Sunday, October 31, 2004
sha-ee-daah!!!!
Isang gabi, ang police na pangkalawakan at ang babaeng kaniyang tinaguriang sidekick ay napadpad sa Maynila dahil sa isang pagkakamali sa kanilang pag-time-space-warp.
Marami ang nakakita kay Shaider at Annie na gumi-gimmick sa Katipunan at Makati!
Nino and I had been planning this costume since September, and succesfully managed to keep it secret from all but a few, select people till the big night! We shed blood, sweat, and money for this costume. He spent more than 2 grand just buying the different parts, and spray painting them whereas I sewed my outfit by hand using what little I remembered from high school Home Economics.
I pricked my fingers on the needle thrice. :-p Yes, I literally shed blood for this costume.
Our goal: to be seen by as many people as possible.
Sha-ee-dah!!!! Panalong panalo ang aming costume! We went first to a gig in Burgundy where Nino played bass in his Shaider outfit much to the sheer delight and disbelief of the audience. Then we went to a Studio 23 concert at The Fort where we were clearly the toast of the evening.
Left and right, we attracted hordes of sentimental Shaider fans; people who, like me, were kids back in the late 80s, who'd excitedly wait for Shaider to come on the tube every Sunday afternoon. Every 80s-kid's hero was Shaider. Every little boy's fantasy was Annie. Left and right, people's jaws would drop as soon as they saw Nino, followed by a delighted applause.
"Shaider, nasaan si Babilos?", "Time space warp!", and "Matrix projection!" were being yelled at us left and right. "I love you Annie baby!" People were getting their pictures taken with us, and there was this group of kids who just about followed us everywhere. But Nino was the true star for the night. People couldn't get enough of his Shaider costume. I was his proud sidekick and wardrobe person as I was in charge of helping him in and out of his padding everytime he had to drive.
The fun part came when we joined the costume contest. We didn't know about it until the last minute and Nino and I were the second to the last to register. We stood in the rain, waiting to be called on stage, with the rest of the competition. People came in really spectacular costumes! There was a very realistic Ent, a group of guys who came as boxes of cigarettes, a Doctor Octopus with ingeniusly constructed "metal" arms, and our favorite, the "Queen of Abortion" who came looking like a blood drenched Virgin Mary, holding two bloody dolls.
Nino and I won second place! We took home what must've been twenty pounds of Nescafe coffee and 10,000 pesos in cash! Nabawi din ang ginastos niya sa costume! We were being filmed too, so it just might come out on TV. Whee! We were so happy.
We went to Conrad, Odin, and Ibarra's party after to close our glorious evening. Clearly, Shaider and Annie occupy a special place in the hearts of every 80s child.
p.s. Marahil ay marami sa inyong magtatanong kung kulay puti ba ang aking panty sa ilalim ng palda ko. Sino ba ang makalilimot sa puting panty ni Annie na lumilitaw tuwing siya'y sumisipa o mangnga-ngartwheel?
Ang sagot ko ay: si Shaider lamang ang tanging nakakaalam.
Joks!
ang mga nakalaban at nakaaway ni Shaider!!!
Nagksi-himatayan ang mga kababaihan at nagkagulo ang lahat ng biglang nagkaroon ng away sa Fort!
Nakipagsumbatan si Shaider sa mismong Hari ng Kadiliman nang nakitang minamanyak nito ang kaniyang siyota na si Annie.
This guy actually won the grand prize at the costume contest. He deserved it. He looks like he came straight out of a nightmare. And when you touch him, he's sticky.
Nakikita natin dito kung kanino natalo ang ating bida. Nagkasapakan ang Space Sheriff at ang payasong si Ronald Mcdonald sa kusina ni Conrad. This picture cracks me up.
paalam na!
Si Shaider at si Annie na nakasakay kay Babilos, na sa totoo lang ay isang motorsiklo na nakita naming nakaparada sa parking lot! Pasensya nalang sa may-ari!
Goodbye, Philippines! I'm off to Botswana!
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at 7:10 PM 56 Comments!
Friday, October 29, 2004
deviant art ngar ngar
I guess it's time to admit I've been spending too much time on Photoshop. I'm finally ready to reveal, for the second time, my Deviant Art account. I managed to fill it up with enough "art work" (if art work you may call it) to make it a decent enough page. It's filled with mostly snapshots from my digicam that I tweaked or manipulated (see photo on left), so I call it my "lazy art". You might find something that you'll like, or that might at least amuse you.
So drop by: alaism.deviantart.com!
to my 3 postcard winners
Do leave me your zipcodes. It'll save the post office alot of trouble. ;-)
tomorrow is halloween!!!
I'll be gallavanting around the metro with Nino in my costume. We're coming as pair, but were keeping it under wraps until tomorrow. We both worked very, very hard on our costumes!!!
Will be sure to post a pic before I leave. Viva la Halloween!
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Thursday, October 28, 2004
the 3 postcard winners are...
1) Vea, who was randomly chosen.
2) Chocolate, also randomly chosen, but that URL of a giant satellite picture of the earth really got me!
3) the paper doll, because she was the only one who left her snail-mail her address! Hehe.
To Vea and Chocolate, please post your snail-mail addresses.
To all the rest: Since I have all your email addresses, maybe I'll send you an e-postcard if I have the chance! I'm still debating whether or not I'm even going to take this Mac with me. I get separation anxiety when I'm away from it too long, see. My hands start itching for something to type, for something to Photoshop! Aaaaargh!
But I know this computer will just become useless, extra luggage because there will be no electrical outlets in the 10 days that I will be in Botswanna, and I'll probably be too busy in Seychelles (where I'll be spending 6 days after) to Photoshop or go online.
