Kundiman as the original "emo" (or how Atang got to me)

my girlfriend and i watched Atang last night at the guerrero theater, staged by Dulaang UP. alex cortez directed it, and i specifically caught this performance because frances makil was the lead Atang (um, di ko feel si shamaine hehehe). buti na lang din si bituin escalante ang katy dela cruz. panalo talaga ang lolang ito ever! a true gay icon, hehehe :P

nga lang, di ako nakasali sa standing ovation ng rows ko when they were applauding during the last song number. bakit? wala, kasi tumagos na sa akin yung Pakiusap.

pakiusap is a kundiman, which is defined sa wikipedia as:

Kundiman (originally spelled Cundiman) is a genre of traditional Filipino love songs. The lyrics of the Kundiman are written in Tagalog. The melody is characterized by a smooth, flowing and gentle rhythm with dramatic intervals. Kundiman was the traditional means of serenade in the Philippines.


so ganun.

the thing is, i grew up listening to this stuff, thanks to my paternal grandmother kung saan sa bahay niya ako lumaki, being the first apo, spending schooldays there and holidays with my parents in their newly purchased house in marikina during the '80s. so nung nag-high school lang ako saka ako nag-fulltime sa marikina, pero the first 12 years of my life, sa lola ako.

yes, i am a lola's girl, and proud of it.

during my college years, my tita migrated to canada and siyempre ang kasunod nun, petition. so dun na tumira si lolo at lola, hanggang sa kinuha na ni lord si lola when i was in my twenties.

medyo ten years na ata since that time. pero naaalala ko pa pala ang maraming bagay sa aking kabataan.

one thing with our families, mahilig kami sa arts, kahit bibihira sa amin ang directly nag-enggage sa arts, for a living or professionally. may tita akong illustrator sa legendary liwayway magazine, at may isa rin akong tita na editor-writer din sa women's magazines. may pinsan akong naging artista sa soaps at kasabayan sina juday at iba pang child actors before. may pinsan akong graphics artist. hm, yun lang yata. kaya mangha sila sa akin sa pagiging (literary) writer chuvalu, lalo na sa aking film/tv engagement chenelyn. so ang first and solid fans club ko e syempre ang relatives. bet naman. we support each other that way.

can you tell me
how to get
how to get to
sesame street...

music is one art we love, as some of us love singing (like any other card-carrying certified karaoke/videoke pinoy) while most -- if not all -- of us love dancing. joke ko nga lagi, dapat "bailar" ang apelyido namin instead of "cantor" dahil mas masayaw kami. nung high school nga ako, magdi-disco kaming magpipinsan kasama ang mga tita not bilang chaperone but bilang sasayaw sila kapag abba music ang sinalang ng dj hehe. tapos uupo kami at maghihintay ng 80s songs ulit hehe.

kaya it's no wonder that i have my own vinyl records before, even before i knew how to spell "vinyl." kasama sa treasure chest ko of records (45rpm) ay yung theme song ng voltes v (at yung sappy love song sa ending ang flipside nito), meron akong 72rpm (tama ba? 72) ng isang sesame street album, kaya memorize ko ang "rubber duckie" song ni ernie at ang theme song ng sesame street. meron ding longplaying album (LP ang tawag sa malalaki) ng chipmunks christmas, kaya kaya kong kumanta ng chipmunks voice during carolling dati (favorite ko yung "all i want for christmas is my two front teeth") na kinaiinisan ng mga co-carollers ko hehe. plus of course yung tumambling ako kay mommy na pinabili kong thriller album ni michael jackson (huge mj fan here dati) na kakapanalo lang sa grammys noon.

shaun cassidy is the one on the left.
for the life of me, i dunno why i never
got hooked to these series, even though
i devoured all nancy drew books during
my youth. i didn't like hardy boys books.

my titas had their own collections, of course. and of course, my lola did, too. so amidst all the leif garret and shaun cassidy and abba records, merong panaka-nakang records sina aawitan kita lady armida siguion reyna, celeste legaspi singing saranggola ni pepe, and of course, some kundiman records.

kaya it hit me when i heard pakiusap last night. it was one of the kundimans i grew up listening to. grabe, it struck a chord, pun intended, so to speak. hindi ko memorya lahat, pero ang part na ito ang nag-resonate sa akin dahil ito pala ang nakatatak sa, aherm, puso ko:

----------------------------------
Kung sakali ma't salat sa yama't pangarap,
May isang sumpang wagas,
Ang aking paglingap.
Pakiusap ko sa iyo kaawaan mo ako,
Kahit mamatay, pag-ibig ko'y minsan lamang.
-----------------------------------------------------------

yan. yan lang part na yan. kakaiba.

tuwing hapon kasi, kung hindi nagbabasa si lola ng komiks (at nakikibasa naman ako), nakikinig siya ng records na yan. kaya memorya ko rin ang repertoire ni celeste legaspi at armida siguion reyna. ayus lang naman. pero never did i realize na tumatak pala ang mga music na ito sa akin. ngayon ko lang na-appreciate ng husto ang lyricism and versification ng tula sa kanta at himig ng melodya. ayan, nai-intellectualize ko na ang appreciation ko sa kanila like a true thinking UP arts person. pero to put it simply, the songs are beautiful, effective, and freakingly and fucking romantic. not only do they transport you to a time and place that we wish we could have experienced, but they bring a certain kind of pureness of joy, a simpler peace of mind offering, and real warmth of heartwarming feelings. basta. parang ganun.

and of course, ang reyna ng kundiman sa ating history ay si atang dela rama, kung kanino nakabase ang dulang may kanta na ito ni floy quintos. panalo naman ito. mas na-appreciate ko ito kesa dun sa, hay, sa st. louis loves dem filipinos the musical. um, chakaness lang nun :( sayang.

at yes, kung si atang dela rama ang crush ng bayan before (ng mga arts greats nicanor abelardo, amado hernandez, jose corazon de jesus), ang kundiman ang original pinoy emo music. bow. yun lang naman ang gusto kong sabihin :P

hay haggard... i didn't want to feel this way but, ewan, slight na-stendhal syndrome ata ako kagabi sa performance.

congratulations sa inyo, mareng frances, mamu tuxqs and sa lahat. winner ang produksyon na ito. naluha ako truli! nubah! :P

yes, i am a sap.

and sometimes, proud of it.

nonvirgins! tara nood tayo teatro ng virgin labfest! :P

support philippine theater! tara let's watch! who wants to go with me?

i'm interested in catching debbie tan's MGA BABAENG TOO BRIGHT (pahaging niya sa fulbright heheh) at saka yung LAS MENTIRAS DE GLORIA ni layeta bucoy. saka yung ELLAS INOCENTES kasi may slight sapphic angling to the tune of SISTER MY SISTER baga (remember that film? creepy sha, pero sad).

haha biased ako kasi i did an article about them, along with liza magtoto. hihihi. women playwrights baga. di ko pa sure kelan lalabas yun so plug ko na lang dito if ever.

ninakaw ko lang to sa site ni liza. for more!

