parating na siya!

home. :D

gahd, i realized i haven't touched anything in here. yeah, i dropped by to greet my friend, but nothing new in here. so. before the break, before i lose the net, before i get really busy, imma blooooog!!! :) yaaaay!

what have i been up to lately?

- gazillion papers, projects and tests
PSYCHTESTING - we get scared everytime our prof opens her mouth because she begins to give us paper after paper, and homework after homework. last monday we took a test, STAR36, and we thought we were done, then she started telling us to make two reflection papers about it. "oh i think the test was amazing." that's all i could say. boo. and then our psych report is due next year, meaning we have to do it over the break. and then our group project which is to develop our own test, is also due next year. we have to come up with the items na. and then we have to go to this institution which uses psych tests and make a paper about it. SO. YEAH.
SOCIAL PSYCH - hated the test. 40 items identification. 20 point essay. stupid stupid.
INDUSTRIAL ORGANIZATION - oh i didn't understand the test. haha. even if i studied hard, i still wouldn't know what to say. hahahaha. but. hahahaha. i can do this. next test! hahahaha
HISTO- i love histo. long test next year, but chill. haha
PHILO - i loved our philo test! hahaha it was the first time i finished a whole chapter!! and i'm so proud of myself because i knew what i was saying in the test. this time, no bola. :)

my teachers decided to give it all before the break. which is okay so that i don't have to study over the break. except for histo though.

and then i have...
- NO SPEED LIMIT stuff
it's the funrun i'm heading for SPEED. so. there. everything's been a blur. just happening quickly. i did my first meeting... and i love my team. haha. i have to finish the paperwork.. marketing and stuff. i need sponsors! huhuhu

- NSTP
for the past 2 saturdays, i've been waking up early for this. but nevertheless, it has been fun. :) we're now handling grade5 kids which makes it funner! haha. compared to the grade1 kids we had last sem, they're definitely more discliplined. from 19 nstp students, we're down to 12. but that's okay. :) we're helping the kids produce a play for their recognition day. :)

- ISAW i could probably do papers, and finish my no speed limit stuff on my freetime, but no. i had to schedule these isaw dates with KAINGIN (gar, sob, shar, etc!) because it's worth it. UP ISAW is the best dirty isaw in the world! WOOOH


all the stuff i mentioned above has been eating my free time. the time during the day that i don't spend in the classroom.

of course, my evenings are blocked off. because i have...
UNANG BABOY SA LANGIT rehearsals. (i don't have pics!BOO)
rehearsals have been fun for the past weeks. :) blockings, music rehearsals, dance rehearsals. :) i love the Babuyan Island scene with Butsiki, Butsukoy, Beki, and Batik. I'm Luwela btw. haha
and i love the song "Awit ng Paglilinis" hahaha. i love the choreography too. i get confused sa "itaguyod naa!!!! itaguyod naaaaaa!" we suddenly forget to step back or go forward. haha

once again, it's cruuuuuunch time for the UBSL people. if you take away the christmas break, we're two weeks away till our critic's night. there are till songs to learn (oh dear) and dances to finish. i hope people get to rehearse over the break. WE NEED TIME.

i'm sorry dearies if i cannot go to rehearsals. i just think that i've given what i can for the meantime, and i think now, this break goes to my real biological family. Thank you ENTA for being my family and for making me feel at home. :) i truly know where my heart belongs to. and it belongs to him. CHENGKE!!!! it belongs to entablado. to the stage. :)


after rehearsals, we go to the BEL FIELD for some simbang gabi food. hahaha. belfield food is love. there's a-shop and jescom stuff, balot, dulcenitas, fish and co., isaw, puto bumbong, bibingka, lechon baka, fruitas, inengs, monster burger, rice toppings, and a lot more!!! the mass ends at 930, so us, since we don't get to go to mass because of rehearsals, we rush to the bel field before the stampede of the mass-goers begins. :D (boo i don't have pictures too)

i ended my week in manila with the formations(a committee in enta) picnic. which wasn't really a formations picnic because everyone who didn't have class was there. hahaha. it was fun.

