Taken Out of Context (How to Lie by Telling the Truth)

Last Tuesday, Elbert told me and our friend Cathy this:

Elbert: Yes, yes, I'm gay. I just don't make a big fuss about it. You don't make abig fuss about you being straight, do you?

Of course the next day, he gives me version 2 of his comic, Two Color Truth Theatre. At the end of the comic, he leaves a note saying the statement above. Vin, Nikki,and Andrew can bear witness to that.

And tomorrow, Elbert is having lunch with a male "friend". Aforementioned friend is treating him out to pizza, and is also the same friend who incessantly calls him frequently in the evenings with him talking on and on for several hours. The two also hug (!) and share an interest in comics, as well as sharing the same classes and network of friends.

Also to quote Elbert, "gender is elective". And let's not forget the fact that he claims to have sex appeal, and it's not really surprising that guys come up to him during conventions and asks for his picture.

Flowers from FPJ

Regarding something less "fictional", my late grandmother did receive condolence flowers from FPJ at the behest of a certain uncle.

The clan was divided in whether to be happy or sad (yes, some of my relatives are voting for FPJ, others squirming at the thought).

The Wake

In the past five days that my grandmother's corpse is at the church, there's been three different necrological services.

For example, we're Protestant, but one branch of the family is Catholic. In addition to that, my grandmother has a church group with the sermon in Chinese, and I did spent this morning listening to songs and sermons in a language that's incomprehensible.

Let's not forget the rituals needed to be observed, such as putting a red and white sash over ourselves (Chinese ritual).

Funeral

Early this morning was the funeral. And of course, certain cousins were late. Perhaps what made the whole thing unbearable was that the entire event was held in Chinese, complete with Chinese rituals unfamiliar to me. There was even a point when some cousins, with sashes of white, were touching the car carrying the coffin. My sash was white and red and one of my "relatives" (again, another problem is not only am I not familiar with their names, I'm not sure who's related to who... luckily, my ignorance of Chinese serves me best as when someone talks to me asking me if I remember them, I merely reply "I don't know Chinese" [in Chinese]) pushed me into touching the vehicle, so I did walk all the way to the village gate touching the car, when I'm not really supposed to (something only those with the white sashes are supposed to do).

After getting buried at Heritage in Makati (which my mom initially told me was "near" but well, Makati is a bit far from Greenhills, you know), it was just 9:30 am and I thought I'd be getting home early. But apparently, Chinese funerals involve eating at a Chinese restaurant in the end. And since we were early, the restaurant was just opening when we got there.

So again, I am forced to eat Chinese food. I'm already dreading next week when it's Christmas time.