    Last night, while hanging out at a local bar around 11pm, less than 12 hours after opening my pack of ShutterShades. I get approached by a hot chick who said she and her friends couldn't help but talk abut me for the past hour. She wanted to find out more about me and the shades, I even got her digits to boot! People couldn't get enough of them all day. I love my Shutters! Haha! =)
 If they are happening on the same date, which would you go to: Carl Cox (Zoukout) or Daft Punk (Alive tour - DaftFunk fest)?
*One only, impossible to go to both.
Today was a pretty uneventful and rainy day, but it gave me time to absorb what happened to me last 2 days.
I had an interview last Wednesday with the GM of an international TV station, based in a US territory outside the Philippines, an Asia-Pacific affiliate of Fox and ABC. After the interview, they promised to call me by noon the following day. I was pretty hopeful, but I guess until I see anything in black and white or actually get the call, I won't keep my hopes up yet.
Come Thursday around noonish, I was on my scooter. And at a stoplight, I had the instinct to check my phone... and I got a missed call. I tried calling the number, but it wouldn't connect. I kinda figured was a special hotel number or a roaming number, as the number registered on my phone as 09**-1111111. I was about 2 blocks away from the hotel where I had my interview, and I figured I'd take the chance to go there and see if the guy who interviewed me was in the lobby, trying to make a call.
A bit nervous, I walked to the hotel lobby, and true enough I saw him there. He was surprised to see me, because he was just trying to call me. We had a short conversation, about people he wanted me to meet, and some of his plans with me in them. And at the end of the conversation, he shook my hand and said "I look forward to working with you."
They're getting me to produce TV shows for them. There's a chance they'll be flying me around regularly. If things work out, I may even get noticed by the networks in the mainland (FOX and ABC), they said.
I haven't gotten anything in writing yet, so I don't want to get too excited about getting the job they're offering me. But in a way, yes, I guess I must admit I AM excited. If I do get the black and white papers within the next few days, I'll be posting it here. They said I might be starting to work for them as early as next week. For now, I'll have to write about my anxious waiting, and a little nervous excitement building up.
This can be a big chance. I love taking chances and risks, but this could be real huge. I have to remember to take it one step at a time. I think I've went through a lot already for me to earn this chance.
Will see how the next few days go...
 First:
Is this movie going to be shown here in the PI??
www.ballsoffury.com
I hope it is, seems like a funny idea to start with: An illegal underground ping-pong tournament?? It's already funny with just that idea itself.
Second:
Is it just me, or does that little peeking tattoo on Maggie Q's slit maker her hotter than she normally is??
Dudes! Watch, Tulad ng Dati! Starring, The Dawn as themselves! With Ping Medina as Teddy Diaz, Agot Isidro, Mylene Dizon and many others!
It's a must see for all who love music and to have fun.
Winner of Best Picture at last year's Cinemalaya!
Open today April 25 - May 1 at all SM Digital Cinemas!
Rakenroll!!!
    Amazing, my first post for the year, so this is a long one. The
past several months, counting down from September of last year, things
have been pretty crazy. But
basically my life revolved just around one thing... my selfish ego. I
know it may be weird to hear, but I have no problems admitting it now.
And after the past weeks and weekend I've had, it just gave me more
reason to be open about it. I know that nothing has consumed me this
much, just because I so damned wanted to do or achieve something, that
I have forgotten about so many things in my life, which are actually
more important than what has been going on. In
my head, I was able to justify how I could give up everything, for my
ego, to bring to life this certain project that I now call "my baby or
my children". Ever since I have started working (around '98-'99?), I
was never really able to "create" anything of my own. It was always on
someone else's request; a video, a shoot, a layout, a shirt design, a
cap, a rash guard, anything that went through my hands, was always
going to end up as someone else's finished product. Then
one day, with me expecting nothing of it anymore, I got a call and the
chance to be able to create something that I could proudly say, was
truly entirely my own. True, that I may have had to change the names of
the characters here and there, and some may think it was a sellout. But
their spirit, their
stories, their soul, and their hearts were entirely of my creation, not
of one big creative team, just my own little head and my art director
who knew how to draw what I could not. I felt that finally, after many
many years of writing and creating in my own little notebook, and
toiling to bring someone else's creation to life, I felt that I finally
