Speed of Sound!

Had a grand time watching with friends the live finale of Pinoy Dream Academy Season 2 last weekend. It surely felt different watching the show as a regular audience member this time. Different here means fun since I was not working behind the scenes. (Live shows are just not my forte! :D)

Inspired by the music or rather feeling "bitin" by the night's performances, we trooped to Center Stage KTV after where we channeled our inner "scholar" and sang our hearts out no matter how bad we, or specifically I, sound. Hence, this video. Haha!



For the record, I was rooting for Liezel but Yeng Constantino forever! :)

VFF's!

Kahit na sintunado, kahit na maraming problema, kahit na ano pang mangyari, videoke friends forever! :)

Ang kanya kanyang kuha sa sarili na Irreplaceable video


Ang ayos na sana pero may panira sa dulo na Sundo video


Ang Can't Take My Eyes Off You "workout" video


At ang pwedeng pang AI worst audition video na Float On

Christmas Dinner with College Friends!

Had some sort of mini-reunion with my college blockmates last Saturday night. We met for an early Christmas dinner in a resto in Serendra, The Fort. (Sorry, I can't remember the resto's name! T'was my first time there you see! Hehe! :P). After dinner we went to Gen's condo in Makati to eat dessert and continue making "chika". Too bad I had to leave early because of an early morning call time for a shoot. (Later the shoot got packed up because the director and the AD arrived late. UGH!)

Our reunion may be brief but it was an enjoyable evening nonetheless. I'm already looking forward to meeting you again, girl friends! Hehe :)

Here are some of the pictures.


Juvy, Rose, Ros & Gen!


Juvy & I!


Dessert in Gen's condo!

More pictures in my Multiply account!

Tomato Kick!

After class dinner pics last Tuesday in Tomato Kick! More pictures in my Multiply! :)

Pictures courtesy of Yam!


Project, Issa!


Tomato Boys!


Everybody loves Perfida!

Sabado Gimmick

Seems like our vacation is going to be cut short. Unsurprisingly, the network decided to produce some pre-launch specials to compete directly with the local launch of a popular franchise shown in another channel. Phew! Good thing I had fine time with friends in our Malate gimmick last Saturday before work started again. Below are some pics.

We're Back

My videoke partner-in-crime Yam just got back from a 2-month film shoot in Vietnam so as a mini-reunion of sorts, what else do we do but head to I.O. for some shameless videoke binge. Wanting to widen my notoriety as the possible next William Hung of You Tube (thanks to my version of Weezer's Island In The Sun), shot some of our singings on cam phone. The hilarious results are these...


Wag Na Wag Mong Sasabihin


Nobela


Bakit?


Bye Bye Na

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Not suffering enough? Click on the song titles for more. :)

Akap
Alone
Don't Cha
Gemini
Hanggang Kailan
Masdan Mo Ang Kapaligiran
Sugod
Waiting In Vain

It's Ooover!

Soooobra! I feel so free right now. No more connivance. I can chill already. Well, at least before the brainstorm session for the Teen Edition comes along.

Had so much fun during The Big Night. I wanted John to win but Keanna's win last night was very satisfying indeed. I'm happy she's back to her happy self. Only she can pull off those "Puwedeng umihi muna?" and "Paano ko 'to ipapa-encash?" (referring to the big mock-up check) lines. Puma-punchline talaga! LOL! :)

It was also good dancing along to Sikat Ang Pinoy in the audience area during the ending. Or pretending to dance along. Heh.

We, "connivers", then proceeded for a "debriefing" session after the show. Merriment happened in a 24/7 beerhouse in front of ABS-CBN and while partying till morning was exhausting, I felt re-energized. It's just that hearing the angst of the immediate bosses made my personal angst a little less heavy (a little less lang naman) and I badly need to have that thought specially since I still have one more edition to go before kissing Season 2 goodbye.

Some of the minor "connivers" then went to my apartment after "debriefing" and chilled until the housemates had their reunion in ASAP. Below are some of our pictures from The Big Night to the morning after.

Laugh Till You Drop

The day after the infamous Halloween house party, I met with my high school friends in Robinson's Ermita. Only three of us came which kinda sucked, but that didn't dampen our childlike, er, childish mood. The result, this video... (LOL! :D)

Happy Days Are Here Again

It’s that time of my life again when I have to document the happy days that come so rarely just to signify that I do have life outside work and I’m not as dorky as I want myself to believe.

Okay.

I guess the act of documenting your happy days is in itself dorky, which makes me dorky indeed so…okay I’m blabbing mindlessly, let’s go to the documentation.

