My friend Selma did hers and now, it’s my turn. This is always fun for me… and a good excuse to post something when the mind is temporarily blank.

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What were you doing ten years ago today?
I had to look this one up to be sure. It may not be exactly today but the weekend at the end of May 1998 was Memorial Day weekend and I was camping with friends somewhere in Northern California. My WordPress avatar, as a matter of fact, was from a picture taken at that same time.

5 things on today’s ‘to do’ list…
I just came back from a week-long business trip, so I would have to say… nothing, nothing, post this blog, watch TV and nothing.

5 Things I’d Do If I Was A Billionaire…
Let’s just say I have exactly one billion dollars in cash. Here’s how I would manage it:

First day, I’d take half a million with me and shop for musical gear to my heart’s content. Second day, I’d buy a small house with a nice size basement and have all the gear delivered straight to the basement. Third day, I’d go to the bank and split the rest of the money into two accounts. About fifty million in my savings (that should be overly plenty). The rest will be used for family, friends, charities and all future Santa Claus adventures.

Fourth day, I’d better get back to work already. I love what I do too much, I can’t afford to get fired!

5 bad habits…
Not only is this one bad, but weird to the max, as well – I don’t like being on the telephone. Hence, I do not call anyone unless it’s a life and death situation. And when you call me, either I talk to you for a few seconds or just call you back later. If you leave an entertaining message, that is.

That alone is worth 5 five bad habits, I believe. If not more.

5 places I’ve lived…
Manila, Philippines
San Francisco, CA metro
Los Angeles, CA metro
Atlanta, GA metro
Cheyenne, WY

5 jobs I’ve had…
Besides gigging as a musician?

Courier
Architectural draftsman
Construction help
Web designer/developer
Graphic/Multimedia designer

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So, that’s it! Go ahead and do yours, if you want. But I’d like to tag Mike, specifically, for this one. You can never know enough about someone. Not even your best friend, in fact.

Well, at least on this post, it is! He he! My dear friend, Selma, let me borrow this template so I could reveal some personal facts that even I myself might not have thought of in a long while. But I can’t promise anything special here. Just the facts, people. Just the facts.

So, here’s to boring the whole planet…

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My earliest memory is…..

… my 2nd birthday party. Manila, Philippines. 1965. I was wearing a t-shirt that had John, Paul, George and Ringo’s heads printed on it. The whole neighborhood was in the house paying their respects. All eyes were on me. Gifts. Offerings. I got ’em! I even got the biggest slice of cake, I believe. Why not? It was mine, after all. It was then that I realized I was destined to be a rock god. California, here I come.

At school I…..

… was dubbed Mr. KISS. Since their music was pretty much all the education I was interested in… teaching everyone about, that is!

My first relationship was….

… with a (third) cousin! Kissing cousins, that’s right. Hey, give me a break! I was 15, for crying out loud! What did I know back then?

I don’t like talking about……

… the weather. Life is a much better subject… yours and mine, that is.

My most treasured possession is….

… my faith in God. As with tangible things, well… it’s easy to lose your grip on anything in this world. Especially, when you’re dead.

I wish I had…..

… more guitars. Can’t have just seven! That’s preposterous!

I wish I hadn’t……

… eaten too much for dinner. I’ve got a gallon of tapioca pudding in the fridge. But, you can’t have your pudding if you don’t eat your meat, right? Well, I ate so much meat, now there’s no room left for the pudding! Nope, really can’t do it. Might squirt out of my bellybutton, if I tried. And this happens all the time, dang it!

At home I cook…..

… Italian, Chinese, Thai, Cajun, Southern cuisine and my personal comfort food… Jamie Oliver’s midnight breakfast. Served any time of day, any day.

My favourite gadget is….

… a Jimi Hendrix edition wah-wah pedal. ‘Scuse me, while my guitar gently weeps.

I’m very bad at….

… acting my age. Though, I’m afraid I’m starting to look it now. The mirror has suddenly become my nemesis. Damn you, bathroom mirror (splashes a glass of merlot on it)!

I’m always being asked…..

… Where ya from, boy? That’s what I get for being a lone Metro-raised Asian (and not looking my age) here in ye olde wild wild west. It’s quite an education, I tell ya.

It’s not fashionable, but I love….

… not being fashionable, at all. It’s quite inexpensive, to be honest. Besides, the Joneses don’t live in my neck of the woods, so there’s no one to keep up with. Lucky me!

The last big belly laugh I had was…..

… yesterday, in fact. I fell out of my chair (for the uhmpteenth time) listening to this classic prank call (for the uhmpteenth time). You should, in fact, do yourself a big belly laugh of a favor and check it out, as well. You’ll thank me for it… after you’re done ROTFL, that is.

If only I could be sure….

… ummm… no, nevermind. I am sure!

Friends say I am….

… deep. No wonder sometimes I feel like drowning (in my own philosophical pool, perhaps).

The song I’d like played at my funeral is….

… one I have yet to write. But actually, that’s kind of morbid, don’t you think? So maybe I’ll opt for, ummm… Someone Saved My Life Tonight (no, not sugarbear, silly). Or, how about… Goodbye Yellow Brick Road? Yeah, yeah! That’s it! Since I’m getting off the road to nowhere and am now on the road to somewhere, it would be perfect, I think.

My greatest fear….

… is that I might succumb to fear itself. It’s possible, y’know. Since, contrary to popular belief, I am not fearless, at all.

At the moment I’m reading…..

… Choosing Civility, by P.M. Forni. This dude was born and raised in Italy but eventually moved to the States and have since learned the value of practicing considerate conduct in everyday life by comparing the two seemingly different worlds he’s lived in. I believe that it is to one’s great advantage to learn (or even immerse into) a culture other than his/her own. Because, the more you know, the more you’ll understand. And the more you understand, the less questions you’ll have. And the less questions you have, the more you’re capable of accepting people for who they are. And the more people accept each other, the better the chances of this world shrinking into a nice little beach bonfire circle of sorts!!! And that, my friends, is what I call… California dreaming. Peace, Love and Harmony, y’all! Didn’t I say, the sixties rule?

At the moment I’m listening to….

… a lot of struggling, yet unbelievably talented indie artists you’re probably never going to hear about. Possibly, because their music is not quite the flavor of the month. Ever. Usually, I listen to new rock with a 60’s vibe. Right this moment, it’s The Nines. A Canadian power trio that combines raw guitar with Beach Boys type of singing. Also, there’s this band from London called Jackdaw4 that I have been crazy about for maybe a year now. They blend Queen-like harmonies with Magical Mystery Tour quirkiness. You should treat yourself and listen to Jesus Wants My Soul Back. It’s a thing of beauty!

My favourite work of art is…..

… one I create myself. Usually, through an altered photograph, a written song, or even a simple dish I happened to whip up in the kitchen. Nothing spectacular, by any means. Just my fave. Simply because I believe in me. Silly and all.

My worst job was…..

… at a construction firm in Atlanta, GA where I was tasked to clean a bathroom so filthy it should have been nuked instead. Let me put it this way… this photo you’re looking at is STERILIZED in comparison. I gotta admit, it hurt my rock god ego a little, but… oh well.

They loved me there, though. That bathroom, at the end of the day, was gleaming you’d be blind to look without your sunglasses on.

I often wonder…..

… what if people cared for each other more than themselves. Yeah! Imagine a world without money, door locks, plastic surgery or weapons. All in all, aren’t they all just bricks in the wall, anyway? Or so I’ve heard.

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Well, there you go. Everything laid bare for the whole world to see. Now, who’s brave enough to follow suit?