-------------

Stellar roster of artists in VIRGIN LABFEST 4 at the CCP (June 25- July 6)

The Virgin Labfest 4, the most awaited theater festival in the country today, will be held once again at the Cultural Center of the Philippines from June 25 until July 6, 2008, with a stellar roster of writers, directors and actors headlining the performances of 18 one-act plays and staged readings of six other works. Now on its fourth year, the Virgin Labfest, has earned a solid reputation for its exciting and provocative line-up of "untried, untested, unpublished and unstaged" plays from playwrights both young and old. Complementing these are a workshop for high school students who wish to learn more about the craft of playwriting, a contest for owners of blogs (web logs or online journals), the launching of Ma-Yi Theater Company’s anthology Savage Stage, and a public interview with National Artist for Literature F. Sionil Jose by journalist Howie Severino.

FEATURED WRITERS
The line-up for Virgin Labfest 4 includes plays by National Artist F. Sionil Jose, award-winning playwrights Layeta Bucoy, Tim Dacanay, George de Jesus III, George Vail Kabristante, Allan Lopez, Job Pagsibigan, Floy Quintos, Debbie Tan, J. Dennis Teodosio and Argel Tuazon, as well as newcomers to the Festival such as Carlo Garcia, Anna Maria Gonzales, Jovi Miroy, Khavn de la Cruz and Malaysian writer Koh Jun Eiow.

DIRECTORS
Returning to direct the plays are Virgin Labfest “veterans” Jose Estrella, Njel de Mesa, George de Jesus III, Ana Valdez Lim, Nick Olanka Cats Racsag, Tuxqs Rutaquio, Roobak Valle, J. Victor Villareal and Toshiisa Yoshida, and festival first-timers Krystal Banzon, Jeff Camanag, Mayen Estañero, Hazel Gutierrez, Chris Millado, Floy Quintos, Paolo O’Hara and Leo Rialp. Rody Vera is the Festival’s Artistic Director.

ACTORS
Among the over one hundred actors participating in the performances and readings are Tommy Abuel, Irma Adlawan Marasigan, Kalila Aguilos, JK Anicoche, Lovely Balili, Ian Bautista, Riki Benedicto, MacDonnel Bolaños, Nonie Buencamino, Shamaine Buencamino, Tara Cabaero, Paolo Cabañero, Nar Cabico, Bong Cabrera, Kathlyn Castillo, Ricci Chan, Chrome Cosio, Dido de la Paz, Abner Delina, Anna Deroca, Bituin Escalante, Gigi Escalante, Mica Froilan, Bart Guingona, Jef-Henson Dy, Tess Jamias, Nanding Josef, Mailes Kanapi, Skyzx Labastilla, Monica Llamas, Russell Legaspi, Lorna Lopez, Clottie Lucero, Nicco Manalo, Missy Maramara, Juliene Mendoza, Wenah Nagales, Jerald Napoles, Madeleine Nicolas, Phil Noble, Peewee O’Hara, Gem Padilla, Joey Paras, Leo Ponseca, Cheryl Ramos, Arnold Reyes. Bembol Roco, Ness Roque, Amihan Ruiz, Tuxqs Rutaquio, Katherine Sabate, Carme Sanchez, Gilleth Sandico, Jonathan Tadioan, Noel Taylo, Joel Torre, Onyl Torres, Lou
Veloso and Randy Villarama.

LINE-UP OF PLAYS
“This year, there will be five sets of one-act trilogies, each dealing with a central topic or unifying theme ranging from comedies to political commentaries to gender issues to ghost stories, and a program consisting of three productions from Virgin Labfest 3.” says Vera. One of these is a program especially geared for children, consisting of plays commissioned by the Philippine Board on Books for Young People, based on published children’s stories. (full schedule below)

OTHER EVENTS
National Artist for Literature F. Sionil Jose will share his thoughts with Howie Severino in a forum titled “From Page to Stage: The Novelist in Front of the Footlights” on July 5.
Staged readings of six other “virgin” plays will also be presented every night from June 25 to 29. On July 3, there will be a reading of selected excerpts from Ma-Yi Theater Company’s anthology Savage Stage, most of which have been performed by the company.
The Labfest Blogfest offers active bloggers to win prizes. All they have to do is attend the first weekend performances and write a web blog or online journal within 48 hours after watching the program they saw. Winners will be chosen for each set of Labfest plays and receive gift certificates and other merchandise.

In the Virgin Labfest Lab, high-school students who are interested in theater and playwriting will be mentored throughout the festival by writer-director Njel de Mesa, after which the students are expected to write short plays to be presented in a staged reading on the last day of the Festival.

The Virgin Labfest 4 runs from June 25 to July 6 and is presented by the Writers Bloc and Tanghalang Pilipino with the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, in cooperation with Boysen Paints, Japan Foundation Manila Office, and Miss Mae Paner. For schedule and ticket inquiries, please call the CCP Box Office at 832-3704 or Ticketworld at National Bookstore branches at 891-9999.
###

Virgin Labfest 4


PLAYS
(Tanghalang Huseng Batute/ CCP Studio Theater)

VIRGIN LABFEST 3 REVISITED
June 25 (W) – 3PM/8PM / July 4 (F) – 8PM / July 5 (Sat) – 3PM

Njel de Mesa‘s Mga Obra ni Maestra
Directed by Njel de Mesa
Featuring Abby Gonzales, Nympha Gonzales and Cashlyn Cuarez
A hilarious and biting play about three young children with superpowers and are heavily conflicted between saving the world or fulfilling the grueling, tedious domestic duties that their parents have ordered them to do.

Layeta Bucoy‘s Ellas Inocentes
Directed by Tuxqs Rutaquio
Featuring Janessa Roque and Lovely Balili
Two sisters, whose innocent conversation and unmalicious observations of a household not quite their own, reveals the violence and inhumanity of the adults around them.

Yoji Sakate‘s Three Sisters
Directed by Jose Estrella
Featuring Mailes Kanapi, Marj Lorico, Cheryl Ramos, Bong Cabrera, Joel Garcia and Lowell Conales
A moving ghost story and a touching memorial to the ravages of war and the significant resonance of war in theater.