Finally! After more than 1 week of writing another teenybopper movie (yeah, I’m the perennial mainstream teenybopper writer), I finally got the chance to unwind for a much, much needed break. Let’s just say writing the flick wasn’t that breezy. For one, I have a director whose wavelength I find hard to fathom. This is exactly the reason why I chose to be mum about the project because for all I know, after they read the first draft, they’ll forcibly drop me from the project. A big possibility, by the way.

Okay, no more negative thoughts! Back to the happy days documentation! Haha! :)

Had a blast (love the phrase “had a blast”, do you observe?) during the weekend. Friday night, I spent with my SCQ Reload friends Koyah Henry and Ritchie. First we went to Moomba to catch the gig of the band Soul Ground. Koyah’s friend is one of the vocalists. From their moniker, they obviously play soul music. Tried Moomba’s house specialty, grilled lamb steak with barbecue sauce. (Gad, I’m turning into one of those bloggers! You know, the ones who painstakingly document every detail of each restaurant visit, even taking pictures of the food they ate, and then passing the documentation as a blog entry?! Haha! :D) Didn’t take a picture of the grilled lamb steak with barbecue sauce though, damn! :) Food was yummy but the company was better. It’s been sometime since I last talked with these peeps.

Barhopped after to Friends in Ortigas to catch Tribe of Levi. One of its vocalists is also Koyah Henry’ friend. They played dance music and people were dancing wildly all around. Me, I don’t dance. I don’t know how to dance. Koyah Henry's a dork too, so we just watched Ritchie dancing like crazy, alone. :)

Ended the night in Iceberg, Metrowalk where we met Ross, one of Reload’s PA’s. She now works in a call center located in a building just in front of Metrowalk. We talked and talked till 4 o’clock in the morning, mostly about PBB where Koyah Henry and I had a blast aping the housemates. (I’m wondering why ABS-CBN’s gag shows still haven’t spoofed PBB. Shi Shay pa lang, andami nang materialsh for comedy. :D)


Koyah and Beatlebum in Iceberg

Woke up Saturday just in time to attend the first of two birthday parties. The first was for the 1st birthday of the daughter of my former boss Tammy in Itallianis, Libis. Crowd was mostly Star Cinema peeps (the company bosses, the works! :D) but it was cool. Food was great and I also got to meet former workmates whom I haven’t seen lately like Dado (our headwriter in Pangako Sa ‘Yo), Henry (writer of Forevermore where I was the project CA) and Miss Elma (our line producer in All My Life). Surprisingly found myself enjoying the magic show. Never experienced that when I was a kid. Pity me, heh! :)

Ah! Also got to see again Ann Angala who’s coolness personified! Well, I think so. Ann was the manager of the Eraserheads before the release of the Fruitcake album. (Tammy, Ann and Ely Buendia were classmates in UP Film). She also managed Barbie’s Cradle before Barbie went born again. I first met Ann when I was still a CA for Star Cinema and she joined one of the brainstorm sessions. When I found out she was the Ann Angala, embarrassed myself by constantly gushing over how the Eraserheads’s music greatly influenced my high school life and by continuously asking her about life with the band. She was and still is cool with my being a vocal Eheads fan that’s why I lurve her.

After the children’s party, segued to Makati for the joint birthday party of work friends Tessa and Adolf in the penthouse where the former lives. Tessa is my co-writer in My First Romance and Adolf is my writer in Qpids. Started the night pretty normal, you know, singing videoke and stuff but when most of the guests have left, that for me was when the party really started. The 10 of us who survived, literally danced the night away (and I told you I don’t know how to dance so that was really something!). I was the only sober person that night I think, so I also had extra fun watching the drunken state of the others and the stupid things they did like dry humping each other and everyone going topless for that matter, haha! I can’t wait to see the pictures! They're really lewd. :D

Meanwhile, here are the wholesome pics of me from the party. (The lewd photos of the others will have to wait.:D)






Went home 8am and woke up to write this entry. Here's hoping to document more happy days. Hoping.

Videokollage

My high school classmate Janette sent me this collage of pics taken during our videoke session last week and I thought I could whore it to you. :)

Videoke Days Are Here Again!

