candilicious

rubber johnny

2006-01-19T03:44:00.000-08:00

Synopsis: Johnny is a hyperactive, shape-shifting mutant child, kept locked away in a basement. With only his feverish imagination and his terrified dog for company, he finds ways to amuse himself in the dark.

I have heard of the video sometime around July last year where the Director, Chris Cunningham was releasing the short film in DVD format that comes with a book containing stills from the film as well as photographs and drawings during conceptualization, and more. My fascination for Mr. Cunningham's work started when he directed Aphex Twins' video for Come to Daddy around 1997 (see myspace blog), and I knew I had to find a way to see it when footages of the video started to come out on the internet. I even started to have a fear of Johnny in the beginning. I didn't want to write about it not until I've seen the entire film. I was creeped out to finish the whole thing to be quite honest, but now I find it somewhat fascinating. Disturbing and amusing all at the same time. The imagery really is outstanding and I've never seen anything like it before.

I hope to see a full length feature from Chris Cunningham in the near future.

for more info, go to:

http://www.rubberjohnny.tv/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubber_Johnny

obligatory post for the last month of 'oh five

2006-01-06T03:50:00.000-08:00

Ahoy.

Arnold, Drake, Kimmy and Lei, you guys seriously put me up to this. how the fuck can you just think of things to write so easily? and WTF Goldi too? Shite. I am just waaayyy behind you guys. Flippin' eck people! Think of something else to do!

Okey, I'm too late for the a-new-year-is-upon-us shit, so I might as well be my usual tardy lazy-ass blogger I am known to be quite the expert, ya hurrr? I'm bored and a bit of a scatterbrain right now so imma spit out and write down whatever I feel like saying alright! Damn straight.

Anyways. So I was really looking forward to December right, bonus pay, shopping, parties, ya dig? So I pretty much got all the stuff I wanted, dude I splurged out like I gave a fuck. Yeah, too much. But it was alright, I got everything covered. Oh and the company christmas party! Now how can anyone forget that. Play Underground Rockwell? Jesus Christ. The whole thing felt like we were inside a brick oven. I felt guilty for all my fellow officemates who stood up and waited in line for hours just so they could eat nuggets. The planning was poor and frugal. I mean, if you were going to throw a huge party and made sure that everyone's going to have a good time then you might as well go crazy and all-out extravagant right?! No. No seats and bad, fucking lousy music. It turned out to be a complete failure. Oh well, what can you do. But in spite of all that we still managed to laugh it all off and have fun. Those peeps should do us a cheesey quaver and make it up to us next year. Yeah they better be.

Our family reunions are the best, man. I gotta give it up to my gramma for creating such a tradition. It made it a bit special because my Uncle Edgar came home to spend Christmas here. Lunch and gift-giving at gramma's, dinner, card games and karaoke at Aunt Millete's house. Oh and I know how to play poker now! Good stuff.

I saw the most amazing fireworks display ever at the recent World Pyro Olympics held December 30th. It was the last day of the event, and I knew I just had to haul my ass all the way down there.

We had to walk great lengths just to get to the venue and man it was worth it. It looked fabulous how they lit up the night sky--the entire place was 'oohing' and 'ahhing' as the wonderful display of lights unravel right before our very eyes. It was a wonderful pyrotechnic experience I will never forget.

That's about it for the last month of the year 2005. I hope that you all have a safe and happy new year. Here's to new paths, new journeys. Here’s to an even better 2006.

lords of dogtown

2005-11-24T07:25:00.000-08:00

Actors: John Robinson, Emile Hirsch, Victor Rasuk, Heath Ledger, Rebecca de Mornay, William Mapother, Julio Oscar Mechoso
Director: Catherine Hardwicke
Runtime: 107 min
MPAA: PG-13 for drug and alcohol content, sexuality, violence, language and reckless behavior - all involving teens.
USA Box Office: $11 Million
Budget Estimate: $25 Million

"Lords of Dogtown" chronicles a group of teenage surfers from a rough neighborhood in Venice, CA who pioneered new radical, avant-garde style of skateboarding in the mid-70's. The Z-Boys, a gang of of rebellious, feisty but still likeable kids known for their agressive style and hard street attitude, combined the moves of surfing with their knack for skateboarding, became overnight sensations and local legends.

This group of skaters include promising young actors such as John Robinson,(Elephant) who plays lead role of Stacy Peralta, first ever skateboarding champion Tony Alva portrayed by Victor Rasuk and Emile Hirsch (The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys), takes on the role as Jay Adams, the wild and the most defiant in the bunch and is known as the "father" of modern skateboarding, the original seed. Playing an interesting role is heartthrob Heath Ledger as Skip Engblom – the eccentric surfshop owner who inspired the Z-Boys into becoming what they are known for until today.

Skip Engblom and Heath Ledger on the set of Lords of Dogtown

Casting for actors such as Peralta, Adams, and Alva was difficult for the fact that these boys have to at least know how to balance themselves on a skateboard. In the process the original Z-Boys themselves took care of giving the chosen actors intense training on hardcore 70's style of skateboarding. The actors still couldn't believe the experience of having been trained for their respective roles by the legends of skateboarding.

On set L-R: Stacy Peralta, John Robinson, Tony Alva and Victor Rasuk

“It was pretty intimidating. I had such great respect for all these guys and we really felt obligated to tell their story right and to do justice to especially the documentary, but their lives. But they were so nice to us. I mean they supported us 100% on our skating and our acting and everything. So it felt nice. At the same time, we felt that pressure. You know, don’t screw it up, man. Even thought they didn’t say that to us, we definitely felt that way.” - John Robinson on playing Stacy Peralta

to the boy kings - from youngins to legends: Peralta, Alva and Adams then and now

The original Z-Boys were iffy about the proposal at first, Peralta knew that the story had to be done correctly if it's going to be re-created in a theatrical release, so he decided to write the screenplay himself. Almost every single member of the Z-Boys made cameos in the movie and helped director Catherine Hardwicke with all the nitty-gritty on set.

urethane wheels man, they grip

The cinematography itself was shot more like a documentary, done with natural lighting and mostly moving handheld shots makes the action more realistic and in your face. The setting was remarkably realistic. The costume design was pretty accurate. The soundtrack has some really good tunes from the sixties and seventies. The stunts were flawless. Acting-wise, Hirsch and Ledger are over the top with this one.

they tense easily

You don't have to neccesarily know a lot about skating in order for viewers to appreciate this movie. I think anyone who has a wee bit interest in skateboarding will appreciate the story. In fact, it's like movies like this that makes you want to surf the net and look up information about the actors and who's character they played in the film. I'm a bit upset why so many people think this film sucks and that is because they are not a big skateboarding fan. It was interesting to learn about the Z-boys and how they revolutionized extreme skateboarding. The raw skate scenes gives an adrenaline rush itself. I can't say anything bad about this movie. It was suprisingly good, it was very accurate. The characters were perfectly cast and the whole movie had a certain charm to it. The movie kicks ass, and I love it to bits.

*******

for more info, go to:

official film site
official Z-Boys site
Stacy Peralta's site
for screen caps and just because I fucking heart the boy so much.

for once i concur with this man

2005-11-16T07:36:00.000-08:00

“I fucking hate it...and r&b, and all the people that make that kind of music and all the people that buy it. When you see the videos of some guy throwing $100 bills over a naked woman lying on a bed with a dog leash around her fucking neck...what the fuck is all that about? That to me doesn’t seem to be right somehow.“Back in the 70s/80s, if that was done by a rock & roll band, it’d be called sexist and there’d be shock, horror and outrage. For some reason, hip-hop artists tend to get away with that. It’s all about the bling and the money. The critical thing about these fuckers is they go on about increase the peace and getting kids to stay in school, but they’re all raving crack heads. It’s a fake form of music to me, and they’re all a bunch of idiots anyway.”- Noel Gallagher

Aye, true dat Noel. Damn straight.

the killing fields

2005-10-24T04:21:00.000-07:00

The Killing Fields, a suspensful yet haunting film tells an incredible portryal of friendship and one man's struggle to survive. Based upon a New York Times article written by Sydney Schanberg entitled 'The Death and life of Dith Pran' from the New York Times Magazine (January 20, 1980).

Based on a true story of an American journalist, Sydney Schanberg (Sam Waterston) is covering an underhanded bombing in Cambodia and is assisted by local assistant/interpreter named Dith Pran (Dr. Haing S. Ngor), as well as photographer Al Rockoff (John Malkovich) and English lensman named Jon Swain played by Julian Sands.

Schanberg and Pran

The film depicts unforgettable scenes of suffering when the Khmer Rouge took power over war-torn Cambodia. The American Embassy makes the crucial decision to evacuate but Schanberg refuses to leave, and his partner Pran, out of a sense of loyalty, also willingly stays behind while his family is evacuated. But trouble ensues, and Pran is eventually forced to remain in Cambodia and must struggle to survive re-education camps and the Killing Fields.