KAPAMILYA, KAPUSO, KABISYO
June 26 (TH) – 3PM/8PM / July 5 (SAT) – 8PM / July 6 (SUN) – 3PM


Hase Hiroichi’s Amoy ng Langit
Directed by Toshiisa Yoshida
Featuring Mailes Kanapi, Martha Comia, Ana Deroca,Mica Froilan and Tara Cabaero
Ghosts are known to roam the world of the living because of unfinished business. This small and simple play about suicide, leaving and death happens on the rooftop of a school where no one is allowed to loiter. Yet a spirit manages to reconnect before finally heading “home.”

Layeta Bucoy’s Las Mentiras de Gloria
Directed by Tuxqs Rutaquio
Featuring Bart Guingona and May Bayot
Gloria, whose cancer kills her, appeals to her fraternal twin Utoy, to whom she appears as a bleeding ghost, to maintain the lies that she has been spreading to her faculty colleagues in the university. Utoy is compelled to obey by forced guilt and a macabre 'umbilical' connection. But beneath these secrets and lies are more secrets and lies and it seems the death of Gloria, no matter how sanitized, would only leak their foul stench even more.

Carlo Garcia’s Ang Mga Halimaw
Directed by Paolo O'Hara
Featuring JK Anicoche, Amihan Ruiz, Kristine Balmes, Alvin Obillo, Nar Cabico, Isab Martinez, Mara Marasigan,Philip Evangelista and Oscar Garcia and the Dulaang Sipat Lawin
Small time criminals think big like their bosses. In this car scene, drama effectively unfolds with strange bedfellows for characters and a wonderful poetic wit that speaks the language of the damned. These murderers, who include an Operadang Bakla, a Taxi Drayber and a Lalaking May Pakpak make for one short glimpse of surreo-realism.



KATOTOHANAN, KATARUNGAN, KAPATIRAN
June 27(F) – 3PM/8PM / July 2 (W) – 3PM / July 6 (SUN) – 8PM

F. Sionil Jose’s Dong-Ao
Translated by Rody Vera
Directed by Chris Millado
Featuring Carme Sanchez, Nanding Josef, Tommy Abuel, Bembol Roco, Dido de la Paz, Gigi Escalante and Monica Llamas
Dong-ao is a traditional Ilokano funeral ceremony where relatives and friends pay tribute to the deceased. In this short play, Pepe Samson, the lead character in F. Sionil Jose’s novel Mass is dead. Several characters speak in front of his coffin, before he is laid to rest: Senator Reyes, Pepe’s Aunt Bettina, his college professor-mentor Badong Hortenso, his parish priest friend Father Jess, Colonel White Sidewall, and an old woman Tia Nena who served in the parish where Pepe once stayed. The divergent views uttered by the characters depict a fragmented nation, teetering between complete collapse and newfound hope and direction.

Allan Lopez’s Masaganang Ekonomiya
Directed by J. Victor Villareal
Featuring Katherine Sabate and Abner Delina
Framed by an unfinished game of chess between Vera, a highly decorated military
officer, and Guzman, an esteemed activist, the play unfolds as an interrogation of Gomez, a younger militant. In layered scenes that shift from intense examinations to harrowing scenes of humor, budding fascism, and brutish attacks on human sensibility, ‘Masaganang Ekonomiya’ offers an emasculated contemporary look on the age-old conflict between the establishment and the insurgents, in the context of a globalization- obsessed nation.

Tim Dacanay‘s Pamantasang Hirang
Directed by Hazel Gutierez
Featuring Jonathan Tadioan, Ian Bautista, Nicco Manalo, Ryan Guzman, Nicole Andrew Guila, Russell Legaspi, Alexis Dorola, Jay del Rosario, Jonathan Cabrera and Jacqueline Amper.
At a fraternity initiation in the state university, ambitious Congressman Chok Villanueva, an alumnus interfering with the proceedings, uses everything at his disposal to win back his friend, Dan, an advertising man who went back to the university to revive his literary talents. No institution is sacred, and everything is subverted, as persuasion fails and spirals downward to an orgy of brutality and excess.


PAGBABAGO, PAGHAHANAP, PAGKAKATAON
June 28 (SAT) – 3PM/8PM / July 2 (W) – 8PM / July 3 (TH) – 3PM

George Vail Kabristante’s Ang Kuwento ng Menginga ng New York City na Kamukha ng Bee-Stung Lips ni Julia Roberts
Directed by George de Jesus III
Featuring Ricci Chan, Jojo Riguera, Xeno Alejandro, Jef-Henson Dee and Gem Padilla
Denise fulfills the almost impossible condition given him by Victor, his sole object of obsession. He undergoes a sex change operation hoping that Victor’s promise of love will finally be requited. To Denise’s utter dismay, the condition turns out to be a half-forgotten joke. This melodramatic (and literal) reversal of fortune becomes black hilarity in the hands of George Kabristante. More like his reprise and variation on a theme that he started in last year’s Labfest, My Padir is an OCW.

J. Dennis C. Teodosio’sGumamela
Directed by Roobak Valle
Featuring Phil Noble, Chrome Cosio,, Riki Benedicto and Russell Legaspi
"Gumamela" is more than just about hibiscus rosa sinensis or its botanical characteristics and pharmacological effects. It tells the bitter-sweet- campy story of man who contemplates
what's there in 40 missed calls, in 40 minutes of waiting, and in 40 years of loneliness, love, and
life, between serious bouts of suicide attempts and the desire to eat a sumptuous slice of chocolate cake.

Rogelio Braga’s Ang Bayot, Ang Meranao,at ang Habal Habal sa isang Nakababagot na Paghihintay sa Kanto ng
Lanao del Norte
Directed by Nick Olanka
Featuring Joey Paras and Arnold Reyes
An unusual rendezvous of two beautiful and sharp-tongue outspoken creatures living at the margins of our society. Take a peak on their engagement as they courageously travel— devoid of any inhibitions, political correctness, and social graces—that rough and ‘older than history’ roads of discrimination, hypocrisy, bigotry, social divides, corruption and unspoken violence to arrive in a decent friendship. The play is a bitter yet funky peppered with a Radio Active Sago Project kick-ass take on the cruelties of our society that condones discrimination which is definitely not so cool.



