Spending the Limbo


Belated Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to All.

Well, I just came from the newest cinema here in Davao, the NCCC Mall Cinema and I can say it resembles Robinsons Galleria cinemas. Astig! Notably, this week is the Metro Manila Film Festival week and as usual as part of my annual routine, I will watch which I think are the best entries this year. Yesterday I watched Mano Po: My Love starring Mayor Vilma Santos. As usual, it's full of the drama crap not really that impressed. Mano Po 2, still I think is the best of all the Mano Po films. Today I watched "So Happy Together". Funny films especially with touches of gay theme always make people laugh. The film itself is generally good and I like the story, quite tragic in the end as Eric Quizon dies on his bed, his life and his money, all gone in pursuit of happiness while Kris ends up highly successful. I still have to watch, the all-Visyan film, "Panaghoy sa Suba" and my all-time favorite TV series movie entry, "Okay Ka, Fairy Ko".

Anyway, Christmas has been good so far. The annual MDD Convention is still going on and too bad, I did not register. I'm not really in the mood to join all the activities but decided in the end to attend the major activities.

There's No Place Like Home(?)


Yesteray, I arrived here in Davao. After six months away from home, it's a good feeling to be back at where you grew up. My mom, dad and my sister fetched me at the airport. Inside our vehicle, I talked about my memorable experiences when I worked as a PA (Production Assistant) both at "All About Men" and "Bodyhunt 2004". But nobody seemed to care, my dad only asked what salary I got ... and then lied to him that it was good. Nobody, seemed to care if I enjoyed it or was it hard. No one asked, if I was ok. Nobody did but when my sister shared her share of her stories. They commented about it.

As you can see, I never did relate with anyone in the family especially with my Dad and my Mom. It is with my sister I talk with what I did or sometimes with my brother. My parents don't seem too proud with my achievements in the field of art and music, which are something I love to do and plan to make a career out of them. They have expected me to make use of my ECE licnse, work in a big company, earn big salary and that's it. Yet, I never expected they could be so cold about it when I'm so hot sharing what I've done. Anyone, my Dad made a side comment, that I'd return to Manila, only to get my remaining things. I felt slammed... but it's ok. I'm 23, I think I've grown enough to stand up for myself... no matter what happens, I'll be back in Manila and stay there... so help me God.

To continue with my story, when I got home, it was uneventful. I cooked my own dinner while everyone watched "Kapamilya Christmas Special". After that, my sister was the only one left at the living room, so I poured out to her all my excitement. I showed here my work and what I did. I'm still glad that someone in the family can relate with me. During this week, I will not think of anything else but to enjoy the holidays and deal with my going back to Manila after that.

Shopping in Quiapo


I promised my friend Sheela, who's in Davao to buy her a VCD of "Sassy Girl"...never heard of that movie but I think it's a hit Korean flick. So today, I decided to go to the "pirated CDs" capital of the Philippines, Quiapo, Metro Manila. Going there was uneventful, though I decided to travel an alternate route by going off Cainta Junction, then ride a jeep up to MRT 2 and then stop at Recto station, where Quiapo is situated nearby. I saved an hour, if I travel via bus, I think it would take me 2 hours. Anyway, back to the story. After that, I headed straight to the pirated CD nooks. Wait but before that, I decided to enter the famous Quiapo church, where the Feast of the Black Nazarene is held and where the movie, "Santa Santita" was shoot. Well, it was exactly the same like it was shown in the movie. There are those praying ladies at the corner. Well back again, here in Quiapo, is a home of a block of stalls of pirated CDs and DVDs. You can find several kinds of DVDs, like latest movies, concerts, cartoons, animés, "teleseryes", fashion shows. So Mr. Edu, how's the raiding doing? Not really good, eh! So I entered each stall one by one and in the end, I bought a Celine Dion and concert of Bond DVD. Cool! Though, I never found, a VCD copy of "Sassy Girl" but found a DVD copy instead. I texted Sheela and she told me that "wag na lang" and even warned me to secure my DVDs when I go back to Davao. The law officers might confiscate them and I might go to jail... (No!!!) Just when I decided to go home, I passed by a very dark nook, disguised slightly in front by an "ukay-ukay" store. It was a very dark path, leading to more stalls. It was so freaking hot in there and for a while, the place starts to brighten up and I was in a section full of porn CDs and DVDs. COOL!!! Wow, they really secure this place. I was just passing by, ogling at those big-breasted models and I can't bear the heat any longer, so I left the place. It was almost evening when I went back to Recto Station. Well, that was it, my day in Quiapo.

Psyching Out...


