"Kasal" Shooting

Finally, the shooting of our short film happened on August 13, 2006. It has been moved three times before the said date. Our location was at the Pavillion 1 of National Center for Mental Health. Being in NCMH brought back college memories. We held our clinical OJT there in 1996. After 10 years, I was back there shooting a film this time.

Our call time was 6 AM but started camera rolling at around 10 AM. We were supposed to end by 5 PM but finished at past 9 PM.





Valerie Concepcion and Lloyd Zaragosa (Jessa's brother) are our lead actors. Tatay Romy Vitug assisted us with the camera. Direk Rahyan Carlos and Sir Julius Fortin visited us in the afternoon and evening, respectively.

After the shoot, we went to Chicken Bacolod Inasal in Metrowalk for dinner. We left at past 12 AM.

More kwento soon...


Note:
More pictures at my Multiply site

Must-Sees TV (As Far As I'm Concern)

Like any other normal human being, when I am down, I wanna go shopping! But I don't buy clothes or shoes, I go for CDs (before) and videos (DVDs now)! Lately, I've been having the urge to collect the tv series (original, please!) that I've grown accustomed to and loved along the way. These tv series are memorable to me because I'd either related to some of their characters or they brought me to tears. Someway or the other, these shows have played a great part of my life. They were there the moment I needed them for whatever purpose. The only (and the biggest) thing that stopping me from buying them is -- M.O.N.E.Y.! *sigh sigh sigh*


This is practically a classic! Best friend Elma and I loved this a lot! This is not available in the market anymore. In the marketplace, it costs $150++! I have a few episodes on VHS, though. Nenok pa nga sa isang co-teacher dati. I borrowed it from him and never returned it! That's how much I loved it! Character reference: Angela (during my teen years)Visit: MSCL


A new love! A new favorite! Can't wait to have it on original to see all the special features in it. The plot may seem implausible yet it'll hook you like a bait to a fish! Banyo lang ang magiging pahinga mo!Character reference: Wala!Visit: Prison Break


This is the ultimate must-see gay tv! As of the moment, nothing could beat this one! Never did a show shocked and aroused me, and made me dream, cry, and think all at the same time. Aside from that, with all the beautiful men around (most of the time naked!), you'd be a fool to resist it! It takes it final bow on Season 5. So far, it's the season I haven't seen yet. Character reference: Michael! Visit: QAF Addiction


Best friend Elma was soooo in love with Pacey! I, on the other hand, had the hots for Ethan (Adam Kaufman - from Taken) -- Jack's love interest in Season 3. So now you know why I'd only prefer to have this season. :-)Character Reference: Wish to be Jack when he was romancing Ethan!Visit: Dawson's Creek


Do I need to say more about this?! Character reference: I don't think that I could relate to anyone. I particularly love Bailey, though!Visit: Grey's Anatomy


When I was in my second relationship, there was a time that I'd rather watch this than talk to him. He knew that when it was on during Thursdays on RPN 9, I'm off-limits to him! I guess that it was a sign that our relationship was truly doomed to fail! Hahaha! Character reference: None.Visit: Onceagain


Before SATC came, Ally McBeal is my bible! Whenever an episode ends, I'd cry my heart out. I was lonely then. I was longing for intimacy. The way Ally does in the series. Good thing that I was able to get out of her world. Character reference: Ally, of course!Visit: Ally McBeal Fox UK, Quotes

The One With All the Ten Seasons! So fun! So beautiful to have! Character reference: I'm more of Monica with her being domineering and obssessive complusive.Visit: Friends

Felicity had two problems in her life throughout the series: what to do with her life and who to choose between Ben and Noel! Shet! Kung ganyan lang sana kahaba ang hair nating lahat! No wonder, she cut it short on Season 2! Sobrang haba na, eh! Hehehe... Character reference: Felicity, in my wondering years.Visit: A Felicity Page, Quotes


One of the best!!! Damn, I wanna see the latest seasons!Character reference: NoneVisit: ER


Before Ally and way before SATC, I was an X-Philer! This is one of my must-haves! Character reference: None.Fave mutant: Season 1's Eugene Tooms! He scares me!Visit: X-Files

And my ultimate must-haves?!


SATC Box Set! Nampucha! $200 siya! Character reference: A combination of Carrie and MirandaVisit: Sex and the City Quotes


X-Files Cabinet Set! Priceless! Sa sobrang mahal, di ko na inalam pa ang presyo! Malabo nang makuha ko pa siya!

Janet Peters-isms: On US Dating

More of Janet's life in the US. This time, it's about dating. I thought that her stories only happen in the movies/TV but I was dead wrong! True enough, movies mirror life. Or is it a case or life mirroring movies? Hmm...

Anyway, this is long but worth reading! Funny!

Miss you, girl!

August 10, 2006

kumusta na kayong lahat?!

sorry it took me forever to write you all back ... not having my own laptop plus the strict firewall in my office pc can be quite frustrating. so do bear with me coz this email will be sabog and full of typos coz am doing this while am on my break on a friend's laptop.

i'm approaching my third month here (3 months! can u believe it?! why does it feel longer than that?) which is why i've been feeling unusually nostalgic & senti a couple of weeks ago. i've only been gone for a while and already, i've reminisced about every single detail of my life back there ... TWICE! am not complaining ok? this is probably the second best thing that's ever happened to my career and not a lot of people are given this kind of opportunity. am very very thankful. it's just that living my whole life under the comfort of my family and friends in an familiar environment, then suddenly giving it all up to seek supposedly greener pastures in a foreign country where everybody is a stranger, well ... it can be tiring, you know. it's such a huge effort to adjust to the people and surroundings and weather ... nakakapagod din.

