Another year has passed and suddenly I am now 26. Wow. If someone asks me how it feels being 26, I would tell that person “You will only feel the difference when you’re already 27″. True isn’t it?

I didn’t have plans on my birthday. One thing I am sure of at that day is to go to SM Marikina for the Wifi Stress Event. I thought that I’ll do the usual Saturday night thing Karla and I do: eat dinner then hang out in a coffee shop. The surprise came when I one the Asus Laptop in SM Marikina. Is it really fate? I don’t know. I think it was just a coincidence, a lucky coincidence.

with Karla, Marc, Gail, Jay DJ, Aileen and Melo (the photographer ) at Biksa Coffee Read the rest of this entry »

with Gasulina playing in the background

Growing up as a young girl in our society is not that easy. Culturally, there are expected behaviors a little girl should know but sometimes (or most of the time), these expected behaviors become controlling factors in our decisions in life. As we all know, different socialization agents influence us and mold us to who we are now. Socialization agents are significant people in our lives (or most likely the first individuals who we encounter as a child) such as parents, teachers and peers. Not all the time they are saying the ‘right thing’, but because of normative conditions, sometimes adolescent girls are misinformed and would think that it is the ‘absolute truth’ with no room for change. Read the rest of this entry »

It was supposed to be just another Saturday gimmick for me. Karla and I decided to watch Makoy’s Violator Copy on a Saturday because I have work during weekdays. On the web, it was supposedly scheduled at 6:00 pm but when we got there (Robinson’s Galleria) it was scheduled for 7:30 pm. I got to see the Circus Listers at the theater entrance, they were going to see the film as well.

Violator Copy is a compilation of Marcus Adoro’s video works. The latest short film that he did was “The Artist Is In” which was last year and at last I was able to see it. This isn’t your typical film with dialogues in it; I would probably say that the film talked to its audience through the sound of the surroundings and the non-existence of sound. The lead character, the artist, quietly thinks of song writing ideas inside his room while on the other hand the outside world is full of noise. This shows the difficulty of some artists in the urban setting. I also thought of the struggle of an artist to squeeze their creativity juices given a little amount of time. There are deadlines to make but sometimes creativity lags behind and couldn’t cope under time pressure. It could be hypothesized that a typical day for an everyday worker, perhaps with expected tasks, is almost the same as an artist in under time pressure. Making art would become just like a normal activity and feeling of pleasure is gone. Read the rest of this entry »

This photo was just uploaded hours ago by Marcus Adoro (through his multiply site, photo taken by Mohawkmom). Just like good old days but this time with a higher rockstar status . Woot! Rock on!

Let me just give you some Eheads final set preparations that you can do:

1. Starting now, try to recall the lyrics of their songs so that you can be part of the grand videoke party on the gig itself. You can probably do 1 album at a time, be creative. Don’t forget their rare songs, you might be surprised that they might perform it. It’s pathetic that you only know the common ones like Alapaap, Huling El Bimbo, Magasin and many more.
2. Try to go to the gigs of their respective bands. They perform in small clubs like Saguijo, 70′s Bistro, Route 196. It’s also one way of moving on from the Eheads Era. Read the rest of this entry »

Gary Granada, an established composer and lyricist in the Philippines, complained about the illegal use of his music by GMA Kapuso Foundation and Procter and Gamble. If you have been watching the GMA 7 recently, they are already airing the jingle (with Mel Tiangco as the lead character). Listen to the recording above to understand why Gary Granada is upset about it. You don’t need to be a music major to understand where he is coming from.

After listening to it, again the issue of intellectual property rights comes to mind. Why do some people have problems in acknowledging other people’s work? Is that so hard to do? Why do people STEAL other people’s work? Probably some people are too ashamed to admit that they are not knowledgeable about it or probably it’s just plain LAZINESS. Read the rest of this entry »

This photo was taken seconds after Karla and I bought the copies of the Eraserheads Reunion Concert 083008. We bought ours in Astroplus SM Makati and we were lucky enough to get the last 2 DVDS on stock. This was just actually released today in all Astrovision and Astroplus stores only then starting January 31, you can already avail it through Odyssey outlets.

We started watching the DVD (it’s not yet done as of this moment) and captured nice photo moments. I envy Karla so much because she appeared twice. Huhu. (And I AM THE FAN GIRL MORE THAN HER!!!). Also the people I was with were at least seen like Tonton and King’s arm. Wahh!!! And where am I? BESIDE KING! Pathetic! Lol

Anyway, I was also saw the girl from NIke (I believe she is) whom I always see in our building (especially in the elevator). Nike’s office is in Rufino Tower and Raymund is one of the endorsers of Nike so most likely she got in there through the SVIP section Raymund. Read the rest of this entry »

My first post for 2009: a reflection of my life in 2008. Well, I’m not really going to be so emo about it but I just want to see where I am now being a 25 year old adult in this world .

