Dropping Off McSpicy Kids at the Pool

Season 3 Episode 1

When you're traveling, do not eat what is readily available in your home country. Try out local delicacies, be adventurous. This kind of thinking is brought back in Lead Character's mind upon finding out that McDonald's Philippines is now offering the McSpicy chicken burger.

Right after watching Man of Steel, Lead Character and friends go straight to the nearest McDonald's to order, to taste once again, the aggressive kick that McSpicy chicken burger offers. After the first bite, Lead Character bows his head low and bursts into tears. Not quite as spicy as when he first tasted it....

FLASHBACK:

SUPERS: Singapore, May 2011

Lead Character and friends are exhausted after partying in Clarke Quay. They drop by McDonald's to grab something to eat. Lead Character doesn't order anything, still quite full and already sleepy. In a few hours, they'll be on a bus to Malaysia.

LEAD CHARACTER (lips pointing to his friend's food): NonFacebooker, that doesn't look like anything they offer in the Philippines.

NONFACEBOOKER: OMG, it's really good. It's spicy chicken burger, nom nom aahhh nom.

LEAD CHARACTER: May I have a bite?

NONFACEBOOKER: Sure, sure.

LEAD CHARACTER: Nom nom aaahh it's really spicy aaahh.

LEAD CHARACTER makes a mental note to order a whole burger for himself next time.

SUPERS: Two days later....

Finally, Lead Character gets a whole burger for himself. It's nighttime. The next day they're going to Universal Studios.

LEAD CHARACTER: Nom nom aahh wow it's really spicy.

Beads of sweat the size of ganglion cysts are dripping from Lead Character's forehead. It looks like he's in the shower crying after getting raped by women.

LEAD CHARACTER: Nom nom OMG this is too much I love it nom nom.

SUPERS: The next day....

There's an unsettling sound coming from Lead Character's belly, like something out of a disaster movie, something that portends mass destruction, like some evil monster about to destroy an entire city. Lead Character runs to the toilet.

LEAD CHARACTER: Mon mon mon (Get it? The opposite of 'nom nom nom.' Or perhaps that gives the impression Lead Character is throwing up? No, Lead Character is not throwing up.) Jesus H. Christ! What is happening?

It feels like Lead Character is shitting a mix of razorblades and barbed wire. And because there's a dozen of them and only one bathroom, Lead Character finishes quickly.

SUPERS: An hour later....

At the MRT station, Lead Character hears that portentous sound again coming from his belly. This time, it's not just auditory, it's sensational!

LEAD CHARACTER (to his friends): Guys, I'm really sorry, but I need to drop my kids off at the pool again.

Concerned with the tortured look on Lead Character's face, his friends tell him yes, they still have time, he can drop his kids off at the pool if it's really necessary. So off Lead Character goes to the public toilet.

There's only him, another guy, and a woman wearing a uniform, presumably the CLEANING LADY, 70s. Lead Character picks a stall. Normally, he waits for everyone to leave the public restroom before he drops his kids off. But this is not a normal time. So off his kids go, still feeling like razorblades and barbed wire, and this time, compounded by what feels like rock salt over an open wound. Lead Character is tempted to scream.

There's a knock on the stall door.

LEAD CHARACTER: There's someone here....

CLEANING LADY: (Something in Mandarin)

LEAD CHARACTER: Wait....

CLEANING LADY: (Something in angry Mandarin, and she's now pounding on the door)

LEAD CHARACTER: Wait... wait....

CLEANING LADY: (Livid Mandarin, more pounding on the door.)

Lead Character hurries. He wipes himself clean, or so he thinks, and steps out. Cleaning Lady is looking at him angrily. She's already had the main door locked. She unlocks it and shows Lead Character out. Lead Character gives her an apologetic stare with his head low.

Whatever Cleaning Lady was after, Lead Character will never know. Lead Character suspects she just wants to be alone while cleaning the facilities.

Lead Character's FRIENDS: So, you're all good?

LEAD CHARACTER (shaking his head): I can't promise.

When they reach Universal Studios, Lead Character feels the monster in his belly again.

LEAD CHARACTER (pleading look): Guys... I'm really sorry.

One of Lead Character's friends, KIYLI MINOGUE, male, late 20s, laughs.

KIYLI MINOGUE: Hemorrhoids! You have hemorrhoids if it hurts that much!

Lead Character feels like crying. How can he possibly get on a roller coaster if he has hemorrhoids?

Thankfully, Lead Character doesn't have hemorrhoids. His third time dropping the kids off at the pool kills the monster off. Lead Character feels free, not as a bird, but as something who just dropped the final blast of spicy shit after hours of torment.

For Lead Character, it's the best day of his life. And with the weakened spiciness of McSpicy chicken burger in the Philippines, Lead Character is disappointed knowing he may never experience that day again. After everything he's been through, Lead Character realizes that the best thing on earth is not love, or money, or friendship, or family. The best thing on earth is the feeling of relief.

The look of relief on Lead Character's face.

A Life of Croissants, Cheese, Cold Cuts, and Wine

...is la vie Parisienne at La Vie Parisienne, a cozy little container van-cum-bakery-slash-wineshop-slash-something-or-other along Gorordo Ave., Cebu City.

