tymeless

I got a text from Lawyn yesterday, asking if I could find 4 guest spellers for today's DTR of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. I immediately managed to recruit 4 willing victims--RJ, Dingdong, Rayna and Lara (in that order, hahaha).

After this morning's class, I immediately went straight to RCBC. Got to chill inside the theater for a while until I noticed that they were doing sound checks. Oh my, where were my recruits? Even RJ, who had promised to come very early, had arrived minutes before the rehearsal began, hahaha. Kaloka. Ganun pala ang ibig sabihin ng before the 2pm rehearsal. As in right before talaga. As it turned out, Lara had quite a tough time getting to the venue due to the commute, so Lawyn had to make a contingency plan that involved me as one of the back-up spellers. So I ended up joining the bee along with RJ, Rayna and Dingdong. Gave them a John Moschitta version of the briefing before we went inside the house. Lara arrived a few minutes later, so she ended up just watching the show.

So I ended up being a returning contestant, but because of the pressure that I was a "very good speller" according to Ms. Peretti, I was immediately eliminated, hahaha! It was fun watching the show again, though, and I'm glad my recruits enjoyed the show as well. Thanks again, Atlantis!

Lara, Dingdong, RJ and Rayna.
(My breast friend, my stepson, my syotang bakla, and my fellow early bird.)

For you, yes, YOU reading this blog. If you haven't seen Atlantis Productions' 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, it will run for a limited engagement from July 3 to 12, 2009 at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium, RCBC Plaza, Makati, so please come and watch! Call 892-7078 for tickets.

After the show, Lara, Dingdong and I hung out at Kopi Roti to just talk and chill. Yay, thanks for the treat, Dingdong! Hahaha, the "dashing divas" are reunited once again. I love it when the three of us hang out together. No matter how serious, mundane or random our topics of conversation are, witty banter is always expected, be it intentional or not (the latter usually applies to Lara, hahaha).

Kopi Roti with the Divas.
Here's to Harmony's upcoming reading!

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"Taga-CCP ka diba? O sa Tanghalang Pilipino?" Tito Danny had asked me during our last rehearsal reading of La Cancion del Olvido.

"Ay, hindi po. Lagi lang akong nandun," was my simple reply.

Sometimes I still regret that I passed up the chance to work as SM in Virgin Labfest for the 3rd year in a row. But I guess it's sort of all for the best, due to my given circumstances (mostly because my mom is afraid of being alone in the house, especially at night). I sometimes felt that twinge of envy when I visit CCP and see all the artists and stage managers scrurrying about, while I have to sit through it all (well, at least there's a consolation, hahaha). Plus I didn't get to see all the festivities. I only got to watch one set of plays, which was, of course Set C: Blood Sports.

I went back to CCP last Friday afternoon to watch the very same set again. Of course, I didn't want to take advantage of the fact that I was a CCP/TP/Labfest regular, so of course I purchased a ticket, hahaha. I didn't even tell Tad that I was watching again. Hahaha, I was the very first person in line upon open house, so I could guarantee that I got the bleacher seat that I had preferred.

I was so glad I did watch again, because I noticed new nuances from Mailes in Kitchen Medea. That was one of the best things about watching live theater. You'll never watch the same thing twice, because in time, the actors tend to learn something new about their character as well as about the play that they could use for the next performance. And Mailes had confirmed this during the "Talk Back" session after all 3 plays. It was quite disturbing really, that due to the husband leaving his wife for another woman, the wife ended up losing her children as well because of how the situation drove her crazy.

I had previously blogged that I felt that there were some forgotten lines when I first watched Asawa/Kabit last week. This time, I finally found out that they had forgotten really huge chunks of lines. There were actually not just one (which I saw last week), but 5 "rounds" of the asawa and kabit verbally and physically battling it out. The students who were watching the show were already counting how many times that "boxing bell" rang as the verbal arguments evolved into different catfights ala-Ally McBeal. During one point, there was one kid who asked, "Sino nga ba ang asawa, at sino diyan yung kabit?" Kind of makes you think that it could also be the other way around as well, as you kept listening to the witty dialogue, hahaha. Makikita mo talaga kung paano ang relasyon ng bawat babae dun sa lalaki. I was quite amused by the students because they were becoming more receptive as they got more hooked into watching the plays, because they were more occupied with fiddling with their phones and things during the first play. Respeto naman diyan, please. Nagbayad man kayo o hindi, huwag niyo naman sayangin ang pagpunta ninyo sa teatro. Nakakainsulto sa mga artistang nakatayo sa entablado eh. Ayan tuloy, na-karma yung mga ibang katabi ko dahil nahulog ang mga bag nila sa ilalim ng bleachers.

With the students' bags safely lodged in the darkness underneath our seats, they were more focused in watching Doc Resureccion: Gagamutin ang Bayan. Even though Tad had complained after the show that the platforms were unsteady (because they weren't securely in place) and were distracting him, he and Riki still pulled off a great performance as the 2 lead characters. Dito ko mas nakita yung pagka-ipokrito ni Jess bilang kandidato for mayor. The way he moved around the set was apparent that he was gingerly touching things despite the fact that he was trying to hide the hesitance of actually touching it. And talagang ang baboy talaga ng character ni Boy Pogi, pero ganun lang naman talaga siya eh. At least hindi siya plastic, maski malinis ang itsura ni Jess. The way Boy Pogi put out his cigarette with his tongue made the audience react loudly, and even more when he took Jess' eye out with the fishing hook, spurting blood all over the stage floor (and some on the Writers' Bloc people on the 1st row?).