Interesting fact: Seychelles is where "Blue Lagoon" and "Return to the Blue Lagoon" was shot. We all know I won't be able to resist posing in a few Brooke-Shields-esque shots. Ahahaha!
things i'll miss while i'm away
1) Nino !!!! Waaaaaaaaahhhhhhh! :-(
2) My niece Ananda whose nickname I have changed from "Koala" to "Droolie Tearjerky", because all she's done the past 3 days is drool and cry. She'll be starting on solid food when I'm gone and I won't be able to see how funny her face will be the first time she tastes strained papaya.
3) The despedida party of my friend Ramesh who is finally leaving for the US to be with his wife. I badly wanted to say a proper goodbye.
4) Bataan with Nino's family! They took me to their ancestral home last year, and they thought I'd be able to go again this year. I'll be missing out on good company and the atrocious amounts of taba ng talangka that they like to eat.
5) My sister and my brother! WIth hope they don't tear each other to pieces while I'm gone.
6) My parents, who will be touring Europe until mid-December... it's gonna be a LONG time before I see them again.
7) Internet, blogging, and Photoshopping. I promised 4 different people I'd help them to design their blog templates. I have to put that on hold while I'm gone. Shucks. I'm on a designing streak pa naman.
8) Going to the gym! I finally got a regulay workout rhythm going and I'm going to have to abandon it. It's going to be a challenge getting back on track.
9) "Admit 1", a gig in Freedom Bar that happens every 1st Saturday of the month. I missed the last one which was themed "prom night". Everyone came in prom dresses and there was even a photographer who'd take your picture, prom style. All the bands played prom songs.
But that's just me already getting homesick before I've even left. I'm positive that I will have such a blast once I get there. Who would choose Freedom Bar over Africa? :-p
When I get back, there'll be a gajillion shoots, meetings, and hosting jobs waiting for me. There are exciting things in the works right now, but it's too early to talk about it. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed.
dramachine
I'm loving every minute of Sugarfree's latest, "Dramachine". Ang ganda! An excellent follow-through to their first album, "Sa Wakas". My favorite tracks from this one are "Sinta", "Prom", "Tulog Na", Hari ng Sablay", and "Dramachine".
I think what gets everyone about Sugarfree is that even though they write love songs just like everyone else, the sentiments in their lyrics and music is so Pinoy! We're all familiar with the shy, Pinoy, high school boy, fumbling to express what he feels for the girl he's loved from afar. Ebe is such a good songwriter. So sincere.
This is one band who has managed to avoid the dreaded "sophomore jinx". This is my favorite album right now.
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Tuesday, October 26, 2004
alright, gumshoes!
Our favorite crook has done it again!
This time, she plans to run off somewhere with an illegal shipment of stolen disposable underwear! Her daring escape is set for November 1! After she stashes the loot in the mystery destinatiom, she'll be back in the Philippines on November 17, scott-free and with zero evidence of ever having stolen anything! Catch that wily crook now!
Where in the world is Ala Paredes?
(Or more correctly, where will she be?)
Here are some not so obvious clues:
1) This country is known for itss.
2)
3) 22 00 S, 24 00 E
Find her!
3 randomly selected people with correct answers gets a post card from moi! So leave your address ;-) To my friends who already know the answer, BE FAIR. You'll get a postcard from me, anyway.
Vote my friend, Sib, in the Solar Host Hunt
Sib has stylish hair, a great girlfriend whom he buys stylish things for, and looks incredibly stylish in women's pants. VOTE HIM! Because he is stylish :-p
Seriously, he's the only stand-out amongst all the other male, beef-cake, pretty-boy contestants on Solar.Other reasons to vote Sib:
1) He's pesca-vegetarian.
2) He's the lead singer of his band, Day One
3) He looks awesome in eye-liner
4) People say he looks like Brandon Boyd (daw!)
5) He's smart and probably has alot more to say than his counterparts (that's just me talking of course. No offense to the other contestants.)
Help him become a Solar Entertainment Veejay! Go to Solar and vote Jonathan Sibulo! Thank you!!!
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Friday, October 22, 2004
long live the gods of SM
I was invited to the launch of SM Makati yesterday. They told us to come in "formal or cocktail" attire, but I didn't think the launch of a department store could really get thatformal. So Nino and I came in our very best semi-formal. Boy, did we regret it when we got there. First of all, the ground floor of SM Department store looked terrific! They had cleared the 1st floor, and fixed the lighting so that it looked more like an enchanted palace or something. Second of all, people were in gowns! As in prom dresses! Left and right, there were waiters serving wine, hors d' oeuvres from Cibo (my favorite restaurant). And best of all, there was this awesom chocolate fondue fountain!
On stage, Tessa Prieto V. and Tim Yap were auctioning masks designed by national artists. There were mimes, harp players, and a huge screen showing the awesome video they made for the launch. There was even a fireworks show inside the mall!!!
The fun part came when they opened the department store for us guests! Imagine shopping at 9 in the evening, in a prom dress, in a department store that was practically empty save for accomodating employees. Plus, alot of items were 10% off. It was absolutely surreal!!! We kept asking each other if it was really SM Department store.
And the food and wine didn't end on the ground floor. Everytime we went up the escalator, there was a waiter offering us a tray of Cibo food, and wine at the top. There were tables with flowers where anyone could sit and be served free food. Also, there were huge bouquets of flowers throughout the entire mall.
Nino and I made it our evening's mission to try every single type of hors d' oeuvre there was. By the end of the night, we were full, tipsy, and a little sick (undoubtedly due to the chocolate fondue fountain with which we partook liberally in).
So there we were, the hippie couple in our Sunday best, unexpectedly enjoying an evening so different from the ripped-jeans-and-tsinelas places we're so used to going to. It was like a wonderful, magical shopping wonderland filled with smiling employees and beautiful people. I wish shopping could be like that everyday! I'm so glad Penshoppe made me go. I usually avoid these "sosyalan events". Actually I avoid them all the time.
I think I will attend more of them (for the freebies!).