Just nothing ... these feelings of frustrations, hopelessness and loneliness is pulling me down. Last Sunday, as the night grows deeper, being bummed inside my room makes me quite insane. So I went out, looking for answers. I got to go internet cafe and thrive the chatrooms, looking for a decent soul to talk to... but chatrooms are filled with poor, insecure souls like me and so nothing happens. I got to go to "Select" to eat... but I just realized that food isn't the answer to my loneliness, so I went home... changed. I lay down and uttered a simple prayer... It was a prayer, I decribe was silent, pure and sincere... and prayed for a good sleep, a sleep that would make me feel new tomorrow. God did answered my prayers. It was the best sleep I had in days and I woke up. It was yesterday ... I decided to changed my daily routine. Instead of having breakfast at Ginno's Pares. I rode a jeep to as far as Sta. Lucia Mall to eat at Tropical Hut and have my Ham Meal, which is my favorite. Then followed the usual stuff, spent the day quite as I did before... I'm trying to learn and accept that this was I was like before and is coming back to me now in order to live like before my life became complicated. I wanted to go home but dreaded the fact that I might not return. Gosh, what a life!!!! I'm listening to Launchcast music right now... feeling the Holdiday songs... Merry Christmas!!! Christ has come, Hope has come and that's a lot of reason to be happy than thinking to our woes... God Bless.

Series of Unfortunate Events


I was half-awake and felt it was like 6 in the morning, when my roommate Butch entered the room, excused to get his pillow under my feet and lay beside. Quite early for him to come home, I think , but then Butch blurted out his terrible, I say terrible cause if it would be me, I'd describe it that way, that happened to him six or more hours ago. I instantly remembered Jim Carrey's poster of his next movie at SM Megamall. It was adapted from Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events. I haven't read the book yet but I have to watch the movie, maybe I'll like it like what Harry Potter did to me.



Anyway back to my original story, exactly 8 hours before that, my boss texted me with an air of sadness saying it would be his birthday tomorrow (well that would be today) and he's broke, poor man and poor me too, cuz he owed me money. So much for series of unfortunate events. Similarly yesterday, another friend Butch S., expressed his woes (or was it pure hatred?) regarding the company he's currently employed. To conclude, sometimes life can bomabard you with series of unfortunate events. Even if it's not directly you who will be affected, somehow they will hit you in some other way. But I think, as what the apostles have taught, the best thing to do is to cheer each other up and to think that this is just a passing phase of life and who knows the odds are against you once more.

Bummed . . .

After several days of not doing anything left me bummed. The day was boring. Last night I got the CDs of our previous show from Metrobar and when I got home, I get to listen to Bond's CD just to kill the time 'till I doze off. My sleep was not good either so I woke up just as lame as ever and with nothing to look forward to makes it lamer. However, I get to sample again Bond's CD and I fell in love with the first three tracks, the ones we used at the modeling show.


Bond

By the way, Bond is an all-girl quartet of strings - two of them are playing violins and the other two are playing viola and cello. Back to the issue, the cuts we used were entitled, Alegretto, Shine and Fuego. These three are I think the best cuts in Bond's CD, "Shine" and if your memory is sharp, the Bond girls, (imagine sexy in rave outfits) played them during the swimwear round of Miss Universe 2002? (not really sure) What makes their music one of kind is their fusion with tribal and techno beats. Their musical genre is also similar with that of Vanessa Mae (her latest CD is Choreography).

Hmmm... now what? Well okay, as I was listening to Bond's music, memories went back to my high school days of watching Sailormoon. I was daydreaming again, I was watching a scene at the Moon Kingdom with all the sailor warriors dancing in Bond's music. And who could forget the senshi who played the violin, Michiru Kaioh, aka Sailor Neptune?


Michiru Kaioh, aka Sailor Neptune

I can't remember the episode where she played the violin while playing with the apple at the same time (parang tinatakyan niya yung apple). I know it's just cartoons but I'm impressed. Well, I hope that someday, I could make a music video of the Moon Kingdom scene I have in my mind in tune with Bond's music.

Changes ...

Goodness gracious! Yesterday, after several days of being bummed, I decided to work on my blog. Feeling so sick, I headed to Netopia waiting for inspiration to hit me until it came and the rest they say, is history. Well, guys this my new blog layout ... Andy's Undies V2.0, designed to fit in 800 x 600 screen resolutions as well as for 1024 x 768 resolutions. Unfortunately, several sections are not here anymore like the Kataw-anan section and my account in WhoisCute.com ... have to find those links later. A video stream section is new, currently playing my idol in singing... Josh Groban (video courtesy of Warner Music).



For the last three weeks, my friend hired me for a project he would handle. It was a modeling search, in it's second year. It's entitled "Bodyhunt 2004". We were only given three weeks to prepare and God, you can't imagine the things we have to do to squeeze all of them in a 3-week frame. First, I was supposed to be my friend's PA but since he discovered "daw" my talent in Photoshop, I was the instant Graphic Artist for the event. I was the one who made the poster (of course, using my friend's concept... see picture), the ticket design, the souvenir program and the widescreen presentation. During the day, I would perform my PA duties like running on errands (both here and for Penis Talks also), taking care for tickets, dealing with other people involved and during the night, I would make the design with my friend's supervision. You can't imagine, how tired I am when I arrive home. I just brush my teeth, and change into my clothes and sleep after a mere 4 to 6 hours, I would wake up again and go to work. I can say that this job is the most humbling job I ever had. Sure, it's tiring, I even cried in frustrations at time, get angry with internet staff but the rewards are great. Seeing your work appreciated by people is priceless. I prayed to God to give me strength and be slow to anger and I'm so glad I did get through somehow.