Why Not?

Why Not?

Save your sanity, forget all your worries,a nd go out tonight! Drink and be merry! After all, Tuesday is a gimmick night!

9 Ingredients. 20 Cocktails

The Cocktail Party has been all the rage in the metro recently; so let’s say you are trying to live up to your partyphile name and would want to throw a cocktail party for your friends. Let’s say you are on a tight budget, but would want to create and serve as many drinks as you possibly can; which actually makes sense because more drinks spell a lot more fun for your guests. Instead of settling for one or two cocktails, your guests would (surely) rather choose from a wide array. How could you do that while staying on the budget? Easy as pie. Just keep on reading.

Here is a list of everything you will need to throw your own (simple but) fabulous cocktail party: Vodka, Dry Vermouth, Tonic Water, Red Bull, 7-Up, Orange Juice, Lemon Juice (or Calamansi juice if you are truly trying to stay on budget), Iced Tea, and Jell-O.

Here are the most basic cocktails featuring two ingredients. Start with these and move on to more complicated cocktails once you have perfected them. The measurements here are just to serve as a guide on the proportions, but you could change them up as you wish.

1.) Vodkatini- In a shaker, mix half a shot (or less, depending on your preference) of dry vermouth with two shots of vodka over ice. Shake. Strain (making sure there is no ice in the serving glass) into a long-stemmed martini glass.

2.) Screw Driver- Pour a shot of vodka in a highball glass filled with ice cubes. Pour orange juice to fill. Stir and serve.

3.) Vodka Red Bull- Follow the instructions for Screw Driver, replacing the Orange Juice with Red Bull.

4.) Vodka Tonic - Follow the instructions for Screw Driver, replacing Orange Juice with Tonic Water.

5.) Iced-tini - Follow the instructions for Screw Driver, replacing Orange Juice with Iced Tea

6.) Vodka 7- Follow the instructions for Screw Driver, replacing Orange Juice with 7-Up

7.) Lemon Drop- Follow the instructions for Screw Driver, replacing Orange Juice with Lemon Juice. You may also add sugar for extra-sweetness.

8.) Electric Jello- Prepare Jell-O as you normally would, replacing some part of water with vodka, depending on how strong you would want them. Remember, however, not to cook your vodka. So if your gelatin recipe asks you to cook your vodka, put the alcohol in right before putting the gelatin into their molds. I always use those plastic condiment cups to hold my Electric Jello shots because they are a good size and they slide of very easily. Try this recipe with any and every Jello recipe, or if you are on a really tight budget, try local gulaman.

Simple enough, right? You could opt to stop with these seven fantastic drinks, which your guests will surely love; but if you want to bring your party a notch higher, try these cocktails that feature three simple ingredients:

9.) Rainy Night- Follow the recipe for a Vodkatini. Add a dash of Lemon Juice and serve in a highball glass over ice.

10.) Firefly- Follow recipe for Rainy Night, replacing Dry Vermouth with Grenadine.

11.) Johnny (or Zhaun in honor of me) On the Beach - In a highball glass filled with ice cubes, pour a shot of vodka and then fill to the brim with equal parts lemon juice and orange juice.

12.) Vodka Pink Bull- In a highball glass filled with ice cubes, pour a shot of vodka, a tablespoon of grenadine, and fill to the brim with Red Bull.

13.) Addison (or Zhaun.hehe) Special- Follow recipe for Vodka Pink Bull, replacing Red Bull with Orange Juice.

14.) Pink Pie- Follow recipe for Vodka Pink Bull, replacing Red Bull with 7-Up.

15.) Raging Bull- In a highball glass filled half-way with ice cubes, pour a shot of vodka. Fill to the brim with equal amounts of Red Bull and Orange Juice.

16.) Anti Freeze- In a highball glass filled half-way with ice cubes, pour a shot of vodka. Fill to the brim with equal amounts Tonic Water and Lemon Juice.

Alright, now that you have mastered (in theory) those level-two recipes, it is time to make more complicated cocktails which are sure to keep your guests gushing (about the drinks you served) until the next morning, or maybe even until your next get-together.

