Cinemalaya 2008

As I was not able to catch Cinemalaya's first weekend, I had a Cinemalaya marathon last Saturday. (Too many movies, not enough time! Hope they can extend the run next year.) I arrived at CCP quite early and since Paolo lent me his Prod Pass, I didn't feel the need to rush thinking that just like last year I only need to show the pass to the ushers. But I was wrong. I still needed to get the complimentary tickets at the Ticketron and by the time I was made aware of this, all the tickets have already been taken.

This was only when I realized that lines to the Box Office were impossibly long! Really really long! I will not be able to watch the first few scenes of "Ranchero". I talked to the other person inside the booth selling the tickets if it was possible to get the daily pass without queuing since the students buying the tickets are taking forever. Thankfully, he agreed and I was able to miss only the first sequence of the film.

I was not able to catch "Jay" and "Boses" since tickets were all sold out. I, however, was able to watch apart from "Ranchero" which I liked, "Concerto" which I found to be technically sound, "Imoral" which surprisingly, I also liked (eversince Donsol and Kadin, I vowed never to watch an Alix film in theaters) and "100" which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Above, is my picture with Direk Connie Macatuno. I have been a fan since her impressive OBBs. The highlight of the day is seeing Joanne's face light up upon hearing that Arnold Reyes is in the LT lobby! I will leave the reviews to the professional cinephiles but would definitely recommend catching the films if they get shown in IndieSine at Galleria or if you live near UP, catch the Cinemalaya run there this July and August.

Virgin Labfest 4

After quite sometime, I found myself back in CCP. Gratefully so, I was able to catch Tuxqs’ and Shamaine's powerful performances last Sunday as I watched one of the 5 sets in this year's Labfest entries. Among the three plays in the set, theirs is without question, the best!

The first one, Ang Mga Babaeng Too Bright, is funny, thanks to the animated performances of the actors. I don't know if there were miscues but I found the lighting design to be a bit distracting.

The third play, Ang Pangalawa Niyang Libing, tackles an interesting topic. Interesting, because not many Filipinos are aware of the customs of the Muslim families, but that's about as far as my interest in that play goes. Next.

Floy Quinto's Ang Kalungkutan ng Reyna is relevant and hilarious. It was a joy watching Tuxqs and Shamaine. If only for this play, troop over to CCP tomorrow night for their last performance. It's so worth it!

Yesterday, thanks to the Pasig Day celebration, I had time to catch Pagbabago, Paghahanap and Pagkakataon. Another set in this year's entries. 2 of the previous Didis are here so expect to laugh out loud.

Ricci Chan and his Mengina is surprising. A tragic ending turned out to be not so tragic after all.

Ang Bayot...is my favorite from this set. It provides the audience with insights regarding discrimination without really trying too hard. I loved the approach plus both Joey and Arnold were both outstanding.

The third play, Ang Gumamela, had its moments. It is predictable and the lead's powerpuff alter-egos are a joy. The fact that they were the gayed up version of his lovers is brilliant.

I'll still be catching the last 2 sets this Sunday and I really can't wait to see "Las Mentiras de Gloria". Regrettably, due to my schedule, I won't be able to watch the restaging of Ellas Inocentes.

Back With A Sun Sim

I now have a Sun number again. A long time ago, my friends and I joined the Sun craze when it was first introduced but we reverted back to our good old reliable network providers after encountering a lot of problems with it.

I decided to get another Sun number today upon seeing their Call & Text International Sim. It sells for only P49! And if you have loved ones abroad, forget about the Globe OFW sim, this is by far the most affordable package that you can get. My parents are both in the US and I have friends over at Singapore that I keep in touch with. Globe used to charge just a peso for text messages sent to Singtel so I only have to worry about the costly text messages to the US. However, Globe introduced a new promo just recently, in order for you to enjoy the cheap rates to Singapore, you still have to register to their promo which requires a weekly fee of about P50 which to me is appalling. It's as if they are not earning enough that they still have to charge you for wanting to send text messages abroad.

Good thing I discovered the Sun sim, it costs only P1 per text message sent to 20 popular destinations and only $.10 per minute for 10 popular destinations. Cheaper than a local call! How great is that? Spread the word!

Wise Spending

I realized that my spending habits have got to be controlled. Thanks largely to the influence of Rhommel and Clarice I have managed to keep my expenditures way under the past work week. If I can keep this up, I'll finally be debt-free real fast. :-)

I also came across an interesting book at Powerbooks, the title escapes me, but the first part is devoted to controlling your latte factors. It is actually a term that refers to things that people spend a lot of their money on without even realizing it. An example would be the daily Starbucks fix. It might be as inexpensive as your one-stick-a-day cigar or as pricey as your weekly massages but the idea is to track it and eventually get rid of it. Accumulated, you'd be surprised as to how much money that is.

I have determined mine to be doughnuts, chocolates, and ice cream. Never a day goes by that I don't indulge in any of the three. I have realized that by avoiding these things, not only do I get to save more but I get to live a healthier life by doing away with refined sugars and trans fats!

But back to spending, if I have been successful in controlling it the past work week, this weekend, I haven't been as successful. A quick trip to the mall for lunch and a little pampering amounted to nearly P700. Normally, I wouldn't be bothered by such an amount but my conscience is nagging on me. I could have gotten an asado rice for half the price elsewhere!

Oh well...

Awaited Visit

Em-J paid us a visit over the long weekend and he brought boxes and boxes of pure chocolate ecstasy!

Clarice and Oliver have both been surprised over Em-J's visit since it has only been 3 months since he last left. Little did they know that Em-J and I have planned for this much earlier.

I picked him up at the airport last Friday at 4am and upon seeing him at the arrival gate, it was as if he never left. He was still in his trademark get-up and even at the wee hours of the morning, he was still his very much his bubbly self. The weekend was a flurry of activities trying to accomplish everything that he needs to before heading back to his new home.

