ferdie, but it was mostly because going home early would mean another night of crying myself to sleep, just like last Thursday. I wanted to exhaust myself and not have the energy to think, and, if possible, feel.

Ferdie was busy running around in his store. He saw me, took my bags, and seated me at the farthest end of the store. I busied myself with one of their computers, and when I got bored, I settled on a chair and read a book. Every ten seconds or so, a sinking feeling would fall upon me, and make me stare in open space. Every ten seconds or so my heart would beat in slow motion, my breath would come in a huge, deep sigh. Every ten seconds or so the tears would try to escape.

And then, he appeared in front of me, and with a quick, magical flick of his hand, produced a blood red rose, nicked from the Martha Stewart bridal exhibit at the mall across the street.  Before I could respond, before I could show my surprise, he was gone, and I was left with my hand clutching the flower’s short stem. This time, the deep sigh came with a smile.

With that, just that, he made everything okay. Again.

Ferdie, Kat, and the Eclipse

 Warning: Extremely cheesy, just the way I like it.

 

The eclipse was on a Monday, Ferdie’s regular day off work.  I was also free because it was the start of the lunar new year, a national holiday in Korea, meaning no classes. I forced Ferdie to cancel plans of getting a new phone for me on that day to go to Manila Bay instead. For a while he tried to convince me to skip this annular eclipse and just see the total eclipse happening this July, but I wouldn’t budge. Who would rather have her boyfriend get her a new phone than see an eclipse?C’mon? Who? Most girls? Ahm, okay, I’m not most girls,as Pink said in her song.

 

After my morning job we met up and we were already walking along the now restaurant/bar-free Baywalk at 4 o’clock in the afternoon. As moments like those are rare for us, with our busy schedules and all, I couldn’t help but overdo it.

 

Kat: So let’s take a walk here, like what lovers do.

Ferdie: Okay.

Kat: And let’s hold hands like this.

Ferdie: Okay.

Kat: And let’s sway our hands while walking, like this.

Ferdie: Okay.

Kat: And then you buy me balloons.

Ferdie: Ay, hindi na pwede yan!

 

 We walked the length of Baywalk starting from the US embassy. Along the way I saw a man selling inflatable toys in the shape of beachballs and penguins. I was only looking, but Ferdie saw me looking, and he suddenly exclaimed:

 

 

Ferdie: NO I WILL NOT BUY YOU THAT!!!

 

 And we burst into laughter.

 

 

 

We settled on one of the metal benches there, and looked at the sky. I was quite annoyed because it was too cloudy, and I might not see anything of the eclipse at all. Aside from that, I forgot my camera at the office and only had my cybershot phone, that although can produce good pictures, does not have enough zoom power. He took pictures of me, so that I be amused. This is an overused non-word but I must say I’m quite a camwhore.

 

I noticed the lovely cloud formations.

 

Kat: Mahal, do you remember when we were in Cebu, we looked for shapes in the clouds?

Ferdie: (Laughing) Because you were poopy and I had to keep you busy.

 

 

Poopy is our term for having a bad time. To get to a certain island in Cebu we went on a horrific 3-hour trip on a cramped boat in the hot sun and I was about to lose it when he had a brilliant idea and pointed out the clouds. The whole time I was thinking “Oh, this is so freaking romantic, you and me on a boat, looking for cloud bunnies,” he was thinking “Whew! Saved by the clouds.”

 

 

Kat: So I’m like this baby, that, on the verge of crying the adults would try to distract with toys?

 

 

 

More hearty laughter that we haven’t had in a long time.

 

Four fifty-five came and it was still cloudy. At 5:10pm, the sun peeked out of the clouds, and I saw, with awe, its lower left side darkened by the moon. I kept saying loudly “Oh, beautiful, beautiful!” while he tried to take decent pictures of it and failed. It was gone as abruptly as it came.

 

We sat still and I started asking him my silly questions again. As always, his answers were one-word responses, vague statements, or they eluded the real question. When I asked what his plans for this year were, his answer was something I’ve heard many times before:

 

Ferdie: Mahal, I don’t really plan.

 

 

 

 

We sat in silence. And then he asked:

Ferdie: What are you doing? (I was staring at the sky)

Kat: Waiting for the eclipse. It’s just like my sun, always hiding behind the clouds. (I have called him my sun several times in my poems.)

Ferdie: Well, if I come out, you’ll be blinded, because I’m so bright.

 

 

I laughed again. He can always make me laugh with those kind of lines, like when the time we were looking for small earphones because the regular-sized ones hurt my ears, he told me “If I can’t find you small earphones, I’ll buy you big ears na lang.”