I ended up buying a pair of white, old skool type sneakers, the kind with velcro instead if shoe laces, for 399 pesos. How about that?
SM, you've got it all for me! ;-)
of mix tapes and prom dresses
Writing my previous entry "In the Glow of Old Friends" made really nostalgic about prom night. So nostalgic in fact that at 1 am the other night, I was waist-deep in old photographs, searching for my old prom pics, the "formal" ones taken by photographers. For lack of a scanner, I decided to take pictures of the pictures with my digi-cam and came up with copies that were almost decent. They're all a little blurry. But I guess it's better that way because I'll be telling stories about my prom dates here and maybe it's best to keep some of their identities in the blur ;-).
Holy Spirit Prom, 1999The Venue: I believe it was the Mandarin.
The Dress I wore a maroon dress I bought cheap from Hollywood Boulevard. And since my hair was only an inch long then, I bought a necklace and wore it on my head like a tiara. I also bought this gorgeous pair of black high-heels that I didn't know how to walk in.
The Date: Believing that taking a guy I liked to my prom would produce a night of only awkward moments and embarrassing silences, I decided to instead take a good guy friend with me: Glenn de Leon! He treated me like a princess the entire night, a perfect gentleman. He may have been a platonic guy friend but he sure knew how to turn on the charm. Even if it was just for the night! He wore a very interesting mix and match combo: a navy blue blazer and brown slacks. Very unexpected.
Memorable Event:I was voted "Glamour Queen" which is of lower status than Prom Queen (hahaha!). After the awardees had been anounced, the floor was emptied for all of us winners to slow dance with out dates. I stashed my shoes under the table before I danced because my feet were killing me. My dress was so long that nobody noticed.
I Slow Danced To: "Last Chance" by Allure. I thought it was the most romantic song ever! It still is!
Post Prom: we went to Starbucks! It was my first time in Starbucks (back then when it was still "cool"). My date brought me home and I gave him the mix tape we played in the car as a thank you gift. It was full of my favorite hip-hop songs.
The Prom Pic: notice our oh-so-platonic pose! ;-)
Southridge Prom, 1999The Venue: I cant remember for the life of me.
The Dress: I hardly had time to get ready, so I borrowed a dress from Jenn, which was too short, and shoes from my classmate Meggy. I tied my hair back and let curly tendrils hang down the front. I wanted my makeup to go with my white theme so I used white eye-shadow and white eye-liner. It was disastrous (see prom picture).
The Date: My friend Lorenzo asked me to be his date. I got the impression that it was pretty controversial in Southridge because: a) he was Elea's ex-boyfriend, and b) he was shorter than me by almost a foot.
Memorable Event: What follows is so horrifying that it just has to be mimmicked in a teen movie one day. After an awkward dinner beside my date who hardly talked to me, they decided to anounce the winners of the different awards. Well, guess who won The Jack and the Beanstalk Award? *Ahem. So we stood up to go onstage, but I accidentally knocked over a glass of water, which spilled all over the front of his pants. So not only did we have to go onstage to receive an embarassing award, but he had to do it with a wet crotch. I felt so bad.
I Slow Danced To: "Cupid" by 112. Who didnt??? I was so much taller than my date that his face was right on my... never mind.
Post Prom: Did we go to Starbucks?
The Picture: Notice how we were barely touching each other! We were trying to do the whole James Bond with Bond-girl pose. I look FAT. This was a very memorable prom.
Holy Spirit Grad Ball, 2000The Venue Makati Shangri-La Hotel
The Dress: I had my dress made at Yoli Celdran. I was the only one who came in tinkerbell green. When I look at it now, it's so plain, but back then, I loved it. The dress was a success. Also, my hair was finally long enough to put in an up-do! whoop-te-do! From my bad experiences with high-heels, I came in flats and had a very comfortable evening.
The Date: Following my anti-crush policy, I took another platonic guy friend: my best friend Dan Cabrera! I wanted to go stag but, I decided to bring Dan because he was in love with a girl from my batch who, coincidentally, was also going stag! I thought I'd take Dan to give him his chance to makes his move on the girl. Dan is the perfect prom date. He's a gentleman, totally sociable, super fashionable, and a terrific dancer! He had his shirt and tie specially sewn in a color to match the undertones of my dress (what other guy would do that?), and he made sure my corsage matched the color of my gown. He got me the prettiest corsage ever, and it was strung with garter so it didn't fall apart or flop from my wrist at any time during the evening. Dan is the best!!!
Memorable Moment: Seeing Dan dance with his love! Dancing crazily with the girls a la Romy and Michelle (we were so silly). Picture taking in the bathroom! And talking to my crush, who was someone else's date. He will appear once again in the next section, the La Salle Ball
I slow danced to: I didn't. :-) I was having too much fun.
Post Prom: We went home I think.
The Prom Pic: Notice how totally comfortable we are with each other. This is my best prom pic. I had just gotten my braces off too so I felt fabulous.
La Salle Ball, 2000The Venue: Makati Shangri-La
The Dress: I had this beautiful periwinkle dress made at Yoli's. It had a train and diamonds on the straps. It made me feel like such a princess. It was my favorite dress.
The Date This guy Alds who was my aforementioned crush at the SHS grad ball. I had met him at Battle of the Bands and had a monstrous crush on him, but so far had only shared a few phone conversations with him (back when it was still in vogue to actually call the girl you like). He wore red, which I thought would've been very cool if not for it clashing with the color of my gown. He never asked what color my gown was, and so he got me a bright pink corsage (which also clashed!). He wore a tie with whales on it, and his curly hair, which was slicked back, earned him the nickname "ensaymada boy" from my sister because she could never remember his name (ang sama).