had the chance to share what I had to the world. But it did not come without a price, and those were costs that I have come to realize that I was not really willing to pay
for, no matter what the rewards. And I am not speaking in Peso
values. Now, time has passed by, and I know I can never bring things
back to the way they once were. But I hope that by realizing down
inside and by understanding deeply why everything happened, I can move
forward and the world can move forward with me. Because I feel that
everything I have gained now, would be at a loss without accepting the mistakes that have happened for me to get here. I am happy with my life right now, in general. I don't feel lost (no-quarter life crisis) with what I want to do, work is heading in the right direction, and I feel positive in almost every step
I make. Love-life is another story though, anyway. But when I get some time to breathe away from work, even for
just one minute, I feel empty, and it feels very very heavy. Since September, my ego to bring "my children" to life, has eaten me up so much that until this past weekend; - I lost a friend, -
I almost lost and damaged my relationship with one of the most
important people in my life and who is one of my REAL and TRUEST
friends, -
was forced to damage a relationship with some acquaintances
(work-related, you'd be forced to break-off work relations too if you
were missing deadlines and getting a bad rep to your client because of
the people you hired, right? lesson learned, trust only your true
friends and collective gut instinct, if you smell fish, there's a
fishery, hehe), - missed birthdays (one of which, I reeaally
wanted to go, to not just because I said I would, because I wanted to
see the celebrant - how do you spell C-R-@-$-#? haha... anyway), - missed weddings (hmm?), - almost missed a wedding that I sort of helped out with (actually, I
missed the church ceremony, and I arrived at the reception in jeans
when the whole thing was formal, I did have a jacket and leather shoes
though - ran straight from a meeting)
- rarely see my mom (i've hardly been home for over 3 weeks) - rarely go to mass
- hardly see any of my friends
- no nightlife/social life whatsoever (i don't think going out only on
Dec23, and to a wedding on Jan26 counts as a social life - because you
can count how many times and when you went out!?!) -
have not been in a movie theater (and I only saw Borat and Talladega
Nights on DVD a few weeks ago - can't event recall all the movies I
missed. if you know me, you know it irks me not to watch the latest
movies) Okay, may be a simple list to some, but most all of the
stuff I put there really mean a LOT to me. True, I may have gotten more
direction in my life in return, but I don't think I'll be able to
recover that easily on everything. And another reason why I
decided to write this post? It was because of this past weekend. Friday
night, I finished a meeting in Roxas Blvd. around 1030pm, and was back
in the office in Makati around 11. I still
had people working at the time, so I had to check how things were
going. At around 12mn, I decided to go home, and this was the going to
be probably just the 2nd or 3rd night I would be able to sleep in my
own bed in 3 weeks - to the day. But the minute I got home, I decided
to pack my bags with some running shoes and other stuff, and head
straight to my old alma mater UPLB. Those who went there may be the
only ones who would get it, but there is really something about that
place that just gives you whatever you need from it, when you need it.
And I felt that at that very moment, I just needed to get out of
Manila. Escape Manila for even a short while. I
arrived at 2am, my friend put me up for the weekend, and I was finally
going to be able to know how it felt like to sleep for over 3 hours
again. I woke up the following day had lunch, and decided to hit the
sports area (Baker Hall) around 3pm. I couldn't play bball with the
locals, because there was a
campus league going on, so I pulled out my running shoes and changed
clothes, intentionally leaving my watch in my bag. At first I said,
I'd go for a run around the soccer field. because I wasn't sure how my
body would take running again after being out for so long. But when I
was finishing my round of the field, I thought about going to IRRI. And
from there on, I had my Forrest Gump moment, from IRRI, I went to
the corner or APEC, from there, went to the APEC rotonda, then ran all
the way back. I was so happy, being able to run in the fields, and
feel the warm sun on my skin. And surprisingly, my friends that I saw
after, said that I actually ran over 10K already! I was so glad to hear
it! I was actually thinking in my head that it was only around 5K. But
getting lost in the fresh air and beautiful views made me feel so
relaxed. My legs didn't even hurt, up to today. The stoke was so high
that it felt like a combination of surf-stoke and runner's-high! =)
sarap! Later
that night, still high from my afternoon run, I went to see some old
friends at the local hang-out bar. Then while chatting, one of my
friends told me a piece of news that hit me pretty hard. A friend of
mine passed away last Dec27, and she was surprised that I didn't know.