Will be seeing you real soon, friend! :-)

Addiction

The Rubik's cube is our latest addiction!

Well, at least mine and Rhommel's. He has been carrying his cube for quite some time now but nobody really paid much attention to it primarily because no one in our team can solve it's mystery. He then had the bright idea to buy a new one to check out the instruction sheet that came along with it about a week ago.

Incidentally, Penny also posted an instructional video on her multiply page.

Here's Rhommel completing his first cube!

Being that the local Mabuhay cube is a bit tight and a little uncomfortable to play with, we set out to look for the original Rubik's cube. The search over at the nearby malls were all futile so we resolved to ordering the cubes at Amazon. Unfortunately, they can't ship the cubes here!

Still decided on getting the original ones, we tried several malls in Makati. The store assistant at Kidz Station told us that the elusive cube is exclusively sold at Toys 'R' Us. Armed with this little bit of information, we rushed to Galleria and we each got a piece. Yey!

They're Back

Our furry and fuzzy friends are back!

June 21, 2PM

Tickets available real soon!

Finally, an update!

I haven't blogged for a long time. The first week of the new year, I was swamped with work with the backlogs brought about by the holidays. Add to that our long lunch outs at far flung places...well, not really...but by lunch break standards, it's still quite far.

"At Seaside ready to stuff ourselves full"

"North Park Medical City while waiting for Willie's lab results looking more plump than ever"

The following week gave me enough leeway to complete and present my month-end report before getting sick.

By the way, Em-J, this is how our station looks like now. Clarice is now occupying your station and it's still as messy as ever. Good luck to Willie's 6S project.

This week, I'm back to work, I received an invitation from one of our managers to transfer to another team. It will be a promotion for me so I really had to think things over which was kind of difficult since he gave me roughly about just an hour to decide. Our account may be shaky but I feel secure here. As of now, I'm still not ready to leave my comfort zone. I just hope my decision is right.

Nakakatawa si Tin!

tintin yang: tignan mo naman ung bagong headshot na nilagay ko kung NAKAKATAWA ung itsura ko

tintin yang: hahahahah
tintin yang: :)
carlo: ah cge
carlo: buksan ko
tintin yang: parang duling kasi ako
tintin yang: hahahahah
tintin yang: dun sa picture
carlo: ang ganda nga ng pic mo habang nagbabasa ka eh
carlo: hindi halatang umaarte ka
carlo: hahahaha
tintin yang: hahahahha
tintin yang: hindi yuuun!
tintin yang: ung headshot!
carlo: ah teka, wala pa ko dun eh
tintin yang: pero tama ka...umaarte nga lang ako dun sa nag babasa ako
tintin yang: hahahh
carlo: mabagal kasi ang multiply dito sa office
carlo: hahahahaah
tintin yang: ah
tintin yang: hahah
carlo: nakita ko na yung headshot mo
carlo: maganda naman ah
tintin yang: hahha okey
tintin yang: hindi ba ko mukhang duling?
tintin yang: hahahaha
carlo: hindi naman
carlo: mukha kang artista
carlo: alam mo un?
tintin yang: hahahahhaah
tintin yang: alam ko yunnn, alam ko na mukha akong artista
tintin yang: :))
carlo: :))
carlo: niloko lang kita naniwala ka naman
tintin yang: hindi ko naman kailangan maniwala sa sinabi mo dahil alam ko na dati pa na yun ang katotohanan
carlo: hahahahaha
carlo: pero tama ka
carlo: kamukha mo si janice de belen
tintin yang: YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
tintin yang: AYAW KO KAYA DUUUUUUUUUUN
carlo: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
tintin yang: HINDI KO KAMUKHA YUUUUUUUN!!!!
tintin yang: BAWIIN MO SINABI MO!!!
tintin yang: BAWIIN MOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
carlo: binabawi ko na!
carlo: hahahaha
tintin yang: haha buti naman

Avenue Q Finale

A million thanks to everyone who watched the show last night! We were ecstatic with the turn out and the audience was very receptive. I have also received several messages from people who expressed how much fun they had and how glad they were that they secured their tickets early on. From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much!

Our team's journey to Avenue Q was certainly long. Hogi already offered the show to us during the first run but we were still busy with the other show that time. And then came this run, I gave Hogi my word that I will be buying a show from them but the rest of the team seem reluctant in investing as we were also negotiating with another company for another show.

Glenn and I formed a new team with Em-J still in tow but then came the problem with the play date. Luckily, another show opened which Hogi offered to us. Thanks Hogi!

The first few weeks were unusually slow for us but as expected, it picked up when the show opened. My phone has been buzzing non-stop as early as 6 in the morning. No kidding! The last few days have been a flurry of meet-ups. (I swear my legs nearly gave up on me). Last Thursday being the busiest with my first delivery at 10am and my last at 1am. Good thing I have an understanding manager who accompanied me.

Here are my personal thanks to those who helped us in more ways than they are aware of:
To the team, thank you for believing that we can do it...and we did! Special mention to Rhommel for allowing some things at work to temporarily take the back seat and to Glenn for relentlessly selling, picking up, delivering and swapping tickets! Gail for giving me my first major sale! She was promoting it long before I did.
Hogi and Lawyn for the countless referrals.
Gerard and Ysa for the Sykes blast!
Jackie of Fleur de Lys, thank you for accommodating our request!
Micah and Sen for posting our ads, to Paolo and the others who forwarded our text invites!
Jocelyn of PEP.PH for the press release.
Peewee for being supportive, andun ka na sa theater...wala pa kami!
The Cast, Bobby & Chari and the people of Atlantis for giving the audience a truly entertaining evening!

and to a host of others who have shown their support! Thank you!

Have a Fuzzy and Merry Christmas everyone!

