Last week, My Mom’s friend was found dead in her hotel room in Tibet. When Mom immediately relayed the news to me, I asked, “You’re kidding, right?”
“Why would I joke about that?!” Mom shrieked.
“Well since Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson, a lot of death hoaxes are going around.”
Mom’s friend finally made it to Tibet after months of planning. She’s texted Mom regularly since her arrival and has complained of breathlessness, mouth sores, and dizziness. She was also a chain smoker, which probably didn’t help her up in the high altitudes. As the story goes, she was preparing for a tour one day and rang up the front desk at 5am to remind them to set her breakfast early. The hours ticked by, the tour guide arrived, and she didn’t go downstairs. They rang her room and no one picked up. The front desk got concerned and went up to her room. After a few knocks, no one answered, so they broke the door open. They found Mom’s friend dead on her bed.
“Rockstar.” I remarked.
Mom’s friend didn’t lead a happy life. She was lonely most of the time, for as long as I could remembered she was depressed and not very easy to get along with. As another friend mused, “This might be a blessing.”
The family traveled to Tibet to claim the body. They wanted an autopsy but was put off by the amount of required paperwork. They decided to cremate the body and scatter her ashes there. They bought a turquoise urn to keep the ashes in. For lack of Christian or Catholic priests in the area, they decided to have her final rites in a Tibetan tradition. They would head out to a lake two hours from Lhasa, where some of her ashes would rest. The rest of her, they’d take back home, where friends and family could properly see her off.
I have been reconnecting with an old, dear friend on AOL, who referred me to Madi Ju’s photography and her “e-famous” Love Diary. I was so moved by the honesty and intimacy of the diary, I got inspired to start my own. To start, I got myself a new digital camera, the Nikon L10 you see above. I committed myself to the 365 Days project, except I’m not big on self-portraiture. You can see my “drabbles” in photography over at Kapilas at Tula (translated: Image and Poetry).
Also, a plug for my photography friend, the lovely Didang Alvarez, if you have any debuts or occasions that you’d like captured on camera, she’s your girl.
Sorry to hear about your wallet, JM. I feel your pain.
I’ve been lucky not to have my wallet snatched in the last several years. Since the last time I got picked in high school, I haven’t put much personal possessions in my wallet. It feels sparse and dull, but it’s those trinkets that hurt the most in the event of loss. Among the trinkets floating somewhere out there is the only group picture of #pinoy_otaku, a letter from Sammi, old but rare Sailormoon trading cards I got from my best friend, and my Red Cross ID card.
While the Fete is one of the biggest musical events in the country, I wasn’t especially itching to go out that evening. Last time I went to fete was a few years ago when it was a real festival with one day for every musical genre. My BlueRep friends I went to Rocker Day, where a wave of sweaty rakistas catcalled and bowed before me as I passed. I am not exagerrating, Ren can vouch for this.
So last Saturday instead of Fete, I attended a quiet little gathering for the birthday of one my ye olde college roommates, followed by drinks with Lauren and Marco. Maybe it’s my age, or my growing hermitage, but I enjoyed those more and didn’t feel like I missed out on much from Fete.
What’s Up, Coconut?
Summer raket season is over. The Worlds and Words class of Pocketful of Kids ended with a bang. Congratulations to the class of Summer 2009! I’m very proud of you!
My article on XBX Katipunan is out on the latest issue of Playground Magazine, pick that up at your nearest bookstore!
Harana wrapped a successful run in Manila and Amsterdam. Congratulations!
As term ends for a bulk of my ESL classes, I’m looking and praying for more paying projects. Some short projects have come up, I should stop procrastinating and start working on them.
Yes they are, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!
I’ve hinted at a very busy week coming up, and no kidding. This is one of the things I’ve been occupied with, aside from my teaching jobs. My hands are very full but I am thankful for the work, especially for something I’m very passionate about.