Memorable Event: My uncle, who was dining at the hotel that night, decided to send us over a huge Haagen Daaz Kahlua ice cream cake. We ate all of it, and got tipsy from the alcohol. Also, he stepped on my train more than once. The skirt almost ripped from the bodice and that was goodbye to trains for me. Long trains are just too much for nervous high school boys to handle.
I slow danced to:Well, I tried to slow dance but he kept himself at a certain distance at all times, like we were two alike poles of two magnets trying to touch. He wouldn't dance much to fast music either because it was a showband playing, and he had a thing against show bands.
Post Prom:The car ride home turned out to be alot more fun than the prom itself. We talked about goats and Lord of the Rings. He had made this weird mix tape full of stuff I had never heard before because I only listened to hip-hop. It had Led Zep and Wolfgang and Satriani in it, and he gave it to me when he dropped me off. I learned to love the contents of that mix tape (and look at me now!). On the side: I used to make mix tapes for everyone I knew. I would carefully select each track, and even the order they were in always had meaning. How come people don't do that anymore?
The Prom Pic: Notice the awkwardly placed hand on my forearm. Hahaha! It cracks me up. Even the background clashes with my dress.
Southridge Ball, 2001
The Venue: Oh dear, I can't remember :-p
The Dress:Out came the periwinke La Salle number once again. I had lost so much weight at that point that it hung on me.
The Date: The one and only Macky Santiago! (Read previous entry entitled "In The Glow of Old Friends"). I remember he wore black and alot of chains. Very Macky.
Memorable Moment: Read aforementioned entry to hear about the delicious scandal Macky and I plotted that night! Also, I triple dated with Jenn, Elea, Enzo, and Chris Yambing so it was a total blast!
I slow danced to: Barbie's Cradle who played live! Macky, Els, and I were so excited because they were our favorite band back then.
Post Prom: I think we went for some coffee...hay, highschool!
The Prom Pic: For some reason, this prom was not provided with a photographer. I have no prom pic from this prom. Sayang. It was one of the best ones too.
So to my high school readers, learn from my experiences:
1) Say no to trains. Your date will step on it, and even if he doesn't, other people will. Save the long traing for your wedding day.
2) If your goal is getting kilig, go ahead and ask your crush to be your date. But if you want to have a wicked time, go stag, or bring your best guy friend.
3) Tell your date what color your gown is ahead of time... see if he gets the hint.
4) Make a mix tape. It's fun. Or a mix CD if you insist on being with the times.
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Wednesday, October 20, 2004
i done it i done it!!!
My sister's new blog template is partially finished but finally up! I will be adding more of my "ballistic creations", as Mikoid once called them, in time. Its still got a lot of loose ends, and hastily-made things that I will eventually change.
I will soon be working on my my brother's site. We're working on a very exciting, very psychedelic theme.
I know I will never have a career as a graphic/web designer if I continue churning out these ballistic creations and start doing more, er, functional stuff. But since I can't make anything functional, I've decided to make a living (well, sort of) out of this template thing.
Friends, (preferably friends I really know... as in real friends. Or at least friends of friends :-p), I will design a ballistic, low-tech, blog-template for you. I know next to nothing about webdesign or HTML, my skills are sloppy and limited, my taste, ballistic and unrefined. Hence, I will humbly charge you in kind. I will work for freshly baked cookies (hint, hint to Alexi hahaha), for a free meal out to a tasty restaurant, for cute little trinkets/ accessories (er, Amina? Haha, kidding!), for a free massage (a real one), a free one-on-one coffee or inuman session, a nice painting you made yourself, or anything else you might have in mind. This is all open to negotiation.
Now here is the catch: I will be away from the country for the first half of November, which means I might have to delay most of the work! But if you're willing to wait, I'm willing to design a ballistic template for you! ;-)
in the glow of old friends
Last night I went over to my old friend Elea's place to help her cook dinner and chat. We cooked a tuna pasta of our own concoction. Later we were joined by our other old friend, Macky. It was a rare and wonderful reunion.
Elea and I became close when we were seatmates in 2nd year high school. Together we crushed on the boys of section 2C, La Salle Green Hills (Oh God, those were the days), spent endless, lazy afternoons at my house eating everything we could grab a hold of, did theater together, listened to music, and went to Baguio. We got our first boyfriends at the same time and broke up with them almost at the same time (signs of a true high school friendship). We would skip class to hide out on top of our lockers and devour an entire box of pastillas, all in one sitting. Though we rarely see each other nowadays, it's not very hard to rekindle our old closeness during our get togethers. She's one of those friends whom I don't hear from very often, but somehow always makes it to my list of people who count. Nowadays, she's busy with her band After Eve (check them out!).
I met Macky in college but for some reason, I consider him as one of my high school friends. Probably because when I was a college freshman and he was a high school senior in Southridge, he took me to his grad ball. We had never met till the day of the ball itself, but we would talk on the phone and send each other horrendously long e-mails. In fact, we met on the phone through Elea during a three-way conversation. And no, neither of us had romantic intentions towards each other. Somehow, we just seemed to click to so well that when he asked me to be his ball date, it wasn't awkward at all. I said yes immediately knowing it was going to be one awesome night.
And it was. We purposely created a scandal on the night of the ball just so people would talk about us. We pretended we were romantically involved and that we had just come from a tumultuous lover's quarrel, all of which climaxed during a big, dramatic moment when Macky went on stage, went up to the mic, and delivered a very emotional, teary-eyed apology addressed to moi (after which he burst into song). The women gasped, the men went "ooooohhhh". It was so perfectly dramatic, so perfectly unreal, that the audience bought it immediatly. It was a performance straight out of "Dawson's Creek". I admit I was so caught off-guard by the intensity of the performance that it took awhile for me to remember that I had to pretend to be teary-eyed and lovesick, too.
So that's Elea and that's Macky. Time has set us off on our own individual directions, and sometimes I feel like I can't really relate. There's one thing we all love though, and that's music. All three of us seriously love to sing, and the two are pretty handy with the guitar and the piano. Add to that the fact that we all got to know each other in theater and you've got a trio of willing performers.