Shot in Thailand, the setting was painstakingly recreated. The peformances were believable and heartfelt. The movie is so outstanding and touching that one cannot help but be affected by it. Although it might be a little disturbing, the violence is not unjustified. It only adds to the story and emphasizes the tragedy.

Haing S. Ngor, who in real life was a survivor of the real 'Killing Fields', despite being a non-actor at first (he was an obstetrician and gynecologist in Phnom Penh) was perfect for the role and earned him the Best Supporting Actor award in the 57th Annual Academy Awards in 1985. Ngor was unfortunately killed in 1998 for defending against his wife's cherished jewelries in a robbery at his home in San Jose, CA.

I have watched this film recently and I was happy to have seen it again. It is not just a film made in Hollywood, it illustrates history. The film also works deep inside us on a personal level by telling a story of a surmounting friendship between Schanberg and Pran while following the historical events surrounding Vietnam at that time. Suspensful and overwhelming, it gets the viewer to follow through the harrowing scenes of human injustice and suffering. It has the power to touch anyone regardless of age and background. A magnificent must-see film everyone should experience. A film about war and adversity but is filled with hope althroughout.

Mitch Hedberg 1968 - 2005

2005-09-30T04:46:00.000-07:00

I was channel surfing one Saturday night while waiting for my favorite show to come on, and then I saw this guy doing his routine on Comedy Central (JACKTV, yo) and I thought he was really funny and interesting to watch.He had this really laidback style of delivering his jokes, his one-liners are hella funny. His simple humor makes the viewer realize that he was a comic genius.

He was known for his disheveled hippie look, his relaxed, almost sedate stage manner, and his dawdling delivery — his face forever concealed behind a pair of shades and a wall of floppy bangs.

Hedberg's first television appearance came on MTV's stand-up series "Comikaze," a gig he landed by personally pitching his act to the program's talent coordinator. In 1997, he won the grand prize at the Seattle Comedy Competition. Years of headlining club tours followed, and Hedberg eventually secured a development deal with FOX to create a sitcom, though that project never came to fruition. In 2003, Comedy Central Records issued his albums Mitch All Together and Strategic Grill Locations, and sponsored a tour with Hedberg, Lewis Black of "The Daily Show" Dave Attell of "Insomniac."

Hedberg also lent his voice to Comedy Central's "Crank Yankers," played the Eagles' road manager in the film "Almost Famous" and wrote, directed, produced and starred in the 1999 independent film "Los Enchiladas!" The film centered on a small Mexican restaurant in Minneapolis, where Hedberg's character, a drifter, was working as a cook until he suddenly found himself in charge of the joint after the manager attacked a customer and the chef left for a better job.

So I looked him up on the internet a while back and it really saddened me when I learned of his death. When I saw him on TV that night, I thought he was on his way to stardom. I find it unfortunate that I never really got to know more of his works and ultimately, will never have that chance of seeing him in person but what I do know that this guy is amazing. Original, creative and incomparable.

"Rice is great when you're hungry and want 2,000 of something."

"I would imagine if you understood Morse code, a tap dancer would drive you crazy."

"When someone hands you a flier, it's like they're saying, 'Here, you throw this away."

"I type a 101 words a minute. But it's in my own language."

I don't have a girlfriend. But I do know a woman who'd be mad at me for saying that.

"My sister wanted to be an actress, but she never made it. She does live in a trailer. She made it half way. She's an actress, she just never gets called to the set."

"I was walking down the street with my friend and he said "I hear music." As if there's any other way to take it in."

"2-in-1 is a bullshit term, because 1 is not big enough to hold 2. That's why 2 was created."

"I know a lot about cars. I can look at a car's headlights and tell you exactly which way it's coming."

"At my hotel room, my friend came over and asked to use the phone. I said "Certainly." He said "Do I need to dial 9?" I say "Yeah. Especially if it's in the number. You can try four and five back to back real quick."

All the great ones go too soon.

Thank you for all the laughs, Mitch. You will be missed.

the ghost of you

2005-09-13T00:14:00.000-07:00

This is for you Jopet, as requested.

This band is mind-blowingly fantastic. MCR has truly grown on me.

my chemical infatuation

2005-09-09T00:35:00.000-07:00

Current mood:

Currently listening to:

The Rapture - House of Jealous Lovers

I'm feeling crazy today so I decided to make an entry. I don't know how the hell I liked My Chemical Romance all of a sudden. They're awesome. Ghost of You keeps on playing in my mind and I try to work out the lyrics. I fucking need to get a copy of their CD. Seriously.

Holla atcha boy.

*****************************************

I'm going out tonight! Fuck yeah I'm excited.

Sho' nuff.

Have a good weekend ya'll. :)

the longest yard

2005-09-05T01:39:00.000-07:00

"The Longest Yard" is an adaptation of Burt Reynolds' 1974 box-office smash of the same title. Former football player Paul "Wrecking" Crewe is sent to prison and forced by the jail warden(James Cromwell) to form a group of inmates into a football team and take on the guards. With the help of old-timer Nate Scarborough (Burt Reynolds) and trustworthy smuggler The Caretaker (Chris Rock), Crewe undertakes the cons a shot at sweet revenge in an ass-kicking face off where anything goes.

The supporting cast also made this movie more wonderful to watch. With pro wrestlers acting on the big screen such as Steve "Stone Cold" Austin and Kevin "Diesel" Nash portray as sadistic, brutal jail guards. Bill Goldberg playing the role of Joey Battle, linebacker for the cons' team, Mean Machine.

I knew he was a WWE wrestler before, but I didn't remember he was Diesel then!

And look at him now! You guys should definintely see him in the movie.

I saw the movie yesterday and I have never laughed so hard in a long time. It is Sandlers' most entertaining since "The Waterboy". I love and adore Adam Sandler and I never fail to watch all of his movies. To me, he is like the uncle I wish I had. Easy-going, unpretentious, goofy. Like he doesn't take his job as a Hollywood star seriously. Being famous hasn't changed him at all. I think he is the most humble and unassuming guy you will ever get to meet in Hollywood.

The movie is very entertaining. A lot of scenes will make you cringe to your seats. You will feel their pain. If you're a football fan and having that good feeling of getting revenge then you will love this film. Good comedy definitely worth watching not only to Sandler fans, but for everyone of all ages.

ups and downs

2005-08-25T03:30:00.000-07:00

I was in Baguio last weekend. It's been 3 months since my last visit up north. I promised my Mom I was going to be there for her birthday. I also figured I needed time off from work because I was starting to get irritable with my day job.

So off I go late Thursday after my shift, I assumed I was going to get there earlier if I travel at night and be asleep throughout the whole journey. I intended to be, oh yes I was so sure of it. So there I was, trying to get some well deserved rest until I felt a sudden tap on my left shoulder. I turned and there she was---that hideous looking four-eyed monster sitting right next to me. Ugh, the nerves. I was disrupted. Now I fucking can't go back to sleep. And she went on like nothin fucking happened. That shameless bitch. Keep your fucking head still! And keep your fucking mouth closed you fat lip!That fucking cunt. I swear to God I was this close to saying that to her fugly face.

I somehow managed to get back at that menacing piece of shit. Get even. I know I should have thought of something more evil, but I didn't want to wake up the other passengers. I brought a camera along, so I took pictures of her while she was in deep sleep.

See! I'm not that evil! I didn't put the flash on that's why the her pics turned out bad, just the same as how bad she looks like. Now if you ever find yourselves going on a bus trip to Baguio, you've been warned. Don't fucking sit next to this loser. And if you see her around, do me a favor. Give that goofy looking, reeking ass wipe a crack in the head for me. That should teach her a lesson. She fucking deserves it.

Sorry about that. I fucking can't help it. Enough now, I'm getting pissed just looking at her.

So at long last I finally got home. Mom welcomed me at the door then Angelo came out of the bathroom just in time when I walked in. Hugs aplenty. Had breakfast then took a nap before hitting the streets to do some shopping.

We heard mass at the Cathedral Sunday evening and walked going to SM to have dinner. Bought chocolate cake for Mom to take home. Angelo was late, never fails to be. Mom and I were so pissed we almost walked out on him. He finally showed up and we gave him hell for dinner.

I remember one Sunday night, we had a small gathering at my grandma's house and we talked about where all of us would go for our next out-of-town trip. Most of them didn't want to go to Baguio because the trip was too long, the meningo scare and the city's prime attractions werent as good as it was before. What a disparaging thought, I said to myself. But it's not that bad at all, really. I guess the only you can appreciate the beauty of Baguio City is when you've stayed long enough to know the ins and outs of it. I've been in Baguio for so many times now I don't go there for the tourist spots anymore. It's beyond that. Walking down Session Road at night lures you in on the charm and serendipity of Baguio. The simple lifestyle. Cold weather. Afternoon siestas I haven't had for a long time. The locals. Warm and godsend people. Honest taxi drivers. Panagbenga. Hearing mass at Pink Sisters' Convent. Starbucks at John Hay. Dining at the Cafe by the Ruins. Nights spent out with friends. And a lot more. There is so much more to Baguio than you know. It can't seem to do anything wrong. It is what you make of it.