thank God i don't have to face any language barriers here! in fact, most of the locals i met are surprised that my english is 'perfect'! *roll eyes* yes, they all called it 'perfect'. i don't remember anymore how many times i had to explain that english is our second language and everyone, as in EVERYONE in the philippines can speak and read the language. and that 95% of our subjects in school -- from elementary to college -- are in english. may script na nga ako noh! i know this will sound bad but i just find it hilarious when some of them are obviously at a loss as to what and where the philippines is. one of them even asked if it snowed in the philippines. hehehe (tanga!) i forgive their ignorance. let's face it, the philippines isn't exactly as popular as the other asian countries (japan, china, vietnam, korea). although i do admit that i feel extremely annoyed when they assume that the philippines is one gigantic farmland, lacking of any modern infrastructure, and that transportation meant horses and cows. i have no idea why they have that impression. there are times naman that i would meet people who are familiar with our country. the guy behind the counter of where i buy my groceries asked me what my nationality was. i told him that i'm a filipino. he said na he was told that there are a lot of nice places in the philippines. apparently, he used to be in the army and one of his friends was based in the philippines and had nice things to say about it. kewl! nakakataba ng puso =)

since most of you keep on asking, eto na : yes, i've been going out on dates. *wink* o, don't get ur hopes up coz you're in for a huge disappointment! basta, read on and you'll know why!

i've been meeting a lot of locals and to be honest, medyo mahirap coz nauubusan ako ng 'perfect' english! iba talaga dito. i went out with this guy who lived 45 minutes away. one thing i noticed is that BIG DEAL dito ang distance. araw araw kasi tumataas ang gas and since it's 45 minutes to pick me up then 45 minutes travel time nya para sha maka-uwi, medyo nalayuan ata kasi one time, nag-comment na sana marunong ako magdrive para puntahan ko daw sha. huwaaaaaaat?! are u some kinda ok?! scuuuuse me noh! i don't think so! NEXT!

so far, i haven't been on a date na kumain ako. no joke! no one's asked me for dinner, ever!!! it's either billiards, bowling, darts or movies .... yes, my friends ... you read it correctly : billiards bowling and darts! what the hell?! can u imagine me playing fucking billiards and darts and bowling?!?!?!? kung di lang cute yung guy, goodnight na itoh, uwi na lang ako! pero sige, kaladkarin naman ako, so ok, fine! billiards, darts at bowling na kahit mukha akong tanga. (pasalamat sila na di ako bratinella noh!) of course i sucked big time! di na tinatanong yun! e hello naman po, you all know naman na am not sporty spice noh! so lunok na lang ako ng pride and pinanindigan ang mga ito. oh, i forgot that there was also basketball .... hehehe .... anak ng pucha naman o! ganito ba talaga dito?!?!?! utang na loob!!!!!! in fairness, nag-enjoy naman ako kahit lampa ako. may mga napasok naman akong mga bola sa billiards (di lang lahat) at may mga napapatumba naman akong pins nung nag-bowling ako (may dalawang strike pa nga e) at may mga na-shoot naman akong mga bola during basketball. pero, am sorrrreeee, palpak talaga ako sa darts! (loser!)

the best part was when i beat one of my dates on the air hockey table. (am sure you're familiar with that game ... almost every timezone has one). it's the only game that i know am good at and since i was already on a losing streak that night after two games of bowling, my date asked if i was up for it. so i said sure, why not? nothing to lose na naman ako since olats na olats na beauty ko diba? well, it turns out that i beat him 10 to 5. yey me! (palakpak naman dyan!) it was so funny coz it was very obvious na napipikon na yung guy. to the point na lumilipad na yung puck out of the table coz he was hitting it so hard! hahaha! di naman sha competitive noh? apparently, he's never been beaten by a girl on that game before. well, now am sure he'll always remember me! (dunno pa if that's a good or bad ... will have to wait and see! *wink*)

besides the sportsfest, i went on a zoo field trip. hahahaha! yup, i went to the friggin zoo .... and i never went out with that guy again!! shet! di ako maka-relate sa kanya coz he's some kinda shakespearean type of dude and that's all he talked about. huhuhu, gusto ko na maghanap ng taxi at umuwi! (naku, kung di lang ginto ang bayad sa mga taxi dito!) di ko alam kung sumakit ulo ko dahil sa sobrang init at naglalakad lang kami the whole time or dahil sa extra effort of keeping up with the conversation ... i think it was both. (bwiset!)

i also did the coffee-date (starbucks) and i never saw the guy again either. you will all think am being mean but he was sooo geeky na sumakit din ulo ko sa kanya! sobrang geek talaga e! at first ok naman ... we talked about my favorite topic : movies! pero later on, ang labo nya kausap! when he asked about my religion (which i have no idea kung paano napunta sa topic na yun yung conversation namin) i said am catholic. his reply : "awesome" .... um, ano naman ang kina-awesome ng pagiging catholic ko?! go figure menn! *roll eyes* when he asked me out again, i asked what we were gonna do. so he asked me what i wanted to do. so shempre, sagot ako na i wanted to watch a movie. so ok, fine movie na. i wanted to watch pirates of the caribbean dead man's chest. patay, di pwede kasi di nya type si johnny depp because apparently, johnny depp said a lot of bad things about america and now lives in europe. so the geek doesn't want to watch any movies with johnny depp in it. (huwaaat?!?!?!? sorta kinda patriotic of him, noh? affected, grabeh! lost ako ditoh!!!!) so usap usap then biglang mag-bowling na lang daw kami. ako naman, um, ok. (shit, bowling again! by the end of the year, magiging expert bowler na ako sa dami ng beses kong nag-bo-bowling!) then usap usap uli yada yada blah blah, biglang wag na lang daw bowling, mag-barbeque na lang daw kami sa bahay nya at dun na lang kami manood ng videos. ano bah?!!!!!! umiinit na ulo ko sa yo ha!!!! make up your fucking mind menn!!! napaisip tuloy ako na parang tinitipid ata ako nito! so para lang matapos yung conversation, i said sure then we ended the call. later that week, he texted and asked if tuloy kami. i replied na something came up and that i wouldn't be able to go. call me a flaker, i don't care pero di talaga kaya ng powers ko to go out with him again! anyways, na-karma ata ako coz i was supposed to go out with this blonde, blue eyed dude last sat (he's no brad pitt -- asa pa ako -- just thought you should know. although, ok sha kausap). to cut the story short, he cancelled on that day itself and gusto sana bumawi and wanted to take me out on sunday instead, pero sa sobrang inis ko, i told him i already made plans for that day (even though church was the only thing on my itinerary for that day). so next time na lang daw. whatever!