During the "Talk Back" session after all 3 plays, people were too shy to ask questions, so Rody Vera went ahead and asked the playwrights and directors about how they were inspired to write and direct those plays. Then Lao suddenly spoke up and asked about Doc Resureccion's look of the squatter's area, if it was exaggerated or whatever, because of the uber-madumi feel of the play. Maybe it was intentional to show how dirty politics can be, no matter how much kang magmalinis?

After the show, I went straight to buffeteria to meet Tad, and that's where I found out from Isab that there will be a Fragments vignette (un-announced site-specific performances scattered throughout CCP in between Labfest plays) in that very venue that will begin in a few minutes. So I stayed put while Tad went off to the dressing room. Suddenly the big red "X" (that marks the spot for Fragments) was put in place by the door, and the actress dressed as one of the staff of Barbara's emerged from the kitchen, delivering this monologue about how the food served can be "altered" to sell again if it wasn't bought and consumed that day, hahaha.

I finally got to catch one of those Fragements shows, so thank goodness that I decided to watch again last Friday afternoon.

I just found out that Rich, my former Trumpets Playshop student, watched the same show on the same day, hahaha. Too bad I didn't get to see her. Too many people na rin naman that day, so, oh well.

Nikki had her day off again yesterday, so because we never get sick of CCP, we met up there after my class. We were supposed to hang out at Starbucks in Harbour Square, but because it was too crowded (who the heck were all those people in yellow anyway? Most of them didn't even order and were just sitting there), we stayed at the buffeteria for a while. After we had finished a light snack (a plate of baked macaroni was light for me that day, hahaha), we decided to go back to Starbucks to see if there were already vacant seats. So annoying, the big yellow group was still there, but a middle-aged man was kind enough to offer us a couple of couches because he and his friend were on their way out.

Nix is the type of girl that you can pig out with because she doesn't seem to get fat, hahaha. She even told me recent stories of her PAL experience, which involved buying and eating local stuff of every province that she goes to. Huwaw, a kilo of tuna sashimi for only P300? I can't wait for her next GenSan trip, hahaha!

When the sun had set, we decided to have dinner at good ol' McDonalds, and more talk ensued, including her return to theater when she finally finds the time next year. Haha, she wants to take musical theater workshops again, because she still iffy about taking the beginning acting workshop. Whichever you choose, I can't wait to see you up on that stage again, Nix!

All that talking made me think of trying out something new, which I've only told a handful of people, because it's quite a drastic career change. I still don't see myself enjoying a desk job, anyway. We'll see.

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Was in Bataan this past week because of Paul, Ging and Bek's thesis film, La Cancion Del Olvido ("The Song of Oblivion"). I didn't really know what to expect, because the weather can be really weird sometimes, so a lot of things could possibly happen.

We had a briefing last Tuesday before we had to leave on Wednesday night. Instead of a last reading rehearsal in CSB, they decided to have a briefing at KFC instead because they couldn't retrieve the permit for most of the actors. And the permit was left with Audz, who was their PM, but the problem was that Audz got infected with the famous Influenza A(H1N1), but due to organ complications, the flu evolved into H3N2, which sent her to the ICU. Hope Audz is feeling better now.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Pick-up point on Wednesday night was at McDonald's Edsa Central, and I arrived there 2 hours early, hahaha. It's just as well, anyway, because it started raining hard. I took my time having dinner so I wouldn't have to wait that long. Soon after I had finished eating, the rest of the cast started trickling in.

There were 2 vans picking us up, and I chuckled to myself when I found out that the cast members had been assigned to specific vans. I ended up in the 1st van with Ate Jeanette, Jayjay, James, JR and Arian. There were 2 other tech students with us, and because we still had lots of room, we were the van that picked up the sound equipment. Hahaha, during the first part of the ride, we took advantage of the chichirya that JR had brought with him, plus he and Arian were cracking us all up because of his ability to do a million voices, hahaha. After a short pit stop at Petron, we were back on the road to Bataan. Most of us started dozing off, but not JR and Arian, as they were on a 2-hour singing sound trip the entire way.

We had finally arrived at the compound we were staying at during the wee hours of morning. There were 4 houses to accommodate all of us. 1 for the thesis group and their friends, one of us actors, one for the Balikas group, and the last for the thesis group's parents. Because our van was the last to pull up, all the rooms in the actors' house were already taken. Taken meaning all the beds have been filled. So what we all decided to do in each of the 3 rooms were push the 2 beds together so everyone can have a place to sleep. I ended up rooming with Roan and Mercedes. I was suddenly grateful for my mom insisting that I bring an extra pillow, because there was only one pillow for each bed. After Ging had come into each room for the morning's agenda, we finally went to bed.

Thursday, July 9

Breakfast was at 6am, and the scheduled briefing was an hour later. Mash, who had to juggle work and the shoot, had arrived from Manila that very morning, just in time for the briefing. Unfortunately for our room, it had a bathroom that had to share with the room next to it (while the other 2 rooms had their own) so we had to share it with Tita Gigi, Tita Zeny and Toji. Hahaha, I ended up being late for the briefing, so I was pretty lost.