It hit me right here. We lost touch the past few years, me and that
friend who passed away, especially since we both started taking
different paths after our freshman year, but me and that friend of mine
were pretty tight in our own little way. We met during our freshman
orientation in college, before school formally started. We were each
others' first friends in campus, and I introduced him to a lot
of the people I knew on campus too. And, I think I even
accidentally introduced him to a long-lost cousin of his, who also went
to the university but was also an old HS buddy of mine. We both lived in
the south (Alabang-Paranaque), for over a semester we carpooled. We
didn't just hang out on campus, even when we were in Manila, we'd hang
out with each others' old HS friends even. After
several years, when I'd be in the Alabang area, I'd try to text him to
see if he was there so we could play pool or have a few beers. And
writing this now, I just realized, his first pool cue is with me, at
home. He gave it to
me to have it repaired with my cue guy several years ago, and because
we hardly got to
see each other, I was never able to give it back to him. Sorry bro... Now
it hits me. It hits me so hard. I got so caught up in my own little
world, that I forgot about everything else. I forgot about my family,
my friends, my life. My selfish little ego tried to justify that it
would be fine to forget about everything and everyone as long as I am
able to achieve my goals and get everything I want, but now I realize,
not at this price. At this point, I believe there is nothing
left but to take positive steps forward and know how precious
everything and everyone else is. To those that I may have hurt along
the way, especially someone who I know I "knee-d" as a guiding force in
my life, I am very sorry, from the bottom of my heart. To those that I
forgot, was late, and missed celebrations or all your significant
milestones, I
also offer my sincerest apologies. To my crush (baduy ko!), I hope that
I can have the balls, and the time, to ask you out. To my mom and my
family - cousins,
nieces and all, and my sister & her husband - who I forgot to greet
Happy 1st Wedding
Anniversary to (last Feb8 - thanks to my mom for calling a few mins ago
to remind me, galing ko diba??) I will see you all soon and give you a
big hug. So
to all of you, the ones who make up my life, and to my friend Sidney -
who I am crying for at this very minute, I dedicate "my children"
(photos attached) and all my future works to you all. I know I would
not be here right now if it wasn't for all of you... Thank you very
much. *I am bound by
legalities that I cannot show the full copy of my work, but I hope from
the pictures, you will be able to tell what it is. It airs on Ch2 &
7, and it is the country's 1st 3min animated TVC.
It was one crazy weekend for the cast and crew of our good buddy Mike Sandejas' entry into this year's Cinemalaya Film Festival. And it was every bit as unexpected and unpredictable, as the weather. This weekend was to be the final culmination of several months' work, sweat, tears and stress; for everyone involved. Things started on Thursday when I received news from Mike around lunch that only a few seats available for the Gala Screening on Saturday, and he was not able to get them, as he had to attend to something. I asked a favor for him to pick up some tickets for me, as I had work and I had several friends who I invited to watch. Seeing that we might me caught in a bind, we went to CCP that evening to get the tickets and watch one of the full length entries. Lo and behold the news I get while I was inside the ticket room, looking at the monitor to pick out a seat (actually, you're not allowed in there, I just weaseled my way in), "6 na tickets? O, ito na lang ang natitira, wala na akong mabenta na iba sayo, huli na yan." says the surprised attendant as he continues to look through the ticket monitor, "wala, wala na talaga." I got the last 6 tickets. Lucky me, I thought to myself, but wow, the last tickets?? Was that for real?? Thank god I got the tickets, sobrang dyahe sa friends ko if wala akong nakuha. Friday, on the eve of the Gala, we receive news through the grapevine that, in a Cinemalaya first, the CCP was going to open another section of the theater to accommodate more people. Emails and texts bounced around, confirming or unconfirming the news, but it was happening. 150 more seats were up for grabs, and by the end of the day that number had dropped to 100. Saturday, I wake up with a message on my phone, it was Mike broadcasting that there are really 100 seats left, and CCP really did open a new section for it. I called him to check, you could hear his anxiety, stress and happiness all at the same time (if you know Mike, you know what I'm talking about), he asked me to check that morning's PDI because there was an article from one of his greatest testers in the Cinemalaya committee, and he was proud that the article singled out Tulad ng Dati and Batad, as the movies to watch during this Cinemalaya. And if I remember correctly, it ended saying something like "... tonight is its last showing, I suggest you go to CCP and watch it..." The minutes passed by to 6:15pm , the slated start of the screening, with each minute drawing nearer, the crowd kept getting bigger. Everyone was there, The Dawn, fellow cast members, the crew, family, friends, musicians from some of the country's premier bands, other actors and participants from other Cinemalaya entries, and people