PAGKAGAHAMAN, PANLILINLANG, PANANAMPALATAYA
June 29 (SUN) – 3PM/9PM / July 3 (TH) – 8PM / July 4 (F) – 3PM

Floy Quintos’ Ang Kalungkutan ng mga Reyna
Directed by Floy Quintos
Featuring Shamaine Buencamino, Tuxqs Rutaquio, Nar Cabico, Jonathan Tadioan, Riki Benedicto and Jerald Napoles
Megalomania is witnessed by Marcel, a hairdresser who accedes to the leader of the land’s Yolanda Cadiz. The empty, vacuous preoccupation with hair and beauty is after all, the most important ingredient to governance. The elegance of decadence and its inevitable slide into self-destruction introduces one of this year’s Labfest’s most endearing/terrifyin g characters.

Debbie Ann Tan’s Mga Babaeng Too Bright
Directed by Ana Valdez-Lim
Featuring Peewee O'Hara, Mailes Kanapi, Kathlyn Castillo, Charissa Litton and Wenah Nagales
To settle who among the two is stronger in a woman, Harmony and Discord was given a scenario where their counterparts Ms. Ferra and Georgia Oh influence the lives of Porcelaine and Virni. Porcelaine is an egoistic woman who got a Toobright Scholarship. Virni is a manipulator, but when she met Porcelaine, they somehow agreed on what constitutes art. The interplay of the women and the "Goddesses" results in a battle where no one is the winner and the loser. The
politics of women are hard to define, they can betray each other and they can come together. In this world of faux art, what is real and what is unreal?

Koh Jun Eiow’s Ang Dalawa Niyang Libing
Translated by Terrence Co
Directed by Leo Rialp
Featuring Noel Taylo, Billy Parjan, Tina de Guzman,Sherwin Sozon, Mc Do Bolanos, Alexis Dorola, Jeffrey Ramos, Jorge Walter Ladera, Paul Domine, Cara Mercado and Ailen Mojica
This play is based on a true story that happened inMalaysia. An old Malaysian Chinese businessman diesleaving his wife and son the beginning of theirtroubles. In the middle of funeral, following thetraditional Chinese ceremony, two Muslims come toclaim the body of their brother Muslim insisting thatthe dead man should be buried in proper Muslimcemetery. They have proof that the deceased Lin Shunfuhas converted to Islam. His official I.D. bears thename of a Muslim. Thus begins the travails of a familycaught in between two faiths and a government unableto address the problem that has turned into a nationalissue.



MGA PREMYADONG KUWENTONG PAMBATA
July 5 (S) – 10AM/3PM / July 6 (SUN) – 10AM/3PM
(Bulwagang Amado Hernandez)

Njel de Mesa’s adaptation of Terangati by Victoria Anonuevo
Directed by Njel de Mesa
Featuring Bong Cabrera, Nar Cabico and the Koine Theater Foundation
This is a retelling of the Manobo version of the sky maiden who marries a mortal lad. Terengati, the protagonist whose name means bird hunter, does exactly that – he hunts birds for a living. Like other folktales, this story is rich in fantasy and has a touch of romance. Terengati’s search for his wife is as an adventure that may be hard to believe but its resolution is realistic and is drawn from actual family experience.

Argel Tuazon’s adaptation of Bru-ha-ha-ha- ha-ha, Bru-hi-hi-hi- hi-hi by Ma. Corazon Remigio
Directed by Mayen Estañero
Featuring Eric Sindol, Kat Castillo, Nicco Manalo and Bea Sara Angoba,
Maggie is terrified whenever she sees Mrs. Magalit, an old woman who lives by herself. She laughs like a witch and surely acts like a witch. Her face is wrinkled and looks oh so frightening. And the way she laughs, sends chills down Maggie's spine. But is Maggie just imagining things, or is Mrs. Magalit a real terrible witch?

Job Pagsibigan’s adaptation of Uuwi na ang Nanay Kong si Darna by Edgar Samar
Directed by Catherine Racsag
Featuring Tess Jamias, Paolo Cabañero, Ian Lomongo, Vanessa Liwanag and MarkGil Bacea.




STAGED READINGS
(Bulwagang Amado Hernandez)

June 26 (Th) – 6: 30 P.M.
Jovi Miroy’s Billboard
Directed by Chris Millado
Lovers and loveseekers come together in La Luz Beach resort, unwittingly giving dramatic rendition to Plato's Symposium and his discourses on love.



June 27 (F) - 6:30 P.M.
George de Jesus III Kung Paano Maghiwalay
Directed by George de Jesus III
The myriad variations of breaking up is presented here like a symphony divided into rippling movements; a tribute to the loss of love and the painful confrontations to truth.


June 28 (S) – 6: 30 P.M.
Khavn de la Cruz’s Newtopia
Directed by Khavn de la Cruz
It is 2084. A couple, Bernard and Julia, struggle to fight for freedom, privacy, love and even Unhappiness against this pseudo-perfect society controlled by Mr. Big Boy in Khavn' de la Cruz's anti-rock opera.



June 29 (Sun) – 6:30 P.M.
Anna Gonzales’ Ama Namin
Directed by Krystal Banzon
Daniel and Joseph reverses the classic Odysseus tale into a battle of wits and guts, revealing the horrible face of corruption in the course of this compressed drama between father and son.


J. Dennis Teodosio’s Asunto
Directed by Dennis Marasigan
Brando and George, a rather odd couple, confront a two-faced swindler and learn a thing or two about truth and justice in the Philippines.


Ogie Braga’s Ang Mga Mananahi
The soft-spoken, otherwise silent weavers of uniforms for the Moro rebels produce not only clothes for their warriors but subtle ideologies for freedom and dignity.


July 3 (Th) – 6:30 P.M.
Excerpts from Savage Stage
Directed by Ralph Peña
Featuring Nonie Buencamino, Shamaine Buencamino, Red Concepcion, JD De Guzman, JJ Ignacio, Irma Adlawan Marasigan, Joel Torre
Selected excerpts from four plays, three of which are included in Ma-Yi Theater Company’s anthology, Savage Stage, edited by Joi Barrios Leblanc: Project Balanggiga by Sung Rno and Ralph Peña, peregriNasyon by Chris Millado and Middle Finger by Han Ong. The fourth play takes scenes from Ma-Yi’s upcoming production of Ralph Peña’s new play Nebraska which will premiere in New York in 2009.

Tickets to the Virgin Labfest are at P200 for main exhibition sets, P100 for the symposium and "Pay What You Can" for play readings.

For more details, please contact Tanghalang Pilipino at 832-3661, or the CCP Box Office at 832-3704.