Don’t let the ad fool you into thinking this is going to be just another cultural event. The songs showcased in ‘Harana’ might have been done over a thousand times over, but Philippine Opera Company, in their thrust to take opera to the next level, gives it a whole new spin. Fans and familiars of Filipino music old and new will find something to hum along to, be it the tribal or folk songs, or the contemporary classics. As someone who is familiar with more than a song or two in their program, trust me when I say this is one of the best arrangements I’ve heard of them. I especially love the Muslim suite and their covers of Freddie Aguilar’s ‘Anak’ and Basil Valdez’s ‘Nais Ko’.
No blog entry can do them justice, they really have to been seen and heard to be believed.
For those wondering what part I have in all this, I’m their tech baby, pushing the usual buttons and/or chasing their lapels. It’s how I always (and very gladly) spend my summer vacation.
So for those in the Philippines, help support the local arts scene! Watch ‘Harana’! For those outside of the Philippines, you can catch them in Amsterdam from June 8-15.
HARANA runs from MAY 28-30, 2009, 8pm at the Carlos P. Romulo Theater in RCBC Tower, Makati. Ring up for tickets at 8928786 or Ticketworld at 8919999.
Pictures taken by Jojit Lorenzo, borrowed from Ana Feleo.
The best kinds of literature, or art for that matter, are the kinds that have so much more to say as time goes by.
I read ‘The Missing Piece’ by Shel Silverstein to my students today. It was cute enough for them, but they were puzzled by the message. “Why did it let the piece go when it found it? Why can’t it make up its mind?” They asked.
Not wanting to complicate their world just yet, I only smiled and just translated that to a broader idea, “What are things that make you feel complete? Have you found your missing piece? Or are you looking for it?”
For those unfamiliar with the book, there is a youtube vid that ‘animated’ the book to some pretty cheesy music. But you can just mute it and watch the video – the story and words are strong enough to stand on it’s own.
So for those who feel incomplete – in life, in love, or who just keep rolling along, pick up the book or watch the vid below.
Yes, I know. It’s almost been a month. No excuses: my priorities shifted and it also takes a lot out of me to make a more coherent public entry. The continuation of my night out with the Top Chefs will follow, in time. Not right now, maybe not for a very long time, but in time, definitely!
To make the most out of your time here, here’s some mindcandy:
Persona!
I am baffled and amused by how easily I can compartmentalize online. I have this wordpress for the sake of having an online writing portfolio, but I also have a locked blog for my more personal thoughts. I’ve also taken measures to have different social network pages, which is pretty tough to maintain as I work in circles that are tight-knit, personally and professionally. I’m a little embarrassed about asking them to add a colder, no-nonsense online profile when some of them have already seen me at my silliest. This is for the benefit of the jobs I hold that aren’t as tight though, and I do think of the children.
An active online presence has also proven to further complicate things. A “complicated” marital status adds a new dimension to the rise and fall of relationships. As someone once said, it really isn’t over until Facebook says so. If you’re online long enough, you’ll have to tinker with messenger settings, social network profiles, filtered blog entries, and all the rest. And heaven help your next few public entries, you can say no right or wrong. Even if you end up blogging about something as insignificant as cheese or water.
Thank God for Work
I was called in as a last-minute usher for 9Works’ production of Songs for a New World. I loved working with the people of 9Works Again, even if I was only posted at the front of house. After a good run, we celebrated the show’s closing with a cast party at Pontis and some Rock Band 2.
I have been juggling classes between my ESL program and the Creative Writing program, and I’m working on an upcoming production with Philippine Opera Company. Also, watch out for the next issue of Playground magazine for my feature article on XBX Katipunan!
When Neil Gaiman first toured the Philippines, I gave him his first swig of calamansi juice. Seeing the effect it had on him and his fandom, I theorized that Filipinos will slowly but surely take over the world with food.
My next chance to prove this came in the form of the AyalaMall event, Top Chefs in Manila. Top Chef season 2 champion, Ilan Hall, and season 4 favorite Dale Talde gave cooking demos at different malls around Metro Manila and got a little R&R in Boracay.
I had missed their first two demos days due to schedule conflicts, and was about to accept the fact that I might not be able to see them in action. Then one of the organizer’s invited me to their send-off, so I knew I had to show up for at least one demo. I trekked all the way to Alabang Town Center to see them in action, and was not disappointed.