yung pinaka-winner sa kanilang lahat ay yung naka-date ko two weeks ago. when he arrived, he rang the bell. so when i opened the door, nagulat ako and i wanted to close it kaagad ... not because he was drop dead gorgeous and neither was he fugly (new word i picked up : fugly = fucking ugly), but because i didn't want him to see me laughing ... why? coz he had a unibrow .... oh no! huhuhu! gusto ko magkasakit on the spot! pero hinde, nag-commit na ako, might as well go through with it. (besides, if i didn't push trhough with it, wala akong makukuwento sa inyo! hehehe) so instead of closing the door, nag -"hi how are you" ako (acting to the max!) and at the same time nagdasal na please Lord, tulungan nyo akong pigilin ang tawa ko! i've never ever seen a live unibrow before .... i've only seen frida kahlo's photos and the trailers of the movie where salma hayek portrayed frida. so when i saw this guy with the unibrow, my will power to not stare was all the way up to the maximum level! when he would talk to me, di ako tumitingin coz every time na titingin ako sa kanya, images of tweezers and wax strips and razors are floating in my mind. if the unibrow wasn't enough, i could barely understand what he was saying. even though he's been in america for the past eight years (he's originally from albany), his thick accent makes it difficult for me to comprehend what he was talking about so i kept on asking him repeat what he was saying. it came to a point that i pretended na lang to understand his words. the date lasted a total of two hours ... the longest, most excruciating two hours of my existence. what did we do? well, he said we were gonna have dinner then watch a movie. so i was wondering why we went to the park. tambay lang kami sa may mga swing, watching kids play and dogs running around. maya-maya, medyo gutom na ako. i asked him if he ate na. anak na pating, kumain na daw sha!!! am sorreeeee!!!!!! so, trying not to lose my temper coz baka di ako ihatid nito, i asked if it was ok if we passed by mcdonald's. he said sure. so we went to mcdo. he parked the car, i went down na and walked ahead (gutom na ako). di po sha bumaba ng car! nyeta! so i got my order to go, paid and went back to the car, and he brought me home. i literally ran back to my apartment! grabecious menn!!!!!!! gusto ko maloka! anong klaseng date itoh?!?!?! i told my roomies about it and tawa sila ng tawa! i told you pinaka-winner si unibrow! may pahabol pa : he called two days later and asked if i wanted to go out again. (ngiiiii!!!!!!!! ayaw ayaw ayaw ayaw ayaw ayaw ayaw ayaw ayaw ayaw ayaw ayaw ayaw ayaw ayaw ayaw ayaw ayaw ayaw ayaw!!!!!) i politely declined. never heard from him again ... except for a couple of emails that he send which i just deleted. never again!!!!!!! yuck yuck yuck yuck yuck!

i went out naman with another guy and told him about unibrow. natawa din sha and told me na if he didn't have his eyebrows waxed, he would probably have a unibrow as well. i replied na sobrang perfect ng eyebrows nya, mas maganda pa yung sa kanya kesa sa akin! he was like "no way! of course not!" .... napikon ata coz i never saw him again! hahahahahahaha! huwaat?!?!?! di ko na-get yun! hahahahaha! crazy noh? the things i do to avoid boredom! my gulay!

miss you all!

beso,
janet

Janet Peters-isms: On US Life

I am in a bad mood today. I don't know why. Something seems to be not fitting at this very moment and I don't know what it is. Maybe I just woke up at the wrong side of the bed. Maybe I'm just not feeling so well. Or maybe this is just one of those days that I am in a bad mood. Period. Nothing to it.

Anyway, what sorta made me laugh was an e-mail from a good friend who is the US now. Her life there was soooo funny (and kinda an eye-opener for Pinoys in the US and Pinoys who dream of living in the US, thought-provoking, lahat-lahat na!) that I thought of sharing them here. While reading it (especially her letter about dating), I suddenly remembered Ally McBeal. I never knew that she is a true-to-life Ally McBeal until now! And I love her more because of that! The thing is, I miss her even more...

Here is the excerpt of her e-mail about her life in the US. I withheld her name for anonymity. I used Janet Peters since it is the name that she is using there to sound "American". Laugh at her stories and hopefully, get some wisdom behind it.

May 25, 2006

hullo!

kumusta na kayo? pasensha at ang tagal tagal kong di nakapag-email sa inyo =( yung pc kasi dito sa office may malupet na firewall ... sobrang lupet na kahit na pwede kong basahin yung yahoo emails ko, hanggang dun lang. di ako pwedeng mag-reply. di ako pwedeng mag-delete at balita ko pa, if parati kong bibubuksan ang yahoo ko, posibleng tanggalin yung access ko dun. so in other words, once a day lang ako pwede magbasa ng yahoo mail. shet. kaya naman top priority ko talaga ngayon ang bumili ng laptop. (sigh ... gastos!)

tama nga sabi nilang lahat, laking mura ng laptop dito sa estados unidos. yung nga lang, shempre, canvass to death muna ako bago ako mag-invest sa laptop. ang pinakamahal na ok dito ay umaabot ng $1,000 (P51,000) at pinakamura na ang $500++ (P25,000++). so first sweldo ko, laptop ang una kong bibilhin para parati ko na kayong makaka-usap (ym) at makikita (multiply) at ma-e-email!

malamig dito nung dumating ako. first week ko dito was very cold. (shiyet, kala ko ba summer na?! lintek!) ... this week is better. i can go out wearing normal clothes. am indoors naman most of the time ... i only go outside to smoke (thank God may mga yosiholics din dito). yung nga lang, mahirap din maging generous sa napakamahal kong yosi! kailangan tipirin hanggang december! no way am i paying $5 (P250) for a pack of cigarettes! potah! no way mennn!