For details on how to apply for a slot in The Labfest Lab, call Nikki Torres at 8321125 loc. 1607 or 832-2314 or email drama_ccp@yahoo.com.

sanga-sanga sa daan

actually, it's more like baradong daan. i found myself going down the jeep ride home to walk. as in, from provident vill to the bayan area where i live. pramis. but it's just a short walk for me, kasi sanay na ko sa walks lately, thanks to my renewed workout sked sa sports center at sa gym nearby.

trapik kasi ng sobrang hinayupak. as in, nagsalubong na ang mga sasakyan. sanga-sanga na nga ang lanes. ang reason: may shoot daw sa may marikina bridge. not sure lang kung film o tv, pero sabi ng miron andun daw si robin padilla. tangna. kaya lesson here students: ayusing mabuti ang coordination with local authorities kapag may shoot, para walang cause ng traffic. dapat yata ilagay yan sa lessons ng lahat ng production classes. hay... kaninong kasalanan yang trapik? sa PM? hay...

naalala ko tuloy yung isang kwento ni...forgot...about shooting in new york. na sa sobrang sanay na ng mga tao sa film shoots sa kalye dun, all you have to do is go to the nyfilm commission's office to get permits and they will be the ones to reroute traffic lang to follow your shoot sked location at no hassle sa motorists o pedestrians. tapos yung mga tao, lakad lakad lang na dedma kahit mag-roll ka na. panalo di ba? at professional. dito, kanina, ang una atang nanonood e yung taga-trapik dapat. kainis. gusto ko ngang batukan nung dumaan ako, kasi sobrang luwag lang sa bridge paglampas sa location shoot. buset.

*

di lang daan ang sanga-sanga tonight. utak ko rin. in anticipation lang siguro sa paghahalo ng balat sa tatalupan soon. as in, talagang may tatalupan ng buhay somewhere soon... shit hits the fan ito. i can't wait to see when it happens. and of course, i'll make it happen, man. hehe. la vendetta mode ito e bakit ba. ako si jean garcia. chos.

ang warfreak ko. pero kasi, this is war. whatever form of discrimination thrown towards me, be it with a sexist or homophobic venom, kelangang labanan. the antidote of conservative attacks is knowing your rights and wielding them as shields.

basta. abangan. abangan kung sino dapat ang ipinapako sa krus. hindi dapat si kristo kasi e. let him walk, man. let him walk.

like i said, wake up and smell the centennial.

*

kakagaling ko kasi sa preview ng OROSMAN AT ZAFIRA kaya ako ginabi. slight sanga-sanga ang thoughts ko sa play cum musicale na itey. based sa classic text ni balagtas of course, kaya i love the lyricism of the lines. classic talaga magsulat ang lolo mo.

yun nga lang... ewan. gawan ko ba ng review? parang di ko trip e. di ko masyado naging bet yung direction kasi, saka yung story handling. i know the text is difficult, pero bakit si shakespeare nagagawan ng paraan, inggles man o isinalin (mostly ni rolando tinio noon)? i am lost. as in, la-lost ako sa pagsunod ng naratibo. what happened to that dramaturgy team? hm, strange.

pinanood ko lang ito dahil sa colleage namin sa upfi ang gumawa ng original music, si carol. oks naman. neo-ethnic music sabi sa pr. hm, yun na pala ang tawag dun. magaling ang ensemble sa music. reliable naman sa sangay na ito ang lola mong iyon. pero ang nag-standout sa akin dito ay yung nag-portray ng zafira. si cris villongco ba yun? yung apo nina armida ito, right? coincidence, ang tito niya ay magtuturo sa institute next sem hihihi at super happy ako na napapayag namin siyang magturo. pero secret muna itey. kunwari. charot.

grabe i like the way this girl acted out the part. as in, she sings and acts and emotes from the gut, the skin, the heart, and her energy emanates from her center, yung mula sa solar plexus baga. and she releases it and you feel it. galeng, lalo na yung may emote iyak parts chenes tapos okay din siyang mag-movement dance chenes na choreo ni dexter santos. man, she is good! super! kaya dedma na sa ibang uninspired performances, mostly ng ilang menchu sa cast, at sa weird story handling. see it if only for her. bet siya pramis grabe.

hm, mukhang madaming magagaling na actors ang lumalabas lately sa teatro a. that's good naman. kaka-miss din manood ng maraming stage performances. although parang ayoko nang manood ng isang play sa guerrero kapag preview lang. unang dress tech performance pala yun, kaya libre for peyups faculty. next time, we catch the gala or regular runs na lang. i don't mind paying for theater tickets.

last note pala sa orosman. si tuxqs ang nag-pd. i like his attack. post-apocalyptic indigenous neo-ethnic. pramis, ganyan ang feel ng costumes at pd! katsa meets mesh stockings with a lotta bamboo and walis tingting. sankapa! you gotta see it to believe it. ilao battala lights yet again. i always like his work anyway. i like what they both did to the large convex dome thingie na nagiging moon tapos nagiging sun, na movable sa backdrop. da best. gusto ko ng ganun sa bahay hehe.

*

tuwa lang ako sa class ko kanina. at least itong batch na ito ay di nawala sa landas sa pagrereport ng topic nila. unlike last sems na biglang itatanong pa sa akin in the middle of their reports "tama ba, mam?" abah, isa lang sagot ko riyan "ewan ko. dapat alam mo yan." kainis lang yung ganun minsan, tatanungin ka kung tama ang report nila. kaya nga sila pinagrereport e. para matuto naman sila sa sarili nila, at ma-share nila ang info sa peers nila.

i remember dati pa, may nag-report tungkol sa censorship at mtrcb sa isang class. kada banggit niya ng data, isusunod niya ang "um, di ko alam bat naging ganyan, basta yun na." buset. gusto kong isigaw, nag-report ka pa! tangna talagang level ng katamaran ng iba minsan. minsan iniisip ko, sayang naman pang-tuition nila. dapat ibigay nila sa mas deserving but poorer student na mas may drive matuto kesa sa kanila. ang dami kong ganitong students kasi lately e. ewan.

wake up and smell the tuition fee increase.

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kakatuwa lang. nagsasanga muli ang daan ng mga former UP Sappho peeps. like last friday, at the lunduyan launch, nagulat ako when i saw charm, our baby dyke before sa sappho circa 1998. as in super baby. pero now, lady of the world na ang lola mo. she bloomed. i'm so happy for her. kala ko asa US siya pero she's here pala now. great to see you, charm.

another future date i'll be having is with another friend, celia, na nag-base sa KL last year. nakasalubong ko sa ym, at chika kami when she gets back here. dami daw kwento ng lola. update update ng life ulit. kia i also bumped into online, although short lang kasi patulog na ko nun.