from all walks of life, who just came there to watch the picture. Everyone involved was trying to keep their cool and stay calm. But there was an air of excitement in the air, the lobby to the Main Theater was packed! Even up to the staircase to the 2nd floor. This was getting to be something bigger than what we all expected. The Cinemalaya never saw anything like this before, and I think none of us thought the turnout would be like this. At last count, the people on the 2nd floor were about 200, and the total was said to reach around 1000 people. People started going in and everyone took their seats, it was crazy. It was as if it was the opening day of Star Wars or something like that, you could see people up until the 2nd floor taking their seats. The moment the opening credits started rolling, you could hear the cheers in the crowd, as if they were finally getting something they've waited for, for so long. The movie unfolded and you could see, hear and feel the people actually getting moved by it. Tears rolling down faces, laughter filling the hall, singing together with some songs, and the utter silence as some parts really hit home. I remember Raimund Marasigan, a self-confessed The Dawn fan, saying that it hit him on so many levels; as a musician, as a father, as a friend, and as a fan. As the weekend went on, many other people said the same thing or their own version of how it touched them on different levels. And I think this is where the story that Mike created was successful, it allowed people to feel the emotions of the characters involved, because not only do they see actors feeling these emotions on the screen, the audience also felt these emotions themselves. As the end credits started rolling 2 hours later, the hall roared in applause for the movie. And just as if it was a big budget Hollywood film, people stayed for the credits, but this time, most of them stayed until the credits were finished rolling. Mike was supposed to take to the stage to thank the people as the credits went up, but he was ambushed by hugs and tears of people in the crowd, he couldn't help it and let go of the emotion himself. This made me so proud to ba a part of this, I felt that it was Philippine music and movie history being made, all at the same time. We had to wait until the crowds were gone from the hall before we could make our exit. I was already expecting that we'd be going out and have a lot of drinks afterwards, but less than 10 steps away from the door, a group of teenage girls went up to me and asked for my autograph, and they wanted to have their picture taken with me. I was totally unprepared for it, I didn't know what to do, that I wrote down my email address, what?!? It was just surreal, from then on, the next events were just a blur. People asking to get their picture taken with me and the cast left and right, people saying compliments and saying thanks. I even lost my friends who couldn't find me, they just presumed that I'd be really busy considering what was happening outside the hall, and decided to leave. I tried to look for them, but things just got out of hand, sorry guys. Next thing I knew, someone complimented me on the movie and shoved a cold beer in my hand. At last, something to calm my nerves. The blur continued on, even as we were on our way up to our cocktails upstairs. Once upstairs, our moods relaxed, helped by the snacks and our friends Jaeger, Jack (Daniels) and (San) Miguel. It was fun and getting the mood getting lighter, finally we got to talk to each other about it and people started recalling their favorite moments from the movie. Everyone involved was gleaming all around. The positive energy of the audience was something that was intoxicating, that everyone had an aura of happiness and relief in them. All of us continued on, heading to a different location to have dinner and more drinks. The Gala after party was relief all in itself. Everyone was able to relax and have fun, enjoying the events that unfolded just hours earlier. No one wanted to admit it yet, probably because we were all drunk too, but the stress connected to the picture was not yet over. The Awards Night was coming up, the following day. *Gala Night After Party pics on: http://flipcorpus.multiply.com/photos/album/30The whole Sunday, it was raining. "The Dawn weather 'to ah" some thought. Whilst I, had to contemplate whether to really go through with the suggested dress-code for the cast and crew, as recommended by our stylist and co-star Nina. Mike's call time for the band was 3pm, because they still had to do a sound-check, and still in Tulad ng Dati mode, JB went to the sound-check still reeking of alcohol, as with the last shoot day of the movie where he slept leaning on a scaffolding in between takes also smelling like alcohol when he got there. But then, as the true professionals that they were, sound-check still went on, and afterwards JB went to his nearby home to get prepared for the awards night. We were asked to be there before 5:30pm, and on the way, it was raining cats, dogs and the whole farm, driving down Buendia to CCP. Before the awarding, you would hear us saying na, its all in good fun, its okay if we don't win. But as the lights in the main theater dimmed and things started, we all became anxious by the minute. The Awards program, to be televised on partner stations, started a few minutes late, and there were very memorable moments. Maan Hontiveros doubling as an usherette holding the award for the winner in the short film category, who