Our first sequences were to be shot at the beach location not so far off from the Zorro set, so we all (except James and JR, who weren't called) piled up in the van. The sun was blazing hot while we were crowded under this one hut, and it didn't help that some of the actors were sort of complaining about costumes (considering this is a period film), scheduling, putting things into action and stuff, which left the thesis group pretty stressed out. While we were waiting, Mercedes taught Roan how to put on eyeshadow while I watched so I could learn how to do it too. In the end, most of us had return to the house to wait and rest because they only had to shoot sequences with the chismosas, plus the two couples (Roan, Mercedes, Mash and Jayjay). Chika mode with Toji and Tita Zeny in their room until the others came back. As it turned out, they only got to shoot the chismosa sequences.

When Roan, Mercedes and I holed up in our room, we talked about the thesis group and the other actors, and how stressed the students got due to all the suggestions the other actors gave them. Kaloka lang, because we can't always blame the thesis group because they weren't really film majors but production design majors, and these older actors kept throwing suggestions left and right and comparing them to the TV and film people they have worked with. We decided to tell the older ones to maybe just help the thesis group with all they have so things can go smoothly. Hahaha, for a while, we even joked about the "RRRamon School of Film Learrrning" (yes, trill those R's) that they had coined while waiting that morning.

Wait mode for the rest of the day, until the late evening when Mercedes was called to shoot some sequences with Jayjay. Because of the effort put into curling Mercedes' hair, Kuya Edwin came to our room to help her (as he had while we were waiting in the beach hut that morning) by adding curly hair extensions (courtesy of Ate Jeanette). Hahaha, that was how the "I want to be a pornstar" line began and evolved. I ended up doing a little bonding with Roan in our room after we had taken our baths (so we don't have to race to the bathroom the next morning).

Friday, July 10

All of us were called to go to the set that morning. Thank goodness for taking a bath the night before, so I got ready pretty early. I ended up trying out Mercedes' make-up tips as I rummaged around the make-up box, hahaha. We were pretty crowded in the van, so I ended up riding in Mash's car (he went home the day before and returned that morning) with him, Jayjay and JR. We all settled in this one house which probably served as a green room for the Zorro people.

More waiting, and set-up for the exterior shot of the day sequences took quite some time. They managed to shoot one sequence, then the weather got really crazy. It started raining on and off, which drove everyone crazy because they had to move 2 huge tables in and out of the house a couple of times. When we were told that we were shooting sequences that involved the entire cast, that was when I was finally given my costume. Kaloka, we weren't advised about bringing a kamison to wear under the baro't saya, but at least there's the panuelo to cover it up.

After lunch, the weather was still pretty crazy, and it was announced that we were to move to another house in the village set. The "youngster cast" (Roan, Mercedes, Mash, Jayjay and me) piled into Mash's car so they wouldn't be as crowded in the van, and headed to the second house. We were all still in our costumes, so it was quite a huge challenge for me to move around with that skirt, and the pina cloth was super hot when we were at the second house, which was a replica of a bahay na bato. Replica nga talaga, as the wooden floor of the 2nd landing was pretty thin, as the floor wobbled with every footstep.

We were hanging around for several minutes when someone had said that we were to move again to another venue, so it was back to the vehicles to this other place that looked like a church or something. Holy kamote, by the time we got there, Ging and Bek were rushing toward us, looking as if they had been crying, and asked who had told us that all of us would be going to that venue. Apparently the one who had told us to go failed to understand that only a few people were to go there to shoot a sequence. We were told to go back to the house instead, except for Mercedes and Jayjay again so they can shoot their intimate scene together.

We were all called back at around 10 in the evening, back to the 2nd house with the wobbly floor. Because of the rain, the supposed beach party scenes were changed to interior daytime party scenes. We were all told to get into our costumes to finally shoot certain sequences with us "youngsters" in the background, then more waiting ensued. After a whole bunch of sequences were shot, most were told to go back to the house except for a bunch of us (me included) for a couple of specific sequences that required a change of costume for us from day to evening party.

Saturday, July 11

This was the longest day of the shoot. Back to the usual house, and we immediately got in costume. More progress that day, and it was good that the thesis group and company were in much better spirits than the previous days. We took advantage of the sunny late morning to shoot one exterior shot of the entire cast walking down the streets of the village. Never mind that it was really hot, especially under those costumes, as long as we finish everything.

Lunch break after that sequence, and we were given a long break afterwards. Ended up dozing off on one of the chairs half the time, and then chika mode with fellow youngsters Roan, Mercedes, Mash and Jayjay. When we shot the sequence with the youngsters that included me, we suddenly included Ate Jeanette in the scene to give it a little more punch, hahaha.

There was a little qualm between Ate Jeanette and Roan sometime during the evening due to a costume mix-up, but it was resolved easily anyway, thank goodness.

It was amazing how we managed to shoot all sequences that required the entire cast that day, including the scene where people had to go crazy, hahaha. Because the rain still kept coming and going, there was an extreme change in some scenes, like an explosion had to be removed and replaced with a stampede.

We finished that day at 4 in the morning. But because we've been planning to have a drinking session during one of the nights of the shoot, we pushed through with it. Mash had some drinks in his car when he arrived that morning, and when we got back to the house, it was inuman time! There was Roan, Mercedes, Mash, Kuya Edwin, Ate Jeanette, JR, Arian and Tito Moises. Hahaha, there was this one point in the conversation where we talked about Upe, this character that was only mentioned in the film, but never appears. Apparently Kuya Edwin had an Upe in mind in the shoot, and a bunch of them ranted about this person, which Mash caught on video, hahahaha. We were still there when the sun was already rising and breakfast had arrived, and to think that Mercedes had to be ready to be called by 6.30. So she ended up doing her make-up while we were all still drinking, and Kuya Edwin quickly fixed her hair with the extensions. When she had finally left, all of us finally decided to get some sleep.

