tymeless

My last Facebook status had read: "... is amused at the fact that no matter how long you've known the people you love, you still learn something new about them. It makes your friendships and relationships more interesting and exciting day by day."

So true. Even though you think you know a person inside and out, no matter how close you already are, you still discover something new about them, like a new quirk, a new hobby or talent, or just something that they've been keeping for quite a long time. Or it just tells us that we still grow and learn something about ourselves and others every day. That's what also makes me love my friends and loved ones even more.


Randomness. I inherited a laptop from my brother 3 years ago, then it crashed and when I was about to have it fixed, we couldn't find the adapter because my mom had misplaced it along with a whole bunch of wires and cables. Never got around to buying a new adapter because I had resorted to using the PC again. Even though every file and raw photo in the laptop was very precious, I learned how to detach myself and have a clean slate again. The laptop stayed in my room, untouched, like a huge paperweight or bookend.

But surprise, while my mom was looking for a spare antenna this morning for one of our old radios, she finally found the bag that had the laptop's adapter inside, along with an extra mouse, a USB cable and two 3 1/2 floppy disks, hahaha. After 3 long years, my laptop was alive again. Of course, I had to check and reformat the darn thing and re-install some stuff this entire evening, but yay, at least I have a working laptop again. And to think that before I had to look for the adapter 3 years ago, I was about to pay someone to do all that stuff for me, when I could actually do it myself.

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I caught an episode of My Boys on ETC this afternoon. The subplot was about this "decathlon" of board games that Brendan, Kenny, Mike and Andy play at Crowley's. They were playing these classic board games and other crazy games, such as Sorry!, Candy Land, and I think they were also playing Taboo during one scene.

The last time I played a board game was about 3-4 years ago. Someone left a Snakes-and-Ladders game in the office, and we would play a couple of rounds after lunch. Then there was also that time when Carms, Jay, Grae and I went crazy over Jenga when we met up once at Hobbes last month.

I miss board games and those simple game nights with friends. I want to play Clue, Uno, Monopoly, Taboo, Jenga, Pictionary and Twister again! To anyone who's stumped about what to give me for my birthday (not to be joined with Christmas, hahaha!), those classic (I mean the real thing) games are also on my wish list. Then let's have a game night!

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I had mentioned in my previous post about worlds about how worlds collide, like when I took Tad to Peaberry Cafe last Sunday to meet Ronelli.

Ronelli had been a friend of mine from Trumpets Playshop Alabang's first musical theater class under Tita Menchu. It was the first acting/musical theater workshop I had ever taken. I was only comfortable in class because I had friends there. Other than that, I was quiet as a mouse. I had too many inhibitions that I was afraid that I might do all the exercises wrong. Part of the reason was that I knew all of us weren't in the same "skill level," as some of them had already done this before, even professionally. I was even careful about the way I moved and talked. But hey, I did make a lot of friends through that workshop. Good friends, though not as close, save for a couple of them. I even put Putting It Together (our showcase) and the class' bond on a high pedestal even after the few workshops after that. Sure, we bonded, but I felt as if there were still walls separating some of us because of certain differences. Just a feeling. It would sometimes seem as if there was something's wrong with the way that girl stared, or how that guy spoke.

Fast forward to several years later. I started from scratch and attended a beginning acting workshop under Tanghalang Pilipino. Again, I was sort of comfortable at first only because I had a couple of friends enrolled in the same class. During the first couple of days, I put up a wall because I was still used to the Playshop environment. But day by day, the wall came down. I realized that all of us were on the same playing field, just there want to learn, and just have a go at it. I was no longer afraid to try anything. My eagerness and enthusiasm removed my inhibitions. I stopped listening to people's accents because to them, I was the one with the weird accent (hahaha, Mimay and Nicco can attest to this, because they did this often). This was a class that had no pre-judgments over you, or wherever you came from, as long as you knew how to get along with different people, wear your heart on your sleeve, and give it all you've got. So we have the passion. We also had that crazy bond, the type that you can never get sick of each other. Our crazy glue? The girl with the amazing voice and upbeat personality who played my alter ego, and the guy with so much passion in his bones and loves his friends til the end.

