So when I retrieved the phone, this is what goes on.

Me: Wait, I didn't hear the last 3 seconds you said. The phone fell.

April: What was the last word I said?

Me: Umm... 'because'?

And I'm thinking, yeah that's helpful. Because is a really specific word. It'll really make her remember where she left off...or where the phone fell.

This is such a weird post.

So, now that I'm more rested...well, sort of, I've been thinking about Lent. Yes, Lent. Now is the time to think about Lent. You know, now that it started and all. 

Okay, I'm babbling.

My sister always complains this time of year - abstain from this, don't eat that, don't do this. And she has this grudge against not eating meat because she can't survive without it. And she takes it out on me! Well, she doesn't hit me or anything, or bite me, or yell at me. She doesn't do anything to me, really. But that's besides the point.

And let me explain her point first. Because it's Lent, all Catholics (from the age of reason) are obliged to abstain from eating meat every Friday, and my sister sucks at this abstinence thing. She gets cranky when she doesn't have a taste of meat. Frankly, I find it hard to believe her. I mean, it's just a day. So she says, she withdraws from the obligatory abstinence and abstains on other things, like I don't know, cake. Why does she hold a grudge against me, you ask? Because I'm a vegetarian, that's why. I don't have anything to abstain from, I don't eat meat for all the days of the year. She feels it's unfair that I find it easy to get with the abstinence drift because, duh, I've already been riding the wave for like, two years.

But then, here's my point: I, pesco vegetarian Foz, have a harder time that all you others precisely because I don't have anything obligatory (i.e meat) to abstain from. Kind of ironic isn't it? It's supposed to be easy for me, but Lent is all about sacrifices and I can't freaking think of anything to sacrifice! Dad jokes that I should start eating meat. Haha, very funny...you know, doing the opposite. I tried to not eat fish (we're allowed to eat fish and seafood), and at the end of the day I thought, I don't eat fish or seafood some days of the week anyway, what makes this any different? So I tried to fast and just eat like, one meal a day. And I felt like that dog that just gave birth to the hundred dalmatians. I said, I can abstain from shopping the whole season, but a week into it, I got depressed and desperately needed to buy something.

See?! I'm having the harder time here! I can just very well pretend I'm not vegetarian and have a hard time like all carnivores on Lent.

Or I can just eat fruits that fall from trees.

My sister goes, "Kain ka! Super Sarap!"

I'm like, I kinda know what it tastes like. You know, I had a couple about thirteen years ago. My tastebuds still sort of know what a Krispy Kreme doughnut is. So anyway, I get a knife and I cut little pieces off a few doughnuts and taste. Everyone gets really pissed at me for not just picking up one doughnut, right? And I go, fine. I'll half this Boston Creme thingie with Daddy.

And I eat the doughnut....and it was...really....

Crappy. I am not happy with the doughnut. Or the other doughnuts I took a piece from. I don't know how my friends can claim they have like three or four, or how my sister can gush about how good it is (Well, she told me James Blunt was good so I don't really rely on her word but that's just me). Or, I can't even fathom the idea of Americans finishing a whole box or half a dozen in one sitting. Sheesh! These things can make you sick with sugar overload, not to mention diabetes. Your tastebuds may might as well shrivel up and die.

To make things worse, my head started to hurt. As if eating bad deep fried doughnuts wasn't enough. And after about thirty minutes, my tummy hurt like anything. My brain probably sent a red alert to my digestive system and was probably like, "Well, shit, joanna. You didn't have to eat THAT. Expel, men! Get this out of her system! Hurry! Hurry!"  

And so I reach the conclusion (to the utter dismay and violent reactions of most), I hate Krispy Kreme. May their deep-fried, big, diabetes red alert dougnuts rest in peace.  

I, Maria Joanna Francesca Foz Castro, have no vice.

I don't smoke. Never tried it. I am actually quite allergic to it, cigarette smoke I mean. I don't drink, only the occasional glass of wine (I'm glamorous that way, haha). Well, except for last night's dinner when me and April finished a whole bottle of really (I mean, REALLY) fantastic Sicilian red wine. I don't do drugs. Doi, hindi na nga ako umiinom at naninigarillo, bakit pa ako magdodroga?!

But, I'm not complaining. I don't need a vice. And it's cool not to be that kind of cool, you know? So instead of whining because of non-existent vices (unless being a shopaholic and coffeholic counts), I tried to understand why people have them. And I've stopped trying after, well, five minutes.  

So, is drinking on every occasion - you know failing a test, acing a test, not having anything to do, things like that - like shopping when i fail a test, or ace a test, or bored out of my wits? Are they on the same general vicinity? Or do I have everything wrong?

I have no idea why people get into these things.

Why won't we just get along? (Ok, I added this for extra cheesy effect. I didn't really mean that. Haha.)

If someone with a vice (totally different from someone who is vicious or viscous) reads this, can you please explain? Why? Why! No offense, but what is the big deal? And don't give me those answers that beg the question. You know, "because I want to", or "I'm addicted to it" or "Nakasanayan ko na e" (duh vice nga e). Or even the most whatever answer, "because it's cool".

And to those who don't have any other vice except well, shopping and coffee, don't get out of them. hahahaha.

"If you regard your caffeine habit as a vice, think again. Recent studies suggest moderate coffee consumption may be good for you. 

- Research in The Journal of the American Medical Association found those drinking three cups a day were five times less likely to develop Parkinson's.

- A Harvard School of Public Health study found men who drank more than six cups daily reduced their risk for Type 2 diabetes by 50 per cent and women by nearly 30 per cent.

- Japan's Cancer Institute says 3 to 4 cups daily may halve the risk of liver cancer.