Fleur de Lys

The Perfect Christmas treat is here!

Fleur de Lys Patisserie has been in operation for 6 years and has been consistently featured in major magazines and newspapers as one of the best dessert places in the metro. Owner and pastry chef, Jackie Ang Po is a dean's list graduate of the California Culinary Academy and she shares her exemplary talent through her take on dessert classics with a twist.

Pictured above are the best sellers, Nuts About You (Macadamia Nut Pie), the Next Best Thing, and Dulce & Gabanna tart (Banana Dulce de Leche Tart).

Don't forget to take advantage of the special treat to Avenue Q ticket buyers. Present your December 23, 8PM tickets to avail of a 10% discount for dine-in orders and 5% for take-away cakes.

Fleur de Lys is located at 305 Tomas Morato beside Popular bookstore and Belo Medical Clinic.

For orders, please call: 372-0631

Tempting?

Which is more tempting?

A chocolate cake?

or

Lucy the slut?

Why not have both?

Here's a special treat to Avenue Q fans!

Simply present your December 23, 8PM tickets at Fleur de Lys Patisserie
from December 15 - January 15, 2007 and get a 10% discount on their mouth-watering meals and desserts!

(pictured above is Fleur de Lys' The Next Best Thing)
5% discount on Take Away Cakes.

Avenue Q Returns!

To call it a ''puppet show'' does it a disservice. '''Sesame Street' for grown-ups'' isn't right either. There's no handy way to describe ''Avenue Q,'' except as the furriest, and one of the funniest, shows you're likely ever to see. - Entertainment Weekly

You missed it the last time! Good thing, the folks at Atlantis decided to bring it back to spread more cheer. Get your tickets as early as now or be left behind!

Catch the funniest and furriest show as it returns to the RCBC Theater this season!

Tickets to the farewell show on DECEMBER 23, 8PM already available!

RESERVE YOUR TICKETS NOW!

0916-3853642

AVENUE Q TICKETS AVAILABLE!!!

Happy Birthday Em-J!!!

Online Videos by Veoh.com

Reputation?

The fourth season of Desperate Housewives premiered a few days ago and surely Susan's line is sure to cause an uproar.

A brief background, Susan is given a diagnosis by a new doctor which she refuses to accept.

Susan: Okay, before we go any further, can I check those diplomas cause I would just like to make sure that they're not from some med school in the Philippines.

I'm not one to react strongly to similar depictions of our beloved country primarily because it's their opinion and I wouldn't want to waste my time trying to convince people otherwise. I am, however, baffled by the particular line above. Do our graduates really give off that impression?

It's scary.

Unexpected Surprise

Guess who trooped over to our office? Ang TP!

Missing in the picture is Ms. Jing who's on the phone.

Minette, sayang wala ka!

Extraordinary Friend

Finally spent time with Jencarps last Saturday. We both wanted to watch Avenue Q but since there were no more tickets that we both can afford, we decided to catch Rep's Love's Labor's Lost at Onstage since we were already there. The dilemma is that we're there before lunch and the show starts at 8.

We spent the first part of the morning shopping...(Jencarps shopping and me watching her) and then we met up with Obie and his sister for lunch at the Tea Salon. After lunch, with Jencarps barely surviving and the morning marathon taking it's toll on us, we decided to make time pass at Fuzion . I was surprised when Jencarps ordered food! This is barely an hour after lunch.





Time sure did pass with our incessant gabbing! By the time the show started we were already tired and feeling sleepy. I desperately tried to keep my eyes open while Jencarps peacefully dozed off beside me! :))

Excluding our short meetings for Zsazsa, we never really had a chance to catch up on each other's lives. It was sure fun to finally spend the entire day just talking about what keeps us busy and the emotional roller coaster ride that we both had to go through.

Fooooooooood!!!!!!!!

I begrudgingly dragged myself out of bed (at around 1pm) upon receiving Willie's call reminding me that he's already on his way for our swim meet. This has long been planned and I really needed the exercise so I took a shower though still very sleepy. After the invigorating exercise, we headed to Shangri-la for a late lunch at Tokyo Tokyo with Em-J and Clarice in tow.
Upon arriving at the office, I received a message from my manager reminding me that we'll be joining Em-J's team for dinner at Dad's. I was already full and decided that I'll no longer be partaking in the buffet. We then headed to Dad's Megamall but I found the smell of food too enticing to pass up. Before I knew it, I was already holding a blue plate and filling it with food.


I frankly had more than enough of my fill that it was pure agony just staying still. I am swearing off buffets...for now. Uggh!!!

Curiously, on our way back to the office, a shot taken by our friend caught us looking at the rows of food kiosks near the supermarket. :)

Insiang

Avenue Q

Last Saturday, I finally got the chance to watch Avenue Q at the RCBC (thanks to Hogi!). I frankly didn't expect much since I wasn't sure if the the Manila production would be able to pull it off. Not that I have anything to base it on but the musical is so different, to quote them "it's a new breed of musical", that it's scary to expect too much.

The show, however, blew me away! It's laugh-out-loud good! Though I am already familiar with the songs where you can already surmise the plot, the experience is totally different.

The actors, most of them veterans of the stage, still managed to surprise me with their talent. Hats off to Rachel Alejandro whose seamless transition from the sweet Kate Monster to the seductive Lucy the Slut is already worth your ticket price. Ditto to Felix Rivera whose on stage a lot as Princeton and Rod. The biggest revelation, however, is Frenchie Dy. She is perfect as Christmas Eve! We luurve her!!!!

Avenue Q is already on it's 2nd week! Hurry and get your tickets now!

BFFs, What's Up?

I finally got a chance to chat with Nar earlier this evening and it was fun to laugh out loud once more. Ang culprit sa laugh session ay ang kanyang puppy love!!! Ang exciting di ba?