Had a blast during the long weekend. Tho’ I didn’t plan anything (coz had I known it would be a long weekend in advance, I would have flown to my hometown to attend the fiesta), it didn’t matter. Experience told me acting on impulse especially on gimmicks is still the one that will give you natural highs, albeit in my case, not really that natural. You will find out later. Haha. =)

FRIDAY. Yam and I had an impromptu one-on-one afternoon videoke session in I.O. The Loop after our creative meeting. Haha. While it wasn’t that fun coz there were only two of us alternating in using the microphone, at least it gave us time to prepare for our main videoke concert with our friends/former co-workers Monjam and Rose later that evening. Haha. Sandwiched between the videoke sessions are a film viewing of François Ozon’s Sitcom. Avoid it! Watch John Waters’ Pink Flamingo instead.

SATURDAY. Worked out in the gym for the first time. Went to I-Post for our show’s editing after. Was itching to go out at night but nobody wanted to go out with me. Haha. Good thing our PA Nelson passed by the apartment to return my laptop (the show borrowed it for the online editing of mats). We had an impromptu drinking session while watching Wong Kar Wai’s Happy Together. Haha.=) My housemate Rose joined us later for an impromptu “juts” session. Like the first time, I didn’t feel any case of “high”. Rose also. Well, it was just one stick. (My bad!)

SUNDAY. Met with my college blockmates Rose, Juvy and Gen. (The Rose of Friday, Saturday and Sunday are one and the same, by the way. Heh!) Again, unplanned! Rose told me that afternoon that Gen would be sleeping over because she had work on the day of SONA and she lives in Fairview. Traffic would be ugly in Commonwealth. So I told Rose, “okay lang basta manlibre siya ng dinner!” Gen bought the idea, haha! We texted Juvy, who lives nearby, to come with us and yun, instant gimmick! =)

MONDAY. Went to Rockwell to have lunch with my high school friends. We’re supposed to just have lunch but since we miss each other’s company so badly, we decided to do something more. Videoke, that is! =)

Hay, the long weekend was really a welcome respite after 7 months of working for the reality show. Wow, I think I just made an understatement. Well, I hope statements like that won’t be understatements anymore.

Lazy Blogging

Argh! I hate the way I’m blogging these days. Browsing through my archives, I realized that I used to have so much passion writing how I feel or think, even how nonsensical my feelings or thoughts are. These days, my posts are limited to just documenting happy memories. Just that! Must be because re-reading about happy days can be a stress reliever on my part but still, I’m aware that just like mainstream teenyboppers, my entries are becoming very predictable. Formulaic, to borrow every critic’s equally hackneyed term. The formula would be that I post a picture, describe what happened during the day that picture was taken, and kablag (heh!), I have a blog entry! How creative! :) So yes, this entry is no different.

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Back in 2003, I used to be a big Survivor fanatic. Joined this fantasy game in PEX where the game is simulated and being a true reality geek, had a blast playing the game with complete strangers. While the game took some evil turns (I for one backstabbed and betrayed supposed allies just to reach the Final 2 spot where I was eventually beaten by Dude, grrrr!), the beauty about the game is that I got to know co-Survivor addicts, most of which became my friends even up to now. (Yes, Nethrow, you included! Heh! :D) That’s why, I was pleasantly surprised when Bodiemon, one of my allies during the game texted me a few weeks ago telling me he’s in the metro for vacation. (He's based in Canada.) I was busy with work that time but I just couldn’t let the chance to be with a fellow Survivor geek pass. And so we met and I’m glad I did because I truly had fun talking about the game with him in person. Besides, he treated me to dinner and gave me two imported tees as "pasalubong". LOL! :) So it might be a ‘lil late already to give thanks but yes, thank you buddy and we shall meet again.

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Also had fun (I told you this entry is about the rare moments I’m actually having fun, right?! :D) last Saturday in Blue Saffron’s music video shoot of Star in A Million’s Johann Escanan’s carrier single “After All”. Again, I played the mighty role of an “extra” (just like in April Boy Regino’s music video last year.) Haha! :) Did it for the love of Blue Saffron! Even became the crowd director pro bono! It’s all fine though because the shoot got me reacquainted with former workmates like Rachelle (Johann’s leading lady in the music video and my Star Cinema 2000 batchmate) and Ike (the music vid’s lighting director whom I also got to work with in All My Life). As for Johann, he’s a cool kid. A “bisdak” like me so will support him definitely. Go “bisdaks”!