17.) Raging Pink Bull- In a highball glass filled half-way with ice cubes, pour a shot of Vodka and a tablespoon of Grenadine. Fill to the brim with equal amounts of Red Bull and Orange Juice.

18.) Red Whip- Follow recipe for Raging Pink Bull, increasing the Grenadine to two tablespoons and replacing Red Bull with Orange Juice.

19.) Italian Bastard- Pour a shot of Vodka and half a shot of Dry Vermouth over a highball glass filled half-way with ice cubes. Fill to the brim with equal parts Orange Juice and Lemon Juice.

And here is the final drink, featuring five simple ingredients. This tastes fresh, citrusy and has a beautiful subtle pink color. Be careful though, this may pack quite a punch.

20.) Surf Rider- In a highball glass filled half-way with ice cubes, pour in two shots of Vodka, half a shot of Dry Vermouth, a tablespoon of Grenadine and fill to the brim with equal amounts Lemon Juice and Ornage Juice.

You now have 20 great cocktail recipes under your belt, try what seems to be appealing to you, starting off with the least ingredients you could afford (at the moment). Not all of these recipes are tried and tested (thank god for www.webtender.com), and some I have actually edited myself to decrease the number of ingredients in the cocktail; but for a novice bartender, this is a good start. Remember to taste your cocktails before serving them, come up with your own proportions (which may vary depending on the glass you are using) and please have fun with these cocktails.

I hope you enjoy these recipes and this article, and please do invite me over for some cocktails some time. You know how to reach me:

http://party.i.ph for comments, suggestions and more confessions from this partyphile.

Also, please catch Confessions of aPartyphile (the radio show) on 105.9 Mix FM every Wednesdays, 6 to 9 PM.

And please add me up on Plurk, I’m in terrible need of a Karma increase. http://www.plurk.com/zhaun/invite.

The Best Teacher

I learned early in life that “experience is the best teacher“. I’ve heard it many times over in the movies, I’ve read it on those generic cardboard cards my Aunts used to send me during my high school retreats, I have even received an antique Friendster testimonial with just that line written on it, glammed up with glitters and roses, as if that would make the line even more believable.

So, no, I’m not going to put you through that all over again. This article isn’t at all about experience. It is about a real teacher, an instructor, a second mother.

Ever since I could remember, I didn’t really take a liking towards the teachers that I was forced to deal with as a student. It didn’t help that the teacher who greeted me on my first day in “big school” was butt-ugly and resembled Skeletor (of course, I now know it wasn’t her fault that she wasn’t exactly attractive to all seven year olds), and that she labeled me as a disturbed child (she asked us to color the first page of our Religion book. I picked Black and stuck with it until every nook and cranny of the page looked like a lump of coal. She says that is tantamount to disturbia).

I was always a bit rebellious; I hated almost every authority figure I was faced with, and my teachers were always the easiest target.

I had always thought that teachers just did what they had to do--for a living. I never really believed the crap that that people said about teachers teaching as a vocation. I never took time to really get to know my teachers and I really didn’t appreciate the real person behind the android who was yapping away in front of me everyday for 10 months.

That all changed when I met Ms Corbit.

She was my Math teacher in 3^rd year High School. I belonged to a class filled with wild weirdos. We ate popcorn and chips during History class (the teacher didn’t exactly enjoy that our chewing didn’t have a “silent mode”). Half of the class excused themselves to “urinate”, whenever we had a quiz (trust me, I am not exaggerating). We passed around glasses of coke during Chemistry class; one of my classmates even threw a bag of Lifesavers in the air for all of us to catch during an exam. We slept and snored during Religion class; we held fashion shows and walk-offs during Filipino class; we made, ate and shared sandwiches during English. We were every teacher’s nightmare.

We intentionally did those to annoy our teachers so they would stop all their (seemingly) senseless blabber and we could finally be heard, or maybe get some sleep. But not during Math. We loved Ms Corbit. She respected us, and we, in turn, respected her.

One day, one of my classmates asked her “why?” “Why study Math and functions, formulas, and computations, when we know we wouldn’t need them in the ‘Real World’?”