Similarly, Hogi has a story to tell...hmmm...can't wait! Tama na ang Avenue Q!

Minette, i-reschedule natin ang movie date na plinano mo at ikaw pa ang hindi nakasama! :))

Dyown, naghihintay ang buffet...kailan ba to?

Zee, kamusta naman? Parang ang tagal na rin kitang di nakakakwentuhan.

Hilary, I miss you! Ikaw na nagturo samin how to english the sosyal way!

Glenn, kamusta na ang restructuring?

Tin at Micah, kayo lang ang palagi kong nakakausap...ano pa bang bago?

Best Broadway Shows

TWO OF THE BEST BROADWAY SHOWS ARE HERE!

WINNER - Laurence Olivier Award for Best Comedy.
WINNER - Tony Award for Best Play
NOMINEE - Drama Desk Award for Outstanding New Play

ART tells the story of three long-time friends, Serge, Marc and Yvan. Serge, indulging his penchant for modern art, buys a large, expensive, completely white painting. Marc is horrified, and their relationship suffers considerable strain as a result of their differing opinions about what constitutes "art." Yvan, caught in the middle of the conflict, tries to please and mollify both of them.

The one-night only performance is produced by Little Boy Productions and Actor's Actors Inc, and features a cast of three well-respected names in the Philippine entertainment industry - Jett Pangan, Michael de Mesa and Ricky Davao.

WHEN: September 22, 2007 at 8PM
WHERE: Music Museum
TICKET PRICES: P700, P500 and P300

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW AND AVAIL OF A 10% DISCOUNT. YOU CAN REACH ME AT 0916-3853642

WINNER - Tony Award for Best Musical
WINNER - Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical
WINNER - Lucille Lortel Award for Best Musical
NOMINEE - Drama Desk Award for Outstanding New Musical

AVENUE Q, the phenomenally inventive musical that combines people and puppets, is about real life. It's about finding a job, losing a job, learning about racism, getting an apartment, getting kicked out of your apartment, being different, falling in love, promiscuity, avoiding commitment, hangovers, Internet porn and discovering the world.

The Philippine production produced by Atlantis and directed by Bobby Aquino stars Rachel Alejandro, Frenchie Dy, Aiza Seguerra and Joel Trinidad.

WHEN: September 14, 2007 at 8PM
WHERE: RCBC Theater
TICKET PRICES: P1250, P1000 and P500

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW AND AVAIL OF A 10% DISCOUNT. YOU CAN REACH ME AT 0916-3853642

8 Insanely Random Facts About Me

I have been tagged by Roy eons ago for this meme but I haven't been able to blog as much so I'm posting this just now. Also used the same info for a similar meme I answered several months back. :)

1. I like things to be really organized that I need an organizer to organize my organizers. Really. For instance, I have several notebooks at work to keep track of what I'm doing. I have one for internal trainings, one for my to-do lists, one for process observation notes, one as a scratch whenever I feel like doodling, and on top of that I still have a journal.

I also come up with all sorts of trackers, quick links, and folders in the shared drive.
With the intent of keeping things organized, it usually becomes more disorganized.

2. I'm not a music fan so don't ask me about the latest releases. However, if I hear something that I like, I can listen to that song repeatedly for days on end.

3. I have my own weird way of eating one of my favorite chocolates. Twix, for instance, I start with eating all the chocolate and caramel and save the biscuits for last.

4. I love cakes...but when I dine out, I really have difficulty choosing which cake to try that I end up not buying one. In fact, I haven't bought a slice of cake in ages. Nevermind if I salivate daily over the displays at Goodies & Sweets and Coffee Beanery on my way to work.

5. Lastly, I love expired chocolates. All chocolates have the same distinct taste when it expires that I just can't say no to. In fact, the chocolate drink of a famous coffee shop became one of my favorites because it tastes just like that!

6. I don't know how to cook. Yes, I took up hotel, restaurant, and institution management in college but it doesn't follow that I'm also a good cook.

7. I don't like to shop for clothes. I'd have difficulty shelling out a few bucks for clothes but wouldn't mind spending more for a book I like.

8. I've never been drunk!

Mababaw na Kaligayahan

As most of you already know, I have finally moved to Mandaluyong. I'm now a city lad! Hahaha!

The place though quite bare is a huge convenience since it takes me roughly about 10 minutes to get to work. I do, however, get bored since I don't have a tv and an internet connection yet. Last night, to pass off time, I rummaged through some of the junk that I brought there and was surprised to find tickets to musicals that my sister and I watched a few years back. Ang saya mag-reminisce.
******
A couple of announcements from Sykes made us all very happy. First, since there is a heavy downpour, McDonald's will be setting up their booth at one of our floors. Nothing can be more convenient! The second announcement, on top of our regular daily transpo allowance, all our taxi fares for the day will be reimbursed! Yey!!!

The Pillowman

The Pillowman is a play by Martin McDonagh. A drama, it tells the tale of Katurian, a fiction writer living in a police state who is interrogated about the gruesome content of his short stories, and their similarities to a number of bizarre incidents occurring in his town.

The play had its world premiere on November 13, 2003 at the Royal National Theatre, starring David Tennant as Katurian, the play's primary focus, Jim Broadbent as Tupolski his lead interrogator, Nigel Lindsay as Ariel, and Adam Godley as Michal. It received the 2004 Olivier Award and an Evening Standard Award nomination for Best New Play. It was directed by John Crowley.