what is jumpshot. HAHA

it's been 2 days palang, and now i already miss enta. especially jose, riz, jika, bianca, ate virr, sir jet!!!! dianne, pao and a lot lot lot more. i probably got used to seeing these people everyday, and now i miss them!! booo. can't wait to see you guys on jan!!! WOOH!


i slept at 230 and woke up at 4 to catch my 9am flight. HAHAHAHA. i love naia3.
the departure area had gonuts donuts so i bought a box of 3 pastillas de leche, yum. and then they had jamaican patties. :) cheezy beef is love. and i loved the walkalator. HAHAHAHAHA

i hate waiting. in all aspects of my life, i hate waiting. i texted kaylle that, and she replied "be patient". hahaha. i'll probably write a blog on waiting when i have a realization, but for now, i hate waiting. hahaha. i spent forever in the airport watching people, foreigners waiting to tan their skins red to bora, or kids running around. tried to sleep but i couldn't. i wanted to sleep in the plane. my flight got delayed. my family was already in the iloilo airport when my plane was about to leave. as soon as i sat down, i dozed off. i didn't even feel the plane leaving. i didn't even feel the plane landing. hahaha. i was asleep the whole time.

i'm so glad to be back home. i didn't think i could last for 7 long months in manila. but the stay there was great. and coming home never felt as good as this. :) the house looked the same, even after the flood. haha. everything looked good. :) my room still in place, i miss the feeling of staying at home. :)

my tita promised to give me my own QUESO DE BOLA when i got back. and true enough, she handed me this during dinner. oh and look. after just 2 days, this is what's left.

just the wax.
don't leave cheese lying around just anywhere. the next thing you'll know, it's gone. :)

i spent my first day eating cheese and sleeping forever and ever. when i woke up for dinner, i was sneezing, my eyes were all red, my nose was stuffy. i was sick again. i drank iterax, it's an effective medicine for all sorts of allergies but it makes you terribly sleepy. when you're already asleep, you're going to have a hard time waking up. :) i drink it when i don't have classes the next day or i don't have to do anything important early the next day. i had to drink iterax that night because i'd rather be sleepy than sneezy. (cool i just thought of that rhyme. HAHA)

on the same evening was ENTA SYMPOSIUM... enta's christmas party. BOO i missed it. i missed this party:
but i didn't miss THIS PARTY:
you think you're the only ones who know how to partay. hahaha. i MISSED THE AC GIRLS! WOOOOH!!! pototan you're up next!!! december 28!!! text me if you want to come with us!:)


what i'm up to now:
- just preparing the house for christmas. my mom has been the queen of the house, so she's cleaning up everything. EVERYTHING. she's throwing away the old vases which have been superglued back together, cleaning all the figurines, changed the screens of the windows, changed the coves of the sofas, she even wants to renovate the CR. hahaha. so i'm (trying to) help her. HAHAHA.
- TITA ATI, TITO JAP, ALYSSA AND AVA ARE COMING!!
i miiiiiiiisssss them so much!!!!! HAHAHHAHAHHAAHA i'm sooo excited naaaaaa!!
- BEACH. i don't know when but i know i'm going to the beach with my family first, and then with my friends! WOOOH
- LA CARLOTA / BACOLOD woooooh! it's been years!!!! the BAGAs SURE KNOW HOW TO SPEND THE NEW YEAR!!!!! that's why we're going there! WOOOOHHH!!!!
- POTOTAAAAN!!!!! i'm just excited. CHRISTMAS is not complete without going to POTOTAN!!! WOOOH!!!!!
- FOODTRIP. nuf said.
- missing him. CHENGKE! kidding. hahahaha



i'm so sure i'm going to have a great Christmas.
I HOPE YOU HAVE A HAPPY CHRISTMAS TOO!!!! ENJOY!!!!!

my Christmas Wishlist!

here's the real wishlist. :)
(some items in here are copy pasted from my birthday wishlist, but mostly, these are new stuff. :)

- Guitar. i feel like a cavewoman. atat na akong kalabitin ang mga kwerdas ng gitara at ihabi ang mga salitang 'di mabitawan ng pusong naghihilom. (CHEKE) i wanna write songs na. for the longest time. i just feel that i can be good at playing guitar if i kept playing it. sigh. but must find space for the new baby first! hahaha

