My Manilyn Years

I had two agendas in going to Megamall last Friday. First was to buy DVDs on sale. Sadly, there weren't much titles to look around even if Magnavision is on their 50% promo while Viva is on their 100/150/199/299 price scheme. I'm not sure kung dahil ba first day 'yun ng 3-day Sale and Astro Plus has yet to replenish their stocks o talagang napag-iwanan na ang Mega branch ng Astro Podium pagdating sa lawak ng stocks/titles o dahil na rin siguro weekend sale ng most malls sa MM that time (including Galleria and Ayala Makati). I only bought The Philadelphia Story DVD which I'd be using for my report on the Classical Hollywood narrative/style for Star Cinema. (Mukhang next year pa naman ata 'yun.) The rest are VCDs na. With that, I can say na hindi masaya ang buying experience ko. Hehehe.

Second was to buy Manilyn Live @ 25 concert tickets. I'd be going with Biboy, Nori, and Ms. Vanj of Star Cinema. I was expecting that there'd be more of us pero hindi ko sila mahagilap. Sobrang busy ata. I just told Jullian na sila na lang bili ng tickets nila in case they'd be watching talaga. Anyway, what's funny was when I asked the saleslady for the tickets. She said, "Uy, may fans si Manilyn." Sagot ko, "Oo naman!" Then after a while, parang nag-iisip din silang manood ng mga kasama niya sa booth asking if there are still tickets available to purchase.

About a month ko na rin nabalitaan 'yung tungkol sa concert. I got excited about it. Sabi ko watch ako. When I told Nori about it, aba! Na-excite din ang lola at watch din siya. Nung pinagkalat ko sa Star, same reaction din sila at may-I-sing pa ng Sayang Na Sayang. Ms Vanj even dubbed the concert as Sayang Na Sayang The Concert. Ewan ko lang kung tutuloy 'yung iba.

I'm sure that watching the concert will bring back memories of our teenage years, especially that Mane's guests are Janno, Keempee, and Ogie. O di ba?! Tatalunin nito ang Janice starrer, Pakasalan Mo Ako, with Gabby, Aga, and John! (Only in Regal Films na kayang pagsama-samahin ang lahat ng ex ng isang artista, mind you!) Naalala ko nga na mas affected pa ko sa Mane-Janno break-up kaysa sa Sharon-Gabby o sa mas paborito kong Sheryl-Romnick tandem. Anyway, masaya lang na mapapanood ko siya sa concert. I failed to see her Feel Na Feel Concert dati kasi bata pa ko nu'n. La pang budget s'yempre. Pero I think I recorded it on VHS dati when it was shown on TV. Di ko na nga lang alam kung asan ang kopya nu'n o kung buhay pa ba. Galing kasi ako sa school n'un at di ko masisimulan kaya pinakiusapan ko 'yung kapitbahay namin na i-tape muna.

Most people these days will find it jologs pero That's Entertainment ang kinakabaliwan ng mga panahon na 'yun, long before Ang TV days or Gimik or TGIF or About Ur Luv/Boys Nxt Door these days. Basta ako, Tuesday at Wednesday group fanatic dahil kay Mane at She. Hay, may pic pa ko ni She sa cheapanggang pitaka ko nu'n na ginupit ko lang sa magasin. Hahaha! Mega-ipon din ako ng posters and picture cut-outs from show biz magazines. Eyebags and Teenstars/Gossip ang favorites ko nu'n. I swear I still have my favorite issues pa ata with me! (Or I have thrown them na? Di ko sure pero ayoko namang maghalungkat sa ngayon.) Ganu'n ako ka-showbiz dati. (Hehehe! Hanggang ngayon pa naman, eh.)

My favorite Mane album is Heartbeat. I have it on cassette then later on, I bought the LP kahit wala kaming player. Ang kwento kasi, bumili ako nun dahil malaki siya. Gustong-gusto ko 'yung cover. Aside from that, I was wishing na ipapaayos ng dad ko 'yung player knowing that I have bought new LPs (including Sheryl's debut album) pero deadma. Hindi ko napakinggan 'yung plaka kahit kailan. Kaya naman kung mayro'n diyang buo pa ang turntable nila at gusto kong i-donate sa akin, pasasalamatan ko kayo ng marami! I miss listening to turntables kasi. Iba kasi ang feeling when you listen to LPs, especially with that sort of hiss sound at the beginning. Sa ngayon bihira na ang nagbebenta ng (bagong) plaka rito. Mostly sa Europe na lang siya and some parts in the US. Anyway, I have Mane's albums from Manilyn to Mula Sa Puso on cassettes. I was able to get the first three albums on MP3s and the last three (I think). Sadly, wala akong mahanap na Mula Sa Puso. Favorite ko pa naman 'yung Nandito Pa Rin Ako. Binalak kong mag-convert ng cassette tapes n'un to digital format pero wala akong makita cable ng cassette-PC o siguro I need to buy na lang a tape converter. Anyway, saka na lang siguro pag may budget na at magaang ang schedule. Pag nagkataon kakaririn ko talaga ang pagko-convert including the Triplets Must Be Heaven album! Hehehe.

Manilyn was dubbed as the Star of the New Decade noong '90s. I feel that she righfully deserves the title. Back then kasi (maski ngayon), liking Manilyn is no problem unlike Sheryl. People tend to like or hate Sheryl pero ako, like na like ko siya! But with Manilyn it's different. Parang like siya ng lahat.

So 'yun lang for now ang aking pagre-reminisce. Wala na kong maisip. Naubos na 'yung oras ko sa pagsusulat nito na dapat iukol ko sa paggawa ng sequence treatment ng script ko. Hay! Ang hirap naman kasi, eh! May Claudine brain storming pa mamaya. La pa kong baon! Waaah!

P.S. We saw the invitational screening of Endo last Wednesday in UP. Ay kagandang pelikula! Try ko i-review minsan dito pag may time. Watch it on its commercial run. (To be announced pa.) Di kayo magsisisi! Kikiligin ka na, mamumulat ka pa! Truly this year's best! Walang stir!

Naiyak ako when I saw the events that transpired in Glorietta 2 last Friday. I received a call from dad that time asking my location. Sabi ko Megamall. Sabi niya umuwi na raw ako kaagad kasi nga baka magkagulo pa. Then Biboy's mom called him. Kala namin nag-o-overreact lang sila. Ang sabi kasi ni Imee ay gas tank lang ang sumabog. ('Yun ang unang balita.) But when my mom in Oman texted me, sabi ko mukhang seryoso na nga. Naisip ko, if I had known na sale din sa Glorietta that time, baka nagpunta kami. Kaya nga naiyak ako knowing na baka napahamak din kami kung sakaling nagpunta kami ru'n. . .