also happened to have the longest acceptance speech for the night. Kidlat Tahimik with his native camera and bahag, Nanette Inventor lip-syncing to the theme of Nasaan si Happiness, the miscues of the director on the microphone stand and the ushers, but still a decent enough show (I just hope the director and the event crew was pro-bono). The night went on and the movies that were expected to deliver, really did deliver. The first of the awards for the full-length category, for Best Sound, went to us and it started the night on a positive note. The Tulad ng Dati team was also able to bag the Best Editing honors in the full-length category. Other awards in the full-length category, according to what my memory remembers, were: Best Original Score: Rotonda, Best Production Design: Batad, Best Cinematography: Donsol, Best Actor: Alchris Galura - Batad, Best Actress: Angel Aquino - Donsol, Best Director - Rotonda. I'm sure I missed mentioning some awards, so we all have to catch the airing on TV. But it all went down to the last 2 awards: Special Jury Prize and Best Picture. The nominees for both awards were only 3 pictures: Batad, Rotonda, and Tulad ng Dati. I was seated next to Gina, JB's wife, and by this time we were both getting tense. The Special Jury Prize went to Batad. And as Ricky Davao was reading the paper in the envelope, "...The Best Picture in Cinemalaya 2006... This is awarded to a movie that has successfully put together culture, blah blah, and THE MUSIC, to help tell the story..." We all just looked at each other and was like, "Did he just say MUSIC?!?". And he continued on to say "... Best Picture for Cinemalaya 2006..." he looks at the direction of Mike "... Tulad ng Dati!" Our whole section EXPLODED at these words, although I'm sure we all would've exploded more if he didn't mention the word "music". But still, it was the same effect. We all rushed up to the stage, and Mike gave his speech. So many emotions burst forth, and I hope it wasn't caught on national TV that I was wiping the tears from my eyes. Everyone was just hugging one another, so proud of each other, that finally everything that we went through, everything that The Dawn went through, helped build the tale that is Mike's movie. Mike handed over the stage to Jett, to thank the crowd in the words of the immortal song "Salamat..." When it was over, we all headed to have dinner, with some passing by Teddy's crypt, telling him of the good news that just happened. We had Bamboo Lounge at the Fort all to ourselves, and it was great and cozy. Funny enough, it was Ping Medina's birthday! What a way to celebrate! Complete with pancit and cake! Plus Best Picture award pa! *Awards Night and Dinner Photos on: http://flipcorpus.multiply.com/photos/album/32 The past weekend was one to remember, the experience of working in the movie was one to remember, the movie itself is one to remember. Mike believed in this idea so much that he was so consumed by it, and he gave up EVERYTHING (and more), just to see his dream story to fruition. I have the utmost respect for my friend, and he has proved that one idea can truly make a difference. For the band, who IS The Dawn, on their 20th year, have proved that they truly stand tall and stand proud, amidst the sea of musicians in the country today. This whole experience also showed me another side to the saying that your Family and your true Friends will be there to see your dreams through. As Mike would put it, this was a Family effort, we were all friends. True Mike, true... we are all family, we are all friends...and we are all fans.
FYI: THE SATRUDAY SCREENING IS ALREADY SOLD OUT, AS OF 9PM LAST NIGHT.
IF YOU WANT TO WATCH, TRY CATCHING IT TODAY AT 6:15 PM Silangan hall
Remaining Showing dates:
TODAY JULY 21 - 6:15 PM Silangan hall
SATURDAY SCREENING JULY 22 - 6:15 PM SOLD OUT
Get your tickets at CCP, Tower Records and National Bookstore!!!
ticket prices: P100.00 (regular price) & P50.00 (student price)
with discounts for Senior citizens and Group Sales Available at the CCP Box Office (832-3704) and Ticketworld at National Bookstore and Tower Records (891-9999)
Also available in limited supply at the CCP Box Office:
Cinemalaya Day Pass (valid for 5 screenings for one day) - P200.00 Cinemalaya Festival Pass (valid for any screening) - P750.00
I have to admit, this weekend was great for me, and I really needed
it. Especially after having to work straight for a couple of weeks
straight (check previous post: This Bites...). Looking back, I'd like
to call this my Therapy Weekend. Why? I was able to just take care of
myself this weekend and have things I really needed put into
perspective for me. You heard of the saying "Hindi ka makakarating sa
pupuntahan, kung hindi ka lilingon sa pinaggalingan. (You will never
get to where you're going, if you don't know where you came from.)"
This weekend really was good for letting me realize that. Friday
night, was supposed to go to Embassy for that Smirnoff thing, but man,
there was just too many people! That totally killed it for me right
there, I wasn't in the mood for it, I needed to have fun and not get
stressed. I wished my friend well, and a great turnout to his event,
and headed off to Capone's, where there was a K-lite event going on,
and Kapatid and Sandwich were playing. Capone's was great, it
was packed in just right. It was fun seeing Karl and Raimund, and we talked about the movie (Tulad ng Dati with The Dawn) coming
out next week, and watching on the same date (all of you watch too!).
