Monday, July 18, 2016
Friday, May 25, 2012
friday madness
this term used to denote a mall wide sale in a spunky shopping place in Makati. but for me it's a thought to use where my mind is at right now.
can't think straight, can't comprehend much. much like a case of hypoglycemia. but i have a conference call to attend, yet YM is not working. i need to call 2 points of contact for the canteen but which number to use?
i am useless. or at least the thought of it.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
everything is political
i've been very intent in watching the impeachment trial and suffice to say, we get to learn a lot about things just by watching. evidently, laws are there to be trivialized. i mean, since laws have protected foreign currencies from being disclosed, the chief justice with his gazillions was using these instruments to deposit and withdraw mouinds of moolah to go around 82 friggin accounts. if only for the waiver he signed for SALN, did it qualify for the Ombudsman to probe. only GLORIA ARROYO can think of these things. whoa!
Saturday, April 28, 2012
eons ago
what can i say, years has passed!!! glad to have an opportunity to write again for a publication. hahaha...
Monday, August 16, 2010
this is it
yeiz, i guess this is [really is :)] it, a week from now it's to set foot back in Manila for good. i've heard questions one too many of whether i've thought things over and really felt that i've exhausted things here in KL first. truthfully, if i were to be logical, i wouldn't have. yet, Aquarians despite our notoriety for always being intellectual, we do decide on emotions too. and in this case, it's true, it was more of my heart overruling reason. how and why? to answer that will make me uneasy. which is good, for a moment of unknowing is bliss.
i am big on signs, yet in this case, i didn't look for one. perhaps i owe it big time to most of the books i've been reading lately--The Alchemist, The Passion Test, Master Your Destiny--to name a few. this time around, i was the one making the path, flickering the lights. i guess some will say i stopped waiting for things to happen? i guess so.
for all these years, i've never felt a certain emotion that things can be created. that i can rely solely on my own, seek my own purpose, and believe in whatever i have that things, can rightfully be mine. i hope i don't speak Greek to some.
anyhow, it's with a prayer that i look forward to the horizon seeing not the sunset, but a never ending sunrise. not just for me, but for the people i treasure.
i love my life-
i am big on signs, yet in this case, i didn't look for one. perhaps i owe it big time to most of the books i've been reading lately--The Alchemist, The Passion Test, Master Your Destiny--to name a few. this time around, i was the one making the path, flickering the lights. i guess some will say i stopped waiting for things to happen? i guess so.
for all these years, i've never felt a certain emotion that things can be created. that i can rely solely on my own, seek my own purpose, and believe in whatever i have that things, can rightfully be mine. i hope i don't speak Greek to some.
anyhow, it's with a prayer that i look forward to the horizon seeing not the sunset, but a never ending sunrise. not just for me, but for the people i treasure.
i love my life-
Saturday, June 13, 2009
25 Things About Gio
i guess this entry will be my most honest blog to date. as i have always had reservations in sharing things that i feel should be privy to me alone. but, i guess, there will always be an exception to that.