- a Magic 8 Ball. i really really really want one! i'm an indecisive person, and i could really use some help. i'll bring it everywhere i go. i don't have very good decision-making skills you know. HAHA. i'm not gonna rely on it all the time, it's just gonna. HELP ME. GIVE ME AN IDEA! hahahaha (oh if you want specifics, i want the HighSchool Musical Magic 8 Ball. same price!)
- hand-painted flats by Jika Regala. (look oh, your name sounds like Marc Jacobs, Vivienne Westwood, Rajo Laurel. HAHA) hey jeek, i know i've told you this before, and i haven't bought the shoes yet. HAHA. so. i love you. soooon!!

- Philippine All-Stars Special Edition Metallics: Rainbow on Black shirt. visit http://allstars2005.multiply.com/market to see their site. i'm a medium. HAHA


- A dogtag with the ball chain. why is it so hard to find one. i'm not after the engraving and stuff. well, yes maybe i want to engrave my name or something on it, but i can't find a decent dogtag. argh. i saw a pretty gold dogtag at the all stars' site too. of course, with the stars and the sun. it's pretty. but i don't think i want to spend 600 on just. a. dogtag. HAHAHA

- a charmbracelet. if i knew where to get the charms and the chains and stuff, i'd make my own. i want a personalized one. boohoo. i got this idea from jika though. charmbracelets with lockets so that i could see pictures of people around my wrist. cool noh?


- a laptop bag. my old laptop bag is pretty. if only it weren't heavy and if only it had more space so that i could put the wire, and the notebook cooler, and the mouse inside. because the only thing it could accomodate is the laptop. and a few papers. plus there's no handle, it's a sling bag. i don't like slings. it makes. the bag heavier. HAHA

- a lomo camera. i just want to take pretty pictures. :)

i don't know what it's called, i know there's different kinds of lomo cameras.. like fisheye and stuff... but i want the lomo camera that takes this kind of picture. help me figure it out. :)

pretty picture noh?

- internal hard disk drive. i just have sooo many files, i don't want to get rid of it all. burning it all into a dvd is just. hassle. what if i need something from my old files, i still have to find that cd?! i'm trying as hard as i can to minimize the files and photos i'm storing. i just need more. because i'm planning to change my system into Vista.

- anything that's CAREBEAR. :) you can be very specific too. :) *wink wink* HAHA

- but you can make me happy with anything that's CHEESE. :) the common cheese products that is. :) (please let me taste the blue cheese, and the smelly cheese at my own time. there will be time for that. HAHA) i eat anything with cheese. cheese floss, cheese naan, cheesecake, cheesebread, cheese, queso de bola, white cheese. you can skip the processed cheese, unless you're buying me one big slab (?!) of quickmelt. i'm good with that. HAHA

- a make-up brush set. :) i don't need the professional set, just the basics. :)
- but then what am i going to do with a brush set if i don't have the cosmetics?! hahaha what i need now is a blush-on and an eye-shadow palette. as much as possible i don't use liquid cosmetics because they irritate my skin. (nakakairita! HAHA)

- barbie/disney princesses/high school musical/carebear baonan with matching tumbler! because i think it's time i support the school's BYOB (Bring your own baunan) policy. HAHAHA. fun kaya, i mean. i don't know. the concept is just cool. hahaha. SAVING THE ENVIRONMENT!! SAVING THE ENVIRONMENT! :)

- Philosophy flavored lip shines, at any Beauty Bar branch! :) they come in different flavors!






























(hahaha i posted all the flavors i wanted. HAHAHA i just saw these online so i don't know if they're all available in beauty bar. but i'm gonna collect, so i'm buying one per month. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA ADIK.)

XPRES : Entablado's first ever applicants' production

photo taken when i went back to the RMT for the strike-set. Meaning, we had to take out the stage, clean up the backstage and rehearsal room.

What's special about this production is that everyone is a newbie. The actors aren't the only people new at this. Entablado picked out newbies too to head the different committees. Everyone was new at this game. So were the directors.