all my officemates here are pinoys..... as in lahat po sila! mas madaming girls kesa sa guys and yes, we also have our share of gays as well. =) of course, i had no idea he was gay ... he didn't seem gay at all ... someone had to tell me that he was gay. (well, we all know naman that my gaydar is almost non-existent so let's not be surprised). unfortunately, walang cute. (darn!)

my housemates (hahaha! feeling pinoy big brother ba?!) are ok din. 5 of us share a two bedroom unit. it has two bathrooms (one has a bathtub! yey!), two bedrooms (3 of us share the master's bedroom while the other two share the smaller bedrooom), a kitchen with everything in it (ref, oven, dishwasher ... we still have to buy a microwave), a living room (with 2 single sofas and one director's chair ... we still have to buy a tv) and a living room with a round table (we still have to buy chairs) ... obvious ba na ang dami pa naming kailangan bilhin? haaaaay .... bigla kong na-miss ang precious mircrowave oven (which i won in last year's office christmas party), ang precious tv ko at ang precious kong dvd player at ang pinaka-precious sa lahat -- ang sony radio/cd player ko ... waaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh .... *sniff sniff* well, at least nakabili na ako ng blow-drier so good hair day na ako parati! =)

wag kayo ma-shock ha pero alam nyo ba na 6am pa lang ay gising na ako? =) palakpak naman kayo para sa kin! =) major feat yun noh!! ang tanging dahilan lang naman kaya ako ganun kaaga gumising ay dahil ayokong mahuli sa banyo. shempre, i share the bathroom with two other girls so, hello, i can't take my sweet time in there anymore noh. medyo naninibago nga ako coz i never had to live with so many people. even if i want to get my own place, it's way too expensive. if ako lahat, wala na talaga akong ipon.

anyways, morning ritual ko is to wake up early, take a bath, cook lunch -- naknampucha! hahahaha! gulat kayo dun noh! of course i know how to cook! (am not that great but at least i can cook ... yung isang housemate e itlog lang alam lutuin!) wala naman kasi akong choice. di kaya ng powers ko maglakad in my heels in this cold weather noh! (heels kasi corporate attire kami dito ... huhuhu) unlike sa dati kong mga opisina na may malapit na starbucks and ministop and 7-11, dito sa ---, ang pinakamalapit na pwedeng kainan ay kasing layo ng greenbelt (from mile long ... or kasing layo ng shaw to st. francis square). if naka-slippers lang ako (wala kasi akong flats), at kasing init ng metro manila weather dito, siguro, pag-tya-tyagaan kong maglakad ... e hindi po ganun e. tapos, buti sana kung mura din sa mga lintek na mga fastfood chains na yan noh! shet, the other day, i ordered a meal at wendy's (grilled chicken sandwich+fries+drink), $6.00!!!!!!! that's 300 pesoses! so luto at baon to death na lang lahat, dammit!

ang mura lang dito ay make-up! (ang dami ko na nga dinala, bumili pa ako ...haayy ... please, pigilan nyo ako!) di na ako oily skin, ultra mega DRY skin na ako ngayon! fuck. halos minu-minuto ko kailangan mag-moisturize. kaya pala bentang-benta mga moisturizer dito! shet, baka di tumagal yung stock ko ng goat's milk! haay ....

i have my own little corner cubicle ... yun nga lang, i don't have that much office supplies yet ... i miss MY office supplies ... i just have one big mirror (vain vain vain) and my yellow starbucks water bottle (thank God i was able to bring that!) and some post-it pads and all my purple pens. that's about it. i miss everything else. flat screen yung monitor ko and it's big. i have my own hi-tech telephone ... it's so hi-tech i have no idea how to use it. i know it's mine coz my name is on the small computer screen.

speaking of names, am not called (real name) here ... they asked me to change my name coz it had to sound 'american' ... and since someone else was already using (real name), i ended up with : janet peters! bwahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! punyeta! utang na loob!!!!!! wag nyo na alamin kung saan galing yan. ang gusto ko talaga ay jen pitt. maraming tumutol ... este, lahat po sila ay tumutol! ok fine, whatever! di rin sila pumayag sa ashley judd. so ayun, janet peters na lang. grrrrr ....

saksakan ng mahal manood ng movie dito. last friday, buong office (around 20 employees lang kami) ay pumunta sa amc cinema at nanood kami ng da vinci code (ang tanging comment ko ay sana nanood na lang ako ng OVER THE HEDGE ... yung lang). $9.00 yung lintek na movie at $7.00 naman yung gigantic popcorn with gigantic drink. so a total of $16.00 (P800) ... shet panset! with $16, pwede na ako nanood ng walong movies sa megamall!

saksakan din ng mahal ang mga damit. pumunta ako ng gap at gusto ko sana bilhin lahat ng kulay ng tank tops na nakita ko ... nakapag-pigil pa naman ako .... so i ended up buying a purple scarf for only 0.97 cents (less than 50 pesos). sabi din kasi ng officemate ko, may gap outlet dito so dun na lang daw ako bumili =) by the way, halos lahat ng gap apparel dito ay made in the philippines! ano ba?!

dapat natuto na akong mag-drive nung nandyan pa ako ... kasi po dito, walang public transportation. as in WALA! we're all dependent on the other officemates who have cars. hatid sundo kami pero staff house to office to staff house lang. anywhere else, makiki-favor kami or makikisabay if that person is going there. yung pinakamalapit na kmart (parang sm dahil mura dun) ay 30minutes away via lakad. since batong-bato na ako last sabado, my housemate and i decided to walk to big kmart ... buti na lang the weather was ok. linakad na lang namin at namili kami ng hangers and other supplies ... buti na lang magaan yung hangers kasi kailangan din namin maglakad pabalik.

kwentuhan nyo naman ako! wanna know what i'm missing! =)

miss you all,
janet

Tagged by Acy!