my family and me
- i am the younger of 2 sons, but now the middle one as we have my cute, adorable, loving sister, ling-ling. i was the one who gave her complete name, Ava Rosa Emilia. note, it's Ehy-vuh not Ah-vah. hahaha
- my father is from Laguna. got elected as town councilor a decade ago. now pursuing a law degree, on this 5th year incoming. i've always encouraged my dad to pursue this as we always figure in legal discussions. besides, he's got brains for that. funny that at his age, he is a member of the Law School Fraternity. hahaha. and comes home late after school. and i say in jest "is this the doing of a dutiful student?" my dad is 63
- my mother is all beauty and talent. she would have been a singer had it not been that frowned upon career during her time. she's from Cebu and was raised a closed door Catholic. my maternal abuela [grandmother] always heard mass and do all things ritualistic to our faith. but she is beyond reproach. she is a paragon of whatever good there is to a religious person. i got my fondness for rosary and novenas from her. back to my mom, she is like a celebrity. she never discloses her real age and her legal documents vary in her name. born Rosita, she prefers Rosette. a mezzo-soprano, my mom can really sing, can really dance. what i so love about her, aside from really cooking good meals [burp!] is that she is very passionate with everything. always has an opinion, and will fight for all of us. Bisaya eh! but being a politician's wife, she can be rugged one moment, and ravishingly delectable the next. she is a good homemaker and i got 95% of her Castillian temper. ahehehe
- my brother, looks so much younger than i do. it has become his habit to ask his friends, to determine who is older of us two. of course, hello! he wins. good looking, looks like Mark Anthony Fernandez when we were younger, he's busy with his Internet business right now along with his wife. when people tell me that i am a kind person, i tell them that my Kuya is 100% more than i am. i was the one who enrolled ina State University, but he was the Activist in the family. my Kuya and i still baby talk at our age. hahaha
- my sister, mentioned above, is now in Grade 2. just had her birthday, a Gemini; thus, the public and private personality. i can't get enough talking if it's about my sis. she complements and adverses all of us in the family. she is the amalgam of all we are. like how i always describe her, only my sister can convince me to change my decision. hahaha. she is a God send gift. she gave me the direction in life. the reason why i'd rather work far off from them so that i can send her to Assumption College some day. love her to bits
my family is my main inspiration. the reason why i am driven in a lot of things. people often say that they are lucky to have me as a son, but i guess i return it back to them. they have accepted me for who i am, been there during my triumphs and losses, and have tolerated my idiosyncrasies and moods. believe me, if they haven't been like that, i wouldn't be like this at all...that's why i always do inquire back at people who are hung up on life, with lots of emotional baggages and issues, often than not, boils back to how and what they are with their families
- me [again!]. whenever Recruitment asks me, "tell me something that's not in your resume?" i always answer with I was born in January 22 which makes me an Aquarius in Western Horoscope and Rabbit in Chinese Zodiac. having said that, i have a very vibrant gut feel on almost all things. i can sense if someone's coming, something's burning, or what not. i sense it even if people talk about me, hahaha...
bad side of being Aquarian is that not a lot of people get what we say right away. guess, it comes with our prognostication of things that are still not evident. hate to say it, but we do say, "told you so" lots of time
in school
- collectively, i have about 20 gold medals in academics. starting from grade 1 up to 4th year high. i never had a silver nor bronze as i specifically told myself, i never wanted one. i hate to lose, i'm a sore loser. that's why i never aspire for a particular subject unless i have a chance to get the plum prize. hahaha...
usually i get them for Social Science and Filipino. imagine, not one for English. hahaha. i guess, it's because way back i never had the facility to speak well as i never used English much except in school. la salle pa! hahaha. also one reason why i entered the call center industry. to enhance my comm skills.
since prep school till senior year, i've always been in the star/first section. never figured though in top ten in grade school though. guess, it was because i never thought there was so much in me.
as an Aquarian still, i love pushing the envelope and asking why and challenging authorities for the norm. in la salle, not a lot know about this, but i almost got expelled for shouting at a teacher. she was late in vacating a room and i accosted her for it. she felt slighted at the very least but gave me a chance. lesson learned really for me. one, to control my temper. two, to give 2nd chances on people. these two things i've strived to work on ever since and has helped me a lot in people management.
