How To Be Single and Not Give A Darn

This is our pre-Valentine's Day post. Applies to SINGLE people only. (The truly single ones lang ha!) For this entry, SINGLE means NO BOYFRIEND AT ALL.

Note: This article is in Taglish. (Tagalog+English). 

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PANAHON NANAMAN NG pag-eveg. While everyone else around you are getting roses, chocolates and sweet messages on their Wall from their lovey-doveys, there you are: Single again. Single still. Single forever. (Hay, makapag-Jollibee na nga lang!). It's not that you hate being single naman, it's just that this particular holiday reiterates that you're romantically alone -- and that everyone else who isn't are being glorified on this day. In short, it's Single Awareness Day. 

Therefore, to honor this day para sa ating mga single (and not to be bitter about it), let's look at this as objective as possible... have a discussion and dissect the possible reasons on "Bakit Ka Single?" (Why are you single?) Here are some prompt questions I had in mind: 

#1 - Pangit Ka Ba? 

Humarap tayo sa mahiwagang salamin ni Kuya Boy Abunda. Ano ang iyong nakikita? At anong nais mong sabihin sa sarili mo? Granted that beauty of the heart matters more than beauty of the skin, but let's all keep it real and just admit that appearance matters. Now if you truly, whole-heartedly believe na hindi ka pangit, then hindi ka panget! Maganda ka! And therefore, this cannot be the reason on why you are still single. I can assure you that.

#2 - Masama Ba Ang Ugali Mo?
Maraming magaganda nga pero ang papanget naman ng ugali. Isa ka ba sa mga yun? Mahirap tanggapin ang ganitong klase ng katotohanan. But the first step to a better you is admitting that you were wrong. Ngayon, if after your soul searching and surveying of friends and family ay ma-conclude mo na "No, I'm a good person and I have people who treasure me, my values and my attitude on life" then great! If you are maganda and you are mabait, then clearly... these cannot be the reasons on why you are still single.


#3 - Sobrang Yaman Mo Na Ba?
Women of this generation are far more able to provide for themselves (and their families) than the women of the previous generation. With gender equality in the workplace on a steady rise, hindi malayo na may mga babae na ngayon na mas malaking kumita kesa sa kanilang male counterparts. Now the question is, tumataginting na ba ang yaman mo with your Louis Vuitton and Chanel collection along with your condo unit in Makati and hundreds of thousands in the stock market? If you find yourself answering this question with, "So what? I worked hard for that money and I earned it!" - well sister, good for you! Hindi krimen ang magkaroon ng maraming salapi, especially if you deserve every centavo of it. So no one should be able to take that against you. Ngayon, kung maganda ka na, mabait pa and mayaman, then clearly...these cannot be the reasons on why you are still single. (In fact, this ought to raise your market value even more!)

#4 - Boring Ka Ba?
Wala ka bang sense of adventure? Are there no aspects of your life that is exciting? Do you have a zest for life? Again this reflects on your attitude and outlook sa buhay. Some girls are content with work-bahay-work-bahay mode 24/7, no social life for 365 days in a year and probably eating the same kind of viand in the cafeteria for every single day. And while there is nothing morally wrong with that, it also wouldn't hurt to go out and live life to a higher, more exciting extent; because let's face it, people want to spend time with people who enjoy themselves. So, if you deduce that you are someone who likes traveling or spends awesome time with friends and family or is excited to do something dangerous once in a while, then you are not boring. Not to mention maganda, mabait and mayaman. Clearly, these cannot be the reasons on why you are still single.


#5 - Manhid Ka Ba?
So you've been hurt in the past. Hurt too hard and all too often. Maybe, you've shut yourself down completely (emotionally) and hindi na umuubra sayo ang mga ka-textmate na lumalandi with "Kumain nb u?" "San na u? Ingat lagi." Maybe you've had a bad experience with men or in a past relationship and you just can't bear to do it all over again at the risk of being hurt. That's understandable. Nature ng tao ang protektahan ang kanyang sarili. So if you believe na it's your right to protect your heart because no one else will help it heal in case it breaks again, then by all means, protect it. Puso mo yan. Pero siyempre, anything done in extreme is also not good. Wag lang overprotective diba? So hindi ka naman manhid, careful lang, plus exciting to be with, mayaman, mabait and maganda...clearly, these cannot be the reasons on why you are still single.


#6 - Idealist Ka Ba?
Eto na. Eto na ang kinahuhumalingang ilusyon ng maraming kababaihan. That there is that "perfect guy." With every description of his appearance and behavior already mapped out in our minds. Matangkad. Gwapo. Mabait. Mayaman. Loyal. (ubo!) And we spend most of our extra time dreaming about him and wondering, "Where the hell is he?!"Not knowing later on, that he was actually just right in front of you and you were too busy to look.