The cooking demo was set up ala Iron Chef more than Top Chef, with a theme ingredient that the chefs were free to work around. Dale Talde made a beef barbecue sauce out of soy sauce, rock candy, and dried mango and served it up with a hearty salad and a spin on the halo-halo. llan Hall made beef with local chili leaves and tamarind, served up with a salad and fried bay leaves for dessert.
I was able to ask them during the open forum if I could get a copy of their recipes, but they said that I’d have to wait until the cookbook of their tours come out.
The food smelled great, but since I was in the general admission area, I wasn’t able to taste it. Arg!
How were they? As if the mouth-watering testimony didn’t say enough? They were both easy to talk to, had a keen eye for ingredients, and Ilan is as playful in real life as he was on the show.
I was more disappointed in the audience that afternoon, but must be because of my age. I’m still young and have enough lungs to cheer the chefs on, and in my head they weren’t just chefs, they were reality TV stars. An “OHMYGODILAAAAAN” would be in order.
But being the twenty-something surrounded by the adult housewives and oldbies, I felt a little silly at whooping through key parts of the show. It didn’t help that I was next to Ye Olde Miss Live-DVD commentary for the Hearing Impaired.
“Yeah you are too young for that audience,” My Mum mused when I told her about it. “But you know? They need types like you.”
Funny enough, all that energy in the demo, didn’t quite come out when I attended their send-off…
Right before I watched Atlantis Productions‘ The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, I was just telling a friend how tended to purposely screw up my participation in elementary bees. I’d place, but I rarely finished. Perhaps I’d rather “not live up to expectations”.
Funny thing was, in this particular spelling bee, I was determined to get up to a certain round, and I still P-H-A-I-L-E-D gloriously.
Spelling Bee unfolds in…well, a little county spelling bee! It’s one of the few stageplays I know that’s part improv, part hard script, as it tells the story of the bee’s contestants and the judges. They also get a few celebrity and audience volunteers, just to spice it up.
Spelling Bee performance at the Tony Awards, featuring highlights of the show and a very special guest speller!
While waiting for the house to open, I caught the sign at the front desk asking for volunteer guest spellers. I jumped at the chance! I wasn’t allowed to volunteer at the last local production as I was a member of the company that staged it (Ateneo Blue Repertory) , and this time I stood a fighting chance. As I signed up, I was warned that I would only be called in the event of an absent celebrity guest speller. Swell. It would have gone down as opportunities I nearly had a stab at, which also made for interesting stories.
“Have you had any theatre experience?” The stage manager in charge of guest spellers asked.
Ok, so I had. Mostly backstage! And some onstage. Ok, more than some onstage experience, but for that evening I’ll declare it null and void.
“Nope.” I said with a BIG smile on my face. I was given a little ‘Finalist’ button to wear, as a thanks and a little plug for the available merchandise.
Later, celebrity guest speller did not show up so I was pulled aside and briefed. Standard etiquette, really: don’t be noisy, sit where you’re supposed to, this is what’ll happen during the show, this is what you can ask when you spell, etc etc. “And no acting, be yourself!” The stage manager instructed. Dang, so much for my tribute to High School Musical.
Guest spellers do not stay on for the whole show, and are set-up to be kicked off the stage before the final round of the show. People familiar with the musical strive to be the last speller standing marked by ‘The Counsellor’s Song’, and I wasn’t even going for that. I just wanted to be a part of one my favorite musical number’s, Pandemonium (click for youtube, as I’m not allowed to embed it here).
And probably because one of the judges has known me since I was 11 years old and I couldn’t keep my big precocious mouth shut at the time, my first word was tricky, For my first word, I was asked to spell ‘markdeer’. The way I spelled it is apparently wrong, and I can’t remember how the actual word is spelled! Google is not helping either, as I get hits for ‘marcdeer’ too. All I know is that it’s some Southeast Asian animal, and I’m not sure how to spell it!
Sucks to be me! (Oops, wrong play…!)