 

 

 

 

It was about 5:25 when the tainted sun decided to show itself again. And again I blurted out “Beautiful, beautiful,” while he fumbled with both our camera phones. In his frantic haste to capture the moment he forgot to tell me that I was more beautiful than the eclipse. And I also forgot to remind him to tell me that.

 

The sun disappeared behind the clouds and came back as an orange crescent near the horizon. It was about to set, cutting the eclipse short. The people around us seem to be oblivious that there was an eclipse. I just heard one of them say “Uy, tingnan niyo yung buwan o!” pointing toward the sun. There was, however, one guy with a really fancy camera on a tripod taking pictures, and we approached him and watched him work.

Can't quite get the arm right.

After the sun had set we had dinner in the nearest restaurant we could find–Max’s. We ordered a dish called Tokwa’t Kininchay (plus of course Max’s fried chicken.) And as always, when we eat out, I asked him:

 

 Kat: What do you think of the vegetable?

Ferdie: It’s okay.

 

 Everything to him is “Just okay” and it annoys me to death. He would never say something is really good, or bad. He’s always just in the middle.

I rolled my eyes at him.

 

 

Ferdie: It’s magnifico! (with Italian accent)

 

 And there, I was laughing again.

 

Ferdie: The taste of the cilantro is too strong.

Kat: What’s a cilantro?

 

He pointed out a green something to me.

 

Kat: Oooooh….I just think it’s too salty.

Ferdie: Too much oyster sauce.

Kat: Kitchen stuff, I don’t know ‘em!

Ferdie: You should, if you cook.

Kat: But I don’t cook.

Ferdie: Yeah, too bad for me.

 

Hey, he said that jokingly. And it’s not that I can’t cook. I just don’t cook.

 

We walked out of the restaurant feeling stuffed and happy. As soon as we got out the door, he pulled me and ran.

 

Ferdie: Hurry!Hurry!Hurry!

Kat: W-what? Why?

Ferdie: The old lady’s coming after me.

Kat: What old lady?

Ferdie: The old lady selling roses!

 

We stopped running and stood laughing in front of the big fountain at the Rajah Soliman Park.

 

 Kat: If that old lady came to us selling roses I would’ve said “Awwww, roses.”

Ferdie: I know, that’s why I pulled you away.

Kat: I hate you.

Ferdie: You love me.

Kat: Yeah, I hate it.

 

 We crossed the street hand in hand, stealing glances at each other like it was just our second date. It was undeniable that no matter what our differences are, we click. We’ve been clicking for three years. And we’ll click until forever.

 

PS

You may wonder why I put my pathetic drawings here instead of pictures. Well, he bought me a sketch pad and a set of drawing pencils and here I am determined to prove I am the descendant of a Renaissance artist. (Humor me, please.) When he gave me my drawing set, I asked him “You’re building up my talent?”

To which he replied “No, I’m keeping you busy.”

Ow-kay.

Stubborn and Pushy

The day after a big argument….

 

Kat: Mahal, I’m sorry

Ferdie: For?

Kat: For being stubborn and pushy.

Ferdie: Yes (you are!)

Kat: Don’t say yes! Say “apology accepted!”

Ferdie: (Rolls his eyes) Okay, okay, apology accepted.

 

One minute silence…..

 

Kat: I’m stubborn and pushy?

Ferdie: Ewan ko sa’yo mahal.

 

Two Years, Nine Months

This is a story I should probably be writing about on December 5th, not today, but I was overcome with mushiness that I have to write it down before it escapes me. This is the FerdieKat timeline:

 

 

November 7, 2005

It was my first day of work at a restaurant called Banana Leaf Curry house in Alabang Town Center. There, I met my trainer, Sir Ferdz. (Later on, I pestered him into saying what he thought of me when we first met, and the word he used was “DRAWN.” He was drawn to me—haha, Ajusshi Magnetism in action!)

 

 

November 8-12, 2005

He totally bullied me—gave me a lot of things to do while the other trainees just traipsed around the restaurant. He also kept me close to him. He was always my buddy, he never partnered me with another senior employee.

 

 

November 13-19,2005

The eyeing began and I started it. For some reason, I always wanted to know where he was. If I didn’t see him anywhere in the dining area, I would make some lame excuse to go to the cashier, or the kitchen, or outside, just to find him. And since he was supervising the restaurant, he always moved around and it drove me crazy. I had to keep him somewhere near, and so I had to let him know I wanted him to be where I was. And what best way to say something without really saying anything? Eye contact. I gave him plenty, and many times he was the one who looked away, blushing madly. He got the point—soon enough the maximum distance between us was down to five feet.