My short-but-sweet time away from work. God knows I needed it.

I am now back in the hassling and bustling streets of Makati. How sad.

Bah.

Next entry: The dreaded tag questionaire! Aaahhh!

Please make it fucking stop.

Laters.

tagged and shit

2005-08-16T00:32:00.000-07:00

Eliza tagged me. Wow. I'm so thrilled. I finally have something new to post.

* What are the things you enjoy doing even when there's no one around you?

- reading a good book

- listening to music

- eating cereals

- watching TV

- blogging

- sleeping

- "DIY" pedicure

- singing

- folding clothes

- dancing in my room with the lights off.

- I like watching movies alone. Does that count?

* What lowers your stress/blood pressure/anxiety level?

- hitting things, knock shit off the table

- piss people off

- griping

- complaining

- venting out

- comfort food

- rock music

- going out and having a drink after work

- taking a leave from work

- out of town trips

* Tag five friends and ask them to post it in theirs.

- Do you see anyone? I fucking don't have any links to other people in here. Jesus.

I want this thing to stop!

Oh what the heck.

Drake

Lei

Derrick

Paolo

Keiko

Now that's it. Done and dusted. You five kids better have thing posted when I visit each one of you.

burning in the rain

2005-08-12T05:33:00.000-07:00

Don’t you just hate it when you have to go out and it rains? It’s like, you take time to dress up and groom yourself, you leave home and then it rains along the way. Your meeting gets cancelled, you’re stranded somewhere because all the friggin' roads are swamped and you can't fucking get a ride. And then you finally get to the office soaking wet looking like a drowned rat. And you know what?! The fucking thing I hated the most was my feet getting all wet. That slippery, slimy murky feeling all dirty really takes me off. It fucking gets on my nerves when it happens. So irritating it annoys the hell out of me. My days' already pooped out when it just started.

This day blows…bugs me.

Ugh, I hate it so much, I think I lost all my energy now. Hate to keep it short though.

I'm outtie bitches. Happy weekend ya'll.

spankin' new

2005-08-01T01:11:00.000-07:00

After ten years and two months of time away, the bored blogger is back.

Yes, I am back. Hopefully this will go on for the following days to come. Now I know you pesky little kids noticed the new template, (thanks to Goldi) and to your right is the latest addition to my ever so awesome blog, my nifty snazzy standalone radio blog player for all my fan's listening pleasure. Took me sometime to have it working because it won't fit in the goddamn sidebar! Big-ups to Drake for making this possible. I owe you both loads.

Mom and I got to hang out last weekend and we got ourselves a new haircut. I have bangs now. I got sick of my straight, one length hair and decided to chop off some of the sides and some hair "veiling" my huge forehead. I got out of the salon yesterday looking fabulous but when I tried to style it on my own this morning, my hair looked just the same only with the bangs on. Not good enough to get compliments. Everytime I get my threads cut off at a salon I usually feel like 'oh, I told her I want the same length' or 'not my money's worth' but this one turned out well. I'm loving it.

No pics, I hate how I look in photos. See me in person. It's better that way.

So I hope you guys enjoy the new look and hanging around in here. I'll add some more if I could be bothered. Laters.

memorial monday

2005-05-31T12:30:00.000-07:00

Current mood:

So I guess I really suck at this whole blogging thing. Starting a new entry is always hard for me, like I don't really know what I'm supposed to say. Seriously guys, how can you always bring yerselves to come up and write about things so easily? How the hell, Arnold?! Ugh. I hate Wednesdays.

Yesterday was Memorial Day in the States and it was expected that there weren't a lot of calls coming in. Halfway through my shift our supervisor stood up and asked for volunteers to go on forced leave, due to low call volume. I was hesitant at first but what the heck, the night was young, I figured we could use a night out in town while the others were slumped in their seats doing nothing. Lei and I took the one-shot opportunity and wasted no time.

So Derrick (Zoolander) suggested we check out this karaoke bar called Providence, along Leon Guinto. The place was aight, we had our own room and you only pay 5 bucks per song. Nice. So we take rounds singing right, but I swear Derrick sang the most! Lemme tell ya, he was THE QUEEN OF THE NIGHT! (in a whitney-esque way of putting it.) He should have his own monicker, like "mega-gay" or something! Haha, only kidding Becky! You know I lub you. He and I had a couple of duets which I thought was pretty cool.

Best part of the night: The three of us singing "Bohemian Rhapsody." Derrick was singing Freddie's part and both Lei and I were doing the backup/orchestra vocals. When we got to that part of the song that goes 'I see a little silhouetto of a man, Scaramouche! Scaramouche! Will you do the Fandango thing, thats where we loose our parts and laugh our asses off! You guys should have heard us, it was hysterical. WE WERE FUCKING HYSTERICAL! It was so bad you would fall down laughing and crying at the same time. I swear Paolo would shit on his pants if he heard us! Hahaha!

We left around 4 in the morning and ate at Wendy's for an early breakfast. Got home minutes before 6. I had so much fun that night. BEST GIMMICK ON A WORK NIGHT EVER! I swear I could have sounded better that night if it wasn't for that caramel frapp. Damn that Starbucks!

I now delegate Wednesdays as blog day because this thing takes a lot of time for me to finish and I wouldn't have to worry about what to do to kill time. The end.

just for clicks

2005-05-20T14:05:00.000-07:00

I AM BACK! Well, not really. I was bored...and I suddenly felt obliged to post a new entry. I have not been a slack! It's just that I haven't been in the right mood to write something new. There is nothing to write about anyways. So for all you kids who have been dying for an update, well here it is. Just for the sake of writing WHATEVER. As a result of countless uninspiring and mind-numbing hours here at work doing absolutely nothing, I have gathered some links you might be interested to take a look at. I told you there is nothing to write about! If I see anyone of you complaining that the videos aren't working, find a way to open it! I did. Quit whinning and just go over the links and see for yerselves!

a list of pathetic band names. good lord!

this one's way cooler than the interpreter.

here's another translator brought to you by the mighty yoda. and friends!

click on it, you must.

if I see anyone of you sporting any of these hairstyles, I will stab you.

i love this game.

where the hell is waldo?! i can't see him.

this is so funny its stupid.

puppy love.

epileptic goats = lovely.

Hope you enjoyed all the links. Well that's about it for now, check back in for more. Drop me a line if you need me. Talk to ya later kids.

mad world

2005-04-06T07:58:00.000-07:00

I know this is going to sound so weird but this video right here reminds me of the movie "Beetlejuice". To all of you kids who are not so keen on 80's movies, it's about a deceased young couple seeking help from a "bio-exorcist" in order to frighten the new owners of their house.

Jopet and Mitch...this is for you guys. Fun times.

Oh and HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARKKU! Have a good one buddy. WE MISS YOU!

holy shit

2005-03-25T07:03:00.000-08:00

~o~

"O Jesus, dear God and father of the lamb.Who sees us in fetters and in bondage so hard. As you made us Christians between Friday and Monday protect us now from this scum. "

~o~

As all of you might know we are celebrating the Lenten Season this week, today is Good Friday, the day Jesus died on the cross and redeemed the world. So the crucifixion took place, his disciples weeped and mourned. But I think we call it Good Friday because, within a "pious" context, it is in that tragedy that the greatest good shall flourish and bear fruit.

I should not have started this entry with such a formal, religious tone to it, maybe it was brought about by the "holiness" of the week and how people should act in these chaste times. Knowing the person that I am, obnoxious, profanity-loving individual...the introduction was rather unfitting. But today, when I got in the office, last day of the work week and looking foward to a long, well-deserved weekend, (i'm on leave monday and tuesday) I arrive at my workstation, logged on to my computer, got to the desktop...NO DESKTOP. NO RUN FUNCTION. DISABLED LAN SETTINGS OPTION. NO MS OFFICE. This is messed up. No, it's FUCKED UP.

This occurence is only a fourth-part of a series of unfortunate changes within the company. Recently, a directive was sent to all employees about the "NO CELLPHONES ON THE FLOOR POLICY", starting March 29th. Only supervisors, managers, IT and non-ops staff are allowed. You leave yer phone at the reception desk, or whoever is the security guard on-duty at night, and then you get a tag to claim. For emergency calls, a family member can call forcedesk and leave a message, forwarded to the manager until it is recieved by the agent.

Another change that was implemented just yesterday was the availability of personal drive space, or commonly known as the U:/ drive among employees. Restricted access. I'm not affected at all by that, I don't use it anyways. What is a 20MB folder compared to a 40 GB drive! I know my way around computers. I had everything. But not anymore! Without the desktop and the RUN option means you can't have access to storage and you can't save files (even the office-related ones) on your computer. No heart.

