Nakakagulat...

Manila DJ Club, November 25, 2005

Manila Spirits 2005

Yes, it's another international frisbee tournament coming up this weekend. Teams from Singapore, Hongkong, Taiwan, Seoul, Boracay, Makati and Manila battle it out for...uh, I don't really know what they're battling it out for. For the love of the sport??? :) The spirit of the game? Wala lang, addict kasi eh. Hehe.

Well in any case, my team mates from Toda are playing in the Spirits '05 Tourney, though we're all playing for different teams. Tatay Dennis is playing for Hongkong Junk, Ace and Kevin are playing for PUTA, and most of the others are playing with Breakfast Club.

And just in case you haven't noticed, the Spirits '05 logo features Tikby & Manang, a.k.a. The Tikbalang ang Manananggal, battling it out for the disc. Cool logo. Click on the logo to reach the official Spirits website.

November 25

Today is November 25. If plans had pushed through before, today was supposed to be the day that the wedding would take place. Yes, my wedding. Our wedding. We had already reserved the church, the venue, the photographer, and the caterer. But after a little bit of deliberation (actually, more of a protest from one of our parents, because today is a Friday), the wedding got pushed to a Saturday...next year.

So the new date is a Saturday (next year). We have a church, the reception venue, the photographer and the caterer. Haha, aba, parang walang nadagdagan no? Well, may wedding cake supplier na kami...the makers of Kink Cakes. O diba. Ayush. Cram time ito next year...

Sabi nga ng telenovela, "ang kasal ay hindi kanin na basta bastang isusubo at iluluwa na lang pag napaso." Or something to that effect. I remember when I told one of my friends earlier this year that we were planning to get married. And the first thing she said was, "Buntis ka ba?" Ahhh...hindi, kasi 9 months away pa yung planned wedding?? (I told her in February I think). The next thing she said was, "Naku, sobrang mag-iiba na ang buhay mo." And then, there's my diving instructor who got really concerned when he noticed that I wasn't really very much excited about the wedding. Ayun nga, kailangan ko raw pag isipan ng mabuti...as in. Hindi nga raw kanin ang kasal. Syempre, hindi naman nakakain ang kasal diba? O nagpapatawa lang po ako...

So, am I taking it seriously? Well, sometimes, I think I'm not taking it seriously enough. When I see the effort and the concern and the preparation that other brides-to-be are going through, parang, shucks, hindi pa ata ako prepared! Some people have booked everything, and their wedding is still a year away. But then again, it is a matter of perspective I guess. I...I do know that I'm not afraid...well, a little, regarding the future...but not something to the point where I don't really want to get into this. So there, I do. And I am looking forward to the future, despite the exodus of all the bright and promising people to foreign lands. I am looking forward to the future, and I am hoping, and praying, that our future will be bright. Somehow.


Friendster Blues Part II

And on another Friendster-related post, wala lang akong magawa kanina so hinanap ko ang name ko sa Friendster. Actually I was looking for this other acquiantance in Friendster, and the search result returned lots and lots of people matching the same name. So on a whim, I tried to look for my own name. And guess what...there were only 6 (SIX) matches (no surprise, my name isn't that common), and ALL of them live in the Philippines. Makes me wonder...lahat ba ng kapangalan ko sa Pilipinas lang nakatira? :)

Go Kart Saturday

MAT 2005

***From blog posted Sept 05, 2005. More pictures at my fotopic site, and at mat2005.multiply.com. Also at wesley's multiply site. And ruslan's site.

For those of you who didn't know, I won this contest which enabled me and four other Pinoys to fly for free to the US and experience the great outdoors in Moab, Utah, USA. We mingled with participants from other countries as well -- participants from Germany, Russia, Latvia, Lithuania, Spain, Portugal and Ecuador. The event was sponsored by a big tobacco company, but even though the event was held in the US, there were no US participants -- strict tobacco advertising laws. There were no slogans or labels in the gear that were used or given way -- smoking kills and well, it's not legal to advertise this activity in the US (wow, exciting, haha).

This is a rather long read. This is the rest of the story.

---oooOOOooo---

Aug 19, Friday
So anyway, our adventure starts on the morning of August 19, Friday. We took a Northwest flight to Minneapolis, with a stopover at Narita, Japan. The agency booked us with Business Class seats, and it sure was posh and comfy! At Minneapolis, there was a booboo caused by me rebooking my return flight, and I lost the business class seat and was bumped to economy (it could only happen to me). Well, for the inconvenience, the airline did give me $35 dollars off next time I book a flight. Hmmm, like I could use that. Haha. At least that was only for the Minneapolis-Salt Lake leg of the flight. At Salt Lake, we had to take another plane to Grand Junction, Colorado, where we spent the night at a Ramada Doubletree Inn with the other participants. All in all, it was almost a 28-hour journey, but the time difference made us arrive in Grand Junction Friday evening Colorado time.