So last night, amidst conversations on ex-boyfriends, new boyfriends, old teachers, and pap smears, we gathered round the piano and jammed. We did Basia, Alanis, Barbie's Cradle, Sara Mclachlan, Queen, Beatles, and some of our favorite Broadway soundtracks. We even sang Mariah Carey, the songs from when she still relied on her talent to make her famous). We sang all the old stuff we liked, back when we still all liked the same stuff. Now were all into different things. Both of them are mostly into quieter music, while I've been in ballistic-mode (rawr!).
Later on, I plugged in my iPod and played songs from our high school days, songs we had forgotten about, songs that were all linked to distinct moments in high school, all the best, best memories ever, like the glorious night of Battle of the Bands in senior year. Old names. Old bands. Old loves. Aaah, high school.
I love these friends. We may not talk or see each other often, and we all have our own not-so-secret, little opinions of each other, but they are the most accepting lot I've found just yet. It's wonderful how we can step back and appreciate how the others have grown, developed, and changed (or stayed the same).
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Tuesday, October 19, 2004
init ng ulo
I'm so angry that someone I'm very close to is becoming a smoker. I mean this person would smoke occasionally before (and I never, ever liked it), but now it seems this person is becoming a smoker.
I know alot of you don't think smoking is a big deal and I probably sound psychotic for making an issue over it. I know that it is absolutely none of my business if people around me want to incorporate smoking into their lifestyle.
But I can't deny that it's a big deal to me. I know a gajillion smokers, many of them close to me, but I don't make an issue out of it because I don't really have to live with them. This case is different.
I HATE cigarettes. The second-hand smoke makes my throat dry and irritated, hurts my eyes, and makes me cough. I hate the smell.
Most of all, I hate how smoking is inevitably such an inconsiderate habit. I don't smoke, but I can't come home from a party without my clothes and hair reeking of cigarettes. I don't smoke, and yet I am forced to have to inhale the poisons I try so hard to avoid. If smokers are going to light up, and pollute their immediate environment with poisonous 2nd hand smoke, they should be considerate enough to be the ones to leave.
There are non-smokers like me who do mind when smokers light up, and just because we've learned to tolerate it, it doesn't mean were used to it, or that we like it. I think my tolerance for it has actually grown weaker. I fainted in a bar in Baguio two months ago from cigarette smoke overload.
Anyway, I really am pretty disapointed but it's not in my character to tell people what decisions they should make in their lives. People choose their habits.
Although why anyone would want to consciously CHOOSE to get into smoking in this day and age is beyond me... by now, we KNOW it has zero benefits. We KNOW smoke related illnesses are one of the yearly leading causes of death around the world. We KNOW it's a lifetime battle to completely kick the habit. Even if you've quit for a few years, you're still liable to go back to it. Even when you're 40, you're liable to go back to it.
I've seen it happen so many times to older friends, older relatives... even my mom couldn't resist the urge to take it up again sometime during her 30s (though she's been off it for years now).
Not only is it an addictive POISON, but it's a poison you have to PAY for. How much do people to spend in the long run to support this bad habit? How much does it all add up to?
I've seen the same pattern many times over in different people. It goes like this:
Stage 1: "I only smoke sometimes. Only about 2 to 4 sticks a week" or "I'm a 'social smoker'". (Whatever. You're still a smoker.)
Stage 2: "I only smoke when I'm stressed/ full. I'm not addicted. I can quit anytime I want" (This is the deception point. At this point, they never quit.)
Stage 3: "I'll quit by the end of this month/ week/year". (To which I want to say: "Told you you'd find it hard to quit. Told you so, told you so..." most if not all of the time, they don't quit. And that's that.)
So there, I'm pretty upset at this person's decision to be a smoker. Since it's not an option to control people's lives, I'm going to vent my frustrations here. But God, why, why, WHY???
latest addition
Check out my new nephew Joshua! He was born last week to my cousin Korinne. He's 1/4 Filipino, 1/4 American, and 1/2 Mexican and he's so gwapo!. He'll be the next Gael Garcia Bernal. Ananda now has a cousin!
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Friday, October 15, 2004
bullet entry #1
NO MORE JASMINE TRIAS!!! GAAAAAAAAHHH!!! OVERKILL, OVERKILL!!!!
Does every single banner in Ortigas, and every single page of the Inquirer have to have her face plastered on it?! OVERKILL!!!
bullet entry #2
Taken from Salamangkiero's Journey:
"'Computer games don't affect kids. I mean if Pac-Man affected us as kids, we'd all be running around in darkened rooms, munching magic pills and listening to repetitive music."Kristian Wilson, Nintendo, Inc, 1989
Call it a moment of reverse-prophecy! Or reverse profundity! *doogsh dagsh doogsh dagsh...
the school of no rock
Recently I received news that rock music has been banned from my old Catholic high school, School of the Holy Spirit, QC, after the nuns sat in on one of the rock concerts and were scandalized. I even heard that they pulled the plug on Parokya Ni Edgar mid-performance because they sang "Don't Touch My Birdy".
The thought of some crooning, adolescent boy (side note: our rockstars will be adolescents forever, whether they're 15, or 50. Even Pepe Smith is an adolescent boy), shaking his pelvis at the students, to the sound of *shudder* electric guitars must've been too much for them to take. Not to mention the underlying sexual perversion, and drug-related messages inherent in rock n' roll, the devil's music. Gasp!
Now, all hired performaning artists for school events like fund raisers or the school fair variety show, as well as participants of the yearly "Battle of the Bands" contest are only allowed to play amplifier-free music. Meaning: acoustic. WAAAAAAHHHH! How I weep for the youth of SHS, QC. They will have to endure a high school life of nothing but Paolo, Nina, and Nyoy. Don't get me wrong. Paolo, Nina, and Nyoy are wonderful, talented, amazing artists. It's just sad that acoustic is the only type of music allowed, and any band that produces so much as the slightest electric guitar twang is banned from SHS.