Uno, Dos, Tres
(Tagged by Acy)

3 People Who Makes Me Laugh:
Uno: Biboy
Dos: Angel
Tres: My Good Friends (You know who you are!)

3 Things I Love:
Uno: Movies (Naman!)
Dos: TV Shows
Tres: DVDs

3 Things I Hate:
Uno: Biboy's jealousy (Walang sinasanto! Promise!)
Dos: Tado (Super hate ko siya ngayon! I swear!)
Tres: Lack of sleep/Ashtma

3 Things On My Desk (at home):
Uno: PC and accessories
Dos: Phone
Tres: Blanks DVDs and CDs at kung anu-ano pang anik-anik

3 Things I Am Doing Right Now:
Uno: Nag-iisip ng sagot dito! (Pucha! Dumb question!)
Dos: Looking at the monitor (Heller?!)
Tres: Typing (Sympre naman kaya!)

3 Things I Want To Do Before I Die:
Uno: Do my own movie
Dos: Tour the world (Kung di man, kahit New York lang! Carry na 'yun!)
Tres: Get married in Europe? (Hehehe...)

3 Things I Can Do:
Uno: Kumain ng sandamakmak na spaghetti (Basta luto ko!)
Dos: Watch 3 movies in cinemas in succession! (Did that once. Di ko alam kung magagawa ko pa uli.)
Tres: Teach!

3 Ways to Describe My Personality:
Uno: Topakin
Dos: Masungit
Tres: Mapagbigay

3 Things People Might Not Know About Me:
Uno: Masungit ako pag nasa bahay!
Dos: I drown myself in tears whenever I can't take the problems anymore.
Tres: Dreamt of being a singer!

3 Things I Think You Should Listen To:
Uno: Instincts (and be wary of the "signs" around you)
Dos: Parents (One must ought to listen to them.)
Tres: Good friends (Good friends only paradi ka nila ipapahamak.)

3 Things I Don't Think You Should Listen To Ever:
Uno: Manipulative A-holes (I hope you know who you are 'cause we know you!)
Dos: Friends na B.I. (including 'yung mga nega!)
Tres: CF (Maihahambing kasi 'yan sa gulong ng buhay... Ay, pucha! Shut up! Gets n'yo kung sino 'yun?)

3 of My Absolute Favorite Foods:
Uno: Spaghetti!
Dos: Strawberry ice cream and donuts
Tres: Chocolate cake (I admit na! I am sweet tooth e este I have sweet teeth e este tooth pala!)

3 Things I'd Like to Learn:
Uno: Creat a film
Dos: Swim
Tres: Drive

3 Beverages I Drink Regularly:
Uno: Coke
Dos: Iced tea
Tres: Pineapple juice

3 Shows I Watched When I Was A Child:
Uno: Lotsa Pinoy movies
Dos: That's Entertainment (Wednesday group fave ko! Hehehe...)
Tres: Joey & Son (daw super fave ko when I was 3-5 yrs old ata. I remember nothing abt it, though.)

3 People I Tag to Do This Crap:
Sorry kayo pero lahat ng nagbabasa ng blog ko, do this! People in particular are April, Ryan, Carlo, Ate Yang, Marcelle, Rocketboy, Dylan, Zatoichi (sa'n na link ng blog mo?), Sharononians (esp. Gigi) & Ghil. The rest, gawin sa Friendster bulletin board (Bhe-bhe, Leigh, RJ, Bi, Bibs, Len, Anjo, Jen, Joanne, Ralph)! The others, pakilala kasi kayo sa kin! Don't be just mere observers, participate! *wink wink*

"Sharon" Moments

"Kala ko tapos na ang kabaliwan natin," Ryan texted last July 10 which refers to the taping that we were about to attend later on. I was invited by a fellow Sharonian (who wants to remain anonymous for personal reasons) to watch a Sharon taping that day. The taping was for the fans entitled Fan's Day On Air. She's inviting fans that would represent the online group. S'ympre go ako! Incidentally, I had nothing to do that day. We had no classes because the next day was a holiday -- Valenzuela Day. (It follows the "sandwich principle" -- since the day before the holiday falls on a weekend, might as well suspend classes or work on that day, too, to avoid absences. Tayo lang ata meron n'un. But we made up for it by having a class last Saturday.) I tried contacting some Sharonian friends to join us but t'was only Ryan who was available. He decided not to go to work anymore 'cause the taping ended late. Also, Biboy joined us who we referred to as the "closeted fan" since it is fan's day.
The invitation happened because the "invitor" read my entry re the mall tour. She was also present at the said event. We were also both members of the PEx's Sharon thread where she saw my post.
There were many firsts for me on this event. First time that I get to watch a Sharon taping -- actually any taping for that matter. First time to see how a set looks like. First time to see how the production works during taping. First time to meet fellow Sharonians outside my circle. It's quite funny when you think that you're a super fan of someone then you get to meet people who are more fanatic than you are. My collection of Sharon stuff is incomparable to what they have. Their knowledge of her life is way superior than what I know about her. Even Sharon said that, "Mas marami pa silang alam sa buhay ko kaysa sa kin!" They remember more about her history that she does! I'm not claiming to be a super fan, though. There was even such a time when I lost fondness of her -- during the whole Lilian Velez era, I think. It was only when Madrasta came out that the fondness came back. But the people I met can really be called mega-fans! They have notes about the events in her life. They compile magazines and interviews. They attend tapings almost religiously. Some of them even became Sharon's friends (and kumares because she became their children's godmother) because according to her, these are the people she often sees. For that, I give them loyalty award! Nakakatuwa sila! I admire them because of that. If given the chance, I'd want to do a story/movie about them. A story about what being a super fan is really like. Not to make fun of them but to show people that they are the moons behind these stars. As long as they're there to support them, their light will keep on shining. Theirs is an interesting life because some of them have devoted their entire lives into backing them up. Not all can do such act especially with people they have no blood relations to.
Anyway, these are the Sharon moments:
*Everytime Sharon would open her mouth. I mean, in between takes, she would constantly talk -- either about anything she has set her mind to or to her friends in the audience. Sometimes it gets tiring listening to her -- especially that it was our first time to see her work. I guess for people who has seen her a lot during those unguarded moments, they are used to it already.
*Every Sharon transition moments off and on screen. You gotta be there to see it. Off-air, she'd talk and talk even if the AD is counting already before going on air. When the number reaches 2..., she'd stop talking about whatever she is talking about then proceeds to doing her spiels! As if hindi siya naging sobrang kulit before the take! Sobrang aliw talaga!
*When she started saying something not-so-good about Gabby then the mic hits her teeth. She quickly adds, "Opo, Lord! Sorry na po! Sobrang bilis naman ng dating ng karma sa 'kin. Opo na po. Bati na nga po kami, di ba?"
*When a fan showed her the picture of her and Gabby with the doll "Shabby". Shabby is Kuya Germs's version of Guy & Pip's "Maria Leonora Theresa" doll. "'Yan si Shabby dati! Ngayon, nagiging Chucky na pag gabi!"
*Whenever Shawie calls Uma her Uma Khounita! She feels that he is her baby I hope that both of them realize that Khounita doesn't sound manly for someone whose sexuality is in question. I hope, too, that it was just unintentional to sound that way. Hehehe. (Pero care ko! Cutie pa rin si Uma ever!)
*All the time Aldred Gatchalian was on the stage singing Your Song! Siyet!!!! (See clip below)