Hilary and Carlo were there, and so was Hilary's good friend Danielle
(hope I got it right?), and I don' think there was a minute where we
didn't have a drink in our hands. Sandwich was a lot of fun! They
made me glad that I didn't push through with Embassy. And
since it was a K-lite event, there were prizes to be won, and I ended
up getting a couple of them! Obviously, I was game, alcohol or no
alcohol. One was for a Q&A contest, and another was for a Red
Horse beer drinking contest! Haha, I was just glad I was going to get
free beer! I was against a tall white guy (much taller than me) and
another dude, who were both in long sleeves. They don't know what hit
them, I was already done with my beer and the catchphrase, and they
were still trying to finish their bottles. It was a lot of fun, and I
gave my prizes to the waiters, who were really happy about it. After
Sandwich, friends from Blush and Overtone/Megatone played on and kept
everyone jumping the rest of the night. Everyone stayed on for the fun
night, but I had to leave around 3am to get ready for the next day. Saturday,
I met up with "the gurls" at 11:30, and headed off to Joel Ong's shop,
Kleid. Tracy is getting married this January and I referred her to
Joel, and she is very very happy with that choice, and with Michele
Sison doing her dresses, she really knows everything will turn out
great and at a very decent cost. Mai, Kat and Pinx were there to
select their bridesmaid gown designs. It was great seeing them all,
and being able to catch up for a while (and nothing helps nurse a guys
hangover like seeing 4 pretty girls who are all smiling, malambing, and happy). Being
in a great mood already, I decided to continue with "taking care of
myself". I went on that afternoon to get my head trimmed (well,
shaved), and get a great massage from my barber. And part of therapy
in this concrete jungle, is of course, retail therapy! I went around
and got to buy a couple of sneakers and was really happy about it.
Come on, who wouldn't be happy with 800 Peso Puma sneakers on sale!
The day ended with me going to Cans, and getting a manicure, and spa
pedicure. I know, funny you might think, but come on, you've got to
admit, if a lady wants to clean my toenails and scrub my feet, for a
decent price, man I'd let them! See how many of your "loving"
girlfriends/boyfriends would do the same?? I could hardly get off the
seat afterwards, 'cuz I've been already sleeping practically the whole
time there. I finished up after 9pm and decided to go home, relaxed,
sleepy and content with my day, and spent the rest of the evening with
my PS2 and my lazy-boy with massager. Why would I ruin my very relaxed
mood by going out, right? On Sunday, I went to my old alma mater, UP Los Banos. Man, I just love this place! I was jst supposed to go to Calamba to get something
that a good friend of mine sent from the US. My neighbor Ruel had a
day off from work too, and he decided to tag along (I don't think he
ever said no to visiting LB). And since I was in the vicinity, and I
had the time to spare, a visit to good old UPLB was in order. I
was shocked to see what my friend sent me, it was an authentic Nike
Tour De France yellow jersey. But the shit who sent it had something
in mind, he sent me a jersey in my OLD size. Something which would fit
me well, when I'm in race shape. The a$$hole. He knew I couldn't
stand not being able to wear it. That's good enough motivation for me
to get in shape right there! But then, the trip went on to
UPLB. I decided that this day was going to be my last day of really
munching out. It was great, we started with lunch at Batcave: 2 big
pieces of fried chicken, lengua with mushroom and gravy, nilagang baka,
lechon kawali, and 4 cups of fried rice, and 2 big bottles of C2. All
for only 250 pesos! =) How's that for my last all-out meal? After
lunch, we decided to drive around the campus, and reminisce a bit for
me, driving by the old buildings and the trees. We ended up at the pool in Baker Hall, where I had a feeling some
friends would be there. True enough, there were people training at
around 2pm! Saw Mooty, Pol, Nay and other people from the UPLB Trantados
Triathlon Club. Hung around for a while, then went to Mooty's house to
get my race suit, new race uniform of the tri team. True to form, the
race suit was also sized in my old size! Another motivator right
there! Ended up taking a short nap at Mooty's after playing a few
games of billiards. Before leaving, we had some sweetened bananas,
which really hit the spot. Next up before heading home, was to
get my favorite traditional LB pasalubong treats: Buko Pie, carabao
milk pastillas, and ChocoMilk. We got to Lety's Buko Pie and scored
the best buko pie in town! Although, there weren't any Pastillas in
stock. So, we had to head to the UPLB Dairy Farm to get fresh milk and
to the carabao center for the pastillas. At the Carabao Center, we
were able to get our chocomilk (which no boxed or bottled chocomilk