Two workshops that were so different from each other. Both were similar outlets, yet showed different sides of me. In Playshop, I was one of the quiet, yet friendly ones. Too intimidated by the ones who have more experience than I did. In TP, I was more outgoing, yet still grounded. I had learned to wear my heart on my sleeve and learned the difference between theater as a passion and as a hobby.

When Ronelli, a former classmate from Trumpets Playshop, and Tad, my boyfriend from TP, met at Peaberry last Sunday, I had no idea if they had anything in common. Ronelli talked the way she always did, straight English with a slight accent. Tad was merely being himself and compromised, and didn't mind stumbling over the occasional English words. I was actually amused at the fact that it was the first time I heard Ronelli say anything in Filipino. When we started talking about coffee drinking, coffee routines, and the different kinds of coffee, the "language barrier" disappeared.

I have yet to invite Ronelli to a TP show. Hopefully when Flores Para Los Muertos does a rerun, I'll invite her to come. She did say that she hasn't seen a play in ages. And I have to check out Peaberry's acoustic nights. Maybe I could get Tad to sing during one of those nights, hehehe. And who knows, maybe Ronelli can overcome her "singing trauma" as well, even if I have to hold the microphone for her, hahaha.

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During this morning's homily, I heard Father Gerry say that heaven can be found in simple contentment. He's right. I always find bits of heaven in simple joys--a sincere and comforting hug, a welcome visitor, spending time with a loved one, meeting old friends, pigging out to good food, and hanging out at a coffee shop.

I found all those in one lovely Sunday afternoon such as today.

Tad had been kind of busy with Madonna Brava and Flores Para Los Muertos that we haven't spent much quality time together, let alone drop by my house for a visit. He's been feeling kind of down and out lately that sometimes he could get pretty cranky, even though it was his birthday last Friday, so I persuaded him to come visit so he can let out some steam, chill and basically just hang out. I told him I wanted to check out Peaberry Cafe, this coffee shop that my friend Ronelli had just opened here at our village, and I thought that we could go there as my belated birthday treat for him.

I knew Ronelli from the first year Playshop opened an Alabang branch, as we were both in Tita Menchu's musical theater workshop. I haven't seen her in years, so this was a good excuse to see her. I've seen photos of Peaberry on Facebook, and the place looks pretty promising. It sort of reminded me of Central Perk from Friends, plus the "Kopihaus" from Kopihaus # 8 (Drei and Nicco's thesis).

Thankfully, Ronelli told me that Peaberry was open today even though it was a holiday, but when we got there, I actually thought that they were closed (even though the sign out front said that they were open) because there was hardly anyone there except for this middle-aged lady sitting in one of the couches, and one of the employees behind the counter. Oh well, they're open anyway, so Tad and I each ordered ice blended coffees, then sat at a table outside so he can smoke.

I got the ice blended black forest while Tad played it safe with a white chocolate mocha. Thankfully the black forest was sweet enough for my taste, because I don't like it when drinks get too sweet. Tad thought thought that the white chocolate mocha was pretty OK as well, though I knew he was looking for a certain taste. While we were sitting there, a group of girls arrived and also sat at a table outside. Finally, more customers, hahaha. I guess we just came at lazy hour during a holiday, which was why there wasn't anyone there. Anyway, when I saw the other group order a plate of mini tacos, I was dying to try those as well, but I stayed put. But a few minutes after Tad had finished his drink along with a couple of cigarettes, he wanted to order another drink, hahaha! We waited for a few more minutes then he stood up to order the mint java chip this time. I, on the other hand, was curious about their cheeseburgers, because the photos and comments on their Facebook page sounded so appealing.

No sooner after the cheeseburger (that came with a side order of French fries) arrived, a car pulled up right in front of the cafe. It was Ronelli and her husband Paul. Man, it was great to see Ronelli again! Haha, when she saw the cheeseburger (which was untouched because we were still on the fries), she affirmed that the cheeseburger was their best selling item on the menu. Once she stepped inside for a while, I let Tad have a go at the cheeseburger first before I did. And yep, it really was awesome. The burger patty was thick and juicy, and the entire thing was bursting with flavor. No wonder it's their best-seller. Yummy.