Aug 20, Saturday
We travel around an hour to a warehouse in the middle of nowhere. Dixie Chick's "Wide Open Spaces" plays in my mind. Here, we were shown our gear, and were told to leave behind our suitcases, and stuff our clothes into the supplied dry bags. There were maybe about 40 participants from different countries, and we were divided into three groups -- one group will go rafting for the next two days, the other group will go horseback riding, and another group will ride the ATVs.

We rode the ATVs through canyons and streams and dusty roads. It was awesome. The view was amazing. At night we camped out somewhere near Butch Cassidy's hideout, and cooked some pasta for dinner. Hindi kasi uso kanin dito...

The other groups had fun though -- they rode the little charter planes, flying into their destination where they had steak for dinner! Awww.

Aug 21, Sunday
We continue riding the ATVs into the horse ranch camp. Along the way, we stop to view some abandoned mines, and some alleged dinosaur tracks. By evening, we meet up with the other groups, and were told what the groups were gonna do the next day. We spend the night drinking (and smoking) and singing by the campfire. Camera conked out here.

Aug 22, Monday
Our group went white water rafting at West Water Canyon along the Colorado River. On the way to our new campsite, we stopped over at this cute house where we were treated to home-made Apple Pie. It was actually the house of one of the event organizers, a guy from Switzerland who participated in the same event years ago, fell in love with the place, and moved to Utah. We slept in teppee tents set up by banks of the Colorado River. Here, for a few minutes every sunrise and sunset, the cliffs turn a glowing red, reflecting the rays of the desert sun.

Aug 23, Tuesday
We drove the 4x4 jeeps for several hours until we reach this stone quarry somewhere in the middle of nowhere. We have a quick lunch, and we hike for around an hour until we reach the river. Upon reaching the river, we rowed/paddled/swam/whatever to reach the river camp. At night, it was announced that we were again being separated into five different groups, each group different activities. The other groups sounded interesting -- one group would do canyoneering and exploration, another group would concentrate on kayaking through the rapids (Lizards), another group would do motorbikes (Scorpion), and another group would do ATVs and sandbuggys (Falcons). Me, I was assigned to the group that would do climbing and rappel. Interestingly enough, the name of our group was "Rattlesnake" (a snake), while my team in the Manila finals was called "Sidewinder" (another snake), and I was also born on the year of the snake.

Aug 24, Wednesday
All of the teams slide down the 400-m zipline (a.ka. Tyrolean Traverse) setup by Victor, the guide from Costa Rica. The Rattlesnakes team drive the jeeps to Capitol Reef National Park. We do a quick stopover at Green River town (ice cream!). At the Capitol Reef National Park, we visit the Fremont River, and view the pteroglyphs left by American Indians. We spend the night camping out with RVs and deer at the Fruita campgrounds inside the Park.

Aug 25, Thursday
We drive out to somewhere, and hike to the canyons somewhere within the wide expanse of the Capitol Reef National Park. We do some rappeling, then it rains briefly and hail falls. Masakit pala matamaan ng hail, parang binabato ka ng mga maliliit na mga bato. Because of the rain, the rocks that we previously walked on quickly became water pathways. Spent the night (with no tents) somewhere in the rocky shores beside the river.

Aug 26, Friday
Wake up, cook some breakfast. We have no more water left, so we cook with water from the now muddy river (because it rained the day before). We do some rock climbing, hike out, then eventually we drive out to the Cedar Mesa campsite, a "primitive" campsite according to the website, but it does still have a latrine (they call it a 'pit toilet'), tables, chairs, and bbq pits.

Aug 27, Saturday
We drive to our hike's starting point somewhere in the Arches National Park (am not sure of the name). The trail is a bit steep, it passes through sand, slick rocks, and even a small pool of water that you have to swim through to get across. Had lunch overlooking a "bridge". Learned the difference between an arch and a bridge -- though they may look alike, a bridge was formed when the river (now long gone) rushed through stone formations.

After the hike, we drive towards the Bullfrog Marina on Lake Powell (Glen Canyon National Park), where we take the motorboat to meet up with two other groups. Spent the night partying on a houseboat. There was even a free striptease. Wee.