Where will these students channel their teen angst if there is no rock? With no rock to channel their teen frustrations, by the time they reach college, they'll either be rebellious, blood-thirsty delinquents or they will already have been cowed into being meek, perfectly respectable citizens (and who would want to be that?! Heaven forbid!).
Thank God I am not young enough to live through these Dark Ages. Back in my day, we had Greyhoundz performing, and the nuns were probably unaware because they would probably be fast asleep in their convents by 7:30 pm. Also, we had glorious battles of the bands, rock music galore. Rue the day when Mother Superior decided to sit in on the rock concerts.
I wasn't into rock at all during high school (I was one of those Aaliyah-TLC-WarrenG fans in baggy trousers), but I did join the Battle of the Bands when my friend CB asked me to be one of the vocalists. However loyal to hip-hop I was, I had a fantastic time.
Sadly, in The School of the Holy Spirit, the music scene is in the Dark Ages. With hope, a Renaissance shall spring forth in time.
Fight for your right to rock, babeh!
Holy Spirit will have my head for this entry.
yesterday i made THIS!
Yeah, it's a BOOB!!!! Got a problem with it?! :-p
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guess who has been discovering java script?!
I've been on the internet all day for the past 3 days and I actually feel that my vision has dimmed considerably. Hence, I vowed to keep off my blog template tomorrow to give myself a break (I'm still checking my e-mail though).
But in exchange for 20-20 vision, my blog side-bar now displays a motley collection of lovely images, all clickable! Go on! Give them all a try! Don't be shy!
God...I'm a real geek now. That says it all.
happy montsary Nino-ling!
Though I usually don't write cheesy things like that on my blog, I'm making an exception for this one because he just gave me his old Billy Holiday CD as a present, cracked casing and all. I LOVE IT!
Darn, what can I give him?
brooding soul
I was showing Nino the beautiful pics of crumbling, old, Art Deco buildings that I took in Escolta when he commented, "Ba't mahilig ka sa ruins?" He pointed out that I was obsessed with the remains of old civilizations and towns like Escolta, Intramuros, and Angkor Wat.
I never realized it about myself but he's right. A kind of drunkenness fills me when I'm surrounded by ruined, old structures, and I just have to take pictures, and rave, and sigh dreamily all around me. I also realized that I tend to fall in love with ruins and afterwards feel this constantly resurfacing need to go back to them and bask in their mystery.
That's why I've been itching to get together a back-packing trip to Cambodia. I saw ancient temples like Ta Prom, and Bayon, and Angkor Wat and my heart never let it go since then. It was almost a religious experience.
I guess part of me is an architecture buff, and the other half is just loves the drama of it all.
* from left to right: Angkor Wat in Cambodia; Intramuros; Elhogar St. in Escolta, Manila
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Tuesday, October 12, 2004
Since Halloween is one of my favorite times of year, I couldn't resist inviting some ghosts over to haunt my blog for the month of October. And since my niece is favorite little girl, I could'nt resist making one of the ghosts look like her. :-p That's her doing her ghost pose!
Sadly, the ghosts only show on Internet Explorer (unless you're browser comes with a built-in third eye!).
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Saturday, October 09, 2004
mabuhay ang kabataan ng QC
Last night I hosted the 65th Quezon City Foundation Day Concert, "Konsiyerto Para sa Kabataan" beside City Hall. It was one of those things you don't get paid a whole lot for, that you do supposedly out of goodwill. In my case, i did it because I thought it would probably be more worthwhile to lend my services to the city that raised me than spending another night at home glued to my laptop.
It was a free, open air concert and soon we had a large crowd of teenagers, and QC passers-by. We had performers like Paolos Santos, The Mongols, Session Road, and Lou Bonnevie, but they were all just trimmings on the cake. The real purpose for the event was to award certain Quezon City youth organizations in the first ever Wenceslao Vinzons Awards. We had a variety of presentors: Mayor Sonny Belmonte, actor Roy Alvarez, Behn Cervantes, Vince Hizon, Karel Marquez, and many others. It was all quite amazing.
As it turns out, 50% of Quezon's City's population is composed of the youth. Last night, different youth groups and individuals were recognized for their outstanding projects and achievements in the arenas of sports, arts and culture, journalism, sciences, academic excellence, leadership, gender awareness, etc. One organization I remember quite distinctly was the "Libis Gay Association" (LIGAYA), homosexuals asserting positive roles in society through cultural and charity projects.
Before last night's events, I had a vague notion that such youth groups existed but had no idea just active they really were. I was so impressed and so inspired how these seemingly anonymous individuals contributed to society.
It's a wonder how something like say, "The MTV Style Awards", can get so much publicity and so much support from huge telecom corporations, while more socially relevant awards shows like the Wenceslao Vinzons Awards hardly ever (if not never) make it to the mainstream. I guess social relevance is just not in vogue at the moment. People would rather see a page full of little thumb-nail photos of beautiful people gracing the latest party or event, than a page full of un-glamorous, anonymous people being given recognition for how they've made a difference. Kudos to Q.C. for putting the spotlight on the individuals who are not showbiz-folk, super-models,or socialites.
Much to my delight, Pinikpikan performed last night. Watching them never fails to do me proud. They are oh-so-Filipino, and yet so absolutely world class! They are known all over the world as a matter of fact.
I love how they so vehemently preach how to love our ethnic roots and to care for our environment, in their music, their dances, and their messages. And they sure can get you dancing on your feet. Unfortunately, the audience, used hearing only what they see on MYX or MTV, regarded them at first with a kind of perplexity. Who on earth were these hippies, dressed in Igorot garb, screaming like cavemen, and preaching social and environmental messages?