Sunday, July 12

Woke up long enough to have breakfast, then tambay mode until lunch arrived. That afternoon, Roan was also called on set, so I was the only left in our room. Some of us had no idea if we were still needed for some additional sequences, so I finally got off my bum to get ready. I was getting really bored so I kept leaving my room for water and coffee, until Arian told me to join them in the other room, where he was hanging out with Ate Jeanette, Tita Gina, Kuya Edwin and JR. More chika ensued, and even quite a bit of bashing, which cannot be helped anyway.

By the time Mercedes had returned, there was no word from the thesis group about what time we'll finish. We were first told that we'll be leaving for Manila by 12 midnight, but from what I heard from some, it looked like we were leaving early. We were getting pretty bored, so Ate Jeanette, Kuya Edwin, Tita Gina, JR and I went to the other house (where Jayjay and Mash had a room with the Balikas people) to hang out with Jayjay. Mash (and Roan) had returned 15 minutes later, and we were informed that dinner had already arrived, so it was back to our own house.

After dinner, everyone had already packed their stuff and were hanging out in different rooms. Then there was suddenly a meeting in the common area with the thesis group regarding our progress and then finally accounts had to be settled before it was high time to go back home to Manila.

Once again, I was super grateful that I had that extra pillow with me, because my seat in the van didn't have a neck rest. I had turn to the side and lean so I could rest the pillow on the seat next to me so I could catch up on my sleep.

Everyone in our van decided to be dropped off at certain areas instead of our pick-up point at Edsa Central, and because I couldn't go home yet at that hour, I ended up being dropped off at Atlantis (thanks, Kuya John), hahaha. Spelling Bee had closed that night, so the office people and crew were taking a breather after the strike. I went back to the south with Lawyn, Mae and Mikki, and we hung out at Jollibee Madrigal until everyone got sleepy. I stayed an hour longer to eat then I headed back home.

One stupid thing, though. I had expected to injure myself during the shoot by tripping over my own skirt, or tripping over those uneven brick-lined streets on the set, or even on the stairs, but no. I ended up injuring my right wrist instead, on the way to the tricycle terminal, no less, because I lifted my huge bag the wrong way, hahaha. And I can't believe I actually managed to type this entire blog even with this lame wrist.

Closing the book on this one now. Even though it really tested my patience getting bored just waiting around, I still had a blast because of the company I had.

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Went to Makati after class yesterday for some "quality time with myself" after a midterm. I had planned to go "kikay shopping" (as my best friends and I would say) for a few essentials, plus I wanted to drop by Atlantis as well as I had promised them I would. I decided to do the latter would so I wouldn't have to rush my shopping time.

Arrived in the office just after Bobby had left with Kuya Boni for an errand. Everyone else was there, goody. More chika and kulitan galore. When Lawyn went out to BPI and DHL to run a couple of errands, I went with her so I can say hi to Nikki and Ria, our favorite tellers in the bank. Too bad they weren't there when we were there, but the guard (Mang Corey?) still remembered me, hahaha. Charo had arrived at the office when we returned, as she had dropped off some photo CDs from Spelling Bee's last run.

Haha, an hour and a half after they had had lunch, Claire was getting hungry again, so we went to Mini Stop to buy ice cream. Yaaay, coffee crumble. Bobby had arrived at the office (Kuya Boni had arrived earlier) while we were in the middle of wrestling with the first layer of rock-hard ice cream, and of course he still acknowledged me as "Pogi," hahaha. Ever since Ms Bernice's son Pepe had called me that, he never let hear the end of it that even Felix started calling me that.

We noticed that Charo had a Mary Kay brochure with her, so Claire and I started flipping through it. Hahaha, it reminded me of what I needed to shop for. Anyway, while we were talking make-up, Claire gave Charo and me extra gift bags from Kryolan that weren't given away. Whee, thanks! Haha, buti nalang sumakto yung shade ng Derma Color.

Anyway, Teena was texting me earlier that she was bored and we had decidedt o meet up in the area. I managed to make my French exit with Charo when she had to leave as well. Found Teena at the Landmark food court, and we managed to chat up a storm, especially about her search for a perfect birthday present. Hahaha, she even got this travel Taboo game for herself at Toy Kingdom, plus some little toy animals for classes.

After a while, we finally left and made a "magical" (her word, not mine, hahaha) attempt to help me shop for make-up essentials, as my current supply is ready to expire. And of course, if you know me well, wala talaga akong alam sa "kakikayan." Kamusta naman at nagsama pa kaming parehong walang alam, hahaha. But we managed to find the right stuff that I need, at the same place where one saleslady once tried to sell me mascara by saying, "Parang naka-fake eyelashes lang po kayo." Hahaha, fake eyelashes talaga eh.

I was supposed to have my hair cut today as well, but I guess it was meant to be that I didn't have the time. Hahaha, I even debated with myself about just getting a trim, or go for another shorter cut. I also made a small survey among my friends, asking, "To cut or not to cut?" Ahahaha. Four of them said not to cut it (and Iam even added that I curl it na lang, as if kukulot itong buhok kong ito), and two told me to go for the cut.

I just realized that my time in Makati was supposed to be quality time with myself but I ended up spending it with friends, which is just as good anyway, hahaha.

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For La Cancion Del Olvido, Paul had asked that we not cut or color our hair prior to the shoot. I didn't mind at all because I almost never cut my hair. Until today, hahaha.