notre dame
- had my first taste of being a school official way back grade school in Notre Dame of Greater Manila. i was assigned to check all classrooms, from grade 1 to 6, and assess discipline [if they're not noisy, har har] and cleanliness [no brooms, candy wrappers] everyday and submit a report for recognition to the student council. the ones i submit gets a cash prize i think. and this started because i was commended for returning a lost wallet to the Guidance Office. i did most of my rounds when i find the class lecture boring. hahaha. tell the teacher i needed to do my "official duties." lol
after that i planned that i wanted my graduation yearbook to look that i have all positions under me. i did. ahehe. i was the President of the Knights of the Altar. Vice Pres for Guidance Counsellors. Secretary for the Science Club. Treasurer for the Student Affairs. i think i was even a liaison for another club. already forgot. that early, i knew career planning na pala. har har
la salle green hills
- where i went for high school. this institution has fomented a great deal on my view in life. it has given me the assurance that regardless if you speak English with a Tagalog accent, or from the wrong side of the village, doesn't matter. i used to be wary of filthy rich people as they are very snooty and all. but going here, was first a dream come true for my dad. second, when i landed first place along with the batch valedictorian in grade 7, i discovered that i can be at par! and i did well. not only academically, but extra-curricular activities too. my aspirations went beyond the books. i got to be an editor in chief of Habagat, the vernacular literary publication in 3rd year high. it was the first time it was granted. it should have been a Senior one. but i sat on it and did a lot of firsts. up to now, remembering how i got my team ride a river ferry to take pics and interview a GRO in the red light district still brings smile [rhandee, remember?] got the President position the year after.
i also won a scriptwriting prize for writing an interpretation of the Noli Me Tangere, titled Anno Domini. my first attempt in stage directing. hahaha. it was true, that when you're called on stage you'd be speechless. i thought actors just ham it up for effect. i was blank!
university of the philippines - manila
- in college, i used to be a debater. competed across Philippine schools and landed on the top 5, if i reckon correctly. the debate was held over a radio station and it was fun. you will be given a topic and you have to figure out how to create the discussion as the affirmative team. my team mate was ivy patdu. very sharp mind. i still misses her yaya's sopas [soup] during team practice. laced with cheese and dribbled with milk. ahhh!!! hehe. guess, i got all my over talking way and speed thinking through debate. you also become better with bluffing. that's why i subscribe to say that it is easy to lie with numbers. quoting statistics is a good way to do it. hahaha
i also was active with the UP Manila Chorale. bass. was part of the 4 voices to sing the Pahinungod during official activities. but i wanted to be a tenor so i can sing the melody.
i also was a block President and was voted to be the VP for my College in the Student Board. never became interested with street parliamentarism. activism never did become my thing. i'd rather be home watching Tropang Trumpo. way back home was hard that time and i never liked having a cab bring me home. the fare!!! goodness
after high school, i only had my mind set to enter the University of the Philippines and take up Public Health as a major. i never took any other college entrance exams. i only realized in retrospect, had i failed i wouldn't have gone on the first sem at all. hahaha. that's why in my quiz, it was never true i was in the top 20%. i was in the top 5%. lol
painfully shy
- contrary to how others perceive me to be, i am a shy person. i guess, like how i told Anna, when i was younger i don't answer anyone knocking on the door. fear of strangers. besides, as my job entails a lot of people interacting, getting paid for it, my home is a sanctuary. i am suplado [snob] to all my neighbors and if you ask them about me, chances are, they don't know me. hahaha. i don't like chitchatting with them nor telling them where i'm headed off. the very public person i am at work, i am your worst next door person. i really don't care. period. not for anything else, but i just want to mind my own business. that's why i don't go out my room if there are visitors in the house not mine. i don't answer the phone unless i have to. and i turn off my mobile if i'm on leave.
regine velasquez
- ahhh, this blog will never be complete if i don't about this lady. i've always liked her ever since. my mom never did. i think it's because she can scale the octaves with ease and really perform full blown volume and lung power. i am way past being a rabid fan and recklessly fight other people who say otherwise. nah, i know her strengths and weaknesses in performing. when she's inspired and give informed interpretations and when she's just holding the mic for all she cares. i've seen her best performances and her worst. i think i can even join a trivia contest about her and win it. hahaha. her voice before was really higher and effortless but her endurance now and techniques are faultless. time was when i used to say, i want Regine when she shows she's having a hard time reaching the notes. proves that she's still human. hahaha. but those were too few, really. proof of that is "What Kind of Fool Am I?" look it up and you will see that her first performance was a showcase true, but can be improved. and she has. for me, her Luna Awards 2005 version, although sharp at one instance, was the best in terms of technique and robustness. full throttle. same with the SOP version, the voice placement was perfect. but her Twenty concert was the most emotional. she was struggling for the voice to hit it. didn't sustain but great job still.