The planning of this production took Entablado two years. And i think this is the most perfect time to put up a production like this, now when there are lots of newbies in ENTA. The good thing about it too was that the newbies from last year got to audition too. :) That was my batch. I was a newbie last year. :)

Jika Regala, my dear jikapoop, was also invited to join XPRES.
Old members who didn't really act during their stay in ENTABLADO were invited to join.
Thus Riz Paras as Dulce, Geoc Battad as Balae 1, Kayzee Fama as Manang, and etc.
(picture taken during one of the rehearsals. we were lipsynching "JUST STAND UP")

It's now December 3, 2008. Exactly 4 days since XPRES ended. and usually, it takes a week for everyone to heal from the prod fever. everyone has been blogging about XPRES and how they're bidding farewell to it. I've been thinking about how i'm going to blog about mine, and so this is it. This blog took me two days, and a gazillion of drafts to create a shorter but meaningful blog about XPRES. :)

photo by Cam Ronquillo, when i tried on St. Anthony's halo. :)

this is the shortest i can get, so forgive me if it seems lengthy. :)


I remember last year when they announced that the newbie production rehearsals were over the sembreak. This just broke my heart, as i was going to prepare for my debut that semestral break. It was an unfortunate news though for most of the people in ENTA when they learned that the newbie production could not be pushed through. For me, i was hoping that i'd be given a shot at this newbie production.

During the first semester, I remember during that EB (executive board) and deputies meeting when we were giving updates about the projects of each committee. When they brought up the newbie production, they were planning on allowing only the newbies of this year to join the production. Well, some of us didn't agree, and demanded, fought, spoke up that the newbies of last year should be allowed to audition for the newbie production.

Thank God, He let the stage welcome me.

XPRES poster

The newbie production was called XPRES, connoting how quick instances can be a catalyst and change our lives.

The whole production featured plays from the PETA Writers' Block's 10x10x10: Sampung Tigsasampung Minutong Dula ng Sampung Mandudula (Ten 10-minute plays by 10 playwrights)

I remember that day when i auditioned for the role of Eileen in Alvin Dacanay's Eyeball.

I wanted the role because i felt that should be easy for me. I believed i looked the part. I believed i could pull it off. I was so ready to be Eileen.

my good friend dianne scored the role of Eileen. and i must say she did a good job. :) Opening Night photo by Kevin Tatco

But instead, i saw this on the bulletin board the following day:

St. Anthony, Pray For Us ni Liza Magtoto
Toinette - Emelou Therese Gorecho

i quickly picked up a copy of 10x10x10 at the ENTA Room and scanned through toinette's lines. sure, i skimmed through the play, and even wanted to audition for the role of Angel in that play. But i didn't notice how long and monologue-ish toinette's lines were. This intimidated me. Perhaps because i was never good at memorization, and the whole thing was a monologue for me. I got through the first script reading, and the first script analysis before finals week started. After that, i left my script somewhere, and has not touched it till sembreak began. I tried memorizing the prayer so that it would appear "automatic" when i orate it on stage.

first day of our rehearsals. we still had our scripts.
we rehearsed at the Colayco Pavillion.

We kept rehearsing and rehearsing. I kept on postponing my rehearsals because i wanted to distract myself from depressing myself. I stayed for a whole month in the dorm, all alone. I stayed over the sembreak to rehearse for this newbie production, which, at first, didn't seem appealing.

one of the days when we used the SEC FOYER for rehearsals.

our director, Kuya Kalil, decided to put lipstick on our faces everytime we did something wrong. miss a line, wrong blocking, forget blocks and stuff. and yes. that was how messed up i was. HAHA

I was re-thinking if it was all worth it. I had to do something to distract myself from feeling depressed being away from my family, missing out on vacations and stuff. This went on for almost a month.

during the XPRES photoshoot. everyone was waiting for their turn.

with my co-actors, John Carlo Dulu as the Angel and Gabby Gonda as St. Anthony

When we moved in the Rizal Mini Theater, things began to change.
The date of our Opening Night moved closer and closer. Tension was in the air.

we each had our own spaces in the long table. and if you know me well enough, you'd notice my spot over there. where my inhaler is. :)

a few times during the production i've probably lost passion in what i've been doing. I probably have said a few times that this was a wrong move, that i should've never stayed in the first place. And that probably, theater is not for me. i've been through good runs, and bad ones... i've lost my voice, got sick, had petty misunderstandings, and problems and stuff. before opening night, i still didn't really understand how i've managed to stay up to that point.