"Mahalin ang sariling kultura!", they said. "Huwag magputol ng mga puno!" By the end of the performance, some people in the audience were really dancing and clapping to the beat, not quite understanding such a new experience but developing an uncertain appreciation of it nonetheless.
I remember watching Pinikpikan perform at the ASEAN Summit in Cambodia back in 2002. Each participating country had to perform a cultural dance. Every country put on a wonderful show, Balinese dances, Thai costumes, all displaying the characteristic gold nails and elaborate headdresses that is found in so much of Asian culture. But the Philippines was definitely the night's biggest stand-out. Instead of doing the usual tinikling, fandango, or singkil,Ballet Philippines decided to go way, way back to our earliest roots, the indigenous tribes of the Philippines. They dressed in modern-ethnic, black body suits, chopped at the knee. Instead of ballet, they did a very contemporary sort of tribal dance, all to the beat of Pinikpikan. The Asian audience was so taken aback by such a stunning, cutting-edge performance. I was so proud!
lastly
I'd like to share one of my favorite album covers ever. Men in eyeliner, platform boots, spandex, and bad haircuts: I just love the sheer decadence of it! I especially love the how the band's name is penned in pink lipstick! It's by an old 80's glam/punkish group called The New York Dolls.
If I ever have a band, I want a picture just like that! Hahaha! Or maybe I can suggest it to Nino for the next Greyhoundz album cover.
I love men in make-up. Hahaha!
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Wednesday, October 06, 2004
feng shui done by idiots
After much ado and weeks of delay, Nino finally moved into his new condo! Most of his stuff are still in the many balikbayan boxes cluttering the main area. But he is officially moved in, because we performed the Grand Feng Shui Moving In Ritual yesterday. Well, that's not really what it's called, I just invented it. It's the physical act of actually moving in to a new place, in accordance with the principles of feng shui.
Neither Nino or I seriously believe in superstition. But when plans to move into a new condo began a month ago, I imediately asked my Chinese tito when his lucky moving-in day would be. Just for fun. My tito consulted a feng shui expert who said that Nino should move in on October 5.
I wasn't expecting Nino to follow it since he was all set to move in before October started. To my surprise, he insisted on moving in on his lucky feng shui date. "Sayang naman", he said, kasi alam na nating yung date, diba?"
So at 9PM, October 5, we stood outside his condo door with a bunch of assorted items that seemingly had no connection with each other. As it turned out, moving in the feng shui way wasn't just about mosying into your front door and plopping your carcass on your bed. A few days after we learned the lucky feng shui date my tito texted the step-by-moving in process as follows:
On the day of October 5, we have to bring 4 bowls filled with rice, sugar, flour, and salt, a walis, coins, and an image of the Sto. Nino. Nino's bed has to be carried in by men, who are not born on the Year of the Rooster or the Dog, who have sons. The bed must be placed facing West, and the men must be paid with a coin. The walis must not be used on that day. And finally, something sweet must be boiled on the stove.
I thought it was all pretty crazy but Nino insisted on following it all "kasi sayang naman".
So there we were outside his condo door. He held the four bowls, and I held the walis and the image of the Sto. Nino that we had purchased in Megamall earlier that afternoon, specifically for that purose. The coins were in his pocket. We were all set.
So we stared at his door for a few seconds, each waiting for the other to make the first move, when we realized that neither of us knew what we were supposed to do. Were we suppose to walk in a procession? Were we supposed to chant?
"Kailangan ba sabay-sabay yung pagpasok nilang lahat?"
"Um... I dunno."
"Saan natin ilalagay yung mga gamit?"
"Does the Sto. Nino have to be blessed?"
Uh-oh.
Finally, we decided to thrust all the objects through the doorway all the same time at the count of three. And after an irreverent procession, the items ended up in the kitchen because we thought it made the most sense (don't ask me why, I don't know either). We placed the Sto. Nino on the kitchen shelf, the bowls below the shelf, and the walis on the floor in a sort of altar-like arrangement.
Next came the stove. I got a pan, filled it halfway with tap water, put in a few tea-spoonfuls of brown sugar and set it to boil. After less than a minute, I switched it off. Voila!
Next came the complicated matter of the bed. Much as how Nino wanted to follow the feng shui to the letter, he couldn't find any men who were not born in the year of the Rooster or the dog, with sons, who were willing to carry his bed in on October 5. Also, his mom had already made prior arrangements for the bed, and it had been there in the condo, in place, for a week.
So it was decided that I would lift one corner of the bed for a few seconds, then place it down again. I wasn't a man, and I didn't have any sons, and I wasn't exactly carrying the bed, but I wasn't born in the year of the Rooster or the Dog, and 1 out of 4 is better than none at all. Maybe we weren't following instructions but with hope, it may have boosted Nino's good fortune just a little.
After the move, when were in the mood to celebrate... the lights went out. And it didn't come back on.
"What could this mean?", we pondered.
Bad fortune? Ill luck? Feng shui gone awry (a la Kris Aquino)? Or it could it be that Meralco malfunctioned once again (which is apparently what happened).
We had to leave and go to my house.
That's feng shui for you!
my Jesus figurine
I bought it yesterday, even though I'm not exactly the most religious person out there, and I've never spent anything on religious objects. But there was something about this 65-peso figurine that got me. Maybe it was because it depicted Jesus in mid-action, instead of lying on the cross. Or maybe because it depicted such a powerful moment, the Resurrection. Or it could've been it's resemblance to Ted Neely, the guy who played Jesus in "Jesus Christ Super Star".
Well, what happened today was, as I was holding him to take a snapshot of him, he slipped through my fingers. I watched with horror as he hit the table-top, and as his body severed itself from his feet, and rolled into the garbage can.
I rescued him and tried to glue him back together, but I dropped him again, and this time, his robe smashed. ARRRRRGH!!!