CAREER. I resigned from the Call Center Industry after more than 2 years of being there. I don’t have anything against people working in Call Centers but for me, it just became a stepping stone for me. Yes, the money is big but it’s not I really wanted. I just got tired of the irregular work hours. When I was offered to be a headhunter (executive search), I immediately grabbed it. Though the compensation is just a few hundreds lower from what I am getting from my previous job, it is fulfilling in a sense that I am working during regular hours and I am pretty much enjoying what I am doing. I’m already working there for 4 months now.

Read the rest of this entry »

This is my commentary about Prof. Danny Arao’s blog post: Huwag Kang Magblog Kung…

Prof. Danny Arao’s blogpost about bloggers who become “sell outs” in the blogosphere is indeed thought provoking. I have been blogging for a long time but it was only until now that I get to meet some other bloggers in “real life” through the the different blogger or media events organized by different marketing or pr agencies. It’s only now I realize that there are some perks by becoming a blogger. I must admit it was fun since I get to experience things I have not done before ( especially the food that I have not tasted before). In exchange of letting me experience those perks of course I should return the favor by writing about their product or event etc. That’s ‘social exchange theory’ in real life, but it’s not being forced. Even though they feed me with all the food they want, nothing can control me on what I will say. I will still write a bad review if I didn’t like the taste of the food or if the service is bad. I make sure that it’s being done constructively and not because I am being too personal about it. Read the rest of this entry »

Raymund Marasigan just emailed the Cambio Mailing List this message:

dear wizards and witches

there is some disturbing news at the ministry of magic. the dementors
are doing everything they can to stop the show.

be safe

aldus dumbledore

Dare not to stop the show. It’s the law that has a flaw, Phillip Morris was able to seep into the loophole.

Now the question would be: Would you say that the fans who want this show to push through are “unintelligent” just because they don’t f*cking care whoever sponsors or ‘organizes’ the show?

I remember when I was in college, my thesis was about fandom. I wanted to do a different kind of study and portray fans as ‘intelligent’ beings in this world as opposed to the common notion of fans being the “commoners”, ” unproductive” ( meaning all they do is stalk with their idols) and justify that their idols actions are always correct.

The Frankfurt School theorists ( rooted from the believers of Karl Marx’s theories) would insist that fans are products of mass culture. As for them, mass culture is bad, monstrous and only makes people fantasize about the impossible and ‘alienates’ people from the reality of life. Mass Culture as for them operates with different apparatuses that would control the recipients of mass culture ( i.e. the fans). In this sense, we are led to have the common notion of the fan to be just mere passive audiences. If you will try to analyze it, it is somewhat a one-way relationship when fans just get pleasure from their idols and nothing can be no intellectual or cultural production can be produced from their idols. ( Try thinking about your biology in high school, it’s a symbiotic relationship called commensalism wherein only one benefits while the other doesn’t benefit at all). This kind of notion is pathological since they are the kinds of fans that media shows us.

I beg to disagree that I am like that. I am not that kind of fan. I want the show to happen.

Fans have the power to resist within their domain. Whoever the sponsor of the event is, fans will still support the show. Fans have the capability to resist whatever the motive of the sponsor is. If Phillip Morris is indeed the real sponsor ( which was by the way already confirmed), fans can still attend the event and not accept whatever Phillip Morris advocates. It’s just simple logic, it’s non-sequitur! It does not follow that if a person attends this event then people will advocate smoking. Wow, isn’t that illogical?! By the way, people have individual brains and can decide for themselves. The problem is, we are always concerned about the structural and always neglect agency ( or the individual). People are focused only on the economic structure being the big bad wolf when in fact there are other structures where we can work on. Focus on the ‘is’, capitalism or consumerism IS already here ever since and what we can do right now is to work WITHIN capitalism. Now, don’t mistake me as an elitist, I am just being pragmatic.

I understand other people’s orientation that personal is political. I accept that. But that is not always the case.

I am a fan, a logical fan.

I am feeling krung krung period. For those who do not know what it means, it’s defined as: a state of feeling one undergoes when he/she is out of her ‘normal’ state. Well that’s how I define it, I don’t know for others. I don’t really know why I am feeling this, probably I am just PMS-ing. I don’t know. I am feeling bored. I want to do many things, so little time ( and too expensive ). This morning I woke up from a 17 hour sleep ( I didn’t go to work last night) and suddenly craved for breakfast buffet in ‘Something Fishy’. Since I couldn’t drag Karla all the way from Parañaque, I dragged my mom to come along with me. So we went to Eastwood and ate the breakfast buffet. I really got so full hehe. We arrived there about 9:40 am and they’re about to clean up since the buffet is only until 10. After being the last customers there, we walked around the quiet Eastwood then headed to Cubao. Mom was going to her Church, and as for me ( who is not really into religious things) I went to Gateway Cubao and hung out in Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. This time I was alone. I remember the times when I would be feeling this and this coffee shop is always the place I seek refuge. I am usually alone whenever I go to this coffee shop.

Probably I am bored.