what i do like her is that TALENT is never enough. you should improve on any God given things. take time to learn more about your craft and do more. she really studied her voice well and improved on the last performance. and i always point this out during coaching sessions with people who think they have been sent to Earth to belittle people as they seem to know it all. sorry, they certainly don't. bwahahaha
oprah winfrey
- her outlook in life is certified inspiring. when i still used to do a per production job proofreading occupation, earning php1500 a week, i always look forward to watching her 1030PM show over channel23. it never fails to strengthen my resolve that things will get better and that things won't stay permanent. she was like my preacher that time, telling me to keep on going, take up the discipline and improve. it's a cycle, to raise the bar of performance higher and higher. add to this, her weight struggle which i sooo relate with. besides, ms winfrey worked hard for the money. heard an anecdote that one of her relatives told her, "honey, you already lots of money. don't work too hard." she quipped, "darling, that's why i have lots of money. because, i work hard." fine.
passion for writing
- to say i like to write is a major understatement. i have always loved the feel of unused paper and trying on a good pen. i still jot down journals, have a wish notebook, apart from pouring thoughts online. when i used to be a writer for Computerworld Phils., used to have around 10 pages of long handed drafts for my articles. hard was it for me to trust the PC to contain what i had to say. since it was my job, i had to be better writing and editing right after in a snap. no choice, i had to learn how to think and type. i usually do brain dump first. write anything on my mind. all my transcribed interview quotes etc. then i stand up, either eat or have coffee, so when i go back to edit, i have a fresh mind and eyes. now it's a matter of learning what time i need to submit anything, and i work around that. usually, i simmer on my ideas during my lengthy trips [still live in Valenzuela, a good 3 hour ride one way to Makati on a good day]. that's where i learn to construct my outline while on the road. i keep on reading my draft printouts until i can imagine where and where to place them in my final copy.
no love for Math lost
- i don't have immediate liking for Math. Geometry was hardest for me. i really didn't get the Proving part, ever. that was the only time in LSGH that i scored below 85 which was my threshold for grades, har har. but i did like Algebra though. i was the test paper checker back then. ahehe. i think it was more my fear to flunk that made me like it. used to be seated next to Jun M. [hi!] who during exams will just making a drawing of a circle and derive all the formulae from there, the pi and radius whatever. me? as soon as the teacher says, start i write all the memorized whatnots first before i forget so i can solve. hate it!
i truly believe that love for Math is in accordance with how good the teacher is. great ones i did encounter in high school made it so enjoyable and pragmatic, can't help but sail through.
up to now, i still don't get why i needed to learn angle of elevation and depression [where the hell the ship is if you're on a hill], to determine which pocket in the billiard table the ball will go given an angle x and velocity y. or find out the Molarity and molality of a table sugar cube or the composition of the dirt caused by a Periplaneta Americana, duh...hate it!!