Katurian is being interviewed; Some of the short stories he wrote are similar to some bizarre child murders that are happening in the town. Katurian of course denies these allegations, stating that although his stories are gruesome it is the job of a storyteller to tell a story. After being tortured Katurian is thrown into a room with his mentally handicapped brother Michal. Michal says that he was the one who killed the children, and was only doing what was in the stories because “that is what his brother wanted him to do”. Katurian doesn’t want his brother to be executed for something that he wasn’t fully cognizant about so Katurian smothers his brother with a pillow. Katurian then later confesses to the murders of the three children, making a deal with Tupolski and Ariel that if he did they would not destroy his stories. When the police find the crime scenes they find that his description of them do not match the crime scenes at all. They know that Katurian wasn’t the murderer, but he is executed anyway for the murder of his parents and Michal.

Article from wikipedia

Sweeney Todd

Another movie to look forward to this coming December...

Also, the poster for Saw 4 has already been released, wala bang katapusan ang Saw? Enough with the gore! Baka pati Hostel gumaya!

Fully Booked!

I figured that posting an entry about our most recent escapade is quite pointless since I am with all my BFFs, my only ardent readers here in multiply...but what the heck.

I really needed to go to Bayantel since I still have to settle my disconnection request but I woke up late so I decided to wait for Micah's class to end instead. Zee sent me a message informing me that she'll be at Glorietta so instead of heading over to CCP, we decided to meet them there. However, on our way, they decided to leave the mall and head to CCP.

We went to the cinemas to secure our tickets but the line was horrendously long. It was worse than falling in line for Juday's movie during last year's filmfest. We didn't want our efforts to go to waste so I decided to take advantage of sureseats instead. There was only one person who's using the sureseats terminal but she nearly took forever. When it was already my turn to use the station, Micah (who I asked to fall in line in case sureseats is not working) was already near the counter. We still opted to use sureseats in case someone backs out.

We then went to CCP where Hogi was waiting for us at Batute. With nothing to do, we decided to have dinner at Tapa King to get to know our new companion, Hilary Hilarious. It was never boring with her. According to Tin, who was unusually quiet that time, she was being upstaged. After dinner, we went back to CCP where Lao and Minette were. Back to Glorietta we go and we went straight to Food Choices for another bonding session. After that, back to the sureseats terminal to pay for our tickets.

The movie was disappointing but thanks to Hilary and Lao's comments, I was kept entertained. I wished to have sat with Nar to complete the loud trio but that would be way too distracting already. Hilary was a fun companion when it comes to watching movies, sobra!

After the movies, Hilary bade us goodbye and the rest of us decided to head to Malate for Lao and Nar's videoke performance. At nearly 4, Tin called it a night. The rest went back to our place for more kwentuhan sessions.

I can't stress enough how fun the weekend has been. Hoping to spend more time with you all.

Siopao

A siopao made of cat meat is already considered an urban legend. Recently, luncheon meats were put in the spotlight when fake Ma-Lings (a popular brand) proliferated the market that is allegedly made up of cat and rat meat. (No follow-up report was released so the claim was neither proven or disproven) Disgusting right?

This was shown following exposes on how unsanitary and vile the manufacturing and repacking of sugar, rice, and fish crackers are.

Yesterday, deception reaches a new low when it was reported that steam buns (siopao) are partly made up of cardboard. How sad is this?

BEIJING — Chopped cardboard, softened with an industrial chemical and made tasty with pork flavoring, is a main ingredient in batches of steamed buns sold in one Beijing neighborhood, state television said.

China Central Television's undercover investigation features the shirtless, shorts-clad maker of the buns, called baozi, explaining the contents of the product sold in Beijing's sprawling Chaoyang district.

The hidden camera follows the man, whose face is not shown, into a ramshackle building where steamers are filled with the fluffy white buns, traditionally stuffed with minced pork.

The surroundings are filthy, with water puddles and piles of old furniture and cardboard on the ground.

"What's in the recipe?" the reporter asks. "Six to four," the man says.

"You mean 60 percent cardboard? What is the other 40 percent?" asks the reporter. "Fatty meat," the man replies.

The bun maker and his assistants then give a demonstration on how the product is made.

Squares of cardboard picked from the ground are first soaked to a pulp in a plastic basin of caustic soda — a chemical base commonly used in manufacturing paper and soap — then chopped into tiny morsels with a cleaver. Fatty pork and powdered seasoning are stirred in.

Soon, steaming servings of the buns appear on-screen. The reporter takes a bite.

"This baozi filling is kind of tough. Not much taste," he says. "Can other people taste the difference?"

"Most people can't. It fools the average person," the maker says. "I don't eat them myself."

Report from www.newsvine.com
Read the complete article here.

Weekday at TP

I arrived at CCP at a little past 1pm. I went straight to the TP office and was really embarrassed when I saw one of my blog entries posted in their bulletin board. Paolo texted me that he'll be printing it out and posting it but I got the message right when I was already by the door. Ms. Yvette was still busy so Paolo and I went outside so I can finally convince him to join us this coming Saturday. Hogi arrived soon after.Ms. Yvette, Hogi and I then headed to Starbucks to discuss some things and then back to the TP office for a little more chitchat with Paolo. As it was when we were with Zshali, Paolo shared his wealth of knowledge regarding musicals complete with musical numbers. I also managed to take a video, he was too busy singing his heart out to object. Hehe. Sharing some photos here:

Hogi then headed home while I headed to the office to officially start my day at work. How sad. It was a pretty busy day so I hardly noticed the time but I also wasn't able to check multiply much.

Delayed Thank Yous!

Zshali, true to her word, gave me a copy of Bob Ong's Macarthur last week. I already finished the book and have already said my views on it. With "bogaloid" as a new term introduced by the book, can't help but remember other weird terms that we previously use such as Spongklong and Burunggoy. Don't exactly remember what they both mean but I know Ralph, Nicole and I use spongklong often. Burrongoy naman is a term that my high school chem teacher used to call us. Kayo meron kayo?

Speaking of books, Tuxqs also gave me a copy of Chris Martinez's Laugh Trip a few months back. Sayang lang cause I already bought a copy for myself. Nevertheless, the gesture is much appreciated. Thanks!