Aug 28, Sunday
John, my Pinoy teammate, cooked breakfast. I washed the dishes. Also learned that some people don't really care about cooking or washing dishes when camping out. Each group had guides however, and the guides really did a great job in setting up camp. Spent the day trying to wakeboard, kneeboard, and any other board sport that involves a speedboat. Basically, it was a free day to spend playing in the water. The other teams arrive (Teams Lizard and Scorpion), and now everyone will spend the night at a new campsite, still by Lake Powell.

Lake Powell, by the way, was formed because a dam was built to hold the water that rushes in from the canyons everytime it rains. For things to do in Lake Powell, you can check out powellguide.com.

Aug 29, Monday
We leave the campsite, acknowledging that yes, this will be the last time that we will all be together. We all drive back towards Moab, a bit of a long drive back. For lunch, we stopped over at Stan's Burger Shack in Hanksville, Utah. It's a miracle -- I think it's the first time I stepped foot in an actual US restaurant on this trip. And to think this was just a burgers-and-fries place in the middle of the way to Lake Powell.

After lunch, we take the I-70 back to Moab. Afternoon was "shopping time" -- we were allowed around 2-3 hours of shopping around tiny Moab town. The town itself is actually cute and small -- the art scene also seemed to be alive and well around the area. Nothing much to buy here though -- just T-shirts and magnets and $60 cowboy hats. Some interesting pottery pieces though, and lots of American Indian crafts too. One of our teammates went looking for an American football -- there were no American footballs in Russia, and we had to do a special stop by another store to buy the football. Another Russian guy bought a kayak. By 5pm , we all drove back to the teppee tents where we camped before, and tried to have a decent shower before the "party".

The party was held in a strip of land near the teppee tents and the cute house where we ate apple pies before (sorry, difficult to say where it actually was). All I know is that there's this rustic movie set, where the movie Geronimo was filmed years ago. They left behind the set (facade of a chapel, etc), and with the lighting that was done to the place, the venue really seemed romantic and amazing. We had great food and bottomless drinks as well -- there was a bar complete with sexy barmaids.

The party itself was supposed to last all night, but we (Philippine people) had a 6:30 AM flight the next day, and we had to leave and say our goodbyes by 1AM. By 2, the Philippine and Israeli participants were driven to nearby Red Cliff's Lodge, where we all had a decent shower in an actual shower with an actual bathtub and an actual inn (actually, the Red Cliff Lodge did look pretty nice and homey). By 3AM, we take the shuttle to the airport. It's actually a 2 hour drive back to Grand Junction, Colorado, and we sleep along the way. When we arrive at the airport, it's almost last call for boarding, and our journey back home begins.

Aug 30, Tuesday
Three of us fly back to Manila. On our way back, since our "bantay" was not around, we snucked out of the airport during the 2.5-hour stop at Minneapolis. Took the train to Mall of America, where we did a quick lookaround and window shopping.

Aug 31, Wednesday
Arrived back in Manila, around 11PM Philippine time.

St. Louis and Dem Filipinos

From Inq7:

NINETY years after the infamous St. Louis World Exposition, where tribal Filipinos were sent as human exhibits to convince the American public of the humane righteousness of colonization, a play, "St. Louis Loves Dem Filipinos," was born. Fifteen years later, a musical.

The fictionalized account of Datu Bulan, Bagobo warrior and Pinoy Everyman who dreams of doing something great in the land of America, and who ends up drifting aimlessly through the Great Depression, isn't very pretty stuff. And there are no happy endings here, just a resolute and hopeful one.

When "St. Louis" was first premiered as a straight play in 1991, director Tony Mabesa scrapped the original ending where Bulan is imagined by Fred Tinawid (the play's narrator, a Fil-Am yuppie searching for his own roots) to come home to his tribe.

Mabesa said, and rightly so, that it was a cop-out, a feel-good ending for a story that there was nothing to feel good about. It worked then as a heavy-handed political piece, with Joel Lamangan and Ronnie Lazaro alternating as Bulan. But would it work in a musical?

"St. Louis Loves Dem Filipinos", the Musical, had its first run in August at UP. It's now in its second run, but only until November 26.