Here's the big one. The team had to be downsized from 20 to a mere 7 agents. The six newbies get transferred to another program and the remaining 13 ghosts get to battle it out for the Top 7 dwarfs. The results are based on schedule adherence and performance. Sounds like a talent search isn't it? WELL IT'S NOT. AND IT'S NOT EVEN FUNNY. It was indeed the saddest day for the Shared Team, just the same as a day of mourning in church. We were shocked when we heard the news. We never saw it coming, at least I didn't. It was the client's decision, and it sucks that we can't do anything about it. I'm disheartened. I hate saying goodbyes and it breaks my heart even more seeing people leaving the team. With all that is happening, I can't help but ask was there any sense in staying on with the team? I don't want to leave but I want to see some improvement in my career. Fuck. I've been here for almost two years now and I feel like I'm getting nowhere.

I can only hope that there is something good that can come out of it, for whatever its worth...

It's sad that the things that you hold most closely are the things you can't wrap your fingers around.

touched by the hands of KASABIAN

2005-03-21T10:02:00.000-08:00

PASSION. NOT A WORD YOU HEAR ALL THAT OFTEN ANY MORE WHEN IT COMES TO MUSIC, BUT KASABIAN HAVE IT BY THE TRACTOR-LOAD. THEY’RE NOT MAKING MUSIC TO BE FAMOUS, OR BECAUSE ITS A GOOD CAREER, THEY’RE MAKING MUSIC BECAUSE THEY NEED TO, BECAUSE IT’S ETCHED SOMEWHERE DEEP IN THEIR SOULS. “WHY BE IN A BAND?” ASKS SINGER TOM MEIGHAN. “BECAUSE IT’S THE ONLY THING I COULD DO. THERE’S NOTHING ELSE I EVER WANTED. NOTHING, NOTHING. THIS IS WHAT I’VE WANTED TO DO EVER SINCE I WAS FOUR. THIS IS WHY I’M HERE.”

KASABIAN GREW UP IN LEICESTER, A CITY HIDDEN IN A SPRAWL OF SUBURBS. THE KIND OF PLACE WHERE YOU LISTEN TO MUSIC, WATCH FOOTBALL, GET DRUNK AND WANDER THE STREETS AT NIGHT SINGING, BECAUSE THERE’S NOTHING ELSE TO DO. EXCEPT THE RAVES. IN THE EARLY 90S MIDLANDS CITIES LIKE BIRMINGHAM, LEICESTER, COVENTRY AND WOLVERHAMPTON WERE THE FOCUS FOR HARDCORE, A MUSIC THAT FUSED HOUSE MUSIC WITH HIP HOP BEATS AND A DARK SENSIBILITY. UNLOVELY AND UNLOVED BY MOST OF THE MEDIA, IT WAS THE PARTY NO ONE IN MAINSTREAM CLUB CULTURE WANTED AN INVITE TO. INSTEAD IT APPEALED TO ALIENATED YOUNG TEENS WHO GRADUALLY DEVELOPED IT IN ALL KINDS OF NEW AND INTERESTING DIRECTIONS. LIKE JUNGLE/DRUM’N’BASS. OR LIKE KASABIAN’S POUNDING ELECTRONIC ROCK.

“WHEN WE WERE YOUNGER, THE HARDCORE YEARS, THAT WAS ALWAYS THERE,” THEY SAY. “THE MIDLANDS WAS THE PLACE TO BE WHEN THAT WAS ALL GOING ON. AND IT WAS INTERESTING. IT’S LIKE MOTOWN RECORDS – IF YOU STRIP IT DOWN, TO DRUM AND BASS, IT’S GOT A GROOVE TO IT. THAT’S WHAT INDIE MUSIC LACKS, AND ALWAYS HAS DONE, IT’S JUST DRONE JINGLE JANGLE – BORING MUSIC.

”KASABIAN IS AN HONEST, UNPRETENTIOUS BAND THAT GREW OUT OF FRIENDSHIP, FIRST. A PROPER GANG. THEY WERE 17 WHEN THEY BEGAN MAKING MUSIC SERIOUSLY. TOM (VOCALS), SERGIO PIZZORNO (SONGWRITER, LEAD GUITAR, KEYBOARDS), AND CHRIS EDWARDS (BASS) HAD KNOWN EACH OTHER SINCE THEY WERE KIDS. CHRISTOPHER KARLOFF (GUITAR, KEYBOARDS) WAS DRAFTED IN AFTER THEY SAW HIM IN A PUB AND WERE TOLD HE PLAYED GUITAR: “WE SAW HIS LONG SIDEBURNS, THOUGHT, ‘HEY, HE LOOKS THE PART, WE’LL ASK HIM.’”

THE BRIT-POP BOOM GAVE THEM THE IMPETUS TO FORM A BAND OF THEIR OWN, BUT IT WAS THEIR HARDCORE YEARS THAT LED THEM TO BUY A COMPUTER. “YOU NEED TO PLAY WITH MUSIC A BIT, AND THAT’S WHAT WE DID,” SAYS TOM. “WE GOT THE COMPUTER AND WE CUT ROCK’N’ROLL UP, BECAUSE THERE’S NO POINT IN GOING BACK TO HOW IT WAS. IT’S ALL ABOUT NEW IDEAS AND CREATIVITY.”

LATER ONE OF THEM WAS READING ABOUT CHARLES MANSON, AND THE NAME OF THE FAMILY’S PREGNANT GETAWAY DRIVER, LINDA KASABIAN, LEAPT OFF THE PAGE. THEY WERE GOING TO USE IT FOR A ONE-OFF DANCE PROJECT, BUT IT SETTLED ON THEM TOO COMFORTABLY FOR THAT. IT ALSO TURNS OUT TO BE ARMENIAN FOR ‘BUTCHER’ – APPROPRIATE FOR A BAND WHO WORK WITH A CUT-AND-PASTE COLLAGE OF SOUND, BUT ALSO FOR A GANG WITH AMBITIONS TO CUT THE PAP OUT OF POP. “FROM DAY ONE WHEN WE STARTED THIS BAND, I’VE ALWAYS HAD THE CONFIDENCE,” EXPLAINS TOM. “WE ALWAYS HAD SOMETHING ABOUT US, FROM THE BEGINNING. WE BELIEVED NOTHING COULD LIMIT US.”

THE FINAL PART OF THEIR STORY CAME TOGETHER WHEN THEY WENT TO A PARTY AT A FARMHOUSE IN RUTLAND, ABOUT 30 MILES OUTSIDE OF LEICESTER. THEY GOT TALKING TO THE FARMER’S SON, AND THEY ENDED UP STAYING. A FORMER TEXTILE MILL WITH WHAT SEEMS LIKE AN ENDLESS ARRAY OF ECHOING, EMPTY BUILDINGS, THE FARM SITS IN ISOLATED SPLENDOUR ON A HILL THAT SLOPES GENTLY DOWN TO THE PRETTY MAN-MADE LAKE OF RUTLAND WATER. IT’S A BEAUTIFUL PART OF RURAL ENGLAND. AND, ONCE KASABIAN HAD MOVED IN, IT PROVED THE PERFECT PLACE TO PLOT THE START OF A MOVEMENT.

-from test-transmission.net

Here's a FACT, Kasabian is one of the best and exciting bands that have emerged from Britain's thriving music scene. Their sound is infectious, and they are amazing live performers. I first heard of the band last year, when they released their hit single, L.S.F (Lost Souls Forever), only to find out that there is so much more that this band can offer. Throbbing-bass, killer riffs, dancable, techno-sounding type of music. Notable tracks in their album are the Club Foot, Processed Beats, Cutt Off and Reason is Treason.

I have shamelessly promoted the band almost everywhere I am seen hanging around here in the net, and I fucking don't care about the press giving poor reviews of the album or if other people think they're trying to sound like the Stone Roses or Primal Scream or whatever, well they aren't. Their music fucking owns...so to all you narrow-minded chauvinist bitches out there who don't share the same appreciation to the band's music like I do, get over yourselves and show some respect. They are fucking brilliant and Kasabian is here to stay no matter what. Their album is out now here in Manila, (finally) so you fucking get yerselves a copy and make use of whatever life you have left! KASABIAN OWNS YOU. AND I RULE. That is all.

shizzolate yer blog!

2005-03-08T14:56:00.000-08:00

Wut up, peeps?

Hook up wid my man Snoop Dogg and he can translate yer blog and yer favorite pages for you! Fo' shizz!

Here's da linkage:

http://www.asksnoop.com

Word.

out in the cold

2005-03-02T10:11:00.000-08:00

I went on a trip up north last Friday. I hit the road and set off to Baguio, to visit my Mom and my brother Angelo, who's currently attending school there. Coincidentally, the town was also celebrating the annual Panagbenga Festival, commemorating the municipality's season of flowers.

