Random 25 Things...

So I've finally given in...

The Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or anything about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you.

The Directions: To do this, go to “notes” tab at the bottom of your facebook screen. Paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your 25 random things, tag 25 people (in the right hand corner of the app), and then click publish.

1. My complete first name is Angelo Ma. Antonio. My Mom said they wanted to name me Andrew. I don't know why they changed it. "Ma." was added because I was born on October, the month of the Holy Rosary. "Antonio" was my Dad's way of making sure his name lives on even after he's gone. My two younger siblings carry "Antonio" in their names, too.

2. Because I have a three-syllable first name, I've noticed that people are too lazy to pronounce it and therefore have created several derivatives. In grade school, I was Morales (all boys kasi). High school, I was Ang(j)elo, Ang(h)elo, Girbaud. College, I became Anj. Now I'm Gel, Gelo, Anj, Ands, Angie, Gels, Geling, Angel, Gelo, Gelowers, Angeloski, Gelo.

3. Rarely did I get into trouble in school. I'm not sure now if that was good or not, because I now tend to be such a stickler for rules. I would was often a conduct awardee or one of the Most Behaved. Hehe! But there was one time that I did get into big trouble for giggling with my seatmate. The teacher sent me out of the room. It was liberating.

4. Priesthood almost became me. Believe it or not, I almost entered the seminary. Having been an altar boy for a really long time, priesthood seemed a life I could live. But the UP results came out and my father put his foot down and that was it.

5. UP education is one of the best life experiences so far. Angela Sarile inspired me (and thousands of other OrCom grads) to be in the field I am today. Betsy Enriquez taught me how to analyze media. Violy Umali showed me that statistics is not such a monster after all. Sid Hildawa brought out the hidden artist in me. Immanuel Magalit equipped me with the very important skill that is "making an outline." LC Lee and Ronald Henson made me see that teaching is really fun. My OrCom blockmates gave me a friendship to last a lifetime. To all. I'm forever grateful.

6. Together with my UP life is the Pahinungod experience, three years of being part of University's volunteer group have opened my eyes to what's really happening, why we need to act, and that we must act. If there was an opportunity to serve as a volunteer again and not have to worry about family, I would trade my present work for it in a heartbeat.

7. Volunteer work has brought me to the most wonderful places. The even greater thing about this is that they're not tourist destinations. I will always have fond memories of mountains of Benguet, the Mangyan communities in Mindoro and yes, the beautiful, pristine beach of Patikul in Sulu.

8. I'm a showtunes fan. I grew up watching The Sound of Music every Christmas at my Lolo's house and that's probably why I love musicals so much. Though I've seen several musicals staged locally, I'm still dreaming of actually watching a Broadway show.

9. The first time I was published on a national daily was on my junior year in UP. It was published with a byline by the Philippine Star in the then Young Star section. I wrote an article on my internship with Ayala Corporation, in response to an article written by a disgruntled Young Star writer. That sparked a series of more internship articles from other students. It felt good, and that was one of the moments when I realized that I could actually be in the written world someday.

10. ICON magazine is the contribution of my friends and I to the LGBT group. The magazine is gone, but I'm thankful that for 8 issues, we were able to do something about the status quo and we were able to send a message out there.

11. Some guys are addicted to cars, some girls are addicted to shoes, I am addicted to bags. It started in high school when I got my very first Benetton duffle bag. I can still remember the print of that bag. From then on, things got better and I met Jack Spade, Paul Smith, Mr. Fino, Mr. Coach, Mr. Gap and so on. Still dreaming of Mrs. Prada though.

12. Rarely, rarely, rarely would I lend my books to people. Unless I know that the borrower knows how to properly take care of a book, I would never lend it to anyone. Once, I lent a favorite book to someone and found coffee stains on the first page when he returned it, I had to restrain myself from yelling at the guy.

13. The smell of a new book intoxicates me. I love smelling the fresh pages of a newly bought book. Is that weird? Hehe! And no matter how hard I try, I’m still finding it hard to make the shift to e-books.

14. I'm a sucker for romance. Cheesy movies, little notes that say stupid sweet nothings, comfortable silence. Anything that has a tinge of romance in it, I love. And that's probably the reason it took a while for me to get over my only relationship.

15. I enjoy one-on-one or small get-togethers with friends. I just feel that that’s when I really get to know the person, that's when we really get to discuss things, and so on. I enjoy Sunday Mass with Noreen; late night coffee drinks with Carlo; movies with Grace; yosi breaks with Tey; and Gateway get-togethers with Bernice. I’m more of a spectator in large gatherings and that’s probably the reason why many have the impression that I’m quiet.

16. Latecomers and anything late are my biggest pet peeves. I guess I have to blame it on being an altar boy for several years where we were trained to arrive 15 minutes before the Mass and it sort of became part of my daily practice. When I was younger, I would be more patient in waiting for people. But now that I'm nearing 30, my fuse is shorter and I easily get annoyed.

17. I'm getting sick and tired of Manila. With the traffic, the noise, the chaos, I would rather be anywhere but here. But there are rare occasions like a friend's birthday or a good walk in Ayala, when I would actually find myself smiling and thinking, “This place isn’t so bad after all.”

18. Singapore and Iloilo are two cities I fell in love with. If I could, I would move to either. Iloilo because of the mix of country and urban feel, and Singapore because of the discipline, the order and the technology, and of course the audio recording on the MRT that announces the approaching train station. My favorite is Putong Pasir. It makes me giggle all the time! Hahaha!

19. An early morning flight is something that I love. The airport feels so asleep. People are sluggish. The feeling of quietly sneaking away from the hustle and bustle of crazy Manila is something I love.

20. Because I’ve been getting to meet personalities through work, I decided to start a sort of celebrity wall project. Hehehe! So far, the collection includes two National Artists, one really noted Filipino artist, a former President, three business leaders, a couple of basketball superstars, several local actors and actresses, a band called Chicane and an foreign actor/director named Quentin Tarantino. Hehehe! One day, I will have those photos printed and they will occupy an entire wall of a house I’ve yet to buy.

21. I recently started trying to be a pesco-vegetarian. One guy told me, “You’re living in the wrong country.” And I thought he was right. Still, very rarely would I now eat pork, beef and chicken. I have to thank Bernice for this.

22. If I weren’t that tired on weekends, I would love to cook again for my family. Once upon a time, I was designated Sunday cook. But now, I’m just bedspacer in the Morales house. Hahaha!

23. Two years ago, I started collecting art. My father (who is a good painter) somewhat inspired me. My collection is still quite small because I don’t have enough wallspace but I’m happy with it. Got a Jonathan Olazo, Mariano Ching and Claude Tayag. I think I’ll look for new works again.

24. I can’t remember the last time I went out on a date – a real date. Maybe it’s about time to do this again. Hahaha!

25. If I would be blessed to be a Dad someday, I would be the happiest guy in the world.