It seems that I only have my hair cut about once or twice a year (yes, talk about hair care delinquent, hahaha) because I like wearing it long, and really short hair makes me look like a turtle. Ahehe, I only cut it when I'm more excited than anxious about getting a haircut. So anyway, after the shoot, I was finally itching to have a haircut, trim, whatever.

I finally decided that today was haircut day. It was supposed to be yesterday, but the darn rain wouldn't let up even for a little bit. I guess what the rain needed was a class-suspension scare for it to slow down to a drizzle, hahaha. Anyway, I headed to McDonald's Taft first because of pending accounts from La Cancion Del Olvido. Perfect excuse to see the cast again, and we couldn't help cracking up over the famous "Upe," and Mash showing that darn video all over again. Of course, we also couldn't help but bring up Ate Jeanette and Tita Zeny's appearance in the latest Nestea commercial, which led to some of us imitating them, hehehe. (I have to admit, I had never seen the commercial before then, and as luck would have it, I finally saw it on the bus TV during the ride back to the south, hahaha)

I have to say, no matter how different all the people I've worked with in this thesis film were, I actually like them, hahaha. They're all equally quirky. Hahaha, Kuya John even thought that Ate Jeanette and I were sisters.

So anyway, when everyone dispersed, I hopped on a bus back to the south and went straight to my hairdresser's salon. Hahaha, aside from the hairdresser from my aunt's defunct parlor, Odessa is the only who I allow to cut and style (huwat?) my hair, as he has been cutting my hair since I was 5 years old. Ahehe, apparently, he was annoyed at my bangs since I cut it myself 2 years ago and made me promise not to cut bangs again. Well, I have to admit, even though it looks cute, bangs don't really match my small forehead. So anyway, because I decided to chop of those long layers to even out my hair, I'm back to the basic straight cut. At least it would be easier to dry my hair again in the morning.

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Remember those Aladdin lunchboxes back in the 80s that almost every kid had? Yes, it's the one with the thermos inside whose cap that matched the color of the lunchbox can double as a cup. Ever since I saw one backstage in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe back in 2003 (I think it was Patrick, one of the make-up people, who owned it), I've been searching for one myself. You can't seem to find any original Aladdin brand lunchboxes anymore. Well, I'm not really planning to use it as a lunchbox, anyway. It could be a cool-looking kikay kit or express SM kit.

Then lo and behold, when Tita Lorie's package had arrived this morning from California, one of the containers she had used to put in some hard-to-find toiletries was this...

Hahaha, it used to be Albert's lunchbox from his kindergarten days. Well, that's what it had said on the name sticker that I patiently removed from the back. Once we had taken out the contents, I immediately took the lunchbox and washed it and now it's finally mine, yaaay! And the design on the front is Lazer Tag, which is so classic 80s as well, hahaha. It's a little scratched up, but I don't care. I finally have that Aladdin lunchbox that I was looking for!

Shallow post, I know. But certain original 80s stuff are pretty hard to find these days, so this is quite a treat for me.

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"Our batch is the most clique-ish batch in school," Mae had said last week while we were hanging out with Mikki at 2 in the morning.
"Like High School Musical," Mikki added.

Hahaha, I just had to laugh at that, but I have to agree with Mae. We happened to talk about the upcoming Zobel alumni homecoming in December, plus the 10-year batch reunion, and we were asking each other if we were going to either one.

I have to admit, I'm not sure about attending either one. Well, the grand alumni homecoming would be pretty interesting, but the batch reunion? I don't know. I mean, I'm pretty content seeing the batchmates that I want to see, which is mostly my own barkada. The other crowds in our batch are the ones who are pretty excited about planning the reunion that they already have these reunion planning meetings. Ahahaha, so para saan pa yung reunion if they already see each other often these days for the planning stage? Hahaha. Oh well, we'll see.

Speaking of get-togethers, I missed the last barkada get-together this past weekend, which was PJ and Joy's despedida party as well. Aw.

Hahaha, I got to watch the 2nd episode of Pelicola TV's 'Kada Kwento pretty late, but it totally amused me. The characters Pol and Penny argued the way Nicco and I (and even Misch and Nikki) used to, except we don't resolve it as easily as a game of "bato-bato-pick." Usually I just try to make my point across and he lets me win, because I'm right most of the time (ahahaha, kapal). We may not know each other that long like Pol and Penny, but he's like the little brother I never had, and I just love him to bits like that, which is why I always call him my "baby bro." I was actually mighty flattered when I was told that he considered me one of his best friends. Well, that was according to Carmella, ahehe. I'm also his human diary, and if I were crazy enough, I could write a book about all his heartaches, troubles, dreams, out-of-the-blue ideas and whatnot, hahaha. I have to admit, I totally miss hanging out with him practically everyday until the wee hours of morning.

Shameless plug, watch him in 'Kada Kwento, Pelicola's newest internet TV series. And if you want to see more of him, please watch Atlantis Productions' Spring Awakening, coming in September at RCBC Plaza, Makati.

Speaking of musical, I got to talk to my cousin David today, and his choir will be having new members to replace the ones who had left. He's inviting me to join as well, but I need to go back to his lessons. But I guess going under his wing would be good enough training, so we'll see. I also got to meet his new girlfriend when both of them had dropped by this evening with Tita Tess. I actually like her, hahaha.

This blog entry had weird segues, ahehehe.

tymeless

Lame effort to make a catchy title, hahaha.