Ronelli sat with us for a while and talked and caught up on news as we finished off our food and drinks, so she got to know Tad a little more. Haha, Ronelli from my past world of theater and Tad from my current. I love it when worlds like these collide. Tad was a little tongue-tied because Ronelli spoke straight English most of the time, but they were in the same wavelength when we started talking about different kinds of coffee. Hmmm... maybe some time, after a few more visits, maybe Ronelli can teach me to do latte art, hehehe. Plus we could definitely hold a Playshop MT '99 reunion there.

We never got to hang out inside the cafe as we chose to sit in the smoking area, but I have to admit, the interior of the cafe is really gorgeous and had that cozy, homey feel. We'll surely come back and frequent this place, because it's got a lot of promise, from the coffee, the food (I have yet to try their pasta), the ambiance, and of course, the friendly owners.

Shamless plug... If you guys (especially the ones in the South) want to check it out, Peaberry Cafe can be found at 511 Capitoline Hills, BF Resort Village, Las Pinas City. They're open everyday from 11:00 am until 11:00 pm.

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Chat session with a friend. Well, this is not to be taken too seriously, but part of it is really serious matter. We just took it lightly to ease things up. Hindi pa rin talaga maiwasan ang mga ganitong tao. Or worse, mga ganitong kaibigan.

Friend: o kumsta pala sya?
Friend: ako hindi na nya ko tintetext
Friend: nakuha na nya gusto nya eh!!
Friend: user si _____!
Friend: hahaha
Me: wahahahahahahaha
Me: i-text siya ngayon, dali
Friend: ayoko
Me: ay, tampo
Me: hahaha
Friend: wala syang kwenta
Friend: user sya
Friend: HAHHA
Me: eh parang hindi ka na nasanay kay _____
Me: magpaparamdam lang yan if may kailangan or if you sing [him/her] praises
Friend: ewan ko sa kanya
Friend: tse sya!
Friend: haha
Me: sabihin mo tampo ka, magtetext yan
Friend: hindi nga ako mgakatext . huhuh
Friend: sira ba ang globe?

Ahahaha, then we dropped the subject.

Well, some things never really change. So we have no choice but to move on and get used to it. But because we're still friends, we still love them no matter what.

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Brief exchange from last Saturday...

Kath: May kamukha ka na artista... Sa ABS...
Me: (*shrugs*) Uhm, wala akong alam sa showbiz eh. Kakahiya, ahehe.
Kath: Mas nakakahiya naman pag masyadong marami kang alam, hahaha!

I admit, I used to be a groupie of some artist at some point in my life. I know at least a handful of people who can attest to that. I had some access to certain information, being friends with some of the "inner circle" and the artists themselves. But at least I know where to draw the line. There are some who don't. While I was chatting with Teena, she had even mentioned a particular "R" from our past. That person's still out there somewhere, and even though R had drifted away, that same person is still lurking in other people's interests to the extreme.

My advice to people who tend to go crazy with their fanaticism--please don't go overboard. I mean, it's alright to do research on people you admire, but there's a fine line between researching and stalking (to include other people that are connected to that object of obsession as well). It could start off as funny or amusing, but it could come out as annoying to some.

Just a thought. Not to point fingers, really, but just to state a point, because I'm really concerned about some people who could be involved.

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"Nakakapagod magtampo."

That's a line that I haven't used in over 2 years. And sad to say, that's what was running in my head the whole day. I hate it when you think things will be OK that day then it all just goes pffft. I always put off one day to spend the time just to be there, and I guess I was expecting that today will be like that. But I guess it wasn't so I wasted the entire day just brooding, right until the very last minute of the day.

And to make things worse, I think this damn computer monitor is ready to give up on me. It keeps flickering and changing colors and it annoys me like hell because it's hurting my eyes. I just want to slam my fist into it not just because of that but because I've been brooding. Anyone want to buy me a new monitor?

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Went to Carms and Jay's wedding pictorial at Jay's house this afternoon until evening. Nope, don't think that these are the pre-nup photos, but they're just a little extra with the people involved in the wedding. And even before today, I knew I would have a blast. And I was right.

The pictorial was supposed to be scheduled for tomorrow, Sunday, but because some people couldn't make it, they had to stagger the schedules so each one can make it on a specific day. So I was one of the people who were rescheduled to a day earlier, which is today.

