(Wilson's) B-day Dinner Highlights

• Family initially had trouble finding Palm Grove restaurant. Didn't help that the first time I went there was at the SJCS Batch '86 Reunion... in the daytime. Then again, every place is harder to find the second time...at night...if the first time was during the day. ('Kay, wrap your head around that awkwardly worded sentence first.)
  
• Wilson's old buds from Ateneo Glee Club also attended. I've never heard Happy Birthday sung so melodiously before, and I didn't even have to buy orchestra tickets.
• Food wasn't anything to write home about (to blog about, mebbe). I admit being fooled by a menu that described the food like it was from TGIFridays but presented like it was made by Pancake House. (Hint: only order pancakes from PHouse, 'coz everything else they make is mediocre.)
• In a other private room met "the Wednesday Group" of Francis Pangilinan, Joker Arroyo, Ralph Recto and Manny Villar (whom I mistakenly said was Mar Roxas to everyone I told). Why they're meeting on a Friday escapes me. If it was to throw the media off their scent it didn't work, as we saw reporters from ANC and GMA waiting outside.

Noises On

As as addendum to the previous post:

It was exactly one week ago when the whole mess started. What was supposed to be a routine motherboard replacement went from worse to vorse. No audio from the PC, busted a harddrive, wrong RAM, etc. After much trial and error I finally got audio back. Just in time, too, since there's a huge backlog of TV shows to catch up on.

RIP PIX

Long story short: PC went kaput. Lost my picture files.

ALL. OF. THEM.

Yes, there's the ones I placed online, but I never got around to saving the rest. The past 2 years worth of pix on CD . All that time photoshopping them, gone. To. WASTE.

Couples pix. Group pix. Sexy pix. Oh, the sexy pix....

Deep breath...

...ffffffFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCkkk!!!!

Riding the "X" Box

Went to Makati to audtition for a radio ad (they wanted someone who could do an "authentic Chinese accent," whatever that is). Afterwards I had a preztel and Moroccan Mint latte courtesy of CB&TL, where I ran into my old classmate Marge. Ok, got all the inconsequential events outta the way.

I haven't taken the MRT for quite some time, w/c is why I noticed the price change and the small watchtower at the bottom of the stairway (where the trains stopped) occupied by a single guard. As always I stood in line for the first 2 boxes 'cause they were closest to the tollway at the QC station. When the train slowed down enough for me to see the passengers clearly I noticed a something else: most-- if not all-- the passengers were women.

Just then I remembered some city ordinance/policy/bullcrap rule about having male and female passengers (save for senior citizens and/or those w/ kids in tow) ride in the separate boxcars, w/ women taking the "upper" half and men the "lower" half. Okay, that explains the guard on the watchtower, I thought. Do I move? Wait, there's an old guy sitting in the first boxcar, sooo... I guess it's alright. Ah, what the hell. I got in the second boxcar; and nobody stopped me or called my attention. No Schindler's List-like flashbacks so far.

I looked around. There was a lady in army fatigues standing by the door. Fellow passenger or guarding against would-be lesbo pervs? I felt like Yorrick in Y: The Last Man. Some passengers that were seated occasionally looked up at me, probably thinking three things: 1)Nothing 2)Must be a plainclothes security guy, or 3)That's a woman?

With every stop we made I half-expected someone to ask me to move to another boxcar, w/c didn't happen. I kinda like it here. No pushing and shoving nor any oily finger, palm or face prints on the windows. Then again it wasn't rush hour yet. At the Cubao station at least 2 more guys hopped on the same boxcar I was in. Nobody screaming sexual harrassment yet.

In the end it was an uneventful ride, just the way MRT management wants it.

Point to Tuldok

Got a text message from Rachelle T. informing me that Tuldok Animation (local indie animation company of my old award-winning client Ramon del Prado) was holding auditions for voice talents. Now, my original plan was to audition, then watch a movie w/ Louella, but she and her bro already made plans to go buy PC parts. So after lunch I drove straight to Makati, instead.

The audition was at an badly lit, "abandoned" multi-purpose hall, where you could entice an amateur filmmaker to shoot a horror flick here. Rache arrived about an hour after I did, but my name wasn't called yet so we chatted the time away. I finally managed to give her her long-delayed Xmas gift (solitary season of The Lone Gunmen). The planned 15min projected is being run by fellow VO guy Pocholo Gonzales, who once again invited me to join him in another organization specializing in VO work. Since I didn't get any work from the last "invite" I'm not exactly holding my breath.

They called me in. Seems I'm "affectionately" known around the very small VO-animation circle as "Mr. Worm" (in reference to the earthworm character I played in Ramon's short cartoon Egg. Beats "Mr. Crab," I guess.) Several voices later I'm done. Rache followed soon afterwards.