*Like Direk Joey Reyes who first pledged his admiration for Aldred and calls himself a devoted "Aldredian", Manny Casteñeda became gigil-to-death with Aldred. Mega-pisil sa bata! OA! Hahaha! (Inggit ako! *wink wink*)
*All of Melanie Ganda's (in short, MeGa, aka Pokwang) kwento about her being a Sharon devotee. Part of her experience as a mega-fan was when Shawie carried her mother on her back in the film Pasan Ko Ang Daigdig. "Pinasan ko rin ang nanay ko," she related. "Kahit saan. Sa pamamalengke... sa grocery... sa simbahan... sa paglalakad... sa trabaho! Matapos nga ang isang linggo, natanggal ako sa trabaho, eh! Pa'no raw nakakasikip ang nanay ko. Elevator operator kasi ako!"
*John Lapus' stories about the days when he became Sharon's clown. The one who'd make her smile and laugh whenever she was down. Once, John waited inside a trash bag so that when the time came, he'd pop out and cheer her. It was during Shawie and Richard's days. There were talking on the phone then. It took a long time before the conversation (arguments, acutally) ended. John had to come out of the trash bag. "Juice ko, sobrang kaya akong pinawisan! Ni hindi pa nga ako makahinga! Naloka ako! Ang tagal n'yong nag-usap!"
*When Uma buckled on his lines. "Ang susunod po nating bisita ay taga-Hagdang-hagdang e Tahanang Walang Hagdan..." (Did you mean Hagdang-hagdang Palayan, Uma?! Ang layo naman n'un sa TWH! :-D)
*When Sharon (and most of the audience) cried upon learning that the boy she has been helping was cured from cancer. It was a heartfelt scene. "Most of my sick kids kasi from Wish Upon a Mega already passed away. I'm glad that he made it..."
*Lastly, when Sharon apologized to Sen. Kiko about all her mistakes in the past. "You are what you are today because of those," Sen. Kiko assured the Mega. Lakas-tama 'nung statement na 'yun kay Biboy! Thank's, Sen. Kiko for such words! Natauhan si mokong! Hehehe. Love u, Bi!
Sharon is about 40 minutes or so only on TV. But the taping took two hours! We started at around 9 PM and ended at around 11 PM. There were so many things that happened during that night. I am soooo glad that I was able to watch it. 'Wag naman sana akong makita sa TV palagi once it aired! Hehehe.
(^And'yan kami. Look closer. Click for bigger image. Some of the pics were taken from I Can Seeeeeee You!!!! More pictures from the taping here.)
So, my friends, watch Fan's Day On Air on TV this Sunday, July 30 after Balitang K. Other guests are Erik Santos, Bb. Joyce Bernal, Christine Bersola-Babao, Vina Morales, and some loyal and devoted fans.

Twist of Fate

I have been busy the last couple of months with the workshop and teaching classes. I swear, nagrereklamo na si Than-than because he hasn't been seeing me lately. "Kailangan pa bang magpa-schedule sa secretary mo?" he once jokingly commented. I guess, he was just not used to me being this busy since I was so "available" the last few years. My weekdays are mostly devoted to school while my weekends are for the workshop until such a time that we'd finish shooting the short film. This is really such hard work, not to mention the emotinal baggages attached to them. Not that I'm complaining. I have asked for this. I needed change. I want some direction in life. But sometimes, fate has a way of playing its dirty tricks on you. When it does, there's no escaping it...

As you may know by now, I have wanted to enroll in the workshop since last year. Only that all the slots were filled in. When I learned that there'd be an enrollment for the second batch this year, I made sure that I'd get in. I went to GMA as early as I could. I was the 15th enrollee and I got in! I was ecstatic and excited because I want to learn more about the business. I want to BE part of the business.

Before the workshop started, I applied as a college professor in my HS alma mater. I felt confident enough that I'd get the job yet there was something in me that's saying that I may not get it, especially when I haven't heard from them for about a month. Because of that, I thought to myself that the job may not be for me after all. God must've other plans for me -- must be work in THE business after the workshop. But when the school called a few days past June, there was a certain relief and doubt on my part. What could that mean? There I was being positive about the whole showbiz thingy when suddenly, teaching calls. Anyway, I took the job. I need a steady income since video orders come and go. I took it as a gift. The future is getting clear now that I have a job and so does Biboy who left Medical City a few days back. He got a high-paying job as a nurse agent in Medicall.

The workshop was doing well, too. I've new friends and I'm learning a lot about movie making. When we were grouped into four, I was happy to have Acy around since she was my very first friend there. All went well until "he" became part of the group. My instincts told me there was something not right about it and I prove it everytime we go into groups. From then on, my spirits went down. It was a situation that I couldn't get my hands on. I told Acy about it and I was glad that she has been feeling the same way about it. At least I have someone to share my thoughts about it. Till we learned that Don has the same feelings. Anyway, to cut the story short, it wasn't good. We are at the point of our workshop lives now that we couldn't care less anymore. We have tried to do and say something about our situation yet they fell on deaf ears. All our energies were used up that we tend to not fight back anymore. We see no point in fighting a losing war. To add insult to the injury, we learned that the person we admired the most in the workshop is not admirable at all.