I feel like a royal idiot. I've had it for less than 24 hours.
Here it is anyway.
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Tuesday, October 05, 2004
this is for all of you women, and for all of you who love women
October is International Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Feel free to copy this pink ribbon from this link and display it anywhere on your websites.
Last night, we attended the Avon "Kiss Breast Cancer Goodbye" cocktail which showcased photographs of and artworks inspire by breast cancer survivors, one of which was my mom.
See my mom fight cancer was the ultimate awareness campaign for me. I used to think breast cancer was something that only happened to other people, or something you read about in magazine articles. Now, all of a sudden, the world is full of women with breast cancer. Everyone seemes to have a mother, or a sister, or an aunt, or a friend battling breast cancer.
There is no real cure yet, but right now, the best weapons we have are awareness and prevention. Spread the awareness.
huling hirit (at huli na talaga 'toh)
Owing to a lightning bolt that struck near our modem around last Tuesday, I haven't had inter-net for a week. So you can imagine I was pretty awed to see 42 comments on my last entry, as well as a raging debate. In writing an anti-war entry, I inadvertently started a war in my comment box. My, my. So many reactions and so many links posted for me to click on.
It never fails. Topics that have anything to do with politics and religion will always leave a trail of outraged comments in its wake. I appreciate all of these comments. Its amazing what people have to say, and even the very aggressive, or outrageously narrow-minded comments somehow serve to enlighten me even though I know they were intended to lambaste me.
Everyone has their own justifiable perspectives on the war. I enjoyed reading your comments. Thank you. There was one particular comment I enjoyed the most though, something about how I don't deserve to be an American and I should give up my passport because I don't support the war. Wow! Hahaha!
I actually wrote a calculated reply that ended up way longer than I intended it to be. Then after a shower and some pondering, I decided not to post it because I realized I was about to start an argument with one of those ethno-centric, with-us-or-against-us types who thinks that not being in support of Bush equals a great fall from America's grace (think GMA and her decision to pull out troops from Iraq).
It is useless to argue with people who think that being anti-war equals being anti-America, even if there is absolutely nothing in my letter that says anything about America being aggressors, or anything that is unfair to Americans or anti-American for that matter.
And it is especially useless to argue with people who ethnocentrically dismiss terrorists as people who "hate the thought of happy people, living in freedom" and who "hate America because she is the complete opposite of what they want her to be". I still cannot believe how one can completely dismiss that there are thousands of years of history, culture, and religion to explain why these terrorists feel that what they do is right and just.
I am not saying that terrorism is right or just. It is not, and we must do what we can to stop it. But I think it aggravates the situation much, much more to say that terrorists do what they do because they are jealous of America being "free". How narrow-minded, arrogant, and simplistic!
First of all, America is not everyone's ultimate dream. And second, it is each and everyone's responsibility to understand this overlooked culture of terrorism. By understand, I do not mean tolerate. But is important to see where these terrorists are coming from. What is their cause? What is their purpose? Why? We must understand the factors that make them feel that terrorism is a valid course of action.
I think the roots of the situation goes way, way deeper than being "jealous of America".
Lose that mentality!
Peace.
giving myself a pat on the back
This week has been one of accomplishments (I'm sure my lack of inter-net had alot to do with it).
1) After 6 months, I finally worked up the courage to visit my dentist and have my fillings changed. Big, big step for me. I have a morbid fear of the drill. It's one of those phobias that stem all the way from the earliest years of my childhood when they would drill me without anesthesia. It hurt like hell and I hated it. I hated the sound of metal grating on bone, the bitter, metallic taste of water and powdered tooth in your mouth, the electric pain that would surge through my tooth.
Back then, they didn't know I had especially sensitive teeth and couldn't understand why I'd freak out so badly. That was 12 years ago. To this day, I have recurring nightmares of drills, crumbling teeth, and bleeding gums. You can imagine how terrified I was when the dentist anounced she had to change my fillings last April.
Last Tuesday, I bravely set my appointment. A few hours prior, I sat in a sort of meditative silence, preparing myself for the ordeal. I went, with Nino in tow. I needed moral support, even though I made sure the dentist would give me a hefty dose of anesthesia. He held my hand the entire time. I didn't feel anything but I could hear the sound and taste the water, and I felt strangely petrified and short of breath like I was about to faint.
Well, in short, I did it, and I now have brand new white, porcelain fillings instead of the ugly, old, metal ones. It looks great, and Nino took me to his house after and fed me cheescake without waiting for the anesthesia to wear off (you can imagine the mess).
2)I drove Nino's car from Eastwood to Ateneo on a Friday afternoon, meaning I braved the horrendous Friday traffic. I haven't driven in months, and driving Nino's car is like trying to control a wild horse. It's lowered, and all set up with racing seats, racing seatbelts, and a really, noisy engine, and it somehow seems to accelerate all on it's own even when you try to keep it at a constant speed. It's a scary car.
But I drove it through Friday afternoon, Libis traffic and I didn't die or hit anyone (although the engine died on me more than ten times, and I did almost hit other cars 6 times). Thank you to Nino for not panicking (at least not too much) and for keeping his hand on the hand-break at all times.
3) After a week of Penshoppe press-cons, fittings, workshops, meet-and-greets, we finally shot our TVC last weekend. It was a two-day shoot, with 6:30 am call-times each day. It was exhausting, but we shot in amongst the beautiful, old, art-deco period buildings of Escolta, Manila. The place is now a sort of garbage-dump/ ghetto, and the buildings have been abandoned by their original owners many years ago and now serve as a habitat for squatters. But much of their former grandeur still shows through. The ad is going to be fantastic! Beautiful shots, gorgeous production. It's due out this Saturday.
I had a blast taking pictures with my digicam in-between takes. I will be posting them on my deviant art soon.
Anyway, here are some of the new Club Pen members.
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