*

may isa pa dapat akong update-an session tonight but my ka-date flaked out on me hehehe. parinig! charot. wala, chichika ko sana ang isang dear friend about some friends na nag-traydor sa amin at one point in our lives or so. kumbaga, reap the la vendetta mode ko na ito, ikukuwento ko lang sa kanya hehehe. la lang...

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for those who think na nag-generalize ako sa inyo when i left the show, it wasn't really so. alam niyo ang common denominator nating lahat, and i'm not mad at you guys. not even remotely. so peace peace tayo, lalo na ngayon na wala na ang source of all evil sa lugar na iyan. dibala?

amen to that.

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dami ba cryptic? ganyan talaga ang life, lalo na pag gusto mong gawing libel-free ang publication. hey, i know my ethics man, unlike some people we know out there...na kelangan pang i-validate ang existence nila by glorifying themselves in minute ways. kawawang mga nilalang...sana makapiling niyo na si lord, soon.


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ayan na, sanga-sanga na rin ang tingin ko. sign off na.

later.

A review of Dogeaters

originally posted at leaflens.multiply.com
---


yeah i know, i owe myself this review. wala lang. i make it a point to make kinda formal reviews once in a while in order for me to continue on the anti-rust punditry personal exercise of mine.

so here it is.


BARKING UP THE WRONG MEDIUM:
JESSICA HAGEDORN'S "DOGEATERS"

saw this stage play version of fil-am writer jessica hagedorn's bestselling novel last november 2007 when atlantis productions staged it. it was directed by Rent director bobby garcia.

took me quite a while to actually sit down and write this down because...i hated it. i hated it as much as i loved the novel. the novel is one of my top favorite novels of all time, as in super hands down talaga. bow ako sa writing prowess ni jessica dito sa librong ito. when this was assigned to us in a literature back subject sa MA ko, wow man, it blew my mind that someone could think of such a concept and actually put it on paper, and put it there super creatively. yeah i know, it's either you hate it or you love it, pero ako, i super duper love this novel.

which brings us to the play...hay...early on, when i read somewhere na nilapitan nga siya to have this novel tuned into a play, jessica was lost in thinking how -- as in, how do you make it into a stage play? sabi nga niya, mas bet niya kung film, at kung film, parang mas may idea siya kung paano ito ie-execute.

and i agree with the lola, hundred percent. hindi kasi pang-stage material itong material niya. i could also visualize it as a film. wala e, hindi maganda ang translation. medyo patay-patay sa blocking, yung pacing minsan ang daming lull in between scenes, tapos parang puro daldal lang. nawala yung super visual element ng kuwento na sa akin ay iyon ang buhay niya. i could see this as a screen language translation, not stage. hindi siya tumatayo as interesting sa stage.

what sustained my interest lang in this play is the acting. siyempre top caliber ang actors, and the acting was, expectedly, great. i like jon santos' take on the role of that gay owner of the disco club. okay yung shift niya into campy disco drag queen to sensitive pailalim na tibak mode chever. and andoy ranay was just a hoot as imelda marcos grabe. nakakatuwa yung mga nuances niya hihi. super-cute pa rin si jenny jamora ba yun, yung nasa Stop Kiss lesbian play ng new voice dati at saka Women of Malolos ng DUP ba o UP Rep? i forgot na. kewl siya talaga. gina alajar's ever-praying military wife role was just superb, man. swak sa kanya ang role. yun nga lang, parang naghahanap ng camera ang performances nilang lahat, na gusto mong ilawan experimentally, pasabugin mo ang liwanag, i-drain mo hanggang maging gritty grainy, i-frame and reframe mo ang parts nila while moving the cam, i-saturate and desaturate ang color sa postprod, etc. yun yun e -- naghahanap siya ng ibang avenue to demonstrate the point of the whole narrative. at yun nga, mas bagay siyang film kesa stage play. the play was not able to get the dynamism of the multiple parallel storylines, the grittiness of each character's take on the marcos regime (it's about people in seedy maynila during the marcos regime, centering on the family of a fil-am balikbayan and the different characters that are connected in her life), and the criss-crossing of all of these paths.

such was its dynamism nga. kaya nga my book report about this was entitled "when dali met flaherty" or something like that, meaning the text talks about situations based on real-life events in philippine history (eg the similarity between ninoy's killing and the assassination of a makabayan senator in the book, etc.) but its retelling/re-weaving kumbaga is so surreal and postmodern that sometimes you have to step back and think a bit before proceeding to read. so dali, as in salvador dali, the surrealist painter and filmmaker who spearheaded that whole art movement, and flaherty, as in robert flaherty, the acknowledged father of the documentary film. mesh silang dalawa in style, and that's what the book has, in form and content. kaya siya exciting. kaya ko siya gusto...as a novel.

kaya imagine my disappointment...hay, sayang. oh well. sarap tuloy i-propose sa kanya na gawin na lang niyang film ito...

buti na lang nanood kami ng avenue q the next month. happiness! but that's another review.

sexual survey + teatro tuliro tangents

some feedbacking first.

thanks for the comments y'all, especially bles, fire and kia. appreciate it highly. :) fire check out the same entry sa downelink ko, matatawa ka sa feedback ng mga tao hahaha. bles, glad to hear you're happy girl. gender doesn't matter as long as the soul is pacified, girl. keep it up! (where's my copy of your poetry book? hehe) ey kia, san ka na? coffee and beer's waiting. and sisig. :)

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tagal ko rin pala nawala dito. medyo nahihimasmasan pa ko galing sa nirapidong bakasyon sa natira kong sembreak (na wala pang two weeks potah) kaya offline ang byuti ko noong undas.

ngayon naman, resting lang sa kakatapos na ikalawang araw ng enrollment sa peyups using the new online system chenes. medyo mas mapayapa so far ang life ngayon, pero ewan ko na lang bukas at sa mga susunod na araw. hay... at potah pasukan na naman next week! aaaah.

well, so far so good here. bukas ako naman mag-e-enroll ng residency ko for my MA. lapit na tapos thesis! kaya happy mode na ulit ako hehe :)

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i-repost ko lang itong survey ko na ito na originally sa multiply blog ko pinost. masaya kasi magpost doon kasi kita agad ang replies saka maayos ang tracking. heniwey, sana sagot din kayo dito.