As if the workshop situation is not enough, I learned that my salary in school is not what I have expected. I knew that it won't level up to my previous salaries because I was just working "part-time" (weekday mornings only) but I didn't expect that it'd be that low. How low? Let's just say I couldn't raise a family with it! Sa akin pa lang, kulang na kulang na! Actually, most of us in school didn't expect such. Kaya nga during the first pay day, nilunod namin ang aming sarili sa kaunting beer at pagkanta sa Encore, Encore.

Pampalubag-loob sa school na meron pang adjustment 'yun sa next pay day. When I got my next pay slip, pucha! Mas mababa sa una! T'was really depressing. Never have I received such amount for work. Malayong-malayo sa mga naging sweldo ko dati. Napaisip tuloy ako. Is it time that I find myself a new job before the semester ends? Or should I continue with it?

I am not really into high-paying jobs. Ever since I worked, it didn't become a leverage for me in accepting the job. As long as I like what I do, it won't matter. But then, when it is this low, it will matter! I have new priorities now. I'm working to pay my debts and to save up for Angel's schooling next year. At the rate I am going today, I don't think I could afford to do both.

Apart from what was mentioned, everything is pretty good in school -- environment, company, students, rules. I own my time except for my given schedule. I can do whatever I want in class. I can make my own exams. Students are easy to deal with. The company I keep is fun. Besides, I feel that somehow it is my "territory" since I graduated there. The problem I had with the last school I was with was everything except the students and the pay. If this is my first job, I wouldn't mind the set back. But as I've said, I've different priorities now. However, I won't be force in applying for a certain job just because of its high-pay. My principles don't go that way.

My spirits have been damaged. My problem is, once I lose my appetite for something, it's difficult to bounce back...

Hooked

Because of the bad weather these days, classes are often suspended. I guess, it's one of the perks of being a teacher especially if you're one of those who really bust their asses off in school! To pass away the time, I decided to catch up on my Grey's Anatomy Season 2. I have downloaded the whole season a few months back. I couldn't wait any longer. But I wasn't able to watch them all because my external hard drive got busted. Fortunately, Ghil has a copy so I borrowed it.

From the moment I saw the first episode, I got addicted! Season 1 was not that inviting for me although I liked it. I just feel that there could be more to it. I can't help comparing it to ER which got me hooked from the beginning. (Oh my! It is still on US TV! I wasn't able to follow it anymore a few seasons after George Clooney left.) But man, Season 2 really picked up from where it left off plus more! The first season was more of an introduction of the characters with only 9 episodes to its credit. The second one finally takes its audience on an emotional ride with the events in the main characters' lives and some of their patients. I began to have the ER feeling all over again. It made me miss that show so much that I decided to buy the series on (original) DVD once I have the money.

When I saw Episode 3, I knew that I have fallen in love with GA! OMG! Never have I seen such an emotionally-charged episode in any series that I have seen where all the characters exeperienced an emotional battle! One climactic scene after another! What a great writing! You have to see it to know what I am saying. Then, there's a 2-part bomb episode (16, 17), shooting incident involving one of the doctors (25), and that cliffhanger where Meredith gets to decide between McDreamy and McVet (27)! I'd definitely get Season 2 Uncut on DVD!

OK. Because GA was so last week and I was done with the last few episodes of Lost Season 2 (Shit! Where the heck are they, anyway?! Who the eff is Henry Gayle?!), let's go to the next: Prison Break! Courtesy of Ghil again, this show will get your adrenaline all pumped-up! Not just because of Wentworth Miller (Oh baby baby, we belong together!) but because of the thrills it has to offer! It is about Michael Scofield who made sure he'd be imprisoned just to get his brother, Lincoln Burrows, out of prison. Lincoln is about to be executed in a month. Michael has planned it all (even tattooed the prison's blue print on his body) but didn't think about the screw-ups he may meet inside the prison bars. Aside from that, he didn't realize that he is dealing with a higher power outside the jail.

These shows are my band-aids for missing my one true love, my TV bible: Sex and the City!

Speaking of missing old TV shows, ABC is reinventing (or should I say adapting) one of my favorite Spanish telenovela Betty La Fea via Ugly Betty! Yehey! It stars America Ferrera of "Real Women Have Curves" and "The Sisterhood of Travelling Pants". This is something I'd truly watch out for!

Seen, Stalked, & Shot!

OMG! Am I being stalked? Hehehe... Just kidding! I stumbled upon a Multiply site who happens to be a fellow Sharonian through Ryan's post. I was surprised to learned that she had taken some shots of me & Ryan during the CD signing. (Tingnan n'yo naman, mega-smile pa ko sa isa sa mga pics na parang alam kong kinukuhanan ako ng picture! Hmm... Ano kaya ang pinag-uusapan namin sa pic na 'yan? Could it be the super mega hunky bodyguard of Ate Shawie?!) I am not sure if we have met her on Sharon taping day three Mondays ago. (I'd tell you all about it in the coming days. Our phone line was busted for about two weeks so I couldn't get online.) But I'd surely like to meet her one of these days. (I guess that it's about time that we volt in with the rest of the rest Sharonians! Hehehe!) Thank's for the pictures, girl! We owe you one! *wink wink*

Fanatic!

Isn't It Romantic? Mall Tour

Ryan and I went to SM North Edsa yesterday to see Ate Shawie on her album tour. Of course, the super fan in me came out! A few hours earlier, I have put about 10 or so cover sleeves of my favorite albums and movies of her. I'd have them all signed by her. This would be the first time that I could actually see her in person closely and asked for her signature.

(Picture above courtesy of We R Sharonians! Look for me!)

I arrived at 2:30 PM thinking that the show was at 4:00 PM. It was at 5:00 PM pala. I waited for Ryan for a while. When he got there, I bought her latest album (my second copy!) just so I could get a seat and asked her to sign my CDs. Ryan, on the other hand, bought her "All I Want" CD. Luckily, he doesn't have a copy of it yet.