will ever equal), and quesong puti. Still no pastillas! I had to be
resigned to that fact. But alas, 3 packs of the chocomilk was frozen
stuck to the freezer. Not accepting defeat, especially since I wasn't
able to score my pastillas, I went inside the center (against the
rules) and broke the ice myself! The lady selling was already resigned
that she could not get it out anymore. It was great, breaking the ice
off and wrecking the wooden spoon in the process! =) I got my
chocomilk, and was ready to go home. Pics of this part of the weekend are on my photos section: http://flipcorpus.multiply.com/photos/album/28On
the way out, we dropped Mooty off at the football field and I saw some
old college buddies who just finished training and just chatted for a
while. On the way home, Ruel decided to doze off on the highway and
leave me to the drive. Once in Manila, we just dropped off our
pasalubong at home for a few minutes, and we left again so Ruel could
give his pasalubong to his girlfriend. After a couple of hours we
headed home and passed by my new FAVORITE japanese food spot. Man,
where else near Makati can you score Php15 Miso soup, Php55 Tempura Ramen, and
Php45 Katsu Curry rice? Plus it really tastes like pricey japanese
food! It really sent me on my way home and to bed with a smile. =) It
was great, the whole weekend was great. It wasn't too much, and not
too flashy. Everything about this weekend was just right. I got to
take care of myself, got to spend time with friends, got to go back to
my roots, and get motivated for the future. There are really things
that you need to do to realize certain things in your life, and I'm
really really glad this weekend happened.
You are invited to watch the Cinemalaya 2006 Full-Length
Feature Entry 'Tulad ng Dati', a film written, produced and directed by
Mike Sandejas. SYNOPSIS TULAD NG DATI follows
the current exploits of the Filipino rock band, The Dawn, composed of
Teddy Diaz, JB Leonor, Caloy Balcells and Jett Pangan. During the
second half of the 1980s, the band had risen to become the most
influential musical rock group of the time. At the height of their
popularity, their leader, Teddy Diaz is murdered. The remaining members
decide to continue on with the music but eventually disband in 1995. In
2000, The Dawn reunited. Tulad ng Dati starts
in 2006. It revolves around the character of Jett Pangan who is nearing
his forties. Jett has lost his passion for music and life and
entertains thoughts of retiring from the band. On a fateful night, Jett
is assaulted by a burglar and goes into a coma. He wakes up with no
memory of his life after 1988. He remembers that he is 20 years old and
is at the peak of his career with The Dawn. Not satisfied with how
things turned out with his life, he tries to change everything back to
the way it used to be. The path he takes while finding his place in
this strange new world proves itself to be a tough, emotional, and
sometimes hilarious journey—accompanied by the celebrated music of The
Dawn, both past and present. cinemalaya 2006 screening schedule for 'Tulad ng Dati': july 18 / tuesday at 9:00p.m. at CCP Little Theater july 19 / wednesday at 12:45p.m. at CCP Little Theater july 20 / thursday at 12:45p.m. at CCP Main Theater july 21 / friday at 6:15p.m. at CCP Multi-Purpose Hall (screening with English subtitles) july 22 / saturday at 6:15p.m. at CCP Main Theater ticket prices: P100.00 (regular price) & P50.00 (student price) with discounts for Senior
citizens and Group Sales Available at the CCP Box Office (832-3704) and Ticketworld at National Bookstore and Tower Records (891-9999) Also available in limited supply at the CCP Box Office: Cinemalaya Day Pass (valid for 5 screenings for one day) - P200.00 Cinemalaya Festival Pass (valid for any screening) - P750.00
I
haven't been home in 5 days, and it's all about work. The last time I
was able to sleep in my own bed was Monday night. Starting Tuesday,
I've been pretty much loaded up to my forehead with work, not that i'm
complaining. Sure, I was able to go out Tuesday and Wednesday night,
but the time I went out to have a little fun was just squeezed in
practically of a whole week of trying to catch up with very very tight
deadlines. Even my meetings with the client would end at about 11pm!
I've had to sleep in the office the whole time, because I know that if
I go home, I'd be losing time with work.
To
have an idea how bad my schedule is, I missed watching the World Cup
last night (Ger-Arg, Ita-Ukr), and tonight (Eng-Por), and it seems that
I will miss the Brazil game later also. Another miss I had today, I
wasn't able to see my friends (The Dawn) play at a bar a few blocks
away from me! That's how bad it is! I can't even go 5 blocks to watch
my friends' gig and have a few drinks with them! To think, all that
stuff is going on at around midnight! and its now almost 3am (my
time). If I look at it half-full, I'm glad I was able to have a little
fun and see some friends last Tuesday and Wednesday.