I didn't get to enjoy last year's Cinemalaya Film Festival because I was sick that week, so I only got to watch one film.This year, I only got to go to CCP yesterday for Cinemalaya, even though it had already opened last week. I had no idea what to watch upon arriving, and I didn't really want to base it on who's acting in it or who's directing it or whoever (which is what some people do), so I just grabbed one of the schedules, and decided on Last Supper No. 3. Immediately bought a ticket for the 3:30 pm screening then waited for Tad to finish at the gym.

I haven't seen Tad much lately because of schedules, so we decided to meet for lunch (my treat--a rare moment, hahaha). After lunch, we found Chrome and Russ in the lobby, enjoying the sights, hehe. There were so many girls from Miriam College that day, as I think they were required to attend the Cinemalaya that day because I had overheard from a few girls that they were looking for the attendance check. Tad and I headed to the Conference Room for a while so he can charge his laptop (which Riki had been using earlier) plus so I can copy some songs from his iTunes. After a while, we returned to the LT lobby and joined Chrome, Russ and Max until I had to head over to the MKP for Last Supper No. 3.

The film was pretty funny, no matter crazy the issue was about paying off certain debts. Hmmm... sounds familiar, hehe. But I liked the light-hearted take on the situation. Joey Paras was, without fail, hilarious. And it was also amusing to see Ness as the young lawyer.

After the film, I re-read the synopsis of some of the other films and decided to buy a couple of tickets in advanced, because some of the screenings for the other days to come were already sold out (like Shorts A, darn it, so lesson learned). While standing in line at the box office and just standing around until I left, I now leave some quotable quotes.

Girls who just arrived in CCP...
Girl 1: (excitedly) Pumunta na tayo dito diba?? Anong pinanood natin??
Girl 2: (equally excited tone) Nakalimutan ko na!!
Wow, so I guess going to CCP was quite a treat for you girls?

Girl ahead of me at the box office, availing of the student discount...
Girl: Estud-YANte poh.
Nice kolehiyala accent you got there. Effort pa, pwede namang sabihing "student" kung hirap kang magsalita ng Tagalog.

Roli Inocencio, talking to Bong, Chrome and Russ.
"Wala kayong pelikula? OK lang, mag-concentrate muna kayo sa theater. Ang dami kasing sabik mag-cross over."
I have to agree with you on that.

tymeless

Iba-iba ang bisyo ng bawat tao. May yosi, inuman, party/clubbing, etcetera. Para sakin, tambay naman ang bisyo ko. Kape, usap-usapan, tawanan, basta kasama ang mga tunay na kaibigan.

The title of this entry was one of the out-of-the-blue questions that came up during last night's conversation (biglang switch to English, hahaha).

Drei had picked me up and offered to drive me home after Cinemalaya yesterday, and because he was on the road driving for practically the whole day, we hung around at my house for a while so he can rest his feet. Of course, at my house, when Drei and Nicco and the others used to hang out, my mom brings out the coffee, so it's the same drill even though it's been ages since any of them had come to my house to hang out and chill.

Like the time Nikki, Nicco and I had hung out together after ages, it was also the same with Drei. It seems like nothing had changed, except for the fact that we really are getting older. The weird random thoughts, the profound conversations, and the most trivial stuff still came about.

- "Sa Monkey Monkey, sino ba si Anabel?" (after I had mentioned the weird freeze tag game during one rehearsal)
- "It's so posh... Yung kwarto niya, may bedroom! Tapos mattress on the floor, hahaha!" (about the room of one of our best buds)
- The "lol-koff." (a new emoticon we made up that involved laughing until you end up coughing)
- The "Hawa-pino."
- "Burgis? What's burgis?" (when we were talking about accents, and how it's like talking to different kinds of people)
- "Who's ***??? OH! I forgot about her!" "Ohmygod, you really are in love with her right now, hahahaha!" (when we were talking about exes, forgetting them and staying friends with them)

Friends like these make hanging out until your eyes droop totally worth every moment. I remember the times when our happy group hung out practially every day and night, and my little notebook that I always have with me was filled with randomness that we keep thinking and talking about. They were the ones who made up the pages in mynotebook. Maski may mga tampo moments paminsan, mas marami pa rin yung mga crazies and awesome moments.

I just love the JATD gang. And I miss them too.

tymeless

Having bought a ticket in advance for Dinig Sana Kita for Cinemalaya, Bong had mentioned that he liked it enough to bring tears to his eyes. I was pretty intrigued already as the film featured deaf students from CSB. Upon reading the synopsis, I at first thought that the plot could be predictable about the blossoming friendship between a deaf guy and a girl who can hear.

Of course, you can't really tell anything if you only base it on the short synopsis. Sure, the friendship between Kiko and Nina was sort of abrupt during the camp/immersion part of the film. But the real development actually evolved once they had left the camp.

This film had it's tearjerker moments, but there were times that when you feel that your eyes are already welling up with tears (I caught a lot of people in the audience trying to be discreet in wiping their tears away), there would be a punchline or a funny moment that would leave you chuckling instead. Ayan, bitin tuloy ang iyak mo, hahaha. I have to admit, even in the scene where Kiko had finally finished installing the wooden boards and sound system on the walls of his room just so he can listen to "Sa Ugoy Ng Duyan," my eyes were already filling up with tears, hahaha.

I remember back during my very first term in CSB, I was sitting alone in one of the gazebos in Plaza Villarosa, and a group of deaf students were in the gazebo next to mine. I was just sitting there, watching them speak to each other, and noticed in their gestures and expressions that they were gradually getting excited over something they were talking about. I told myself then that deaf people would make really good actors, considering how expressive their gestures and faces (especially their eyes) were. The film Dinig Sana Kita pretty much justified what I was thinking a little over 8 years ago.

