Must Love Dogs

I'm relishing a rare moment of downtime here at work by writing down a few non-negotiables in my tick-list of boyfriendom. Spare me the emo talkback; its my blog and I write what I want to.

So, here we go.

1. English please.
My very essence cringes when it encounters embarrassing grammatical errs, whether read or heard. I'm not saying I have the best English speaking and writing skills in the world (according to my sister, I'm actually quite bad at it) but I'm confident that my knowledge of the language is decent enough. And bad English has just always been a pet peeve! Take for example, over lunch today, my colleagues and I had a bit of a discussion on the correctness of a sign that said "Please watch your steps." Hmm, I say... but then it was stuck on a flight of stairs so we supposed watching your steps would be a good idea. Still have my doubts, though.

2. Tagalog, too, please.
Mahal ko ang wikang Filipino. Even if I practically failed every single Filipino class throughout elementary and high school; even if you can't make me read an entire sentence in tagalog out loud, I still love the language of my homeland. Ergo, I think it abysmal when the Filipino youth of today can't speak or comprehend their native tongue. Fine, exemption may be extended to those who grew up abroad and hadn't necessarily grown up speaking Filipino as naturally as I have all my life, but if you're no Fil-Am and the shallowest of your backroots are buried in Luneta, you have no right not knowing what "Bababa ba?" "Bababa." means.

Ooh! Here's another Pinoy-speak cringer: "Yung ano..."! Idiotic politicians who can't defend what they have to say properly just looooove that phrase. Coining something as "Yung ano" assumes that every other person knows what you're referring to. They don't. When you assume, you make an ass out of you and you. There are names for things, please don't generalize them all under ano.

3. Reads.
I sometimes read 5 books at the same time. Yes, I finish them all. Yes, I can keep track of their different plotlines and/or topics. Reading takes up a giant chunk of my life; you can leave me alone somewhere with a book and I would never notice that you've gone and left me. I'm not saying I'm looking for someone who reads as much as me, or heaven forbid someone who reads more than I do. I'm just looking for someone who won't laugh when I spend three thousand bucks on books I'll get three months after purchase. (Amazon buyer. Sorry.) Finding someone who appreciates my genre wouldn't be half bad either. Though I must warn you, my taste isn't for everybody. World War Z anyone?

4. Must love dogs.
No, not the movie. It did, however, put the criteria on the map. I know its sinful to admit but I sometimes love my dogs over friends and family. OKAY, FINE! Since we're being honest here... in some cases, its more than "sometimes." Whether its that mangy old askal on the sidestreet or the rich neighbor's Afgan Wolfhound, they're all adorable in my eyes, all deserving of all the love in the world, all in need of good homes which I, if only I could, would willingly provide.

As a kid, I was notorious for bringing home strays. And according to my dad, we once housed as many as 16 four-legged best friends because I refused to give away any of the puppies our females, Dusty and Whitey birthed. I remember this one incident when my dad tried to sneak one out of the house and I ran after the car they loaded the puppy in. Seriously! I ran after it out of the gate and into the busy avenue that is D. Tuazon. I cried and begged for my dad's friend to give my puppy back to me. He obliged, more so from the guilt of almost running me over than for making a little girl cry over her dog.

I'm not as ga-ga as I used to be (denial!) but if you're a dogfight gambler or if your cheap thrill is watching horrid Pitbull fights on youtube, or worse if you like that taste of dog meat... Sorry, I only wish the deepest fires of hell on you. And you're off my list.

Now, that wasn't too long a list now, was it? Givens like mabait, has a "job" worth keeping and can support a comfortable lifestyle need not be written down, of course. The HR desk is ready to accept applications from those who dare. :))