Lead Character is lazy, so he only took one photo during
one of their La Vie Parisienne get-togethers.
Here we feature NonFacebooker's sister Eyebrow.

Lead Character and his friends consider it the ultimate hangout that matches their age and economic status.

Instead of beer and the occasional whiskey (which, one might argue, actually matches their age as well), they have champagne and wine, both white and red.

Instead of the kropek, the sizzling sisig, or the chips that they used to have back in their, um, teens, they have brie cheese, cold cuts, croissants, and whatever else they fancy that doesn't necessarily complement the type of wine they're having.

And of course, everything they buy is congruent to the wads of cash that they have in their wallets. Every bottle they buy is carefully selected. They spend almost half an hour browsing through the shelves to find bottles of wine that do not cost more than Php200 each.

Come to La Vie Parisienne. Enjoy some wine, engage in intellectual discussions about books, socio-political concerns, foreign-language films, and eventually, sex, undiagnosed medical conditions, and memorable bowel movements.

Au somme!

Man of Steel (2013)

 
In case you do not know this yet, Lead Character is the Chief Procrastination Officer of his company. And to live up to his position, he is reviewing Man of Steel several days late. And to further outdo himself, he is going to write a lazy review. And here it is:

Any movie that features Henry Cavill is worth watching, even if the movie is tremendously flawed in its writing that Lead Character, at times, wanted to punch someone in the face, or in the neck, or in the small of the back.

Photo taken from jcentrecebu.com

To avoid having to suffer through a long line of moviegoers, Lead Character and friends decided to watch Man of Steel at JCentre Mall. Their cinema is quite small but pleasant. Even if you sit in the front row, your viewing experience will not be compromised as it's at a good distance from the screen. There are a couple of things, though, that Lead Character didn't enjoy. First, the volume was too low. Whether or not it was only the case for that specific screening of Man of Steel doesn't matter. First impressions last. Another, their popcorn comes in just two flavors: salt and cheese. Lead Character prefers sour cream and onion. What's worse? They put too much cheese powder in Lead Character's popcorn that it tasted saltier than a wrestler's neck. For the first time in his life, Lead Character couldn't finish his large bag of popcorn.

Lazarus

Lead Character is back. You probably thought he's long dead, and perhaps that's been the case. But now he's been resurrected.

The sad thing, though, is that you might think he's bigger than ever. But no. He's about the same size as before. He just hopes to be prolific this time.

And to celebrate his return, he would like to tell a rape joke. If rape jokes offend you, then please stop reading right about HERE. Leave! Close the browser! Do not read past this sentence.

The title of this joke is:

"Casting for a Movie That Features Rape"

A producer and his director are holding an audition for the role of a rapist in a hopefully sexy enough flick that it would be a box office hit. Because of what is required of the role, they have some trouble finding the right actor. Three struggling newcomers show up to audition.

The director asks Actor #1 if he would be OK shooting a rape scene, where he would rape, say, someone like Jessica Soho. Actor #1's eyes widen. He shakes his head. "That would be wrong. I am fine with shooting a rape scene, but not with Jessica Soho." The producer asks why not. Actor #1 says, "Jessica Soho is an accomplished journalist. She is brave, intelligent, and widely respected. If it were with someone stupid and shallow, it would probably be OK."

And with that, the producer and director say, "Thank you for your time. And best of luck." Actor #1 leaves.

The director asks Actor #2 if he would be OK shooting a rape scene, where he would rape, say, someone like Jessica Soho. Actor #2 straightens his stance. "Only if it is done in a serious manner." The producer tells him the movie is a sex comedy, and people will be expected to laugh while someone is being raped. Actor #2 shakes his head. "Then I'm sorry. Rape should never be treated as a joke."

And with that, the producer and director say, "Thank you for your time. And best of luck." Actor #2 leaves.

The director and producer are now fearing that they will never find the right actor, that they might have to resort to CGI in order to accomplish the rape scene. They call on Actor #3, rather gloomily, certain about how it is going to turn out.

The director asks Actor #3 if he would be OK shooting a rape scene, where he would rape, say, someone like Jessica Soho. Actor #3 nods and says, "Sure." The producer gives a quizzical brow. He tells Actor #3, "This is going to be a sex comedy. People will be expected to laugh while someone is being raped." Actor #3 nods and says, "Sure."

The producer and his director are relieved. They finally found their rapist.

Actor #3 clears his throat. "Under one condition, though."

The producer and his director are quiet for a few seconds. The producer brings himself to ask Actor #3, "What is it?"

"I'll do the rape scene. But only if Jessica Soho is on top of me."

The director shakes his head. "Then that won't be possible. How could you possibly rape someone who's on top of you?"

Actor #3 takes a step back. "Thank you for your time, gentlemen. And best of luck." Actor #3 turns to leave.

The producer jumps from his seat. "Now, wait a minute! I'm sure we can figure something out."

Actor #3 turns to face the director and producer again.

"I would like to know," the producer says. "Why are you only willing to shoot the rape scene with Jessica Soho on top of you?"

Actor #3 takes a deep breath, his eyes bore into theirs. "I do not, and never will, take rape lightly."