Hahaha, goes to show that random people watching can be oh so interesting if you look at everything differently.

Speaking of people watching, I was sitting at the McDonald's across from my village during late Saturday afternoon, just having an early dinner, and then I noticed this group of girls at the table next to mine. They were just sitting there, talking loudly, and putting on make-up the whole time. I mean, how rude naman. Kaya nga may bagong-bagong lugar na tinatawag ay banyo, para dun kayo mag-ayos eh. I don't want to knock on what they look like, baka lumabas pa na masama ako, ahehe. Out of annoyance, I let it out by texting my friends. I just had to laugh loudly at Lara's reply to my text: "I had a feeling. Ang mga babaeng nagme-makeup ng todo at di makahintay pumuntang banyo ay... pangit." HAHAHAHA!

Mean, I know, but I couldn't help laughing at that text.

tymeless

Went to UP yesterday afternoon to catch the 3pm show of UPPT's twinbill of and Dead Stars 1925 and Sepang Loca. Crazy weather, as it was fairly sunny when I had left the south, and by the time I had reached the FX terminal in Buendia, the rain was pouring and it didn't stop until after I made a pit stop in Philcoa. But when I had boarded a jeep to UP, it started raining again. And just my luck, part of the road where the faculty center was was closed off, so I had to get off somewhere after Palma Hall and walk back down the road in the rain (thank goodness for my ever-ready umbrella).

Once inside, I noticed that the set wasn't the typical theater-in-the-round. It actually looked like a combination of that and the thrust stage, hahahaha, as it formed a cross, and the audience sat in the 4 quadrant areas.

First up was Dead Stars 1925. It was actually refreshing to see Ana Bitong as Julia, because the other roles in the other plays (Murder for Rent, Moose Murders, Dogeaters) I had seen her in were sort of caricatures. There was finally depth in her character as Julia. It was great to see her in a character such as that in Dead Stars, though I wish I had seen her Candida in Portrait of the Artist as Filipino.

Was it me, or did the student audience keep chuckling everytime they see Merdin appear onstage? Comic relief? Ahahaha. And speaking of comic relief, Earl Ignacio's Chinese siopao seller was pretty funny, but just that. So I expected a lot more from him as the Anak after the intermission for Sepang Loca.

Moving on to Sepang Loca, I'm super darn proud of Opa as the title role. As it was a role that required no dialogue, I was amazed that her eyes could speak volumes as the crazy Sepa. Hahaha, I was kind of surprised that Rayna had changed her voice to a deeper register as one of the barren women, which is a good approach because the rest of the girls voices sounded the same. Para may maiba naman. On the other hand, Earl as the Anak wasn't at all effective. He spoke his lines too fast, as if he were reciting them, so there were times that I couldn't absorb what he was saying. But aside from that, I like the interesting turn of events to find out who was the father of Sepa's baby.

Congrats to the cast of Dead Stars 1925 and Sepang Loca!

Hung out with Opa, Rayna and Paula (who watched as well) at Petron in Katipunan. Dinner in Jollibee then hung out outside Starbucks so Paula can mooch on their wifi. Opa and Rayna spoke about their experiences during the production, especially because their training turned out to be sort of different from the others.

Just a thought, totoo ba na doon sa kanila, susundan mo na lang ang gusto ng direktor at wag nang magtatanong pa at baguhin? Because sa mga natutunan namin sa mga workshop/training namin, you do your own research on your character and the story and the rest of the people and how it weaves together. You explore all you could to see what could suit the characters and the story itself based on the given circumstances. Ikaw mismo ang mag-iisip kung anong pwede mo magawa. At kaya nga may direktor, para siya ang tumingin kung tama or hindi bagay o pwede o hindi pwede ang ginagawa mo; i-direct ka na lang sa tamang direksyon, kumbaga. Pero based sa mga narinig kong kwento, bahala na raw ang lahat sa direktor, basta gawin mo na lang ang gusto niyang makita. Ganun na raw ang "school of acting" doon. I wouldn't know for sure, really. What about you, what's your take on this?

tymeless

While Drei and I were chatting on YM a couple of days ago, I was also looking through the archives of my old blog entries, searching for an inspiration for a "flashback entry" (coined from Lara's "Flashback Friday" blog entries. When I reached the Jul 2004 entries, I suddenly realized something.

As of that day, July 28th, it had been exactly 5 years since Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat had first opened at the CSB Theater. It had served as my thesis along with Rain, Anthony, Kathy and Precious. Huwaw. 5 years. It's been that long?

Nostalgia kicked in. Hahaha, and I thought I was stressed back then. If only I knew of the other things to come. And I remembered even juggling an Akafellas concert at the same time. I realized that I only knew a tiny fraction of stage management when I was ASM for that concert, and while I was SM for my own thesis. I can't even believe we had the guts to actually produce the entire musical with such a meager budget (which led to certain debts). But we pulled it off, and even went crazy with a restaging just to pay off the debts, but I was actually amused that everyone was game and willing (or just plain crazy enough) to restage the show.