Jay's house was all the way up north, but somewhat familiar due to (very) occasional visits to the area. Thanks to Opa's specific (and Nicco's super vague) directions, I suddenly realized that I sort of already knew my way around. Thank goodness Carms got Jay to pick me up at the gas station outside their village, as the tricycle fare inside the village was pretty pricey.

Went straight to this recreation room (as I called it) where Carms and Kath were fully armed with tons of make-up. I breathed a sigh of relief when Carms had said that she and Kath will be doing our make-up, as I know I'd make a mess of it if I do it on my own. While Carms was putting foundation on, she even offered her and Kath's make-up services when it's my turn to get married, hahaha! She and Kath were quite the pros, and once Kath was done with me, I told them, "You're hired!" Hahahaha!

Aside from me with the bride and groom, 3 other people were in the pictorial--Yas, Ila and Alex. All 3 of them will be hosting the wedding reception, while I'll be handling the more technical stuff. Because I was the first one in the make-up chair, I ended up watching Kath work on Ila and Yas. Man, I envy girls like these who are make-up pros. Well, like Kath had said, she easily learned it because of constant make-up application in the theater. Please teach me, hahaha!

Watching Ila and Yas, I easily realized why Carms had picked them to host the reception. They're very conversational, easy-going and charming. Alex, Jay's friend and 3rd choice as host, on the other hand, is quite the goofy clown. Ang kuliiit! His upbeat personality complimented the 2 girls', so all 3 of them make quite a perfect team.

Pictorial time! After a set of photos of the couple with some of Jay's family members, I was then prompted that it was my turn next. When I headed to the adjoining bathroom to change, I found the door locked. Hmmm... maybe it was left locked by accident, so Carms let me go through the other door in Jay's room. Eep, also locked. After knocking a few times, we realized that there was no one inside, so it was locked from both doors by accident... and they can't seem to find the key! So while I dressed behind the bar table, they tried to search for the key but ended up in vain, until one of Jay's helpers decided to climb through the window to open the doors from the inside. Hahaha, success!

So anyway, I had to have solo photos taken, and I honestly had no idea how to pose, hahaha! I think I just stood there like a tree stump for a while until Jay had set that metal stool in front of me. I still had no idea what I looked like, but I just tried to go with it. I must've looked awkward in some of those photos, but Tito Ernie said that it came out pretty good (awww, thanks). I didn't want to see it yet, though, ahehe. I think I'll just wait until, say, February, hahaha!

After my photos with the couple, it was the hosts' turn. I only got to watch Ila's solos, because I had to change into a 2nd outfit, but she was a natural in front of the camera. I heard that when all 3 hosts were doing the group photos, they looked like they were starring in a sitcom, hahaha! Well, just watching the 3 of them together did look like a sitcom, ahehehe.

There was one more set of photos, the group cocktail attire. Haha, at first, we were instructed to wear "Sunday dresses," but for the life of me, I have no proper Sunday dress in my meager wardrobe. Thank goodness that Carms almost immediately changed the attire to cocktail dresses, hahaha. Even while we were shooting that set, we still cracked up because of Alex the walking sitcom.

After the group photos, we wrapped up and it was time to eat. Hahaha, I think I filled up and cleaned my plate about 3 times. I'm such a pig. It's just because the ham was pretty yummy. Hahaha, I even did the "Filipino way" and left one piece for any other takers, but it still ended up on my plate. When I was finally done, I joined the rest (as I was sitting with Kath at the other table with Jay's niece, Anya) as they chatted away. Ahaha, I was so amused at how Kath was so surprised to find out that Tad's my boyfriend. Well, I guess it's because during the occasional times that I met her (during Nicco's surprise birthday bash was the first, I think), I was still dating Jerald. Wow, that was so 3 years ago. And man, I wish I had enough space here to blog all the Alex antics, but I can't. Every quip that came out of his mouth was punctuated with everyone's laughter. He even showed off a video of himself on the race tracks (he's a pro-racer) when I made a little quip about that upcoming billboard of his, wahahaha. I think I managed to digest everything I ate just by sitting there, laughing. I even joked at least once or twice that I have a feeling na kay Alex ako mangangarag during the program because of his crazy antics, hahaha. But even with that, I have a feeling that with these three hosts, I'm sure it's going to be a fun program.