 

 

Somewhere in between that week, I went to Powerbooks ATC on my 3-hour break. He asked me where I was going and I told him, all the while, in my head, I was sending him a message “Follow me.” And he did. I wouldn’t know it until later, but on that day, he followed me to Powerbooks and just looked at me. He always insists he looked only for a while and then got distracted by the comic books section, but since this is my side of the story I’d stay he pretty much stalked me.

 

Then, as I was going back to the restaurant, I ran into our bartender Jeff who was with a girl—Ferdie’s girlfriend. Yes, he had a girlfriend of five months, and the thing is, I had a boyfriend, too—-of three years.

 

“Nakita mo si Ferdie?” Jeff, asked with a mischievous smile. I think he knew Ferdie followed me.

 

“Hindi.” I said, cooly, but I was totally pissed with the appearance of THE girlfriend.

 

I spent the whole night being pissed.

 

 

 

November 20-24, 2005

I had been hearing talk that Ferdie’s contract was going to end. I heard him selling his uniform to another employee, and was very, very upset.

 

 

November 25, 2005, Friday

It would be his last day tomorrow, and we all went to some cheap beerhouse in Alabang. I wouldn’t have gone with them, but since it was for him, I tagged along. I had an evil plan.

 

 

November 26, 2005, Saturday (around 1 or 2 am)

 

We were on a jeep going home. I said to him, “Oh, sumama na ako sayo ha?Ngayon, ikaw naman ang sumama sakin.”

Now, he also still insists that I pulled him into it and he was quite drunk so he couldn’t complain. But I’m very sure he was positively leaping when he went with me. I took him to….

Starbucks. Haha! What were you thinking?

I insisted that coffee was on me, as a farewell present. We got a card that if we were able to fill with enough stickers, we would get a Starbucks 2006 Planner.And so we talked, And talked. And talked. We went home at 5am, and promised each other we would keep having coffee just so we could get the planner. It was just tha planner, nothing more.

 

 

November 26, 2005, Saturday (11am-11pm)

 

It was his last day at Banana Leaf, and we kept ignoring each other. We only talked about work-related stuff, never at once mentioning the fact that we were together til the wee hours of the morning.

The night ended with another coffee date.

 

 

November 27, 2006 Sunday

 

The first day without him, and I was very upset. That night, he showed up to take me home, and the whole restaurant roared! They knew we were both committed.

Another coffee date.

 

 

November 28, Monday

 

I was tormented by my co-workers, and was teased endlessly.

 

 

November 29, Tuesday

 

My day off.

Text Exchange:

Ferdie: Sa bahay ka lang?

Kat: Oo

Ferdie: Naglalakad ako sa labas.

Kat: Baka may makasalubong kang babaeng naka-orange.

 

I went out and walked along Alabang Zapote road. I saw him in the distance. We had coffee.

 

 

November 30, Wednesday

We got our thirteenth month pay, and went to Cowboy Grill. We were about 15 people or so, and occupied a long table. Ferdie and I sat next to each other and held hands under the table the whole time we were sitting.

The sang Halleluiah by Bamboo played, and he sang along to the part that says “Ngayong gabi, ako ang sundalo mo……..kasi mahal kita.”

Later on on, when he asked me when was the first time he told me he loved me, I said “I know—through the Bamboo song.”

 

I danced like crazy that night, and pulled him to the dance floor. He just swayed from side to side, rather awkwardly, and I enjoyed myself so much that at times I forgot about him. Suddenly he’d be back on his seat and then I’d pull him again, and he let me do it, many many times, even if he didn’t really dance.

Some of my friends got onto a platform, and then he lifted me there, too. As I danced on the platform, he stood below, perhaps ready to catch me in case I get pushed off.(He was really being my sundalo.)

 

 

December 1-3, 2005

 

Coffee Date, every night.

 

One of those nights, I gave him a CD, the FerdieKat playlist, which includes the immortal songs:

“It’s so sad to belong to someone else when the right one comes along.”

“I can’t let you see what you mean to me when my hands are tied and my heart’s not free, we’re not meant to be”

“Bakit ngayon ka lang?”

 

I also included songs I knew would make him more bonkers about me, like:

“If there’s somebody calling me on, she’s the one.”

“Into your heart, I’ll beat again. and you come, crash into me….”

 

And songs that talked about how I felt:

“I would runaway with you….”

“I’m falling even more in love with you, letting go of all I’ve held on to.”

 

 

 

December 4, 2005

 

I had a serious talk with one of my supervisors, who advised me to stop the crazyness I was getting myself into. She got through to me, and I knew the right thing to do was to say goodbye.

I told him I couldn’t see him that night, and that it was probably good to not see each other anymore. I said goodbye.

 

And then, he came to my house. We walked aimlessly along Alabang-Zapote road.

We talked. We agreed it was over. We would be hurting other people who loved us if we continued seeing each other.