But let's go back to the Idealist thought...para sa akin, hindi masamang mangarap. Lalo na kung alam ko na ako mismo, ay magiging katuparan rin ng pangarap sa isang lalaki. In other words, you are free to dream if you yourself are a dream. Make sense ba? LOL. Dreamboys and Dreamgirls.

No, no, my point is: Kung idealist ka man, so what? Don't you deserve the best for you? After all, you are maganda, mabait, mayaman, exciting and knows how to protect her heart...then you deserve someone who is as precious as you are! We've seen many women all over the earth settle for guys who didn't know and appreciate how beautiful, intelligent and compassionate they were, and how did it turn out for them?

Here's the deal my fellow single ladies, if your answers to my questions above are a resounding, NO! or SO WHAT? then clearly, these cannot be the reasons on why you are still single. You are beautiful, kind, able, exciting, wise and dreams for a good life with a good partner.  The only reason that I believe in kung bakit pa rin tayo single is this: No one else has been able to appreciate, love and respect all those things about us. And that's okay, because at least WE appreciate and love and respect all those things about OURSELVES. Remember, it's only until we love ourselves fully that we can experience true love for another.

Please remember that women are allowed to be single. Hindi lang tayo allowed sa single area ng mga restaurants... but we are allowed to be cool on our own. And while we may feel the perils of being romantically alone on this particular day of the year, the silver lining of it is, at least, we're all being romantically alone together. Loverless but not LOVEless!

Tara, Jollibee tayo!


Cheers my single ladies...xoxo
EYECANDY

A Trip to Riyadh's Cultural Sweet Spot (PART I of II)

Who says you can’t have a little adventure in Riyadh?

More than two weeks ago, Sundrenched and I, along with my beloved brother, spent our weekend in a not-so-usual manner. By that I mean, we didn't lounge around within the confines of our homes, exercising with the refrigerator doors and playing thumbwrestling with the remote control. We actually went on an outing, hopped on a bus and went to a place we've never been before.

We’re lucky enough that our office’s Employee Social Club sponsors local (and international) trips for quite a reasonable fee. One of this month’s trips was to the Riyadh National Museum and the King Abdulaziz Historical Center. It was a good idea to shake up our weekend routines and see the sights of the Riyadh. (This is quite embarrassing on my part since I’ve lived here all my life yet I haven’t seen this landmark until then!)

Riyadh’s National Museum is right beside King Abdulaziz Historical Center and it hosts a large park area where cultural booths, playgrounds and food vendors can be found. We arrived at around 4:30 in the afternoon and were psyched to the core! Being with a tour group gives me license to take photographs and carry a big camera around my neck without having to worry (as much) with the religious police breathing down my neck. The people at the area seem to understand that it's a tourist spot, still, I was surprised to know that I was free to shoot my heart out. Yay!

Sundrenched is making faces. :) Behind is the open area where all the cultural booths are set up.

We arrived at during the late afternoon. It was a sweet spot for me because it wasn't crowded just yet and was able to chitchat with some of the vendors. Shoufti (Look):

A Saudi vendor, offering cashews and nuts for SR5 per half-kilo. A munchy snack while walking around the area.

A Bedouin woman showing off her skills with a ball of cotton (?) and a stick.

Ladies of Riyadh in their natural habitat: clothed in abayas and searching for a good buy.

Souvenir paintings and magic carpets for sale! :)

A tribesman selling teeny, tiny, silver weaponry.

Once we wrapped up roaming around the booth area, we headed on to the museum proper. Sundrenched will give you the low down on the must sees of the museum on the Part II of this entry. :)

A stroll in the park, headed to the museum. That's Sundrenched btw.

Sneak peek: Mountain climbing anyone?

Banners of the Kingdom's treasures (inside the National Museum).

We finished up our tour of the museum come evening time. When we stepped out, I was overwhelmed to see the number of people spending their Thursday evening at the park. It was PACKED! It's been a while since I've been amidst an almost-roaring Saudi crowd. Families were sitting everywhere possible, talking, eating and simply enjoying the company of the rest of the crowd. For a minute there, I felt like I was at Intramuros (in the Philippines), taking in a deep, cultural breath of Saudi life.

Facade of the King Abdul Aziz Historical Center

Come evening time, the park area was packed with people!

Ako na ang malakas ang loob! Taking a photo in front of a police car! *hehe* You can see one of Riyadh's landmark, the Water Tower standing prominently at the back.

The place is such a hotspot, media people are around to interview the Saudi public on how they enjoy their weekends. :)

Sundrenched was obviously my muse throughout the entire photowalk! Here she is, enjoying a not so-usual night, surrounded by all these people! :D

There was a lot of walking involved, but for the most part, we were just so happy to be OUT! Not only out-out, but out and about among the Saudi public. It was like watching them in their natural habitat...and seeing how a simple their joys are.

Sundrenched will be putting up a more detailed account of the museum trip itself, so watch out for that!

For now, ta-ta!

-ec-