Craving for doughnuts, Em-J treated all of us to a couple of rounds of Krispy Kremes! Can't get enough of them. Sabi ko nga kay Zee, doughnut fan ako. Kahit na yung sa kanto, gusto ko!

Thanks thanks!

Hindi independence day Zee at Tin pero tagalog na lang ang entry dahil nahihirapan na kong mag-Ingles.

Salamat ng marami sa lahat ng nanood dun sa playdates namin.

Salamat sa TP, Yvette, Paolo, Minette, Chynna, Lanie at Jing sa pag-accommodate sa mga requests namin. Kakaiba!

Salamat sa inyo Zee, Hogi, Dyown at Tin dahil kahit ilang beses nyo ng napanood ang show eh bumili pa rin kayo.

Kay Ate Yang, salamat din sa kaka-promote sa dates namin. Ganon din sa ibang mga bloggers na di namin kilala for posting our show dates and numbers.

Siyempre salamat rin sa lahat lahat ng bumili ng tickets from us.

Sa nagalit sakin at sinabihan akong ayus-ayusin ko ang trabaho ko, kung sino ka man, salamat na rin kahit na ang ticket na pinapa-reserve mo eh hindi naman sa amin. Pasensya na tao lang.

Sa nagalit sakin dahil balcony ang binili nya at bakit daw nasa balcony siya, wala akong masabi sayo! Sa naiinis kahapon dahil akala daw nya eh Cinderella at Snow White ang palabas, isa ka pa!

Salamat sa mga nagbigay tulong pinansiyal at sa pagpromote ng mga dates namin. Salamat sa Sunsilk (Ms. Janice), Sykes (Gerard at Aileen), 103.5 (Ms. Claudine), Wazzup Wazzup para sa crawl, PEP (Jocelyn), Clickthecity (Dara) at sa iba pang nagdikit ng mga posters namin. Thanks thanks, sa uulitin! =)

Can't say thank you enough!

Labfest and Zaturnnah

I wasn't able to catch Children's Plays last Saturday. It was way too early and I couldn't will myself to get out of bed. I sent a text to Hogi who was also supposed to watch the 10am show to apologize but was also pleasantly surprised to find out that she was also still in bed. Anyway, I headed to CCP at around 12:30pm and got there a little after 1. I met up with Hogi at Starbucks and then I proceeded to the HB lobby to help out Paolo. (Hahahaha, didn't get to do much, managed to sell a program though). I went out just before the open house since I was still getting a lot of Zsazsa ticket inquiries and there was no signal there.

Just before getting the tickets, Paolo told me that he'll be giving us compli tickets. Weee! Thanks much! Got to see XX and X. Pretty interesting and profoundly confusing. Told Zee that I want to stay at the 2nd level of Batute but she insisted on sitting upfront. Good thing we didn't sit in the first row since the people in front of us were showered by thir unsavory um...prop. (Tama ba ang term?)

We didn't stay for the 8PM show and didn't get to take pictures during the meet and greet since we had to rush to RCBC for Zsazsa. When we got there, She was already there and no one from TP yet except for Ms. Yvette. Decided to help them out. I'm really glad at the turn out of She's show. The theatre was nearly packed. I was surprised with Zee since she was still laughing out loud, sometimes even louder than the rest. Sat with Zee and Carlo Vergara during the second half of the show and except for one unsavory incident during the intermission, we were fine.

I had a lot of pics taken with the cast for the first time, unfortunately, something wrong happened with Zee's new cam phone and we can't find any of it. Sayang, ang dami talaga non. Will post the pics soon.

Virgin Labfest 3

I'll try to watch all the included plays in this year's labfest. Kind of difficult to accommodate all plays but I've managed to create a temp schedule. Hope this works out for me. Kung pwede kayo, nood na din kayo!

June 30 Saturday

10AM - Children's Plays
3PM - XX and X: Hindi Pang-isip Bata

July 4 Wednesday

3PM - Best of Virgin Labfest 2

July 7 - Saturday

3PM - Ang Pagdadalaga at Iba Pang Rebelasyon
8PM - Identity and Politics

July 8 - Sunday

3PM - International Night
8PM - Madadramang Pamilya

Zaturnnah Day!

Had an early start yesterday. Ruby asked me to be present during the matinee of Zsazsa Zaturnnah since people from Unilever will be there to check their first raffle in lieu of the removal of their tarp at the venue. Per usual, Paolo was busy as a bee since there were a lot of late attendees. Ruby arrived a little after the show started. We both went in to watch the remainder of the show after a little catching up on the events at the office that I couldn't stay for early this morning. Tuxqs and Janvier were performing and we were surprised at their chemistry. Nakakakilig! Ate Lanie can't stop gushing. Nar, of course, is better than ever. He even got standing ovations. (for both performances ha!)

We then had a late lunch at Tokyo Tokyo with Paolo who then had to run to the venue since people are already starting to look for him. It was Dennis' show and we were glad at the turn out. Hopefully, ours today will be the same. After the show, we stayed at Starbucks to tally our tickets reserved then off to Malate to pick up the tickets that we left at Pride Exchange. Traffic was horrible! There were a lot of make-shift stages with rock bands performing. Chaotic to say the least. Don't know what the event was and we really didn't stay long to find out. The noise is aggravating my headache. Hehehe. We also dropped by The Library to look for Mamu who wasn't there. Finally decided to head home.

Zsazsa Zaturnnah Soars!

The reviews are in and as expected...people can't get enough of it!

"K Brosas as Zaturnnah is a welcoming experience. When Ada transaforms to ZsaZsa and back-- this time I 'see' one person...I liked how they added more detail in the last part 'Ikaw and Superhero ng Buhay Ko'. Very effective!...Will be back next weekend, the evening of the 24th AND on July 1st matinee with friends from the office. "Can't get enuf ano, Te!!"