Day 1: Over the Mountain

It was my first time to travel alone that far. Six long hours. Who could have thought I had survived six long hours without talking? I thought I could get some sleep along the way but unfortunately, my seat's reclining function wasn't working so everytime I try to lie down it goes way down and when I get up, it shoots up abruptly. Without the talking for six straight hours thing wasn't so bad, but the seat, lemme tell ya--IT ROYALLY SUCKS. Bugs me. I felt a bad strain on my back when I stood up.

easy breezy

little friend

Mom picked me up at the terminal and wasted no time...had a quick lunch and went ukay-ukay (used clothings store) shopping along Session Road. I saw a cute Moschino denim bag and bought it for only 100 bucks! Nice. We got home around 8 in the evening and dozed off as soon as I hit the bed.

Day 2: A Day in the Streets of Baguio

Woke up early the day after to prepare breakfast for Mom and Angelo. After that, we took a trip to the salon to get my nails done. Saturday was the Flower Power Parade/Street Dancing Competition held at Session Road, so we took off ahead of time to get a good spot up front.

Piccys galore!

flower power

anthurium boy (was there any sense in this?)

pot-heads

butt-naked (aaaayyy!!!)

hubo-stank

flower girls

I had to endure the heat that afternoon for two solid hours! But it was aight. All of these pictures were taken using a camera phone. Not bad, ey?! To see all of the pics and to view them in a larger size, click on the link below:

flickr.com/photos/candilicious/show/

We heard mass at the Baguio Cathedral after the parade, and then Angelo and I spent some time together at an internet cafe, checking mails and of course, our own friendster and myspace accounts. He asked me if I wanted to watch a "battle of the bands" event at the Convention Center, but I was too tired to be dragged into it, knowing that I'll be seeing a lot of Busted, McFly, Simple Plan rip-off's and bumping into teenies and all that crap. So I didn't even bother going.

Day 3: Flowers Everywhere

Had to pull Angelo out of his bed to get ready for the parade. We arrived at Session Road before the parade started but the thing was already crowded when we got there so we figured we watch at an elevated part near enough to get good pics. I attended the festival last year and I must say, the floats came out better than the previous one. So yeah here are some of the photos my ickle brother took.

Check out the rest of the pics at this site:

Float Parade

Dinner at Barrio Fiesta

mumuy (picture whore!)

umyum and mum

Angelo was late for dinner. He went to their school play and promised he'd be there by 9 but arrived 10. Mom was upset. I was furious. That wanker! HAHAHA!

Day 4: In Bloom

Mom wanted to me to drop by the Pink Sister's Convent (Convent of the Blessed Sacrament) before I head back to Manila that day. She frequently visits the chapel to make prayer requests. I went and made one meself.

We depart from Baguio after lunch, so we decided to walk around Session Road one last time before we leave. The main street was closed to promenade the week-long "Session in Bloom", where Baguio's busiest street becomes a marketplace. Flower-related trinkets and novelty items are displayed for sale along the road as promenaders relax at sidewalks cafes serenaded by live performances. I was fortunate enough to catch the event on its first day, but I wish I could have stayed longer to watch all the concerts. Oh well.

Piccys...

session road

mum with flowers

bromeliad

orchids

So that's about it for my baguio weekend. Ahrgh...I hate leaving. Three days surely is not enough. Can't wait to come back real soon.

I'm out. Laters.

pinoy pride part deux

2005-02-24T07:48:00.000-08:00

another one of Matthew's hilarious observations...

Matter of Taste
by Matthew Sutherland

I have now been in this country for over six years, and consider myself in most respects well-assimilated. However, there is one key step on the road to full assimilation which I have yet to take, and that's to eat BALUT.

The day any of you sees me eating balut, please call immigration and ask them to issue me a Filipino passport. Because at that point there will be no turning back. BALUT, for those still blissfully ignorant non-Pinoys out there, is a fertilized duck egg. It is commonly sold with salt in a piece of newspaper, much like English fish and chips, by street vendors usually after dark, presumably so you can't see how gross it is. It's meant to be an aphrodisiac, although I can't imagine anything more likely to dispel sexual desire than crunching on a partially-formed baby duck swimming in noxious fluid. The embryo in the egg comes in varying stages of development, but basically it is not considered macho to eat one without fully discernable feathers, beak, and claws. Some say these crunchy bits are the best. Others prefer just to drink the so-called 'soup', the vile, pungent liquid that surrounds the aforementioned feathery fetus...excuse me, I have to go and throw up now. I'll be back in a minute.

Food dominates the life of the Filipino. People here just love to eat. They eat at least eight times a day. These eight official meals are called, in order: breakfast, snacks, lunch, merienda, pica-pica, pulutan, dinner, and no-one-saw-me-take-that-cookie-from-the-fridge-so-it-doesn't-count. The short gaps in between these mealtimes are spent eating Sky Flakes from the open packet that sits on every desktop. You're never far from food in the Philippines. If you doubt this, next time you're driving home from work, try this game. See how long you can drive without seeing food and I don't mean a distant restaurant, or a picture of food. I mean a man on the sidewalk frying fish balls, or a man walking through the traffic selling nuts or candy. I bet it's less than one minute.

Here are some other things I've noticed about food in the Philippines. Firstly, a meal is not a meal without rice-even breakfast. In the UK, I could go a whole year without eating rice. Second, it's impossible to drink without eating. A bottle of San Miguel just isn't the same without gambas or beef tapa. Third, no one ventures more than two paces from their house without baon and a container of something cold to drink. You might as well ask a Filipino to leave home without his pants on. And lastly, where I come from, you eat with a knife and fork. Here, you eat with a spoon and fork. You try eating rice swimming in fish sauce with a knife.

One really nice thing about Filipino food culture is that people always ask you to SHARE their food. In my office, if you catch anyone attacking their baon, they will always go. "Sir! KAIN TAYO!" ("Let's eat!"). This confused me, until I realized that they didn't actually expect me to sit down and start munching on their boneless bangus. In fact, the polite response is something like, "No thanks, I just ate." But the principle is sound-if you have food on your plate, you are expected to share it, however hungry you are, with those who may be even hungrier. I think that's great. In fact, this is frequently even taken one step further. Many Filipinos use "Have you eaten yet?" ("KUMAIN KA NA?") as a general greeting, irrespective of time of day or location.

Some foreigners think Filipino food is fairly dull compared to other Asian cuisines. Actually lots of it is very good: spicy dishes like Bicol Express (strange, a dish named after a train); anything cooked with coconut milk; anything KINILAW; and anything ADOBO. And it's hard to beat the sheer wanton, cholesterholic frenzy of a good old-fashioned LECHON de leche feast. Dig a pit, light a fire, add 50 pounds of animal fat on a stick, and cook until crisp. Mmm, mmm... you can actually feel your arteries constricting with each successive mouthful. I also share one key Pinoy trait ---a sweet tooth. I am thus the only foreigner I know who does not complain about sweet bread, sweet burgers, sweet spaghetti, sweet banana ketchup, and so on. I am a man who likes to put jam on his pizza. Try it! It's the weird food you want to avoid.

In addition to duck fetus in the half-shell, items to avoid in the Philippines include pig's blood soup (DINUGUAN); bull's testicle soup, the strangely-named "SOUP NUMBER FIVE" (I dread to think what numbers one through four are); and the ubiquitous, stinky shrimp paste, BAGOONG, and it's equally stinky sister, PATIS. Filipinos are so addicted to these latter items that they will even risk arrest or deportation trying to smuggle them into countries like Australia and the USA, which wisely ban the importation of items you can smell from more than 100 paces.

Then there's the small matter of the blue ice cream. I have never been able to get my brain around eating blue food; the ubiquitous UBE leaves me cold. And lastly on the subject of weird food, beware: that KALDERETANG KAMBING (goat) could well be KALDERETANG ASO (dog)... The Filipino, of course, has a well-developed sense of food.

Here's a typical Pinoy food joke: "I'm on a seafood diet. "What's a seafood diet?" "When I see food, I eat it!" Filipinos also eat strange bits of animals--- the feet, the head, the guts, etc., usually barbecued on a stick. These have been given witty names, like "ADIDAS" (chickeen's feet); "KURBATA" (either just chicken's neck, or "neck and thigh" as in "neck-tie"); "WALKMAN" (pigs ears); "PAL" (chicken wings); "HELMET" (chicken head); "IUD" (chicken intestines), and "BETAMAX" (video-cassette- like blocks of animal blood. Yum, yum. Bon appetit.

***********************

I'm off to Baguio for the Flower Festival this weekend. Till then folks! ;)

pinoy pride

2005-02-22T08:57:00.000-08:00

Hello, folks. I just thought I'd post this "insightful" article from an ex-pat's point of view. The author, Matthew Sutherland, is a British journalist stationed here in the Philippines.