Despite all the stress and annoyances, I had a blast during my thesis because I found lifelong friends in a whole bunch of them. And to think I told myself back then not to get too attached to the people. Who knew that one of the insecure cast members that had auditioned would end up being cast in a local production of a Tony-award winning musical this year (Nicco)? Hahaha, I had practically ignored him the whole time because I thought he wasn't going to take our production seriously (and he had even seriously joked about just trying out as a tree), but he became one of the closest friends I have. Another cast member (Drei) that we had sort-of prodded into designing half the costumes became one of the guys I can still talk to about anything over coffee until the wee hours of morning, a tradition that we had revived just recently. Conversations between the tall narrator (Mimay, whom I only thought of as a mere Lea Salonga fan with a beautiful voice) evolved from Lea's shows and eventually became heart-to-heart talks (and talks about dreams, hahaha) at Gloria Jeans, Starbucks, Burger King, Ayn's house and even over YM while we're on opposite sides of the world. The cute petite girl (Misch) that I met during another OJT is someone I could hang out with during spur-of-the-moment visits, and is still a constant chatmate and even textmate even though she's always busy working in New York. And the girl who sort of got upset at me back then (Nikki, because I had said that I usually have different sets of cliques depending on what I was involved in) is another close friend that I still frequently see despite her busy flight schedule. Whenever she has a day off, she would suddenly give me a text and a couple of hours later, we would be at some random coffee shop, just talking and laughing the hours away.

I miss the same crowd, and I really do mean all of you. Even though I was sort of aloof during the pre-production phase, I couldn't seem to get enough of all of you right after the show had closed. I remember that sudden get-together at Jollibee a few days after our shows, just because of a random text message (was it from Nicco, who always seemed to have that "San ka/kayo?" text ready to send from his phone? Hahaha) to hang out. Anyway, a pending reunion is on hold for now, as I couldn't seem to find a common schedule and venue for everyone. But it would be great to see everyone all together again.

How the time has changed. Some have moved halfway across the globe, others are finally getting married, and the rest have pursued what they want in life. 5 years. Oh my. The time really flew.

May I return to the beginning
The light is dimming, and the dream is too
The world and I, we are still waiting
Still hesitating
Any dream will do...

I miss y'all. Hope to see you guys again soon.

tymeless

It's been ages since I went out to watch a movie in the cinema. Yes, I know, I am a loser. I actually forgot the last movie I saw that wasn't on DVD or downloaded or even indie or whatever. So I went to ATC by my lonesome late this afternoon to catch The Proposal.

I had just purchased my ticket when I found a flash of pink looking at me from those seats in the middle of the cinema area. Hahaha, it was Gary, wearing a shirt that was the same shade of pink as my blouse. He was with Ria and Micko, and they had come from Treasure Island rehearsals. Ria had also mentioned an upcoming production of Pippin in Zobel, which prompted me to think of "Magic To Do," a song from the musical that Gary and I had sung in the first Trumpets Playshop showcase in Alabang. Man, 10 years had actually passed since then? Wow.

After the movie, I decided to dawdle in ATC, as I didn't really want to go home right away. Jill had mentioned Sabrina's gig at Italianni's (a tie-up tour of Italianni's and 96.3 Easy Rock, I believe), so I walked in that direction. Hahaha, while I was in the middle of walking while texting, I suddenly ran into Christine, a YFC sister from CSB. I had forgotten that she had worked with Sabrina and Tita Sherbet (who's managing Sabrina) several times before, including this event, hahaha. So Tine invited me to join her at her table up front closest to the stage where Sabrina was performing her first set (which is actually just a platform outside Italianni's near Fish and Co.). She invited me to eat as well, but I was still kind of full from the Burger King meal I had devoured in the cinema.

I had texted Tita Sherbet that I was there at the gig, and as it turned out, she was on her way as well, so I decided to stick around and wait for her. When the 1st set had ended, I finally got to meet Sabrina when she, Tine and I went inside the restaurant for a while to talk. She was actually pretty sweet as her voice had sounded.

Tita Sherbs and Tito Sunny had arrived sometime at the beginning of the 2nd set. Man, it was so great to see them again. I think the last time I saw them was at Podium 3 years ago. And it was another mall show of another artist. Hahaha, it's been ages since I actually hung out at gigs like this, and I don't know why, but it sort of felt funny (weird) to find myself there again after I had phased out of that groupie phase. But I got more comfortable when the Ilacads had arrived.

After the 2nd set, I actually went to buy Sabrina's album. Tita Sherbs also introduced me to Sabrina's mom, and that was when I found out that this young lady is also a theater major. Wow, coolness. After a little theater talk, Tito Sunny then went to talk to the band (music majors naman sila, no surprise there, haha), so Tita Sherbs and I started catching up on each other's news. Ahahaha, I had no idea that Glenn has a new band. Tita Sherbs and Tito Sunny have been waiting to meet my boyfriend as well, as the last guy they had met that I dated was a fluke. Hahaha, adoptive parents ko pa rin talaga sila. That's why I love them, hahaha. We are still hoping for that reunion, which will most likely be at another gig, hahaha. Hey, walang pakialaman, that was how all of us met, so I'm game with that. Hopefully we'll find a gig with a venue that's central to all of us, then after that, it's time for me (hahaha, ako talaga ang contact ng lahat eh) to start texting the gang again.

Jill had called Tita Sherbs, and I got to talk to her as well. It was great to hear Jillie's voice as well. Hay naku, dapat matuloy yung Greenbelt gig, hahaha.

It's great that I still get to meet up with the friends I don't constantly keep in touch with lately. As for the rest, I hope we get together again soon. Yes, sa inyong mga nagbabasa nito na tagal ko nang hindi nakakasama (from whichever circle of friends), hope we get our chance soon.