fake it 'til you make it

"Sometimes it is not enough that we do our best; we must do what is required." Winston Churchill

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There are times when I find myself in an upscale social gathering and ask myself, what am I doing here??

Amidst the ladies and gentlemen dressed to the nines, here I am in a corner, socially awkward: wearing pants and t-shirt, scrolling my phone to appear busy, and randomly smiling at people who look at me and are probably thinking what is she doing here? (It's cocktails time, by the way.)

I am covering a birthday bash of someone I do not know. Apparently, the birthday girl is a social being on top of the societal hierarchy. So what to do? Just do it! Jot down notes, take pictures, tweet the event, and wait until the curtains close.

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This isn't a rant on one of my coverages rather a post on how amusing, bewildering it is to witness a "sosyalan" when you came to it unprepared. I should have worn a dress had I known. Dressed up or down, what matters most is that I get the details and write the "story".

take it from someone with a double K and C

Just recently, Hollywood couple Kim Kardashian and Kanye West named their child, North, which makes him North West. This got numerous reactions from netizens, which, I think was what the actors are trying to achieve. 

Quirky names, huh? But this is quite normal in the Philippines.

Back in 1991, a Filipina mother gave birth to her daughter and decided to complicate things by naming her newborn, Nickky.

Filipinos also have a knack for "name recall" in its purest, most literal sense: Bhong-Bhong, Jhing-Jhing, Noy-Noy, Jhen-Jhen, Tin-Tin, Pek...

World Boxing Champion Manny Pacquiao named his daughter, Queen Elizabeth. 

While others combine names to come up with Rodjun (Rodela and Jhun-Jhun) or Luviminda (Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao). 

Also recently published in the local newspapers was a family with penchants for long names. One family member has 40 first names and goes by Ratziel Timshel Ismail Zerubbabel Zabud Zimry Pike Blavatsky Philo Judaeus Polidorus Isurenus Morya Nylghara Rakoczy Kuthumi Krishnamurti Ashram Jerram Akasaha Aum Ultimus Rufinorum Jancsi Janko Diamond Hu Ziv Zane Zeke Wakeman Wyu Muo Teletai Chokhmah Neserthrah Mercavah Nigel Seven Morningstar, San Juan. Whew! 

While there are persons named after an event, a saint, food, or hobby.

"What's in a name?,"  Juliette asks, "that which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet". 

But every person's name at least has a history, or an inspiration. 

"You don't like your name? It's so unique," my mom would always rationalized every time I ask her why my name is spelled so. She said it was her favorite name and she had her college notebooks to back up her claim. There, scribbled at the back of her notes was "Nickky". My second name came from a saint. You know that nun from the 3 o'clock habit, sister Faustine?

But can we choose our names?

Apparently, we can, if we have compelling reasons and willpower to succumb to the National Statistics Office's red tape. 

But seriously, please name your babies with "decency", because on the other side of the globe, there is someone suffering, and she goes by the name, "Juniper". 

Filipino actor, Ding-Dong Dantes 

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Worst celeb baby names

women as objects and why I don't wear shorts (that much)

Women flaunt and brandish what their mama gave them whenever they see someone attractive. According to personal experiences and online researches, women will walk across the room so the men they find cute can see what they got.

Women have always been the object, the painting, while the men are the player, the observer. Males are very visual, they adore gazing at women-- their breast, legs, hair, eyes, figure, feet--at a very obvious manner because apparently, they don't have an "encompassing visual capacity" (i coined this, lol). What I mean is they have to check out a girl, look at her from head to toe, and eventually get caught by the "object", unlike women who have "wider eye view", who can easily check out someone sans being obvious.

This is why I shy away from wearing short shorts whenever I can even if we're allowed to wear such in our male-dominated office. I also barely wear skirts, except when I run out of my jeans. I hate catching men looking at me. I loathe it when a guy looks at me from head to toe like I'm some kind of an alien. BUT, I can't help but wear cutout and sleeveless tops. Haha!  

Just this Sunday, we watched our male friends play basketball. I wasn't even surprised that most of the women who were watching the league were wearing short shorts and some, skirts. I kind of expected it. I think I was the only one in jeans.

thanks google for the photo

Every girl owns a pair of "perfect shorts", it is one of the easiest fashion items that go with anything. When I was in college, I had two bad experiences that opted me to veer away from wearing leg-baring bottoms. One, my family and I were in a grocery when suddenly my father kicked and punched a random guy who was apparently, checking me out. It made a fleeting commotion and I had to run away from the scene. The other experience was again, I was with my family doing grocery, a man was apparently smelling me from behind. I didn't notice it because I was busy choosing between dark or milk chocolate. This time, my father didn't punched the man, but scolded him. (Eh ang ganda ko daw eh anong magagawa ko? Charing!)