A Rhose, by any Other Name
by Matthew Sutherland

"A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches" --(Proverbs 22:1)

WHEN I arrived in the Philippines from the UK six years ago, one of the first cultural differences to strike me was names.

The subject has provided a continuing source of amazement and amusement ever since.

The first unusual thing, from an English perspective, is that everyone here has a nickname. In the staid and boring United Kingdom, we have nicknames in kindergarten, but when we move into adulthood we tend, I am glad to say, to lose them.

The second thing that struck me is that Philippine names for both girls and boys tend to be what we in the UK would regard as overbearingly cutesy for anyone over about five. "Fifty-five-year-olds colleague put it. Where I come from, a boy with a nickname like Boy Blue or Honey Boy would be beaten to death at school by pre-adolescent bullies, and never make it to adulthood. So, probably, would girls with nameslike Babes, Lovely, Precious, Peachy or Apples. Yuk, ech ech. Here, however, no one bats an eyelid.

Then I noticed how many people have what I have call to call "door-bell names". These are nicknames that sound like- well, door-bells. There are millions of them. Bing, Bong, Ding, and Dong are some of the more common.

They can be, and frequently are, used in even more door-bell-like combinations such as Bing-Bong, Ding-Dong, Ting-Ting, and so on. Even our newly-appointed chief of police has a doorbell name Ping. None of these door-bell names exist where I come from,and hence sound unusually amusing to my untutored foreign ear. Someone once told me that one of the Bings, when asked why he was called Bing,replied "because my brother is called Bong". Faultless logic. Dong, of course, is a particularly funny one for me, as where I come from "dong" is a slang word for... well, perhaps "talong" is the best Tagalog equivalent.

Repeating names was another novelty to me, having never before encountered people with names like Len-Len, Let-Let, Mai-Mai, or Ning-Ning. The secretary I inherited on my arrival had an unusual one: Leck-Leck. Such names are then frequently further refined by using the "squared" symbol, as in Len2 or Mai2. This had me very confused for a while.

Then there is the trend for parents to stick to a theme when naming their children. This can be as simple as making them all begin with the same letter, as in Jun, Jimmy, Janice, and Joy. More imaginative parents shoot for more sophisticated forms of assonance or rhyme, as in Biboy, Boboy, Buboy, Baboy (notice the names get worse the more kids there are-best to be born early or you could end up being a Baboy).

Even better, parents can create whole families of, say, desserts (Apple Pie, Cherry Pie, Honey Pie) or flowers (Rose, Daffodil,Tulip). The main advantage of such combinations is that they look great painted across your trunk if you're a cab driver. That's another thing I'd never seen before coming to Manila - taxis with the driver's kids' names on the trunk. Another whole eye-opening field for the foreign visitor is the phenomenon of the "composite" name. This includes names like Jejomar Jesus, Joseph and Mary), and the remarkable Luzviminda (for Luzon,Visayas and Mindanao, believe it or not). That's a bit like me being called something like "Engscowani" (for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland).

Between you and me, I'm glad I'm not. And how could I forget to mention the fabulous concept of the randomly inserted letter 'h'. Quite what this device is supposed to achieve, I have not yet figured out, but I think it is designed to give a touch of class to an otherwise only averagely weird name. It results in creations like Jhun, Lhenn, Ghemma, and Jhimmy. Or how about Jhun-Jhun(Jhun2)?

There is also a whole separate field of name games-those where the parents have exhibited a creative sense of humor on purpose.

I once had my house in London painted by a Czechoslovakian decorator by the name of Peter Peter.

I could never figure out if his parents had a fantastic sense of humor or no imagination at all-it had to be one or the other.

But here in the Philippines, wonderful imagination and humor is often applied to the naming process, particularly, it seems, in the Chinese community. My favourites include Bach Johann Sebastian; Edgar Allan Pe; Jonathan Livingston Sy; Magic Chiongson, Chica Go, and my girlfriend's very own sister, Van Go.

I am assured these are real people, although I've only met two of them. I hope they don't mind being mentioned here.

How boring to come from a country like the UK full of people with names like John Smith. How wonderful to come from a country where imagination and exoticism rule the world of names. Even the towns here have weird names; my favorite is the unbelieveably-named town of Sexmoan (ironically close to Olongapo and Angeles).

Where else in the world could that really be true? Where else in the world could the head of the Church really be called Cardinal Sin? Where else but the Philippines!

Note: The Philippines have a senator named Joker, and it is his legal name.

TRUE STORY

2005-02-21T08:49:00.000-08:00

I need a fucking break.

Last Friday, three of my supervisors called me for a meeting. It wasn't one of those weekly performance/coaching thingamajigs...this one was serious. A customer that I spoke with over the phone sent an email to one of our managers in New York and filed a complaint about me being "rude" and "unhelpful". I wasn't surprised, I know this cranky behavior of mine has been going on for the past few weeks now. Our QA (Quality Assurance) guy has called my attention about this before, and I told him that I was aware of that issue and I was working on it. But this has been the third instance now, brought up directly by the manager herself and was forwarded to all three supervisors. Serious offense. I fucked up big time.

I'm losing it.

**************************

Monday. Another day at work.

Okey so after that unpleasant ending over the weekend, I want to start off the work week with something positive. I want to fill myself with happy, encouraging thoughts (bleurgh!). I'm thinking of taking a 4-day leave from work to visit my Mom and my brother Angelo in Baguio. Summer begins on the second or third week of March for us, so hopefully our family's out-of-town trip will push through. We're thinking of going to Subic or Puerto Galera...or maybe Boracay! WOO-HOO! Now to give you an idea of how beautiful the beaches are here, I have put together some piccys below. Scroll down and have a look...

crystal clear water

paradise found

sunset in moalboal

sunset in batangas

The pictures look stunningly beautiful but they don't measure up in actuality. We have some of the finest beaches in the world--FACT. Visualise...strolling down the beach butt naked...great white sands, shading under the palm trees...doing backflips near the shoreline letting it all loose...so if you have time to waste and money to spend thoughtlessly, give yerselves a treat and check the beaches down south. I reckon you guys are going to love it. ;)

Laters.

KILLER NIGHT

2005-02-08T08:59:00.000-08:00

Saturday was memorable, why? Because I have managed to stay awake for 24 straight hours and I saw a ghost for the first time. Yep, you read it right, folks. My first ghost sighting.

Friday, woke up 6 PM to get ready for work. Was at the office from 11 PM till 8 in the morning, the day after. Went straight to Island Cove, where the whole entourage was checked-in, to have my hair and make-up done for Ate Babe's wedding. I was asked to be one of the bridesmaids. How I did I look? Seriously, I thought I looked like Cruella de Ville. Had too much make-up on! Everything was done by 2 PM, did some pictorials, was at the church before 3 in the afternoon. The mass went on till 5, left 5:30. Had an hour-long drive going to the reception, held at Greenwood Heights, Dasmariñas.

The party was aight, except for that jealous fag emcee, thought he could make fun of everyone and get away with it. Putting on airs, giving out dirty jokes...nice try bitch, but nuh-uh, not ME! Oh and my friend Ronald got lap-danced by a drag queen. The impersonator was apparently the "surprise guest" for the night. What a freak!

So after the party, all of us decided to walk around the village. Joy (bestfriend) and I decided to take off our shoes and walk barefooted. Just imagine, wearing stilletto heels the whole day?! Those shoes were killing me! So yeah we were walking around, taking pictures. Man the place was creepy. On the way home almost midnight, there were 6 of us in the car and we were talking about what went on the whole day, having a laugh and then suddenly an old woman, wearing a white dress appeared head on...she was almost in the middle of the road and we thought that we were going to hit her. But we went on and she was gone, vanished. We stopped over the nearest gas station and my friend, Lovely, the one who was driving, she was hyperventilating so his cousin had to take over and drive for the rest for the trip. I had to wait for my Dad to get home before I get some well-deserved sleep. The morning after I went over my friend's house to pick up something and my friend's uncle who also went to the party, encountered the same old lady on his way home.

I'm sure the question that's running through yer heads now is, was that really a ghost or was she some crazed, delusional, sick old person? Flippin' eck! I know what I saw alright! It was a ghost. All 6 of us in the car saw it! What the hell was that old lady doing in the middle of the road at that time of that night! There's no way she could have walked off that easily...there were no tall grasses or trees she could go into hiding... she vanished! She was gone when we looked back. It was a fucking ghost, alright! Now enough about that. It's freaking me out.

It was a night full of experience...

favorite thangs

2005-02-02T11:36:00.000-08:00

Konichiwa. I'm bummed here at work! Which is a good thing because I get to surf all day and update my blog for all of my fan's viewing pleasure...(yech!) For today, I thought I'd come up with a list of my favorite things, to name a few...which some of you may have noticed or know for a fact, and for some, well, let's just say haven't been acquainted with. Here they are...