He walked me to the gate of my house.

 

 

 

 

December 5, 2005, dawn

 

We stood by the gate, the quiet night enveloping us. It seemed like the perfect scene—-a starry night, cool December breeze, and two hearts that were screaming with so many things unsaid. It was like Sebastian the Crab was on my shoulders, whispering Kiss the Boy, Kiss the Boy, and the rational me kept thinking “Don’t try to make things harder.”

He said “I’m going to do something, because if I don’t do this, I’m going to regret it for the rest of my life.”

He got closer.

I got cold feet.

I went inside and shut the gate on him. He laughed a little.

Sebastian goes “Kiss the boy, kiss the boy…”

And so, I stepped out again. And he got closer.

 

And closer.

 

 

 

 

December 5, 2005 10am

 

 

He sent me a text message saying “Good morning.”

I replied “Please don’t text me any more, because I can’t not text you back.”

“:-(“

I stared at that sad smiley for a long time. And then I changed my mind. I texted him again.

And I called in sick at work so I could see him.

 

We have become FerdieKat.

My Sweet Home Alabama Moment

If you are a girl, a hopeless romantic, and you have seen Sweet Home Alabama, then you probably were swooned by the engagement scene where Patrick Dempsey proposed to Reese Witherspoon inside a Tiffany&Co. store and then asked her to “Pick one.”

 

First it was all dark, and suddenly the lights went on, revealing glass cases of sparkling jewelry that left Reese open-mouthed. And then, Patrick fell on his knees and popped the question. It was the ultimate awww….shucks moment.

And never, ever have I imagined that the most unromantic clam in the world would be able to do something quite the same.

It was my birthday and we were going to BoNa Coffee. When we got to Westgate, Alabang, he led me to a store just next to BoNa—a striking structure  with beautiful, antique Indian doors.  It was called the Bohemian Nation Trading Company, a sister-company of BoNa. He and I walked in, and I was greeted by the smiling manager, Nenette.  She seemed to be expecting me. “So, this is Kat,”she said.

 

I looked around and saw lovely shelves and bureaus, woodcarvings, intricately-designed chests and lots of beautiful wooden boxes that me the-girl-with-a-thing-for-boxes couldn’t get enough of. And then, by the stairs I saw them, and I knew. I just knew.

 

Nenette turned on the spotlights on the glass cases on the wall.

 

He led me to the glass cases and said “Choose a ring,” while Nenette  held a black velvet-lined tray for me. 
That day I felt just like a princess.

 

Sipping my tea at Bona Coffee, showing off my new ring

Yes, I know, it's blurred....

Center:oval-shaped ruby(my birthstone), left: square amethyst, small circular peridot, small circular topaz.right:square sapphire, small circular moonstone, small circular topaz

Looking around Bohemian Nation Trading Co.

 

Great finds at BN

 

 

Oh, and by the way, he didn’t propose.

 

Cebu!!!!

I’ve been aching to post these pictures but they were stored in Ferdie’s laptop that was busted for a long time and had to be brought to Singapore for repair and was thankfully returned just last weekend. So here goes Kat’s Cebu Adventure:

| View Show | Create Your Own

 

 

 

Memorable Moments:
I had a bottle of perfume in my hand-carry bag and was told by security personnel to get rid of it. I didn’t want to (it was Annella Green!) and much to Ferdie’s annoyance he had to line up and check-in my bag too.

 

I freakin’ cried on the plane because my left ear (where I always put my headset at work) hurt so bad. C’mon, t’was me first-time!

 

Took a boat to Botegis and cried too—because it was too mainit and masikip. (What a baby!)

 

Wanted to get my picture taken next to a pig, and then the pig went after me, so I ran and screamed my head off.

 

Oh, when I got to Botegis I had to ride on a tricycle meant for pigs!

 
Ate the best damn seafood that the residents of that small island catch themselves.

 

Attended a barrio-style wedding.Helped cooking in barrio-style bayanihan.

 

Took a bath Barrio-style—you know, just a small space outside, a cubicle made of wood covered with rice sacks. And the water was kept in huge jars. I wondered for a while why the water was slippery and then I found out the people there used rainwater.

 

Made my first sand-castle.

 

Went  to swim at a beach for the first time, and there was no water! Freakin’ low-tide!

 

Took a dead starfish and named him Patrick.

 

WHile on the ferry I drafted a letter to marine authorities in my head complaining about the seaworthiness of that big metal junk, and the pathetic state of their life jackets that don’t seem to be enough for all the passengers.Ferdie talked me out of it.
Lit Chinese incense sticks and made a wish.
Ate Puso and Ngohiong—only in Cebu.
Cried on the plane—again–back to Manila. I hate freakin’ air pressure!