Carms had mentioned (while I was getting my 3rd serving of food, ahehe) that she and Kath sometimes work at events, and even said that if I want to, I could give it a shot and join them. Not a bad idea. I haven't done those one-day events in ages. It would be fun to go back to that.

When we were finally done, Carms, Jay and Kath gave me a lift all the way back to the south. Super thanks, you guys! Road trip ito. Haha, probinsya ba? Kasi pati gas prices nahiritan natin eh, hahaha!

I had such an awesome time today. My one-on-one date with Carms is already a couple of years overdue, but being with her during these occasional days until the big day really makes up for it. But I sure hope that one-on-one date will happen sometime, whenever she's not too busy working on her wedding plans. Friends like these are quite the treasure.

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Betty posted a note on Facebook with that title. This was what she wrote:

I don't say I love you and I miss you enough. Wala lang, I just miss you guys terribly. Lalo ka na Mimay! Mebbe got something to do with watching Nicco rock it out in Spring Awakening this afternoon. Seeing Tin accidentally in Bonifacio High Street nung gabi while waiting for the young cinema festival chuchu.

I remember Carme's Christmas text message that year saying something like what I am paraphrasing: One of the most memorable moments of my life was that summer.

Hay, naiiyak ako.

Then she posted a photo of a book cover of Thornton Wilder's Our Town. Our workshop recital back during that summer with the experiences that we can never seem to top. And since then, I've always put that summer experience on a very high pedestal.

It made me miss all the same people too.

With Betty as my constant textmate, chatmate and "boyfriend," my mom from the quaint town of Luntiang Parang has been always there since our Batman and Robin days. We've even shared crazy dreams with Opa and Mimay, we've conquered our "nemesis" and managed to pull one heck of an awesome and memorable show for Mimay's final class before she graduated. She never fails to drop me a line almost every day, even though they're random texts about her lovelife, or projects, or even rants just so she can let out some steam.

I miss my alter-ego Mimay more and more. It still hasn't quite sunk in that she's out there in California for good, and to think that on random days, we could just meet up at Burger King in Glorietta and hang out until the wee hours in Gloria Jeans. It's so funny how I always try to match her hype about everything we do. I love how she has so much energy for the both of us.

Of course, how could I not forget my then-hubby Nicco, who's now a "rockstar" in his own right? HAHAHA. When I saw him in Spring Awakening as Moritz, I knew the spark he had back during the good ol' days was back because he had claimed that he lost it. Don't get me wrong, he never lost the passion, but I knew he had found that happiness he was looking for, which was why I was (as he had said) "jumping for joy" during the curtain call. He's still one of the most awesome people I know, and I'm darn proud of this guy, and he still remains to be my baby brother despite the many crazy disagreements and tampuhans that we had over the past years.

The last time I actually saw Carmela was over a year ago when Mimay and I were shooting Mimay's thesis film, and I had decided on a whim to sleep over at her house because it was really late, and then in the morning, I had left while Carmie was still asleep (but hey, I sent a text message, didn't I? Hahaha). She claimed that she wasn't the type to really delve into theater, but she had a lot of spunk and knew she could do it as well as the next person can. When we reconnected over a week ago, we ended up reminiscing about that amazing summer that brought us all together.

I can never leave Tin out in this entry. It was great seeing her when we both watched Spring Awakening along with Hil, and she's still the same upbeat young lady (who can still talk super fast) that we saw grow up. And it was still a blast hanging out with her at the Rent auditions even though I had to leave way too early (despite her complaints of my being "corny" or "boring" just because I had to leave my post to support my boyfriend at his play, hahaha). I've seen my offstage baby sister go through a lot of emotional stuff that first year we were friends, but I knew she could always manage to pick herself up and go off even stronger than before.

I wish I could catch up with the rest of the BA gang.

In Our Town, the Stage Manager had said that "We all know that something is eternal... There’s something way down deep that’s eternal about every human being." I hope what's eternal between these amazing people I was with was the bond we had formed that summer. That bond that Ian and Miss Tess had noticed when we were all strutting our stuff.

In the play, Emily had asked, "Does anyone ever realize life while they live it... every, every minute?" I don't think we always do. That's why we really should cherish those precious minutes, those times when we wish that time would just stop so we can just look and appreciate certain things even more.

I love you guys and I still miss you like crazy. At ang ganda pa rin ng moonlight.