DJ Macho Palito of iFM hosted the event. There were games while we were waiting for Ate Shawie to arrived. She came out at past 6 PM and greeted the audience. Grabe! Ang daming utaw! All seats were filled! Standing ovation pa! See my recorded video below...

After a few minutes, we are asked to line up. I was sooooo excited! As in! When she saw that I have two new albums and her other two Sony-BMG albums, she said, "All for Jheck? All for you? Wow naman! Thank you very much! Thank you very much talaga! That's so sweet!" O di ba?! All for the love of Sharon! Then, pa-picture na kami!

Kung kinapalan ko ang mukha ko, I could've asked for more pictures. And, I could've asked her to sign my other sleeves! Kaya lang nahiya na ko. Ang dami pang nakapila. Di lang ako ang fan niya! But how I wished we could've stayed a little longer with her. Sana nakatsikahan namin siya ng matagal! I hope that I'd get the chance to interview her someday...

Related Posts:

Review: Isn't It Romantic?
A Bagful of Sharon Vicor Goodies
A Fanatic Weekend

Funny Vid: MAD TV's Gay Str8 Guys

Watch and laugh to your hearts content!

FTP Second Half Session

FTP class sessions have ended last July 25. We are now in pre-production stages of our short film. Before I talk about the pre-prod planning, let me recap the second half sessions which I failed to write here.

Day 7: Production Design

As the facilitator, we had Robert Domingo. He won for his work in Eddie Garcia's Imortal. His most recent work was on TV via Kampanerang Kuba.

He made emphasis on being creative and resourceful when it comes to production designing. The designer has to do away with all the things available around him especially pag nagkakagipitan na, i.e. sudden costume/set change.


Day 8: Cinematography/Camera Works/Lighting Design

For this session, we had one of the best (if not the greatest) in his field, the Romy Vitug! Tatay Romy started as a photo journalist back in the 60s-70s. The Lino Brocka gave him his first crack at cinematography via Tatlo, Dalawa, Isa in 1974. He wasn't adept then to movie camera language. Nawindang-windang pa siya with Lino's technical instructions. He learned along the way through experiences and with the help of the people around him. He also read books about it. Till he became one of the respected cinematographers here in the Philippines! He has won numerous awards in different award-giving bodies including Urian. I remember him mostly with his Reyna Films works. They're a few of my favorite films.

The session mostly became a kwentuhan event. Sadly, Tatay Romy isn't really much of a teacher. I guess, most people who learned from experience are not. Not that it's bad. It's just a given fact that not all has the ability to teach even if they are excellent in their field. Kaya nga sinapo na siya ni Direk Rahyan when it comes to talking about technicalities, etc.

What inpires me the most about Tatay Romy is his humility. Inspite of the countless awards and recoginitions he had received from the industry, he had remained down to earth. One could easily notice that with his demeanor and how he speaks. Walang ka-ere-ere!

One thing I've realized, as well, is that I'm not into cinematography (at the moment, I guess). It's very technical. I need to read and learn about it first before I could say that I want to try it.


Day 9: Assistant Director/Continuity Director

Day 9 was with the ever pleasant and accomodating, Julius Alfonso (see picture with my friend/groupmate, Len). O di ba? Magsipsip ba? Hehehe. I know that you'd find your way here in my blog in someway or another (just like Joseph Balboa did!), so babatiin ko na po kayo! Hello po sa inyo! :-)

Sir Julius started as a fashion designer. How he started in show business escaped my mind. I guess, I wasn't paying much attention well when his history was mentioned. Pa'no nga ba, Sir Julius? What I remember, though, is that most of his work was with Joel Lamangan. Gamay na gamay na nila ang isa't-isa na tandem na silang maituturing when it comes to being a director and assistant director. With films like Bulaklak ng Maynila, Mano Po 1, Manay Po, Aishite Imasu, theirs is a winning collaboration! Incidentally, he also put on his hands on co-writing Bakit May Kahapon Pa? with Roy Iglesias which was also under the direction of Joel. He was nominated with Roy for Best Screenplay in Urian, 1996. Tama nga ba 'yung info na 'yun, Sir Julius?

An AD is truly the director's right-hand man (the cinematographer being on the left) because he is the one who'd give orders on the set. He would make sure that the director's visions would be executed properly. He'd be the one to tell the cinematographer the shots needed/wanted for a certain scene. In short, he is the voice of the director on the set. Kaya madalas, siya rin ang napuputukan ng mga artistang pasaway, ng mga director na init-ulo o ng mga producer na tigas-ulo. An AD is also the script supervisor (most of the time) who would make sure that every scene would be done accordingly. He needs to remind the director on the last scene or shot that he made.

An AD has a lot of work scope. If you think about, it's a very tiring and demanding job. He needs to be present from pre-production plans to editing sessions. Puyatan na kung sa puyatan!

Day 10: Directing Actors

Fun, fun, fun! That was day 10 like with Director Soxie Topacio! Direk, Socrates pala name n'yo talaga! Ang taray! Hehehe... (Picture with friend/groupmate, Acy)

Direk Soxie mostly gave us techniques in directing/motivating actors. I don't remember the names of those techniques because we tried them ourselves. We didn't had the time to write some notes.

As a director (and as a person, I guess), he's the fun-loving kind. His set is a pleasant one where fear is nowhere in sight. Sometimes it's good. Sometimes it isn't. He isn't the type of person who shouts or gets mad at his actors. Kaya nga raw andun ang AD, he'd be the one to do the "dirty deeds", i.e. mambulyaw ng artista o crew kung kinakailangan.

What I mostly remembered about the session are his behind-the-scenes stories of some actors/movies/directors. He should come up with a book detailing all his kwento! Sobrang aliw! Sobrang halay! Hahaha! Di ko na lang ikukuwento rito dahil mas masarap siya pakinggan. But what I learned with his stories is that Nora Aunor is truly one of the greatest actor (worldwide) alive! An expert should write about how great she in all details for the world to know!