Spotted: Funny Boy Toby

Toby has sworn to visit my blog site only if I feature him in it.  So what do we do when our friends trapped us in this compromising situation? Of course, we get even!  So don’t blame me for this one, Mr. Leandro Tiu. You certainly asked for it! Haha!

In life, we meet people that remind us that we don’t need to take ourselves too seriously because nobody really does.  My good friend, Leandro (or Toby or Ateng or Pops, for short), is a living proof that it only takes humour and a bit of drama to spice up our life.  And so, I am giving him a little tribute for his larger-than-life  persona which somehow brought an easy, breezy, beautiful vibe in all of his friends' lives. 

Toby is a Drama Queen (btw, there’s a hierarchy in the Royal Order of the Dramatics: there’s Peter Lyle, our Supreme Drama Empress, then there’s Toby, the Drama Queen, and of course, there’s Raymond, our little Drama Princess! – but that’s  another story altogether), a Concert Queen and a Comedy Queen all rolled into one.  His presence is a one-flew-over-the-cuckoo’s-nest situation all day, every day! It is reassuring to know that there are still crazier people around us, inspite of our fear of losing our minds as we get older.  Oops, it’s not as bad as it sounds, Toby!  (evil smirk)

I'm not gonna tell everything about him in this blog. It will be irreverent to pay him real tribute in a measly page.  'Coz to properly anecdote his quintessential being would require a saga!  So I’m only gonna tackle his usual banters and witticisms that sometimes turn our world up-side-down.

So here goes... Toby's finest one-liners:
(This list was compiled in collaboration with my dear friend, Lauren)

• Toby asking us to keep mum on something:  Don’t quote me per se on this one ha?
• Toby whining about the weather:  It’s so hot here in the Philippines. Let’s just go to Baguio!
• Toby chitty-chatty with Lyle about a certain coincidence:  Ah talaga, you was there too?
• Toby popping out of nowhere and approaching a cute guy:  Hello, is it me you’re looking for?
• Toby popping out of nowhere and approaching a cute guy #2:  Are you in hot?
• Toby relaying about his domestic issue with his partner:  If he asks me not to, I will not to.
• Toby asking his date where he works:  You're from work?
• Toby asking someone to take a picture of him and I:  Take a solo picture of us.
• Toby advising a friend to just go with the flow:  Ganon talaga. It goes with progress.
• Toby checking on a friend’s well-being:  How is she taking it up?
• Toby arguing with a friend:  You're putting words into my tongue.
• Toby arguing with a friend #2:  You’re barking at a wrong dog! 
• Toby preventing us from eating street foods:  Don't eat that. Do you want  your stomach to be astray?
• Toby asking Lauren who prepared her lunch:   Who's cook it?
• Toby contemplating to ride a bike in Luneta:  I want to bike a bicycle.
• Toby asking Gianni to blow his birthday cake: Blow the cake and enjoy while it lasts.
• Toby offering Gianni’s guest some cake:  Please have a piece of cake and eat it too!
• Toby in the mood for singing ala Pops Fernandez, his one and only idol since birth: Come on Folks! Sing with me Araneta! Kaya pawlah... kaya pawhlah... sa buhay ko’y duhrating ka!  (mimicking Pop’s nasal singing style)
• Toby hosting a wedding ceremony: Let’s give a round of applause for the newlyweeds! (he almost died of shame and never dared hosting wedding events ever again!)

In our circle of friends, nobody else can pull these off as charmingly, hilariously and vivaciously as Toby.  He’s a league of his own.

If he’s gonna be a Caucasian, we’re pretty sure he’ll be a very pretty blonde! (winks!)  And we definitely have no complaints about that.  Life simply rocks when Toby’s around! That, at least, we can all agree on.

(Hope you like this feature, Toby?  Next time, be careful with what you ask for.  You’ll never know who’s gonna be in the mood to abide by your wishes! (evil smirk... again!). But don't fret, as what Gossip Girl so aptly said,  you’re nothing until you’re talked about!)

Xoxo,

Karlie Bradshaw

Disclaimer: This blog was released with full consent of its subject, Mr. Leandro "Toby" Tiu.  He has reviewed and approved its content including the manner by which it was presented (all for the value of good entertainment - much to his chagrin, hehe).  So, thank you Toby for being a good sport. :)

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