Discussion Boards

I'm in it all the time! My day is not complete without me logged in or at least have visited these boards. These are the first things I open up when I get to the office. A place where we anyone can voice out their opinions and know what other people have to say, and talk about what they have in common. Discuss important issues. Meet people from all parts of the world.

Hoobastank

The band that started it all...I was completely blown away by their performance when they toured Manila last August, and I have been hooked on them eversince. The lads just won Favorite Rock Act in the recently concluded MTV Asia Awards, and also participated in MTV Asia Aid, a benefit concert to support the tsunami relief efforts taking place in Asia. What I like about the band is that with all the success they have achieved, they still remain to be a bunch of normal guys. Talented, with both feet on the ground.

Don't you just find this kid so darn cute?!

awwww. ü

lostprophets

Meet the band: Ian Watkins, Mike Chiplin, Mike Lewis, Jamie Oliver,

Lee Gaze and Stu Richardson

My current fixation...big props to Jopet and Mishy for introducing me to this band! I got their 2 albums as a birthday present last year and it's a shame that I have liked the band only now! *pokes head* It began when I heard their 99x live acoustic performance and I thought Ian and Jamie's vocals sounded fantastic. And they were funny as hell! Brilliant live performers. I can't stop listening to their Start Something album! Seriously, if I had my own radio station, I'd play LPS songs non-stop, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! DAMMIT! I'm so hooked on their music.

311

All-time favorite! These guys can D-A-N-C-E! This goes way back in 1995 when they released their self-titled EP. I guess you would have figured by now the type of rock music I'm stuck at. They have a total of 9 albums to date, and they have just released their greatest hits album which adds up to my existing collection of their CD's. The thing that I like about this band is that they play "good vibes" music that is the soundtrack for the weekend---whether it be spending the whole day on the beach, or music to crank up while speeding through town. They can play a variety of music, from laid back reggae to rap-rock to punk--this band can stir up things and deliver something for everyone.

Movies

I preferrably like watching movies alone. It's been a thing of mine eversince, like I don't want to be bothered when I'm in a theatre and I'm really focused on the film. I hate it when I hear phones ringing or when people gushing in the background, that really annoys me. There was one time, I think I was watching "Matrix Reloaded" , and there were a couple of guys seated at my back and they were being rowdy and I couldn't stand it so I reprimanded them. Bunch of retards. I suggest you guys watch Clockwork Orange-this film is pretty brutal and disturbing. Resovoir Dogs falls in the same category, I wanted to hit someone after watching it. You guys have to see it to believe it.

That's it for now. I'll add some more when I can think of anything else. Feel free to post yer thoughts.

Candy

mum and dad

2005-02-01T08:04:00.000-08:00

I stole this from my Dad's phone. Nuff said. ü

ms. dengue

2005-01-26T10:24:00.000-08:00

Okey, so I know this entry is long over due and is waaaay behind time! I'm effin' bored here at work and I'm tired of hoobastank and lostprophets (hhuuwwhhaaaatt?!?!?!) and going through message boards and other people's blog entries I thought...it's about time I update my own stuff. yeah? ü

So anyways, I think most of you might know that I had dengue fever, right? right I'm sure you do. I don't know how i got it, I woke up one day and I was feeling really crappy and I couldn't bring myself to report for work. After 5 days of being sick and was practically bedridden althroughout, I finally told my Dad, "Pops, I'm not getting any better. Take me to the HOSPITAL! NOW! And he did. I was confined for 5 long days. It was horrible. Everytime I try to eat something I feel like I was going to throw up. I couldnt sleep right. But the thing that I hated the most was they had to fuckin' take blood from my right arm for 4 times every single day--it didnt bug me then but after going through all that shit I think I might have developed a phobia for needles. I cringe at the sight of people sticking in needles onto someone else, piercings and everything that has the same effect. I FUCKING HATED IT! I even cried at one point coz I couldn't take it anymore. I thought I was going to spend Christmas there. When I got out, my doctor put me on house arrest for a week. I was on medical leave from work. But of course, knowing the "pasaway" that I am, I still went out and did some christmas shopping.

December 25, 2004--family reunion at grandma's house. 'Ms. DENGUE!', 'Andito na pala si Ms. Dengue eh!' Drats, eto na. Okey, so I had to withstand the jokes and the mockery but it was aight. It was fun seeing my cousins again. Hangkulet! So after the party all of us went over to my aunt's house in Las Pinas where we had dinner, play card games and KARAOKE! Dang, I must have sang 10 to 15 songs that night...I think I should get a career out of it, don't you think?! I even had a duet with my Uncle and me Dad too! AND WE ROCKED! YEARGH! Me and my cousins were planning on going swimming the day after, turns out they woke up late so we just hung out at the mall. Serious bonding stuff there. haha good times...

so here are some pics of my family...check out me and my ickle brother Angelo! cute ey?!

clockwise: Nino (Tigz), Angelo, Dad, (who you lookin at Pops?!) Mum and Meeeh!!!

Tigz, (da big guy) Me (dengue-licious) and Umyum (hu-wee!)

rollin wid mah homies...

Caloy (feeling cute!)

Jigo- this kid is da shite!

Joyce and Ian (cuties!)

Thats' it for now...i'll try to write some more later.

The Reason

2004-11-29T09:02:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone. I thought I'd post this article from Press Magazine (Issue no. 18 August 2004, The Reason, Words by Pete Tan, pages 30-33) for the peeps from the message boards. The publication doesn't have their own website, but it's so lovely I thought everyone might be interested. It's a bit long, but I promise it's a good one. Read on folks...

In this era of "bling-bling," sensational scandals and superstar attitudes, it's quite refreshing to see a band that actually revels in their ordinariness as much as California rock band Hoobastank does. As their second major label The Reason proves though, the bands ability to create catchy tunes and melodic hooks is anything but that.

It’s hard to imagine, but aside from the very unusual name, Hoobastank would like you to believe that they are a bunch of normal guys. As lead singer Douglas Robb explains, "when we're on tour and pull up somewhere, we're wearing shorts and flip-flops, and we look like average joes. I like that. We don't have to make ourselves to leave the bus."

Of course there is nothing normal about the success that this California quartet has achieved. Their current single, the power-ballad "The Reason", has garnered major airplay all over the world and has made the band's second album an all around success, reaching the top ten charts in several countries and achieving double platinum status (2 million and counting) in the US alone.

Even the origin of the band's name has been a much talked about affair. With everything from being a name of a stuffed animal, to that of a sausage in the Netherlands, the band has never taken this question about their name seriously. The band itself used to fuel the rumors further by stating that either it was the middle name of their bassist or the H in Jesus H. Christ. However, when pressed for the real answer, the truth seems to be quite simple.

"It doesn’t mean anything." Doug says, "And it’s really cool. its one of those high school inside-joke words that didn’t really mean anything, and people started throwing meanings to it, and when we started we were still in high school and it fit at the time. It's one of those words you can’t get right away, but once you do you don't forget it. So we've gotten lots of cool explanations for what it is, and we just let them run with it. It's all art you know...to me tough, it just means four guys playing music."

It all sounds really self-effacing and yet very much also explains how Hoobastank really started. When vocalist Douglas Robb met guitarist Dan Estrin in the mid-1990s, they were still both attending high school in Agoura Hills, Los Angeles and were both competing in a high school battle of the bands competition. Both eventually decided to join forces and along the way added bassist Markku Lappalainen and drummer Chris Hesse to their line-up, forming the band now known as Hoobastank.

Like most high school rock bands, they first started playing their dues by playing around their own hometown, eventually doing gigs across the California Coast. that led to the creation of the self released album They Sure Don't Make Basketball Shorts Like They Used To, which garnered the band a huge amount of local buzz. Later on, Island Def Jam came knocking on their door and the band was signed on resulting in their first studio album, the self-titled Hoobastank.

The album was a very straightforward affair, with crunching guitars and shout-along choruses, mixing teen angst with youthful enthusiasm and verve. Dan Estrin's guitar worked combined with Doug Robb's lyrical and vocal prowess to create catchy and melodic tunes that resonated with their fans.

First single "Crawling In The Dark," the album's first single and obvious centerpiece was an instant breakthrough hit, catapulting the band to mainstream audiences and allowing the album to reach platinum sales in the US. Second single "Running Away," showed that the band was no one-hit wonder.

However in light of their success, the band was never far from controversy. Aside from the questions that arose about what their name meant, the originality of their sound was called into question, as comparisons with the band Incubus were rife. Some critics even dubbed the band as “Incubus-lite” and noted the similarity between the vocals of Incubus lead singer Brandon Boyd and Hoobastank’s own Douglas Robb.

It didn’t help matters that the two groups were touring together and that both bands came from similar backgrounds. In fact, some members of Hoobastank and Incubus actually went to the same high school! However, instead of being irked by the comparison, the band seemed to not mind at all and have taking the whole thing in stride. “I’ve known those guys and have known them forever so I don’t mind the comparison because we’re being compared to a band I respect and love.” Doug graciously states.