We caught the matinee last Saturday, and though there were still technical difficulties (some actors didn't have mikes and couldn't be heard, the show started 1 hour late), it was nevertheless, a great show. Not to mention, my friend got really great seats. :)

The UST Symphony Orchestra provided accompaniment. The play is in Taglish, alternating English lyrics with poetic Tagalog dialogue. It was almost heartbreaking to watch the lead character Bulan transform from the princely, dignified, matipuno warrior, to the sorry state he becomes 20 years later. Franco Laurel was handsome as the preppy Fil-Am narrator Fred Tinawid, for some reason reminding me vaguely of Mig Ayesa on Rockstar INXS. The fat lady of the circus (Maude) unfortunately reminded me of Little Miss Piggy, complete with blond curls and soprano singing voice. The Ifugao chief Antonio provides comic relief. Pinoy na pinoy! To make a joke out of everything. Floy Quintos as Gramps eventually steals the show.

The play starts its story in 1904. And it's a sad state of affairs that a hundred years later, the same problems still happen, the same situation still exists.

"Make them believe your a man, do something great." The play could easily be about our personal dreams, just as it is about the odyssey of us as a people. And the review quoted above is right, there are no happy endings here, just a resolute and hopeful one.

"Pusong naglalakbay, ibalik mo sa akin." Without our roots, are we really doomed to lose ourselves? Thought provoking. Catch it, while it's on. For more info, surf to Dulaang UP's site.

Videoke Time

Bittersweet Home
Limp Bizkit, from their greatest hits album...

**the song is a "mashup of Motley Crue's Home Sweet Home and The Verve's Bittersweet Symphony", but in a slower tempo

I guess I'm a dreamer My heart is gold I had to run away high So I wouldn't come home low Just when things went right Didn't mean they were always wrong Just take this song And you'll never feel left all alone Take me to your... heart Feel me in your.... bones Just one more night And I'm coming off this long and winding road... I'm on my way I'm on my way Home sweet home I guess that I seem To make romantic dreams Up in lights Fallin' off the silver screen My heart's like an open book For the whole world to read Sometimes nothing... keeps me Together at the seams I'm on my way I'm on my way Home sweet home

It's a bittersweet, Simple me. This life. Just tryin' to make it sweet. Go straight to the money, Then you die. There's no change... I can't change, I can't change, I can't change. But I'm here in my mind I'm here in my mind I'm a million different people from one Day to the next I can't change My mind No, no, no I'm on my way I'm on my way Home sweet home I'm on my way I'm on my way Home sweet home I'm on my way I'm on my way Home...

Walking Away -- thoughts at 3AM

These boots are made for walking...

I miss climbing. Haven't trekked in a looong while. I wish....I wish...ahhh, there are a million things I wish for. World peace, an end to poverty, hunger, racism, prejudice, hate. I wish...I wish I can always wake up with the hope that there is something I can do to make life better.

I wish...I wish I can sustain a long-term project better. I tend to lose interest after a while.

I wish...I wish for vain stuff, for clearer skin, for a smaller waist, for a better body. I wish for material things...a rashguard, a Rudy Project sunglass (ok, mahal nga sya), a trip to Batanes, a trip to Kota Kinabalu, Sandman comic books, more money to buy the right Christmas gifts for the right people.

I wish...I wish for a better life. I wish not to make a wrong decision regarding that life. I wish that someday I can expect more from this country, that our taxes will ultimately better our lives, that we as a people will not just "settle" for what is, but fight and work to have what we truly deserve. No more rickety second-hand buses crawling with baby cockroaches. We shouldn't accept power interruptions as the norm, and we shouldn't just "accept" the fact that even though we pay for water, water is delivered to our homes only if we're lucky. How many households in the Metro are on water rationing? True, we can survive with little, but the question is, why should we? Why should we, when we can have so much more? When we as a people deserve so much more?

No wonder most people who can, do run away. They've flown the coop, and staked their claim on lands other than their birthland. US, Canada, Australia, Singapore. Anywhere but here. Anywhere but home. And government actually encourages overseas employment. Like a poor mother who can't support her numerous children, our country is gladly putting up for adoption all of her promising children. "There is no hope here," she seems to be saying. "Leave, while you can."

There are moments when I wonder why I am still here. If you asked me years ago what was my dream, I would have said, to work abroad. And yet, here I am still. What's more, I am making a decision that will not give me any option but to stay. Ironically, a part of me has now become what I swore I would never be. And I wonder, did I not fight hard enough to get away? I have a good life, but I acknowledge that I have lost part of my battle. I lost, not because I was defeated, but because I didn't fight.

But we do what we must. Sometimes, we have to lose the battle to win the war.