Yang

"As usual tawa pa rin ako ng tawa. Di na ata magbabago yun. In fairness, natatawa pa rin naman ako, kahit 164558155794387 times ko na napanood."

Zee

"She (K) gives a different flavor to the role (definitely!) and has an interesting delivery certain scenes...Kalila, Kalila, Kalila ... stellar as always!...Tuxqs was lovely as always! He has this role down to a tee...Nar was a breath of fresh air. I've seen him before in the cast and he seems to be a quiet and shy guy --- and now I see him as Didi. *shocker!* He had big shoes to fill! First Ricci Chan's, then Joey Paras', and guess what? The shoes fit!"

Penny

"Per usual, the play never failed to make everyone laugh. Punchline after punchline, and the new K and Nar tandem was a hit."

Hogi

THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO CATCH ZSAZSA ON STAGE!
GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!

CARLO - 0916-3853642

Thank you!

Sa lahat ng bumati magmula kagabi, maraming maraming salamat! Di ko na kayo iisa-isahin at baka may mabanggit ako na di naman pala bumati....ay baka pala may malimutan akong banggitin. Hahahaha! Ang tanda ko na! Oh no!

June 16, 3PM

Be among the very first to watch the return of Zsazsa Zaturnnah!

Tickets to June 16, 3PM are available at the Carlos P. Romulo Theater lobby from 1PM onwards.

Look for Paolo or Jencarps.

See you all there!

Tuesday naman!

I woke up really early today to meet up with Jencarps who's coming home from a late shift. I met up with her at ABS. We then headed over to Kamuning to deliver tickets that Penny ordered. This is my first time to meet her and she's such a joy to talk to. After about an hour of sharing, we went to Fleur de Lys to leave some tickets and have dessert.

My manager informed me that he won't be coming to work becaue he's down with the flu. He instructed me to make sure that we are all well prepared for our presentation at 2:30 to our regional manager. As if by luck, after a few minutes, I received a call from our operations manager that we will be rescheduling our presentation next week since there are clients visiting. Yey! At least I can now relax and enjoy the drink that I ordered.

I then headed to the office and had a meeting re: Sykes sponsorship of Zsazsa Zaturnnah. We were able to finally close the deal. I then talked to Yvette of TP re: all the requirements that they still need before the show opens on Friday. I'm flooded with information and I'm getting confused.

When Ruby arrived, I informed her of what Yvette and I talked about. Hay, as most of my close friends already know, what happened is another long story deserving of another entry all by itself. I headed home really exhausted.

Lunes...walang pasok.

Lunes, celebration ng independence day kaya walang pasok. Sakto!

After lunch, pumunta na ko sa TP para kunin ang ZZZ flyers. Sa isip isip ko, magaan lang naman siya. Aba, tatlong bulto pala siya kaya pinabalik ko ang kapatid ko para iuwi nila ang dalawang bulto. Binitbit ko ang isa magdamag at ang bigat nya!

Hinintay ko si Zshali dun dahil sabi nya wala naman siyang gagawin kaya nagpasama ako. Dahil sa sadyang masyado pang maaga nagpalipas kami ng oras dun. Nakipagkwentuhan kami kay Paolo at ang wealth of knowledge nya tungkol sa broadway musicals ay kamangha-mangha. Nakakatuwa siyang kausap. Nung nagsimula ng pumatak ang ulan ay nagpunta ay nagpaalam na kami ni Zee at humayo na pa-Makati para ibigay ko kay Arnold ang tickets nya.

Pagkatapos ay naglakad naman kami papuntang Enterprise para ibigay naman kay Jennifer ang mga tickets nya. Napaka-init kaya kahit na hindi ganon kalayo eh parang dalawang bundok ang tinawid namin! Parang pagod na pagod na si Zee at ni walang hangin para maginhawaan naman kami ng konti. Nagpalipas kami ng oras sa Bio-Essence yata yun bago nagpuntang BPI para i-meet naman si Ate Yang. Pagkatapos nun, bumalik kaming Greenbelt 3 para makipagmeeting kina Jencarps at Grace. Dun ko pa lang nailapag ang mga flyers. Salamat naman.

Medyo mahaba ang diskusyon dahil naguguluhan pa sila sa set-up pero naging maayos naman ang lahat. Nakauwi ako ng mga alas-dose ngunit di pa ko nakapagpahinga. Alas-tres na dahil sa dami ng dapat pang ayusin at i-audit. Ang sakit na ng likod ko!

Ramblings...kung ano ano...wala lang!

I know that we still have a lot of work to do for Zsazsa but for the meantime, I'll forego promoting it.

I didn't go to church today since I got home at around 3am after the leafletting and went to bed at nearly 5am (?). I woke up at around 9am and had breakfast with Zee who spent the night over. Since she's not familiar with the area, I accompanied her to the LRT station which was one ride away.

When I got home I remembered that I still had to submit the press release of ZZZ to www.pep.ph so I immediately worked on that and went back to bed.

At around that time, bayantel called up to check if I already have my internet back up. Unfortunately, my brother can't wake me up as I was already in a deep state of sleep. (Officially, one week na kong walng internet! Asar ang bayantel. I have to set-up my PC out of my room and use Shobe's PLDT connection which is way faster. Ang download speed ko dito eh nasa 70kbps, yung bayantel, pinaka-mabilis na ang 27kbps.) Buti na lang tapos na ang lock-down period so I can have it disconnected tomorrow.

At around 3pm, we then headed to Trinoma to go watch a movie. I love the place. Hindi lang ang ground floor na parang sobrang gulo. Although, there are still a lot of stores that I'm waiting for to open, ok na rin naman. On our watch list ang Old Chang Kee, Krispy Kreme (dahil ako'y doughunt lover!), at Cold Rock (although mahal, kakaiba ang ice cream flavors). Di ko na maisip ang iba.