The question was familiar. Every smart-alecky classmate I had since Grade 5 had already asked our Math teacher this same question. Our teachers usually answered, irritably saying “that is what is required by CHED”, “that is what the head teacher tells us to teach”, or “that is what is written in the prospectus”.

Sometimes, we’d fell insulted that our teacher didn’t trust our intellectual capabilities to understand the co0mplexities of the Educational system in the country. Sometimes, we’d think our teacher was just as clueless as we were about the matter. But most of the time, we would just shrug it off. We were so used to this type of answer. We didn’t even bother to pry further on the topic because, well, we were disappointed and it just seemed to piss our teachers off.

But unlike all other Math teachers before, Ms Corbit seemed unfazed by the question. She actually seemed to welcome it. And then she smiled and said:

“We do not teach you all these formulas and theories because you will need them in your future lives, because, honestly, I don’t really think you would. However, without you knowing it, Math has already taught you how to analyze, to solve problems on your own. You may not know it or realize it now, but Math has already helped you improve your common sense. And that is what you will need later on in life. And that is why I try to teach you Math. You may not memorize the formulas and the theories, but the way I may help mold your mind, that is what I truly want to impart to you.”

I don’t know if those were her exact words, or if she had said it as eloquently, but that was certainly the message she wanted to get across. And for the first time I had fallen in love with the concept of a teacher who truly wanted to be our second Mother.

I felt like she truly wanted to look after us, and wanted to look out for us even after the school year was over.

I still suck at Math, I never really mastered those formulas and concepts, and I still have no Mathematical inclinations to speak of, but Ms Corbit left me with one of the more powerful lessons I’ve learned.

She taught me to look at the bigger picture. She taught me to never stop asking, she taught me the value of independence, she taught me not to settle until I am truly satisfied. More importantly, she taught me that teachers are supposed to be friends, not annoying, androidical (emotionless, heartless, unsympathetic) enemies.

And only a great teacher can teach you all those, with five heartfelt sentences.

Confession:

I am writing this to inspire teachers to do better and to treat students with the same respect that they would require from them. Please do not underestimate your students, they are usually wiser than you imagine.

To all the students: try to appreciate your teachers. They are real people who can commit mistakes. I didn’t believe it at first, but I have actually created special friendships with my teachers after Ms Corbit. So please give your teachers a break, and a chance. Get to know them more, not only as the people who will be responsible for grading you, but for the people who will have touched your journey through life with ideas, challenges and, maybe even, a special friendship.

Catch Confessions of a Partyphile (the radio show) on 105.9 Mix FM (or www.mixfm1059.com) every Wednesdays, 6 to 9 in the PM.

For comments, suggestions, questions (your queries are more than welcome) and more confessions from this Partyphile log on to http://party.i.ph.

And please add me up on Plurk, I’m in terrible need of a Karma increase. http://www.plurk.com/zhaun/invite.

Why Am I Jobless?

Leonardo Da Vinci, Albert Einstein, Vincent Van Gogh.

What do they have in common? First of all, they clearly used the right side of their brain more dominantly. Secondly, they are known to have lived miserable lives. Why?

Well, probably because of the same fact that made them great: they used the right side of their brains more dominantly. They foregone common logic; little, minute details; and setting real, tangible goals. They were, for the most part, subjective, rather than objective. They were creative, not always productive; intuitive rather than rational; and random rather than sequential.

Why am I telling you this?

Because recently, I took a quiz on Facebook, and discovered that I too use the right-side of my brain more dominantly.

Why is this important? Because this little piece of information made me realize a great deal about myself.

It has been more than a year since I graduated and I am still unemployed in the basic sense of the word. Sure, I am currently working as a columnist for Edge; I am a DJ for 105.9 Mix FM, and I do freelance copy writing, hosting and performing (with my band, Walnut Avenue), but in the truest sense of the word, I am unemployed.

Since graduating I have turned down many job opportunities, for one reason or another. Last month though, I was offered a great position in a prestigious, multi-national company. Of course, “great” and “prestigious”, being descriptions the common man would use to describe the position and company. However, the company, or the work that would have been asked from me if and when I decided to join the company, was not my cup of tea, and would have probably served as the perfect distraction from the things I love doing.