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Right after the shoot, had an impromptu gimmick with the staff of “the youth show.” Kuya Henry, Hero’s bro, was with us so it was more fun (especially since the drinks were on him). Haha! :) Screamed my lungs out (again!) belting my usual repertoire of Masculados and Parokya (haha! :D) but definitely, I was mediocre compared to our AP Ritchie who can give all those “Doble Kara” contestants a run for their money. LOL at “Doble Kara”! Jologs 80’s! Hahaha :)

Vanity Fair

Met with Miaka and our other college blockmates last Friday night. Me saying it was "coolness" seeing them again is definitely an understatement. "Coolness" is also Miaka's PALM camera. My vain self loves it! Hehe. :D My college blockmates actually said I looked good "daw" that night and whether they were joking or not, heck, I don't care! I only hear that compliment once (okay, twice) every ten years so I took the oppportunity to "whore" myself with Miaka's PALM camera. Here are the pics, courtesy of Miaka...and hey, I hear you laughing. :D


Me and my red market bag


Me and Candice


Me and Waterfowl


Me and Juvy

This has got to be my most embarrassing blog post. Ugh! :D

Buddy Buddy

Had fun with my high school buds today. It was the birthday of their housemate and I got invited to her dinner treat in a Chinese resto in Rockwell. Yey! :) Before that, Chegay (one of the buds) and I watched Finland's Bad Boys: A True Story in Cinemanila. I wasn’t impressed with the movie. Thought it was a bit superficial (tried to send some anti-dictatorship message but fell short) and gimmicky (for sheer entertainment value). Nevertheless, I enjoyed the movie’s unique brand of inane fun. (If you've seen the music video of The Rasmus' In The Shadow, that robbery scene was taken straight from the movie.:D)

In Rockwell, was pleasantly surprised when I bumped into one of my closest childhood friends Eric. He is a “real” childhood friend like we’ve known each other since we were babies!? (He is a distant relative, we were neighbors and our families are close friends. Well, all the families in the small city where I came from are supposedly close friends.) I haven’t seen him in ages so it was really cool. We lost contact when that’s it, I studied high school in the Visayas and he studied high school in another city in Mindanao. Actually felt nostalgic in there. I mean things aren’t just the same now that we’re young adults. Same with my friendship with our other childhood friends. You know different interests and lifestyles already. The bonds we had as kids weren't also that strong. Friendship then basically equates to being playmates in neighborhood games. (Tho sometimes, one wishes friendship isn't that complicated a term).

Not like the supposed "deep" friendship we have with our high school and college buds. Chegay for example, I certainly won’t forget her for the rest of my life. She once saved my life, you know! It is a funny story. Chegay and I were both dormers and together with our other dormer classmates Jovi and Ging-ging, we were invited by a Born Again classmate to attend their evening worship service with news celebrity Mari Kaimo as speaker. (We are Catholics but our high school is Presbyterian.) Anyways, I’m not sure what exactly happened but during the service I had difficulty breathing. As in di ako makahinga. I panicked shempre and thought I could die if I just kept mum about it. So I quietly told my seatmate Jovi that I couldn’t breathe. The conversation went something like this.

BEATLEBUM: Jov, di ako makahinga.
JOVI (dead serious): Just trust in the Lord. Have faith in him and He will save you.
BEATLEBUM: Talagang di ako makahinga!
JOVI (annoyed): It’s because you don’t accept him as your personal Lord and savior. Trust in the Lord!
BEATLEBUM (naiiyak na): Di ako makahinga sabi eh.
JOVI: (DEDMA)

I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t have the heart to exit because we were seated in the middle and I didn’t want to disrupt Mari Kaimo’s emotional testimonial. I mean everyone was crying while listening to his speech for chrissake! I was literally gasping for air (or breathing through my mouth) during the entire service. When it finally ended, I did thank God I was still alive. The girls hurriedly walked back to their dorms after to avoid curfew. They were telling me to hurry up coz I was walking slowly obviously. I told them again that I couldn't breathe. They thought I was overacting. Jovi was still pissed off saying if only I accept Jesus Christ with all my heart and soul. Chegay and Ging-ging were not sure whether to believe me or not (or whether the situation was really that deadly for that matter) so they didn’t mind me. I felt so helpless and couldn’t take it anymore. I stopped walking and began wailing like a baby.

BEATLEBUM: PUTANGINA, DI NGA AKO MAKAHINGA EH!

Okay, there was no cursing but something like that.:) To make the long story short, they rushed me to the ER of the university hospital. I was crying. Felt I would die. Panicked more when the doctors inserted an oxygen tube in my nose. I mean, come on, that was my first time and in the movies, only people who are dying used that to aid them in breathing! But it did help me breathe. And I got addicted with the oxygen to the point where I fought with the doctors when they decided to remove the tube later.

Last I heard, Jovi is already a “Sabadista.”