However, the British Dietetic Association warns against drinking more than this: excessive coffee consumption can make you feel jittery or be unable to sleep. Pregnant women should limit themselves to two cups a day."

Well, feeling jittery is a given and I don't think I'm going to drink a full cup of coffee right before bedtime. So that solves that. And I'm not pregnant either hahaha.

April: We work well when we're bouncing ideas off each other.

Me: Bounce bounce bounce bounce bounce bounce bounce bounce.

April: Di ba we work well like that?

Me: Oo nga. Bounce bounce bounce *April joins in* bounce bounce bounce bounce bounce.

Me: Di ba it's such a cool word, "bounce?" It really captures the actual action. BOUNCE.

Me and April: Bounce... bounce... bounce... bounce.

April: It sounds almost onomatopaeic.

Me: Yeah, exactly!

Me and April: Bounce, bounce, bounce.

April: There's another cool word... soup.

Me: Soup? Hindi kaya. Not as cool as bounce.

Me and April: Bounce, bounce, bounce. 

Eating cornflakes and milk at 9pm is making me weirder. 

Why am I blogging when I should be checking and re-checking my luggage and carryon and all my papers? Why do I bother to check Friendster or what not when I have to leave for the airport in about 2 hours? No use hiding it now.

I have the pre-flight jitters. Don't get me wrong. I love travelling. I looovvee flying. Hell, I'm even thinking that the airplane food is gourmet. But pre-flight jitters always get me. The last two days, I can't help but think of the worst case scenarios that can ever happen. Here's a list (in no specific order):

1. The obvious one: I'm gonna die from a plane crash. [But flying is the statistically safest way to travel. I mean, you have a higher risk of dying in your car, on the road.]

2. The less obvious one: I'm gonna get injured from a plane crash and miss the whole trip, and probably the rest of the school year. [What if I lose my legs?! I'm a dancer, dammit. I can't very well imagine myself just moving my arms with someone pushing my wheelchair back and forth.]

3. The much less obvious one: The plane experiences some kind of emergency like low cabin pressure and we have to make an emergency landing in a least likely place like I don't know, Timbuktoo. [Dear Lord, I don't wanna get stuck in a place like Timbuktoo. And the stress of an emergency! It's too much!] 

4. The harmless one: The flight will be delayed for hours...or days. [We have bookings here!!! And it actually happened to me once on a trip to Vancouver.]

5. The common but I pray to God won't happen one: Our luggage will get lost somewhere along the way, especially on our Rome-Palermo flight. [I'm gonna DIE without my luggage. My whole life is there, not to mention all my clothes.]

and 6. The most most likely to happen and I'm preparing myself one:  Bad airplane food. [I'm vegetarian so I requested a vegetarian meal, which they say is like grass. So I might eat and much worse than eat, crap out grass on the plane.]

So there. Pre-flight jitters. It sucks. I'm really begging to God they all won't happen. Well, except #6. I already know that I'm eating grass. Grass isn't bad right? Better than eating beef.... Okay, I'm rambling.

But. If any of these ever happen... I expected it. I think. Oh...I'm dead.

God help me.

Ok, stop babbling. Back to NCIS... About three or more episodes of this very fun show has Filipinos as the bad guys. The show portrays us as internationally sought after criminals, assassins, and terrorists - even linked to Al Qaeda.

And I'm not complaining. Ok, I know I'm whack. And to show that I'm even whack-ier, here is my text conversation with April regarding the NCIS Filipino thing:

Me: I love NCIS and daming Pinoy na kontrabida! We have Al Qaeda links here and assassins! We're wanted criminals!!

April: Haha! Fear us world! We watch over your kids and grandparents, care for your sick, and kill important people!

Me: We teach thousands of kids in your public schools! Mwahahaha!

April: Mwahahaha! Are you sure we are not training them to bomb the Whitehouse?

Me: We are brainwashing your children to bring down America! Mwahahaha!

April: Hahaha. Your spy gadgets to pick up and pass on information are no match for our chismosang household help! Hah!

Me: Meron kaming mga bunot! Meron kaming mga bunot!

April: Papakawalan lang namin pulis namin dyan! All your billionaires will disappear within a week!

Me: And our taxi, bus, and jeepney drivers will kill your civilian redneck drivers!

April: Don't mess with us, or we will put MMDA's in all your intersections!

Me: And they will delay traffic for hours!!!

April: We will deploy our SM salesladies to attend to your shopping needs!

Me: And put all our Jollibee and Chowking employees to serve in your  many fast food chains!

April: And put all our carwashers in your parking buildings!

Me: And we will discharge all our eager commuters to go to your bus and train stops and not fall in line!!!

God...I hope the CIA got that. Hahahahahahahaha!!!!

My friends and my educ-mates are gonna snicker at this because I always say it: I want shoes. Gusto ko ng sapatos.

And even if me and my mom shopped for new sandals (a pair for each of us) and my racket money came in, ergo I was able to buy the Chucks I was eyeing for quite some time, I cannot seem to quench my thirst for new shoes... and a new recruit.

So, here's hoping that the sky will darken and black heavy clouds will form, lightning will crash and thunder will sound and shoes will rain from the sky!! Before this happens, however, I will call to the gods and enumerate the shoes that I want.

"Ohhhh gods! Look graciously upon me and shower me with beautiful shoes! I would prefer these pairs and they are in order from the least to the most expensive, so as to trouble not my dear gods!"

5. Havaianas, P695 to P895

4. Celine blue pumps (what I call Debbie Reynolds shoes), P999

3. Pretty Fit sandals, P1890

2. Chucks, P2630

and...

1. Nike white shox/dance shoes, P3800++

"Oh gods, hear my cry!"

*Dances with a rainstick around a bonfire*