Opening Night photo by Kevin Tatco St. Anthony, Pray For Us was the first play of the opening night. technically, the play opened the production. pressure. but i think i handled it quite okay. haha

during the ENTABLADO plevsem, we were asked to write a one-liner "blog" on paper and have people comment on it. my last phrase was: "...i hope it's all worth it." and people who commented on the blog seemed to have a common theme... that because i chose to do it, it means it's worth something.

Like Toinette, thank you for letting me find myself too. XPRES. photo by kevin tatco

"...thank you sa lahat ng tao na kasama ko ngayon sa bilog na ito. salamat sa pagpapakita sa akin na ang lahat ng ito ay totoong worth it..." (thank you to everyone gathered in this circle... thank you for showing me that all this is truly worth it.) - this was the first time i spoke in a BILOG althroughout my stay in enta... this was also during XPRES' last show.

XPRES, thank you for proving to myself that i can be more. photo by Kevin Tatco

"...sa pangungulila, higit na nadarama ang halaga..."
- Sir Jethro Tenorio on my PLEVSEM blog


Thank you XPRES for being my family.

photo taken after the first gala night. everyone was in bliss. it was a succesful night. :)

During the sembreak, i've been desperate for some family loving. I've stayed over my tita's house, traveled to and fro Tandang Sora to visit my other tita, and worry sick about my lola who got hospitalized, and my sickly little sister. I've been desperate for some family loving, that i have failed to see you guys as my family too.

"...eh minsan naman kasi nasa harap na niya, di pa niya makita!!"
- Angel, St. Anthony Pray for Us
My family. :)

Thank you XPRES for making me feel at home. for making me feel secured and safe in the corners of the stage. Thank you for making me feel that i belong. Thank you for every single day that we have spent in preparing this production. This is the prod that we can truly say it was "ours". Every 10 minutes spent during the preparation of this production has been special. People have put in their efforts, time, talent, passion just to create this. XPRES is OURS. :) It was OUR TIME.

the whole XPRES team.
it was OUR time. :)

Most people think that theater is a lair of lies. People go on stage to pretend to be someone they're not. It's all fictional. Nothing is real.

The XPRES stage set design by Jesus Joseph Ignacio (http://jesusignacio.multiply.com/) photo by Kevin Tatco

No, i don't think so. I think theater is a beautiful avenue for expressing the truth. People just want to see what they want to see. That's the beauty of it all, that theater is able to send across it's message subtly. It's not just a hobby, or a sideline, or something to do with your free time. It's a lifestyle. It's not a joke having to juggle academics, theater and one's own life altogether. But i guess it's what theater people get from this love and passion for this art that makes them stay.


It was a fun journey. Now i'll always know that wherever i am, the stage is always my home. That ENTABLADO will embrace me for whoever i am or for whatever i chose to be. That despite the lack of an intimate relationship with the opposite sex, i will always be contented with my life, with my family, my friends, and theater. :) Thank you for showing me that, XPRES. :)


Thank you to everyone who have made XPRES a very memorable experience.
I cannot believe it's all over.
But i guess this is just the beginning of something better. :)


Thank you
Kuya Kalil, Dolly, Gabby, Jose, Fred, Ekha, Harald, Geoc, Ryuji, Jika, Riz, Judge, Pedro
Leinard, Danica, Papa Z, Kz, Miguel, Karl Louie, Yves, Terri, Jen, Meeyo, Pam, Portia
Pat, Dianne, Robert, Mich, Cute, Vian, Omar, Ia, Bruce, Cam, Condom, Tonio, Lem
Sir Jet, Sang, Miko, Dick
Pao S., Nicole, Aaron, Karl Beki, David Beki, Bianca, Say, Andrei, Sam, Kaila, Mike

if i forgot anyone, forgive me. :) i love you all.