Looking back, if I had gone through with my application for the said company, I would probably now have my own car, my own rented studio apartment, my own everyday itinerary, my own set of ties and dress shirts, my own high-tech cell phone, and my own taste of proper employment.

But I turned the offer down (much to the dismay of my parents, friends, and even acquaintances). Why? Because like Da Vinci, Einstein and Van Gogh, I too used my right brain.

Sure, I would have all those material things and bragging rights for working in a multi-national company, but what I wouldn't have was happiness. Foolish as it may seem to other people, I did not regret my decision.

If I took that job, I wouldn’t have this column. I would not be able to touch, teach, guide and inspire the people of my generation. I wouldn't have the chance to share my talents the best way I know how. I wouldn’t get paid to have fun.

So just like all the greats before me, I forgot logic, tangible goals, and conforming to society’s standards; I chose the road less traveled.

I do not regret turning down the offer, not a little, not a bit, not with any part of my system (although people always tell me I should). I do not regret following my heart, because somehow, someway, I know something good, something GREAT is in store for me. Right now, I do not know what it is, or when it will come, i just know that it will, and 'til then I will keep on trusting that the Big Guy above will give it to me.

However, I understand why people feel that my life is empty, pointless. I do not live up to society’s standards. I do not make money, I do not have a car, heck, I do not even have cell phone load, half the time, but I am content. I am happy.

I like my life, I like being able to touch people's lives with just a phrase, I like being able to do what I really want, I like having the courage to do what I feel is right.

And it made me realize, maybe we got it all wrong. Maybe Van Gogh, Da Vinci and Einstein didn’t really live miserable lives; maybe society just thought they were. Because I understand what they feel, I understand what they have gone through.

We are actually happy with the stuff we put out in the world at large. It is society that is unhappy about the way we live our lives, it is society that tells us that we should be miserable because we do not have anything, and it is society that puts too much pressure on us to do what most people do: live generic corporate lives.

But I am not like most people, and my dear reader, you probably aren't too. So please give yourself a break and relax. Do not believe them when they say the opportunities you let go were such a waste, do not believe them when they say the proper thing to do is to accept any job offer that comes along, although it may get tempting at times. Do not believe them when they say happiness is equivalent to a perfect girlfriend or boyfriend, a 6-digit pay check and your own wheels.

I know it is job-hunting season, and you feel the pressure to land a job right away, and maybe you should, if you believe that is what you want. But if you believe that you were made to do something else, then by all means, take your time until you find what it is you truly want to do.

The world will not wait for you, but you can wait until your time of greatness comes. And trust me, it will come, it always does. Ask Van Gogh, Da Vinci and Einstein. Their times of greatness may have come a little bit too late, but it came. You are great, dear reader, know it, own it, and live up to it.

Not conforming to the standards society has set does not make you any less of an individual. It puts you up in the ranks of all the greats.

Happiness is doing what your truly want, no matter what the world says. And when you have realized this, you will have reached Partyphile nirvana: the place where the only thing you need (to have a truly great party) is Your own company.

Confession: I know it is hard, and people are trying put pressure on you to land a job immediately after graduating, but my dear partyphile reader, for once, do your self a favor and find what it is you truly want to do in life. As for me, I am still searching for the thing thing that would make me truly happy; and for the people to bring along with me on my journey towards Partyphile Nirvana.

Why Not?

Why Not?

Stay at home tonight and discover if you still feel like you're in a party. And maybe then you'll prove if you really are a partyphile. If you enjoy your own company, and don't need anyone else's company to truly enjoy yourserlf, you just might have reached partyphile nirvana.

Just a thought.

Why Not?

Why not?

throw your own poker party at home?

Partyphile's Open Letter

To All Young Partyphiles,

I know you have just started partying a couple of months back, and you are kind of enjoying the scene right now (although nothing truly exciting is really happening); and you probably even crave for more partying in the days to come, however I have noticed that you and your crowd still need to learn some tips when it comes to partying in DC, so here are some pointers every new partyphile needs to remember if they want to succeed in the partyphile world:

Hooking Up is Sooo Last Season

First of all, newbie partyphile, tell your friends that a bar is never a good place to look for relationships and hook-ups. Trust me, there are a lot of crazy drunks out there, and you do not want to get involved with those types of people.