Had lunch at A Vennetto and stayed at Coffee Bean while waiting for the movie to start. I took the time to start sorting out our ticket sales for ZZZ. Watched Zodiac which felt like a documentary and a movie rolled into one.

Unang Silip sa Bagong Zsazsa Zaturnnah!

Sharing select photos of the 5th run rehearsals


cast picture

Tuxqs takes a breather


first glimpse of K and Nar as Zsazsa and Didi

Only a few seats remaining! Get your tickets now!
0916-3853642

Birthday Gift?

I know a lot of people, me included, who will be celebrating their birthdays in the next few weeks. It's the season of birthdays! Top of my head, I count at least 16 of us. I bet that the same is true for you. And if thinking of what to give them is already giving you a headache, think no more!

give the

GIFT OF ZATURNNAH!
(Audio CD, Video CD, DVD, Comic book, and of course TICKETS!)

(photo taken from www.zaturnnah.com)

Happy Birthday to Glenn, Penny, Jel Gueco, Zee, My Mom, Sis Cleo, Liza, Fritz, Clarice, Oliver, Dmac, King, Nicole, Obie, Jeremy, and Myles!

Working in a call center?

Working in a call center?

MR2 Online

If you're interested in a different kind of entertainment, troop over to Music Museum on the 15th and 16th of June, 8PM and see two of the pillars of Philippine entertainment in action. Contact Front Rows for tickets at: 365-3374 or 724-6954

More reasons why you need to watch Zsazsa Zaturnnah!

1. As most of you already know, a new Zsazsa is on-board! K Brosas will step into the role that Eula is now best known for and according to the people in the production team, she does justice to the role!

Did you know that K Brosas is the original choice to play the role in the first run? For some of you who haven't seen her on TV, not only can she carry a tune, she can effortlessly make the audience laugh.

2. Three Dodongs in this run! Lauren, Arnold and Janvier! Take your pick!


3. There are a lot of things to look forward to in this partucular run. One of which is the new and innovative, ultra fabulous Zsazsa Zaturnnah set! Designed by no less than Tuxqs Rutaquio! (*photo is not actual set)
4. You've seen the musical several times now. You think you already have the dialogues down pat? Well, you might just be in for a surprise.

5. The very talented Kalila Aguilos is transformed! Watch her and be amazed.

6. Nar Cabico as the new Didi is a revelation!


7. Celebrate Pinoy Pop Culture! You've heard about it and read about it in almost every Pinoy blog. Take part! Don't be left out. Seriously, this is your last chance.

8. The muzikal is still affordable! P800 for a full-musical complete with great actors, great music, great effects. Value for your money indeed!

9. Watch the words and illustrations of the great Carlo Vergara come to life. "Kaloka!"

10. Lastly, our dates (June 16, 3PM; June 24, 8PM and July 1, 3PM) have Tuxqs Rutaquio playing Ada! Fanatics, rejoice! Watch the show three times over!

This is already the final run of the musical! It's a sin to still miss it! Get your tickets as early as now! Don't go through the hassle of begging to get in on the day itself!

Buti na lang....

I'm a tad frustrated that's why I'd like to think of things I'm thankful for at this moment...(I'm doing away with the givens such as the fact that I'm still alive and such.)

1. Buti na lang may Arce Dairy Chocolate Ice cream sa ref paguwi ko. Absolute favorite.

2. Buti na lang napanood ko ang Entablado prod nung Sat.

3. Buti na lang napanood ko ang Sipat Lawin prod nung Sunday! Ang gagaling nila!

4. Buti na lang nakahanap na kami ni Micah ng copy ng novel na Wicked.

5. Buti na lang sumama si Gail sa Business review kanina.

6. Buti na lang may bagong episodes na ko ng Desperate, 24 at Boston Legal. Something to look forward to.

7. Buti na lang may pajama ako dito.

8. Buti na lang may internet kahit na dc ng dc.

9. Buti na lang may Chip's Ahoy!

Yun lang muna.

TV Updates

I was finally able to catch up on TV shows that I follow religiously thanks to the recent holidays. Possible spoilers ahead!

24

The latest season of 24 which was marketed to focus more on Jack's relationship with his father proved the be the least exciting in the franchise. True they started with a nuclear bomb going off in L.A. but the storyline dwindled to all too similar plots without the shocking twists and treatments. Despite it's flaws, I still love the show. Considering how difficult it is to write a plausible storyline for a series that's one of a kind, one can't help but be forgiving.

The latest episode, Ep 21, brings back some of the elements that viewers have come to love.

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

Truly one of my favorites, it has been on hiatus since February and will air their final 2 episodes by the end of May. I'm just sad that it hasn't been renewed for a 2nd season. For a little bit of good news, Kim Raver, 24's Audrey Raines, will be part of NBC's new show "Lipstick Jungle" based on Candace Bushnell's novel. I love her!

Desperate Housewives

Still love Desperate Housewives. The latest season is far away from the shadows of the shaky 2nd.

Susan and Mike are back in each other's arms.
Edie finally got her wish.
Gabrielle is engaged to to the mayor.
And Lynette just blows you away. I'm bad but I wish Rick stays. Lynette needs someone to take care of her.

Oh, and I'm missing Bree.

Lost

Still have a lot of catching up to do. Frankly, grew tired of the all too mysterious plot that doesn't get resolved and the new characters that doesn't have anything to do with the story. (The addition of Rodrigo Santoro has served no purpose yet. He's seen standing in the sidelines since the start of this season.) They already have too much on their plate, I don't think adding more characters helps. They should be focusing on resolving the mystery that keeps adding up. Third season na!

Have totally lost touch with Heroes and Prison Break S2. Will just wait for the DVDs once it comes out. Can't wait for Kyle XY S2 this June!