Interestingly enough, what gives you a clue on how truly normal and down to earth this band is on their explanation of what they believe is their similarity with fellow tour mates Incubus. As guitarist Dan Estrin deftly puts it “I think if anything, it’s our work ethic. They (Incubus) don’t complain…they just work, they do what they’re told. They’re very un-rockstar-ish rock stars and that’s good. I think it’s all a product of where we all grew up and I think that that is where some of the similarities of the music might happen to.”

Very much proud of their music, this is a group that is definitely angst free and quite positive, which is quite a change of pace from the tortured souls that most bands produce. As Dan explains: “I tell people that were a rock band, and that we play rock music. We’re not angry. For the most part we all have really good families, and we’re all happy kids. We’re not at all depressed. It’s just good rock music. I don’t want to sat its ‘happy’, cause its not like happy music, but we want people to smile and have a good time.

After finishing the tour, the group began work on their next album. The six months worth of work resulted in their second album entitled The Reason. Their first single, the raging “Out Of Control”, which they remarkably offered as a free download on their website, signaled the return of this extraordinary band, but it was to be with their second single, the album’s title track, which would establish the band as an act that was here to stay.

“I’m not a perfect person. There are many things I wish I didn’t do…”

It has been a while since a true rock ballad has penetrated the current musical landscape, and “The Reason” stands to be in the running as this year’s best. With it’s circular guitar arpeggio combined with Douglas Robb’s earnest vocals, an epic string section and lyrics that are simply emotionally charged, this single was a hit that was not to be denied. The song’s lyrical take on second chances made it a huge crossover success, entering the airwaves with a bang and eventually making it to the top of the charts of several local radio stations as well as music video channels.

It’s effect all over the world was quite similar, as the single climbed various countries’ top ten charts and ushered another return to the top ten by the band’s album in the US, where it is still currently residing, thus allowing the band to escape the proverbial sophomore slump. The song was so popular that it was even showcased in the final episode of the hit TV show Friends!

Even the video for the song was widely received. Its storyline, which was conceived by and directed by Brett Simon, was certainly an interesting take on the song as it showed the band staging a jewelry heist by staging a fake hit and run accident.

Funnily enough even with all this success, the guys seem to be very grounded and even have their tongues firmly in their cheeks as evidenced by their explanation on how The Reason was simply a random choice for the album’s title.

“We had no title for the record and I don’t think we were really interested in having it be a song title, “guitarist Dan Estrin explains. “When we got mock up artwork for the album cover, one of them called Disappear, one of them called Unaffected, which are song titles. The Reason was the one that just kind of had the best artwork. When I thought of Unaffected, I thought, critics are going to gear that and go, ‘that’s exactly how I felt when I heard the album.’

However, make no mistake, although “The Reason” can be considered as the album’s emotional center (not escaping the fact that it is also the title of the record), the rest of the record has several undiscovered gems ready to be heard.

The first track “Same Direction” makes for a rousing start as its catchy riffs are quite reminiscent of some of Hoobastank’s bets tracks from its previous album (think “Crawling in the Dark” on steroids) while “Just One”, shows how they have improved upon their knowledge on creating tight and energetic shout-along anthems.

More surprising though is their new direction towards balladry and use of strings. Aside from the standout title track, other tracks to take note of include the uplifting “Lucky”, where there is an interesting mix of some acoustic work and strings, as well as the tragic “What Happened To Us” and the contemplative “Disappear.” Interestingly enough, the addition of strings actually makes for an interesting mix and clearly gives their music more depth.

Overall tough, the album can be considered as the next step in the band’s evolution. Musically, the band seems to have improved, creating a much more tighter sound than before. Whereas the previous effort relied solely on Dan Estrin’s charging guitar riffs and Doug Robb’s affecting vocals, this time around there seems to be more variety in sound particularly allowing the drumming and the bass to come to the forefront as well.

Their choice of producers seems to have helped as well since the addition of producer Howard Benson (Crystal Method, Cold and P.O.D.) seems to have given the band a cleaner and more textured sound, as the addition of the aforementioned strings has allowed for a richer and more varied sonic palette.

Another noticeable improvement comes from lead singer Doug Robb who has veered away from sounding like Incubus front man Brandon Boyd and has seems to have found his own voice. Even his lyrical technique has improved as shown by the nuances that he gives to some of the songs particularly the uplifting “Lucky” and the reflective “What Happened To Us.” This is key to making this album a far more enjoyable experience.

The band themselves seems to realize this progression to their music as front man Doug Robb says that “the heavier songs are heavier and the softer songs become softer. If the first album was sort of middle of the road, this one rides on both sides of the road.”

When asked about what they think is the reason for their success, Doug modestly admits that he’s really not sure. Particularly in the case of their latest hit single he simply states that: “If anybody knew why, then everybody would be [writing hit songs],” the band’s lead singer said. “For one reason or another, its connected with people. People come up to me and say, ‘I feel like you’re sitting right next to me and you picked my brain.’ Or ‘It’s everything I’m going through.’’’

He further adds, “I don’t think we’re doing something that hasn’t been done before. I think its just rock music with good songs and lyrics, lyrics that people can relate to, grab onto; it’s just stuff that I’ve been through just being a normal guy. I think a lot of people can relate to it, like songs that never go out of style. Good songs are timeless.”

So after all this success, what’s next for the boys of Hoobastank? Aside from recently finishing a tour with Linkin Park (whose members Mike Shinoda and Brad Delson were coincidentally also classmates of Robb and Estrin in junior high), the band has contributed a track to the soundtrack of the box-office smash “Spiderman 2.” The band is also releasing their third single, the scorching “Same Direction” and has actually shot two videos for it. They are also planning to go back on tour once more.

For lesser bands, this continual rush of good fortune might have led to some sort of fallout or clash of egos, but this is Hoobastank we’re talking about. Modesty aside, this is a band who takes nothing for granted and whose hard work and dedication to their craft has paid off in spades. Ultimately, this might actually be the true reason for their success.

giving thanks (and no thanks) to stanksgiving

2004-11-25T10:07:00.000-08:00

unlike any other day at work, i was anxious to get to the office because of one thing---to see piccys of hooba's stanksgiving concert at the roseland ballroom 11/24th. i bought presents for the band and sent them to Don so he could hand it personally to the guys. but to my disenchantment, they werent there yet. i was thinking... he could have gone out drinking or stayed up late after the concert. i'm logged on to the forum hanging on for the pics to come...be patient, Candy. good things come to those who wait. :)

it was cool to be in the office for one reason...it is thanksgiving day in the states and thats good news for us call center peeps because there's hardly any calls coming in. but its sooo quiet in hurr...the silence is almost deafening! it could have been better if people gather around and talk...and have food for thanksgiving! whatever happened to turkey day? we had one last year...and i heard its a tradition here at the office to have free food for thanksgiving anually...that sucks.

another frustrating thing that happened to me today was that i can't effin' uninstall realplayer 10! i thought it was cool at first because that was the only player i was able to download to play audio/video files here at the office...we used to have full access to everything on the web and on our own PC's but the team started to get bigger, hence... limited resources equals to restricted access. everything was going along well until needed to install quicktime on my PC and my officemate advised me to install k-lite mega codec (i blame myself for being stupid not know that klite is short for kazaa lite-filthy evil spyware ever created! gggrrrr.....) coz it had everything---including an OUTDATED version of real player! which messed my whole pc up thank you! i have exhausted every fucking way to uninstall this stupid piece of crap (trust me) and having to deal with these stupid restrictions and this stupid error message shows up when i try to use realplayer to play .rma files! lesson learned...watch what you install on yer pc! i am now on the verge of having my PC re-imaged.

in conclusion...
thanks to thanksgiving because it was downtime all day today but no thanks because you aint got nothing to do around here and youre just waiting for time to pass by til yer shift ends. (and no food!)
thanks to thanksgiving because i was laxed all day and had time to fix my realplayer but no thanks because of 'dem stupid restrictions.
DFFR is the way to go.
thanks to thanksgiving but no thanks coz everyone else is celebrating the holiday at the comfort of their own home or wherever and i'm stuck here at work and i'm flat broke.

okey...this just in...Don wasn't able to hand the presents to the band. that's just sad...i feel bad about it. i can't blame Don...i just feel bad because i was expecting that the guys would recieve my stuff. he's thinking of sending the stuff back over to me, but its going to be useless because i don't know who else to give it to. oh i just wish someone else would be kind enough to hand the presents to the band. :(

i'm just having a suck-y day at work and there's nothing i can do about it.

happy thanksgiving.

wa-hey! my first post...

2004-11-24T08:31:00.000-08:00

i'm just effin' lazy to write somethin' down today so i'll get back as soon as i have interesting things to talk about.