ramblings from delhi

* ang lamig pala sa delhi. nasa 10 degrees celsius ang temperature kaya di na kailangan mag-aircon. nakaka-dry ng balat ang ginaw. buti at me heater kami sa apartment. simula march sobrang init naman.

* parang probinsya yung lugar namin. Naraina ay isang industrial area - medyo maalikabok, medyo magulo. pero para sa kanyang ilang libong residente, ito ay ang nakasanayan na nila.

* me nagtitinda ng refrigerated ice water sa sidewalks. para siyang dirty ice cream, pero imbes na ice cream e...ayun.

* kapag naglalakad sa sidewalk, maraming klaseng amoy ang iyong pwedeng malanghap. buti na lang matapang ang insenso sa mga tindahan. para ka lang naman nag-perfume ng tiger katol.

* siga talaga ang mga baka sa india. kung trip nila, pwede sila humiga sa gitna ng highway o lumakad ng soooooobrang bagal sa sidewalks at wala kang maririnig na busina o reklamo. in an unrelated story, masarap ang cup noodles na bulalo flavor. tikman niyo.

* sa mga bookstores nila, ang raming libro at ang mumura pa. oracle technical books na tig-ilang libo piso, mabibili ang indian (in-english, pero di kasing ganda ang papel na gamit) edition ng mga 500+ php. eragon (motion picture edition), mabibili sa halagang 300 php.

* meron kaming napuntahan na shopping district, ang connaugh place. mga 20+ minutes ang layo sa naraina. dito makakakita ng mga western-themed shops. mcdonald's, fridays', adidas, rbk, van heusen. ilan sa mga dinadayo ng mga tao - foreigner at lokal.

* pag nasa 5th floor ka ng mall, ano ang pinipindot mong button sa elevator kung gusto mo bumaba sa basement 1? siret? Press -1. 0 ang ground floor nila.

* mukhang kaka-introduce pa lang ng mga escalators dito kasi ang hilig nilang tumambay sa harap ng escalator kaya mahirap makaakyat. saka me ibang tao na takot na takot dun - me nakasabay ako ng kumapit ng mahigpit sa asawa sa first step pa lang. meron naman iba parang tumatapak sa hot spring - isang paa muna.

pictures: http://ianclarito.multiply.com/photos

celebrity sightings

i was doing my weekly grocery shopping at rustans. while browsing, i almost bumped into one of the maintenance people who was standing idly in a corner aisle. i was about to apologize when i saw him and three others smiling dumbly at someone. i looked at their line of sight. there was a pretty lady wearing jeans and no makeup with a shopping cart, standing just a few feet away. one of the other maintenance personnel went up to her for an autograph, which she gamely signed. i thought maybe she was some starlet and just went my way.

going to some other aisles, i overheard some salespeople whispering, "nandiyan pala si ????? alonzo". i wasn't able to get the first name. maybe it was bea alonzo, cute din ata yun. while getting items from my shopping list, i became more conscious of my surroundings hoping to get another glimpse kasi sayang naman. unfortunately, she seemed to know which aisles i'm going as i didn't see her at all.

i finished my shopping and proceeded to the counter. after paying for the groceries, i heard a few more salesladies whispering excitedly, "nandun si say sa counter na yun". so it was say alonzo. i looked - she was wearing a skirt and was all dolled-up. as i glanced back, i finally saw the "other" celebrity. it turns out she was in the same counter as me, only 3 shoppers behind. she had a bemused look, looking at say alonzo and how people were showering her with attention.

i left rustans and started walking for home. i was still thinking who that other celebrity was. then it hit me. crap, it was katrina halili - only FHM Philippines' sexiest girl of 2006. kung bumili kaya ako ng Gineb...este Tanduay, payag kaya siya magpa-picture? just thinking out loud.

and so ends a not so typical sunday night for me.

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note:
i am pretty sure the girl was say alonzo (kasi nakapanood ako ng ilang eps ng pinoy big brother. hehe). as for the other girl, i still think its katrina halili, though i cannot vouch for it as i'm not really familiar with her. pero malay mo, bilog ang mundo.

bus

i was riding the bus on the way to bicutan to process some papers. in one of the bus' many stops, an old guy gets in, scans the seats and finally chooses to seat beside me. the bus begins to move.

he motions to the conductor and when he comes asked, "magkano ba para dalawa papuntang alabang?". the conductor was surprised. but he complied, giving a figure and the guy paying in coins the exact amount.

i wondered, this guy came in alone and will definitely go down alone. why in the world would he want to pay for two?

then i thought of something - maybe the guy lost his wife. maybe they are from alabang or were supposed to go there. maybe because he loved her so much, he feels her presence wherever he goes.

maybe i'm pushing it too far with that theory. but if that was really true then everything makes sense.

at least to me.