Right
now, here I am, still in front of my laptop, about 75% done with work.
But I'll only be able to really breathe by end of next week. I'll be
going to work out of town on Monday and Tuesday, thank god that my
client will be giving me a whole resort villa all to myself while I'm
working their event. Then when I get back on Wednesday, I have to get
ready for an MTV shoot on Thursday. But before I forget, I still
haven't finished writing my full-length movie script. I really have to
get that done too, so with a lot of things. Maybe when I have free
time at the villa.
Man,
I want a vacation. I want to go search for a nice beach after all
this, and get away from everything for a while. I don't know if I will
take someone with me, I do miss travelling on my own. Although, there
is someone that intrigues me...
Oh well, keep dreaming... back to work again...
This was one helluva night! A very private party Celebrating 20 years of The Dawn, and the birthdays of Fran and Rem! There were drinks OVERFLOWING like crazy! The music was fantastic and everybody was jumping! Live performances from, of course, The Dawn, Bituin Escalante, Agot Isidro, and many others. I was supposed to open up the night by doing stand-up. But there were too many minors in the crowd, and my act was a bit too R-18 for them. Oh well, maybe next time. Everyone was so wasted, I must have drank 6 shots of Jaeger, 4 San Mig Lights, at least 8 glasses of Kurant, and who knows what else. To think, we had to get up early the next day for the last shoot day of our movie (check an earlier post on my pics). For pics, click on: (I think these came from Kiko's Camera? As corrected, shots by uber-special-fashionista-designer-extraordinaire Nina Sandejas) http://thedawnrocks.multiply.com/photos/album/15More pics from this night to follow, we're still trying to get it all together.
Before you choose if the story is stupid or funny, please do read on. There may be a lesson you learn from this.
- - -
During Anton Ramos' set, I was dancing in front of the dj's booth with some friends, I already noticed a guy and girl standing next to me, but I paid them no attention, as I was trying to enjoy the music. Then my friend tapped me on the shoulder to tell me that he has to go to the bathroom for a moment, and look after some of his friends for him. I nodded and continued dancing.
A minute or two after he left, i felt a mild tapping on my left shoulder, when I turned to look, it was the same couple, who both stood no higher than my shoulder (I'm 5'11"). I lean over and ask, "What's up?". The guy leans over and goes, "Excuse me, baka you might want to buy pang-FU?" In a split second, I say, "What?!?!?" I was surprised that he had the balls to do it, then I told him no thanks and gave him a thumbs up and a smile.
- - -
So, what do you think? I'm actually not surprised by what he said to me anymore, because even if I'm not "partying", everyone thinks I am, so nobody really knows if I "partied" or not. But this is not what outrages me, what he did was totally irresponsible, what if I was a Narc? What if HE was a Narc?? Being clean and sober gives me a different perspective on the scene, especially now as compared to WAY BACK when we were really into it, and it was not as out in the open as it is now.
There were a lot of people who were obviously "rolling" at the party. And I'm not ratting on anyone who was there, but I hope to appeal to those who are doing it, especially those who are relatively new to it, PLEASE try to be more responsible. It's too much out in the open now, and it doesn't help anyone. Don't let people know about you "partying" just so people will think you're cool or in. The more people know what you're doing, the more chances to get caught.
And another concern of mine for those who "party" nowadays, PLEASE know your stuff. Know where it is coming from, know what is the composition, know what effect each combination of ingredients will ultimately do to you, so you can be prepared. You can order a Tester from the Netherlands. So if you are not sure of what you have, or before you even invest and buy it, you can just shave a dirt sized piece, and test it out. The Tester will let you know what are the ingredients in your tab. You'll know if it's laced with speed, or other stuff, or if its pure - which is the ONLY one you should allow yourself to take..
I'm sharing this because I care, if you want to do it, please be responsible and you can have fun at the same time. If there's one in your group that can be clean that whole night and be assigned to take care of the group, then take the bullet, everyone can take turns. There have been a lot of incidents over the years and things just get worse. Please remember, what you are doing is Illegal, and there are legitimate reasons why it is so, and ultimately, there will be consequences. So please, try to look out for one another, and try to be more discreet if you can.
Hope I put even a little sense into some of you. Thanks.
We have captured additional pictures of the REAL WOLVERINE!!! He really exists!!! These were taken at night, in the Wolverine's environment which made it dangerous for us. These photos are not for the faint of heart (or of fart). Check out My Photos (or this link) to see for yourself!!! http://flipcorpus.multiply.com/photos/album/15
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