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A SEXUAL CURIOSITY SURVEY

curious lang ako. not to be offensive or politically incorrect or insensitive or discriminatory or whatnot, pero may naisip lang akong alamin:

MAKIKIPAG-SEX KA BA SA PANGIT?

i mean, depende se definition mo ng pangit. whatever is pangit for you is pangit for you. i won't debate you on that. so the q is, willing ka bang makipag-sex sa isang taong pangit? either one night stand or fubu (fuck buddy).

dedma na sa iba niyang kuwalipikasyones (eg etits nya kasing-laki ng eiffel tower, boobs niya parang chocolate hills, kaya mag-split in mid-air while doing a cartwheel etc). isa lang gusto ko malaman.

this is a social experiment in jest.

hm... sorry ha, pero ako kasi, hindi siguro... kahit im uber-drunk... ewan ko. i'm lookist most times. i know that's bad but what can i do? i like my women sexy and pretty and witty, in that order. chos!

okay go! sagot ka!

ps ito nga rin pala ay para sa isang maikling kuwentong kasalukuyan kong sinusulat. :) ayudame.

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hihi riot ang mga answers ng mga utaw diyan sa multiply ko (leaflens.multiply.com). sana sagot pa sila.

sagot ka rin! hehehe.

natanong ko yan kasi lately, tuwing mag-o-online ako sa downelink, some girl pms me and asks to be my fubu or ons. e kaya lang...potah naman eh. da fez man, da fez. hay... haha saka di lang yun. i have 2 erotica stories brewing on my pot (or to steal ian casocot's term "percolating") kaya swak ito. nakakatawa nga e kasi yung pm sumakto sa time na may sinusulat akong ganito. kaya materyal na naman hahahaha! user! hahaha! chos.

saka of course hindi lang din yun ang dahilan sa pagtanggi, of course. siyempre may relasyon na akong inaalagaan e. yes my dearies, hindi na (naman) ako eligible bachelorette. for now. :) ching! joke lang. (baka mabasa, lagot ako hahaha!) nah, she's nice. and i'm happy. so i guess that's what's important.

anyway... on to non-censored things hehe.

*

umiikot pwet ko dahil sa excitement sa mga future theater releases here. no, hindi cinema kundi stage theater, and musical. exciting kasi e! potah sana may pera ako to watch them all, in front row pa.

una ito:

potcha exciting! INTO THE WOODS tapos andun pa si lynn sherman! idol! likes na likes ko ang aleng ito kumanta ever since i first saw her live sa UP writer's night nung kumanta siya sa program, some 9 or 8 years ago yata, doon pa sa filipinas heritage library. don ko rin unang nakilala si barbie almalbis and si cynthia alexander. hmm tagal na pala nun ano. who woulda thought? hehe. ang writing group ko pa na ka-hangout noon ay ang pre-jologz of dumaguete batch namin nina indi, pero sina indi pa rin nga pala ka-hangout ko before noon, yung uplb workshop batch niya together with...sino nga ba? ah sina claire agbayani (the pr of that writers night, hence the musicians konek), and si baryon tensor, si mister sub-atomic particle hehe. saka si pash nga pala, paolo herras, na sobrang totoy pa noon hahaha (remember pash?). ay oo slaves nga pala kami ni kris lacaba sa workshop na iyon, first time to be slaves. si mama sandra gonzales pa ang mother hen namin, all under ms jing hidalgo the workshop director. ayuz. those were the days.

next i saw lynn sa tv-tv na, then she sings around town with some jazz band alam ko, pero ang napapanood ko lang noon e mga retrospect at parliament syndicate kasi tumulong ako kay claire to do pr. hm, tagal na pala nun ano...

next time i encountered her was sa RENT na, yung original staging nila ng atlantis productions with of course the mooning monique wilson heheeh (yeah i made sure i sat on the perfect row for that! hahaha tunggril!). lynn played the role of joanne the lawyer, at bet ko ang portrayal niya unlike bituin's (bituin nga ba?) portrayal sa second run (yes ganon ako kaadik sa RENT, pinanood ko twice. pero mas maganda yung unang run, esp the cast. nothing beats monique's mooning, among other things hahaahah!). yun kasi masyadong stone butch stiff interpretation ang ginawa niya sa lawyer, e hindi ko bet. oh well...

then i kinda lost touch with theater and musicals until i was working early 2000s sa diyaryo and i got invited sa press preview ng LITTLE MERMAID ba yun? yung si kc concepcion ang bida (tama ba? potah nalimutan ko na) tapos si lynn nandun bilang...crustacea yata yung character niya. ay hindi ata si kc, si karylle ata, basta yung anak ni zsazsa or someone like that, nag-debut chenes sa stage. or sila yatang dalawa, si karylle at si kc both? well i guess they didn't make an impression kasi hindi ko maalala hehe. but lynn sherman rocked!

and now, eto na nga. hm kainis naman kasi ang new voice mag-stage, weekends lang, fri and sat pa. ayan na-miss ko tuloy dati yung THE GOOD BODY na dinala nila sa dumaguete pala lately. sana ibalik nila dito.

tapos eto pa!


actually, dito umiikot ang pwet ko sa excitement:




homaygaaaaad DOGEATERS! shet shet shet! based ito sa great great novel ni fil-am ny-based writer jessica hagedorn, na super ganda lang talaga ang pagkakasulat at pagkaka-develop at relevant sobra ang nilalaman at super okay siya sa akin kaya one of my favorite novels of all time ko ito. and then years ago, i heard from the fil-am circuit na they made this into a stage play sa new york, starring no less than ching valdez pa. she's such a great fil-am actress. napanood ko siya nang pumunta siya dito nung late 90s ba yun at nag-stage sila sa ccp ng isang obie-winning play about fil-am identity, kung saan lola siyang ulyanin na sa US na nagre-reminisce ng kabataan niya sa ilocos. kewl! aaaaaah mamamatay ako pag di ko napanood itooooo! hehe. :P from atlantis din ito, kaya keri ko ito. check out the cast, man.





at eto pa! isa na lang! actually, ito ang christmas gift ko sa sarili ko:



aynakooooo rerun na ito ha kaya kelangan ko na siyang mapanood this time! type ko ang music nitong AVENUE Q. natisod ko lang ito online and i downloaded the songs. ang kukulet! pasaway! in the tradition of jim henson's muppets ang casting pero pasaway lahat ng lyrics. imagine songs like "the internet is for porn" being sung by puppets. hahaha basta gusto ko to! can't wait!

wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii! tabi ka dyan pong pagong. pang r-rated ito! heheh.














daming cool things to watch onstage. sayang lang at hindi napa-publicize ng husto minsan. hay, mga panahong ito nami-miss ko ang trabaho ko sa dyaryo bilang entertainment editor kasi free access ako sa mga shows na ito e hehehe. oh well, such is life... hm kelan ba darating ang yearend bonus? hehe :P

hmm nakakatawa naman ang coincidence ng mga theater chenes sa life ngayon. like eto, kaka-kontak lang din sa akin ng isang theater director, si josé estrella (latest works: AS YOU LIKE IT sa peyups, WOMEN OF MALOLOS ni lolo nic tiongson), to do some writing thingie. haha nakakatawa kasi nung nagmi-miting kami, di niya maalala na in-email niya ko thanking me for a positive review of her play staged sa ccp before (back when i was freelancing as a reviewer for an online zine). at pareho naming di maalala ang title ng play na yon hahaha. ang tagal na kasi e... early 2000s rin.

nakakatawa lang ang mga tangents sa life ko lately... hahaha.