I don't really need the job, but I still want it, all-Tagalog project or no. Been outta the game way too long.

Yappy Birthday

Birthday greetings out to my former high-school classmate/phonepal, plays-it-straight professionally party-planner/emcee who-now-has-his-own-freakin'-watch friend Timothy Brian Hao Yap.

In case you were wondering, this picture was taken 16 years ago in the men's room of a classy hotel. Yes, it is as weird as it sounds.

* * *

I started this blog as an online diary of sorts. Two years ago I made an entry about the stuff I won't talk about.

Which is why I created a new blog.

Sometimes I just hafta rant.

Goodbye, Di

I bid farewell, adieu, auf weidersein, sayonara, and chuvah to friend Diana, who departed Friday, flying to the haughty hills and haunts of Hong Kong.

Sexy Night

Early this week I was batting zero when it came to conversing w/ the ladyfriends. All my life I noticed the pattern always came in 3's, as in when the first 2 girls I call are busy, I should expect likewise from the third. Naturally logic rejects superstition and I make the call anyway, only to have the former notion confirm the latter.

Well tonight it all evened out. Chatted on the phone w/ one, got texted by another, and chatted online w/ a third, who also sent a very flattering (ironic term at the moment) picture of herself.

To quote Ashton Kutcher (shudder): Soo-WEE-tah.

NO, I'm not sharing the picture. ;)

Now and Away

Five days w/o Internet access. Felt like several lifetimes for me. At least I caught up on my reading. Now there's a huge backlog of season 6 of 24 to deal with.

Visited my first Protestant church over the weekend. Old Beijing friend/distant relative Carlos was getting hitched and I was again the designated driver to the 'rents. One thing that confirmed that United Evangelical was Pro was the absence of any images of Jesus (just like JT said), even on the crucifix. The mass was shorter w/ the lack of Readings, Offertory or Communion. Just the priest yakking away. Sure didn't feel shorter, as I still managed to doze off for a bit.

Couldn't escape driving duties for the wedding reception, so I tried to make an evening for myself while the folks dined at Century Seafood Restaurant ("For all your Tsinoy wedding reception needs!"). Contacted JT, who luckily was free. We had dinner at nearby Aristocrat, where I found that boneless chicken breast can be just as filling as their original 3-piece chicken BBQ. She offered I hang out at her place while waiting them the 'rents to call, but alas, Ma texted early to say dessert was almost done, so after dropping her off I had to hightail it back to Century.

The 12 Thoughts of New Year

1. It probably would've made more sense to write The Twelve Thoughts of Xmas, but I wanted a fresh start to 2007.
2. I really, REALLY should get more involved in the family business. It's been almost 2 years since my return, but my lack of added knowledge in the daily operations is exceeding embarrassing levels. Apologies to Ma.
   
3. Just watched the uncensored Saddam Hussein execution video. Now I'm only 50% sure they didn't fake his death.
   
4. Made new friends, lost some others (no, they're still alive). To the former: I've glad to know you, and thank you for making me smile. To the latter: your almost-schizophrenic tendencies, lack of trust and passive dickishness bewilders me, all the more so since you won't talk about why. I won't wish you ill-will, but hope you stay alone.
5. Why is my metabolism such that I can get fatter but not heavier? Why not the other way around?
6. Bitey sent me a Xmas greeting via email. Considering the current status of our relationship, either this means I'm in some group mailing list, or it's evidence of this person's f*#ked up sensa humor.
7. Warren Ellis once wrote: It's a strange world. Let's keep it that way. Granted, though Ellis comics characters fight monsters, doppelgangers, alien creatures the size of the moon and use teleportation as a viable method of transportation, I'd like to think the universe I live in has it's fair share of strange things to see, albeit in a tamer fashion. I hope to start a new blog entitled Weird Sight of the Day. Hopefully to be accompanied by photos/sketches
8. Photoshop skills further improving. Yay. Not getting paid for it. Boo.
   
9. Things I want this year: Choco-flavored whey protein, new set of earphones, new home gym equipment, DVD sets of Arrested Development, seasons 1-5 of Futurama and seasons 5-9 of The Simpsons, hair, love, and world peace. In that order.
10. We did the Xmas and New Year's Eve dinners, w/ a bigger spread on the latter since it's also my sis-in-law's b-day. Almost suffered from chocolate overload, as opposed to past olfactory sense overload from inhaling too much gunpowder smoke from the firecrackers.
11. Ugh, in six months I'll be an over 30-year-old man living "alone w/ his parents."
12. Well, at least I'll have the room all to myself again.