Secondly, it is not very fashionable to be seen hooking-up with some random person in some random bar. You do not want to look like a love-beggar, do you? If you just answered “yes”, please stop partying; you are a total disgrace to us partyphiles.

I for one am trying to clean up the partyphile’s image. W have been looked down upon by elders and non-partyphiles in the past. It is good that you started partying at such a great time, New Partyphile, since it is all the fad now, and everyone from your generation seems to be doing it; however, I don’t think that the stigma that Partyphilia brings has been erased. People still think that is all we do—party, get drunk, go wild, and hook-up. Obviously that is not always true for everyone, but that is how society sees us; so please, if you could help it, do not make those stereotypes true. Do not hook-up in some lame bar.

Dress Up 2B Down

Always dress to impress (OMG I just used a cliché. Puke). Parties are supposed to be special events, dress up, present yourself properly, not because you want people ogling at you, but because we partyphiles want to up the fashion ante in the Davao party scene. It just makes the party scene cooler, and it differentiates you from all the other Partyphile Wannabees.

When Inside a Bar

When inside a bar, remember never to puke, because even THAT has gone out of fashion. It is also a good idea to dance while in a club because, well, if you didn’t want to dance, you shouldn’t have entered one in the first place. Plus it makes you look like a stiff, unapproachable person. If you don’t know how to dance, sway from left to right, hop up and down, or just do whatever motion you feel comfortable doing. Maybe you could just keep walking so people wouldn’t realize you weren’t dancing?

However, if you dance too much, that could also be a crime. It is simple, really, just remember that those choreographed dance moves you see in RnB music videos (where the crooner or the divette (B-List diva) dance together with their whole entourage in the middle of the club), aren’t real. They ARE NOT supposed to be seen in a club. Do not copy their dance moves and practice it at home, so you could perform some routine in some club.

My new partyphile friend, just go with the flow, choreographed dance moves are gross… unless of course you go to this little bar (which also happens to be a Ballroom Dancer’s haven) along F. Torres Street, then you may be excused. Dance groups have battles there,a nd as long as they don’t start doing that in my favorite bars, well then, they’re excused. If you insist on choreographed dancing, visit that bar instead.

Money Matters

My novice partyphile, spending your whole week’s allowance on one gimmick night is never a good idea. Instead, plan your Saturnight-outs in advance and save up for that; or grab all the free drinks you can. Act like you own the room, and you deserve to be treated like royalty, and drinks will suddenly be magnetized towards you. Make sure you have enough charm and ask for a drink from someone. Extra tip: a gorgeous, sincere, smile is always irresistible (read: more people would want to send you drinks). Do floss.

Feeling Special

New partyphile, I am devastated to be blowing your bubble, but the VIP area, is really only reserved for important people. If they say you can’t come inside, don’t try to bribe the bouncer or drop names, just say “thank you” and understand that your time will come. Once you have mastered the art of partying and creating connections, you will be invited to the VIP area, even without having to ask.

Partyphile Nose

I have said this again and again and again, no self-respecting partyphile would want to smell like a person. You NEED to smell like a hip, new bottle of perfume, not body sweat, even when you are sweating.

And if you are in your early 20 to late 30s and still use Cool Water, Fahrenheit, or CK One, please spare our noses, and let the 1990s rest. Buy something new.

Drunky Little Do

Finally, don’t make a fool out of yourself and don’t act drunk. Act normally even when your innards want to explode, you breath reeks of alcohol, and your world has been spinning for the last 30 minutes. Or, just learn to manage your drinks better.

Hello-Goodbye

And if you still don’t know when to arrive or leave a party, always arrive when the party has already kicked off, and always leave at the peak of the party. That way, people will be looking for you before you arrive and when you leave. Dramatic entrance; even more dramatic exit.

Follow these little tips and you are sure to rock Partylandia, and make your Partyphile mentors.

With love (laced with Brandy),

The Ultimate Partyphile, Zhaun. J