If all the animals on the equator were capable of flattery, Halloween and Christmas would fall on the same date.

If you watched Ocean's 12, then you'd know what that means. Or not.
---

The Meg office is actually just a small part of a whole floor, on which the whole MMPI Publishing group is settled. It's to the left, just a little way beyond that huge blown up cover of MEGA (and encased in glass, no less). The Meg office reminds me of a narrow alley, really, with several cubicles in all. Office is as office does. It's not the Mode office from Ugly Betty (that one looks like garish candyland masquerading as a minimalist white), but everything around it tells you it's a fashion magazine. Paper bags are all over the place. Pin-ups, plans, dates, photographer lists, features, accessories are on every space imaginable. Exclusive invites were visible and readable for inquisitive eyes (the cube I occupied, Pipay's [the beauty assisstant who was out that day], had three). It all spelled on thing: Peaceful chaos of work and play.

It was fantastic. I would've rummaged through their trash if it didn't seem obscene, because I was dying to know what interesting things lurked there. I looked calm outside, but inside I was bursting. And I was nervous all over, but I managed okay. I think.

I met Peewee, Shai, Kim and Mabel, the Meg staff. I wanted to ask questions about the magazine industry, but the timing didn't seem right-- all of them looked rather busy. So I looked around mostly, and tried not to feel so small and painstakingly unornamental. My sister was transcribing something, so I was left to myself. The office's fashion sense is really interesting. So THAT'S what they mean by style (okay, wala pala akong style haha! =)) ). Their look was casual and uncontrived, yet at the same time edgy and interesting.

It was a slow day that Friday. All the deadlines for the September issue (they do it three months in advance-- talk about efficiency) was done yesterday. All they had to do was interview the Meg Face finalists.

I went with them to the small conference room on the same floor. (Hindi siya malayo actually. Kumbaga sa floor ng Year III, kasinglayo lang niya yung CA's office sa section 4.) I sat at the back, not on the table with them. I just watched, really.

So the girls came, one by one. There were shy ones, chatty ones, young ones, tall ones, petite ones, ones with bad teeth, ones with big ears... No offense, but they looked REALLY different from their pictures. The interview itself was pretty short; the discussion goes on after the girl leaves though. Though they weren't catty or snarky or biatchy (they're nice, I assure you guys), I'm still glad, in ate Mabel's words, that I'm on the safe side of the camera. "Hindi tayo chinachaka-- tayong nanchachaka!" (tapos natawa siya.) As if to answer the question on my mind, Ate Mabel said, "It's a superficial industry-- it's the way it is."

I mostly listened to their deliberations, which was fun. They told me the story of "Trash Can girl", the girl whose photo Kim (beauty ed) threw away (which, I suppose, was the "NO" tray). Ate Mabel happened to see it and fished it out, and waved it around "Eto, eto eto!" (Ifever that girl does win, she has to thank Ate Mabel for giving her salvation.)

Ironically, the girl blew them all away on her interview because of stunning physique and determined personality-- she's a Filipina (whose family migrated to Japan) and who worked so hard to pool money so she could support herself here when she enters the contest. On her Why Shoud You Win question, she wrote: "Kasi gusto ko patunayan sa nanay ko na kaya ko tong gawin." Really, that's a lot more admirable than saying, "Because I'm half-Filipino and half-American." (TCG didn't say that, but someone else did. Hay naku.)

After that, I finished the second half of the taped interview Ate was transcribing. Guess what it was about? Vaginal healthcare.

Okaaaay.

So there I was, typing away at the vagina monologues, care of an OB-GYNE. I have learned more from that interview than Health and Bio put together. I looked like this when I finished: O__O

I spent the rest of the day surfing the net on the free computer. Hm... Parang gusto ko rin mag-office, haha. We left at around 4:30 and returned the reviewed books to Powerbooks.

Thinking back, I liked the experience. But I think I'd rather be a writer for a magazine than be an intern. I do like the office though. Mucho mucho. Anong office kaya ako pwede pag Economics yung kinuha ko? Hmmm...

---
All in all, I think the summer was wonderful. Really. I can't help saying, thinking about it all, that I do like lazy days. I like the sun. I like jumping around in the moonlight, which I did while Dad sipped his coffee on the patio. I like doing chores. I like seeing how fast I can surf all the channels in one go. I like the luxury of time, and the privilege of reading three books at once without caring.

I like being creative and messing around in the kitchen. I like spending time with my sisters. I like spending time with my family all in all because I don't see my parents for a huge part of the day.

I think I've gotten the hang of cooking. And washing dishes. And being domestic. And I don't mind, really.

Maybe THIS is what they call "growing up". Somehow, I feel up to the task of keeping house, being responsible for myself and all that. The biggest surprise to me is that I don't mind the change at all.