7am thoughts

some thoughts at seven in the friggin' morning...

"are we dating the same person?"

- from sex and the city, the episode where carrie reveals she has a fuck buddy and she tries to have a relationship with him outside the bedroom, to no avail.i like this ep because this is also where charlotte thinks of changing her dating habits as suggested by her friends, so she double-books two guys at magkakalintikan, and she concludes that she should not listen to her friends. hehehehe nakakatawa talaga yun.

but this is a good thought. it's a curious question to ask, because it forces you to re-examine the choices you have made over the years regarding your romantic partners.

i'm still re-examining. will keep you posted... but this time, i think the cycle is breaking. so i'm glad about that. i'm glad about a lot of things lately, and maybe that has something to do with the cycle... among other things.

yes, that's what you call a cyclical discussion with your self.

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short clip on a film i saw last week...

PAN'S LABYRINTH

galing talaga ng mga mexicans mag-ilaw. di ko alam kung bakit may ganoong sensitivity. CSI Miami could actually use their services because to tell you the truth, i'm tired of their heavy-coated gradated yellow-amber tone filtering to achieve that sun-hot atmospheric sizzle. puwede kayang iba naman? just like i'm getting tired of the polarized cyan/high neutral density look of CSI New York, just to have that icey metallic detached nooyawk feel of sorts. da best pa rin mag-ilaw ang CSI Vegas, but i digress...

this mexican film is just plain excellent. storyline, acting (although the child protagonist could have used more oomph in terms of her acting projection -- kulang pa ng konti sa workshop, at sa guidance in directing). the vision is good, and to have that fairy tale thingie juxtaposed with the franco dictatorship chenes, ay caramba! perfecto. galeng! reminded me of LA VITA E BELLA (LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL) where the father told his kid a game/tale to hide the atrocities of the holocaust. tangina. yan ang konsepto! multi-layered, very textured plot, and good execution helped a lot din. pero to begin with, brilliant ang mga konsepto.

may ilang portions lang na parang slow ang dating, pero may payoff din ang style ng pagbabagal. the oveall effect was okay naman.

hm, can't wait for harry potter. the trailers are good. and we see more (well, more or less) of ralph fiennes in this one. yey.

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pero nami-miss ko ang panonood sa teatro these months. tagal ko nang di nakakanood ng stage play. want to tonight, as two of my friends' plays are being restaged, kaya lang mga ati, hanlayoh kase ng ccp e. for a qc gal na nawalan na ng awto, e mahirap na lumipad sa maynila anytime my heart has whims of all sorts. argh. sorry ate liza, job, next time na lang... and sigrid, too. hm. sayang. kainizzz. kung wala lang lakad kinabukasan...

kaya lang gawad plaridel awarding kasi bukas e, at ang aawardan ay si ms cheche lazaro (broadcast kasi, tv, this year). so siyempre i have to be there, being cmc faculty and all, and also siyempre dahil sa nakasalamuha ko ang mga Probe-sters at si ms cheche sa bangkok before. so pay respects lang kumbaga. wanna watch? libre to. sa cine adarna gaganapin, pasok ka lang.

pero naboborlogs lang ako kanina why the peeps in charge want to set up the cams na bukas ng tanghali pa lang. i mean, hello, coverage lang ito ati, at saka video lang yan. and they won't require a whole deal of patching and laying cables and stuff for a freaking non-moving event! tapos 24-hour ahead set-up??????? e gagamitin ng lecturers namin sa class yung cam e...hay kakaibah. weird lang talaga yun. even if they're shooting using film, hindi ito magfa-fly. masyadong OC-ness lang yung early tech set-up na yun i swear. so no go.

*

and for more pictures, wala lang, share ko lang. sabi kasi ng isa diyan, hindi daw nagbago ang smile ko over the years. totoo ba? ngiti pa lang, libay na! hehe. hindi mapapagkaila...



29 years ago... (rite of passage, meaning no more red and blue crayons as writing thingies and moving on to mongol pencils! but more excitement for chinese garter games and monkey monkey anabel running games -- kasi tumatangkad na at humahaba na legs!)




and 9 months ago. (passage to righteousness, meaning starting the rebooting of grounded systems to pursue no-brainer payoffs but also let that go because of others' unmotivated hypocritical righteousness)

hm. you do the math. eh? hehe. la lang. that's called coded discombobulations hehehe. decode.

more vanity fair/fare at my multiply. link to your left.

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and to wrap this up, yeah ly, mami-miss mo talaga ang penguin! nano-nostalgic ako doon when i think of the good ol' days of just hanging out natin nina pam. oh hey check out that digifilm nga pala ROME AND JULIET, she makes a cameo there hehe (she comes on to mylene dizon in her flowershop garden). plus a host of our other dykey friends make a cameo din dun hehe (spot the g-spotters! hahaha). watch it if only for that. forget the storyline tho.

thanks for that comment justwomyn. yeah, been accused of being a head-person din. tama ka. years of exposure will tame one down to take it easy na lang, hence my tagline sa profile.

ponpkpn, we at UP Sappho used to do a "connect the dots" game much like what alice on the l word did with her chart. mas organized nga lang sa kanya hehe. that was a fun pastime for us. at isa sa amin nga ang sinasabi mong hub hehe. pag nagsiuwian kayo ng sabay-sabay dito, ipapakilala ko kayo sa isa't isa hehehe. ay, yung isang kabanda ko, may pagka-hub ang lola hehe. kakaiba nga ang kabataan ngayon hane... hehe. at hindi ako hub. hehe. wala ko balak. i'm a private person chenes when it comes to my love life. a la jodie foster mode hahahahaha chos.

more comments! keep 'em coming.