And she says
"Baby, it's 3 am I must be lonely"
Well heaven she says
"Baby, Well I can't help but be scared of it all sometimes,
And the
rain's gonna wash away what I believe in"

Matchbox Twenty, 3AM

Masaya

Umiinom si Z. Gusto pa rin nya si C. Hmm. Ano nga ba ang pag-ibig?

Tanong ko lang sa langit
Kung bakit pumangit
Ang dating masaya
Ngayo'y panay problemang
Bumabalot sa buto
O bakit ganito
Ang pag-ibig
Ganyan talaga
Pagbago pa ang pagibig
Ganyan talaga
Masaya

Masaya. :)

A Few Thoughts

There I go again, efforts scattered into a million different directions. Rare is the day I wake up when I'm supposed to...in fact I can't remember waking up at the right time for the past month or so. I'm always late, I always skip the first appointment that I'm supposed to go to for the day. Then I'm always late for the second appointment. I should really start sleeping early, but I never do that. Why? Oh why???

But I'm a million different people from one day to the next...
No change, I can change
I can't change my mould...

Hmmm. Wala lang.

Cause it's a bittersweet symphony, this life
Trying to make ends meet , you're a slave to the money then you die.

"Bittersweet Symphony", Verve

Cafe Ysabel Rocks

Pictures from top left to right:

• Toda's Karaoke and Poker Night (Pia, Jo, Claire and JB in the picture)
• CrabMann in the house, draft beer in the foreground
• Poker fever in Manila. More TODA Poker Night pictures here.
• Taal Volcano in the palm of her hand
• Alone on a bench
• Borgz and Jao with the surfboard and the skimboard. Surfing is cool. Some pics here. More kwentos here.
• wala lang, belat :)
• My first time to eat at Cafe Ysabel, where the food was heavenly. The house bread is great, and everything we ordered exceeded expectations. Service was friendly and helpful as well. Great as a date place, what with the candle-lit ambience and old-ancestral house vibe, though it's definitely not just for dating. Heavenly food. We had oysters in two ways, pan fried goose liver, grilled lamb loin, and pasta ysabel to celebrate my dad's Chinese birthday. If you have the chance, go. Eat there. I can't stop gushing about it. Cafe Ysabel (Chef Gene Gonzalez) is located along P. Guevarra Street near Wilson Street intersection, San Juan, Metro Manila. This is also where the Center for Asian Culinary Studies is located.
• Bottomless salad, pasta, dessert and dalandan juice at Sonya's Garden, Alfonso, Cavite.

TODA PARTY!!!

Pictures and celebrity sightings of members of Team Toda!

Ultimate Frisbee players from The Ooltimate Disc Athletes (TODA) go on party mode. Includes pictures from the Manic Monsoon Registration Party held last month at the Manila DJ Club at the Fort, and TODA's Poker Night, held at FATS in Mabini. Karaoke, billiards, beer, food and poker, what more can you ask for?!

Pyros Surfing

November 4, 2005
General Nakar, Quezon

Monsoon League

Philippine Ultimate Association
Monsoon League 2005

TODA finished 2nd in Pool B. Horray!
Sinong Nanay Mo?!!! =)

Friendster Blues

Waaa!

May friendster na ang pamangkin ko. Parang kailan lang...baby pa lang sya. Ngayon high school na sya. Pero ok lang yun eh. Alam mo yun, parang may distinction pa rin sa mundo nya at sa mundo ko. Kaso, heto sya ngayon, nag-iinvite na sa friendster. Grabe, ang bilis ng panahon. Dati may lampin lang sya, ngayon, ka-friendster ko na??! Parang...bigla ko lang na-feel ang generation gap. Tsk tsk. Either yun, or bigla kong na-feel na kelangan kong maging super cool na tita para maging ka-friendster nya. Haha.

Wala lang.

Isa pang "tsk tsk"...yung isang kaibigan ko, itago na lang natin sya sa pangalang Z (lalake). Si Z may gusto kay C (babae), pero si C parang may gusto kay G (lalake). At si G, parang may gusto rin kay C! So kawawa naman si Z diba. Pero parang may girlfriend si G eh. Pero parang hindi rin. In any case, kakabasa ko lang ang friendster testimonial ni G para ke C. Tsk tsk. Mukhang nauunahan na ni G si Z kay C. Wala lang, bigla lang akong nalungkot para ke Z. Nagseselos talaga tuwing nakikitang magkasama si G at C, which is mas madalas nang nangyayari ngayon. Kaso hindi naman alam ni G na may gusto si Z kay C, and si C, mukhang mas type nya talagang itong si G.

Hay. Pag-ibig nga naman...