I had only been onstage for about 10 minutes, and I was the first guest speller off that evening. I got a hug from the counselor, a tetra pack of Sunkist orange, and I got to keep my button. I whimpered at not having been in the Pandemonium number, but ah well, the show goes on!
Thank God my ESL clients are based out of Manila! That has got to be the lowest point of my teaching career, I joked.
I’ll take my short Spelling Bee lifespan as God’s punishment for fibbing. Nonetheless, it’s 10 minutes of onstage awesome and the rest of the show was all-around fun that even non-aficionados would enjoy. So while you can, book your tickets today! Do not miss out on this one!
‘The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee’ runs until April 4, 2008. For show information, visit or ring them up at 892-7078 or 840-1187. You can also visit Atlantis Productions‘ Website for individual show contacts and information on their current season.
My Archangel Powerbook G4 is now officially crippled. She survived a mild spill of water that made a few keys give out, and for months before that an inch of screen flickers on and off depending on the angle. It’s a good thing I was mentally prepared to save up for a more mobile laptop to lug around, and my Mum is entertaining the idea of purchasing another Mac in the near future.
Prior to being Archangel (I named her after a ship in the anime, Gundam Seed), it was previously owned and loved by another owner who gave it up to make way for a new one.
Archangel accompanied me through my super-senior year on MRT rides from school to home and back.She stored poems, scripts, papers, and readings. She was my best companion in my college’s study hall, and witness to some of my more memorable chats with my boyfriend in Chicago.
She was with me through a college-organized forum on Women’s rights, my first ESL job, Philippine Opera Company’s Master Class last October, and my first pitch for Pocketful of Kids. She has seen two or three countries, survived four boat rides, and two beaches. She was very close friends with my pink samsonite backpack, and often traveled with her.
In her final days she subbed for our desktop mac, Cylon, while we scrambled for a monitor to replace the older one used for Cylon. Archangel became familiar with my cat’s paws walking over the space bar, and at one point allowed her to type ‘Kill’ when my sister meant to look for Faith Hill mp3s.
What of Archangel now? Will she retire quietly next to my comatose Yukito iMac g3, or donate her parts for the betterment of another Mac user?
The video above comes from the off-Broadway production of Glory Days, a musical about five boys who reunite at their old high school.
It has been over a year since I graduated college.I have been blessed in being kept busy, if not with theatrical rackets but with ESL teaching. I’ve been blessed, and am very thankful for having been spared months on standby or the job crunch especially in these difficult times!
It’s gonna be the first summer of my adult life, and for a minute I missed the prospect of having three months idling around. Then I remembered that since becaming active in theatre, it’s been a few years since my last idle summer! My last few summers were committed to one production or another, and they’ve hardly been idle. I can’t say I complained. Productions are exhausting but I wouldn’t have it any other way. It was a good kind of exhaustion that tucked me in at night. ‘Sides, in that heat, I got aircon I didn’t have to pay for!
So here’s to the summers I missed, and the working summers to follow!
I was in Indonesia from 2000-2002 because of my Mom’s job. I finished high school there, and I made fast friends on campus with my interest in Harry Potter and a Neon Genesis Evangelion keychain on my schoolbag. One of my schoolmates mentions Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, who would later be staples of my sister’s reading list.
I carried a blueberry iMac around campus, earning the nickname “Macgirl”. I also started blogging on pitas to stay in contact with my friends back in Manila.
I practiced Bahasa Indonesia by way of reading VCD subtitles. I collected a few choice Japanese comics in Indonesian, and I often poked through Kinokuniya and Maruzen bookstores. I also got MTV Taiwan on cable, and was able to follow the Japanese Billboard charts.
I got my first taste of Asian horror through the Japanese classic, The Ring. For weeks after my first viewing, I swore Sadako followed me in the mirrors and glass panels around the house.
In my last year of high school, I spent Saturday afternoons in a gaming cafe with my school friends, learning headshots and dodging bullets on Counterstrike. Later on I’d treat Warcraft III as SimCity. I also started watching Meteor Garden, which was awful in so many ways but I grew to love it.
For the first time in my life, I was able to freely geek in real life and make connections from it.