we used to have a joke that in class 3-E, chemistry with ms Laura [hello!] was more a reading comprehension exam and not problem solving. gosh, she was something really. her exams were all, okay what was that again? haha. and she even intimated that she sings the Periodic Table of Elements. lol
ukay freak
-yes. i am a cheapskate, guilty! that's why when ukay [relief goods/surplus/overruns] came about, helluva! my main take on it is that, it's branded, it's cheap [php20 most times i bought], and it fits my frame [most of them are american sizes] so what the friggin' reason should i not? besides, where i shop people prefer the printed ones [read: balloons/yachts etc]. my closet is prized, i have Balenciaga, YSL, Hugo Boss, Paul Smith, CK, Dunhill, Ralph Lauren, Brooks Brothers, Diesel, Kenneth Cole, Armani, Versace, Ascot Chang, Lane Crawford, Abercrombie/Fitch, DKNY, Tommy Hilfiger, Gant, Daniel Hechter, Ermenigildo Zegna
one reason i don't buy Giordano and Bossini. it's priced higher than what i get. hahaha
food craving
- evidently, i love to eat. think, it's just a matter of what i want to eat at a particular time. all time fave will be Jollibee spaghettin plus chicken joy. i'm fond of fried/roasted chicken and love the breast and thigh part. always wondered how people wanted a drumstick, worse my mom loves the wings. gosh, all skin and not much meat, c'mon! also, believe in comfort food. love goto/arroz caldo [beef stipe/chicken porridge]. anything sinful, pork dishes, is a must. calorific and everything, i do believe that we must try all dishes first at one time. love also japanese food. but true and tested, will be, next to Pinoy, Chinese dishes. ahhh. that's why it's heaven here in KL. i was never fond of North Park's lemon chicken coz it tastes like wax, but here? for a RM5, i can eat it with gusto. i also love street food. but if i were to eat something everyday, has to be siomai [with chili garlic sauce], pansit canton, fried chicken and fried fish. galunggong and tilapia are all time fave. can eat it everyday
getting fit
- after food, the guilt. hahaha. used to be so big really. and never thought that i was affected, self esteem wise, by it? but i really wanted to be fitter. was never a sports buff. save for badminton [where i played in intrams] and bowling [where i scored a flat 1.o in college]. a good sweat is great. at the gym, i usually do the stepper, then treadmill. then i start to think if i wanted to do weights. haay. always and forever, a battle. but the butt shaper is a killer. if i wanted to punish myself for eating too much rice or what, i go there and suffer the ignominy of a 5 minute work out. can't do lots. but Dawnne can. leche!
had to really lose weight as my sugar level is now higher than normal. really, should be a lifestyle driven thing. find out what fits your groove. used to try lots of diets in the past, but only dawned in me that i need to alter the way i see food. i should appreciate it instead. and that doing cardio should be done along side. it need not be gym at all. can be walking, lifting things etc. it is hard. takes commitment to do it but yeah, agree to what Fitness First says, it's motivation first then habit eventually. it has to be your vow to stay fit. at least now, i'm medium sized for Carrefour shirts. ahehehe.
fashion plate
- people often say, you are what you wear. i agree to a point. not necessarily for being an effective performer in the office nor a better person, but more on perception management. you dress for what you aspire for, they say. again, to a certain point. me? i believe that it is very individualistic. people who suck in dressing are not necessarily aware they do? and people who are good at it are the ones who don't make too much an attempt to do so. most often, people say the branded items carry them, but i don't agree. rags are rags, it's you who make the clothes stand out not the other way around.
i prefer accoutrements when i feel low. that's why i hate dressing up. but if i feel bad, or want a change, i rise to the occasion. i prefer mixing high labels with stuff you find in the department stores. all black, with colors peeping through somewhere. or very conservative, but with shoes that talk! accessories play a vital role as well. play with prints. pile things up. play with colors. nobody can say there's a rule in dressing up. all are guides.
i just hate it that people flaunt their inheritance with so much "shining shimmering splendid" baubles on. they fail to think that they look like a christmas tree walking around. well to put it, you really can't buy class.
at least for most, it we don't have it? let's make the attempt worth it. as one said it, "anyone can cook but not everyone has taste."
pinoy trivia addict
- way back grade school, used to have a notebook filled with newspaper clippings of all showbiz personalities. i love chismis [gossips] about them. and up to now, and my closest friends hate me for it, i still go starstruck when i see a celebrity. i don't know but i do keep watch of everything about showbiz. plus, being Pinoy, and a TV addict. i can give you a memory trip on the 80's and 90's shows and denizens. even the soap operas, i have watched. all Awards night, i have. talk show, the most watched. again, it's my liking for observing human behavior i think that brought me to have fun doing this.
being faithful
- i am a Roman Catholic. born, raised and practising. but i never delineate one religion from another. for me? we are all in a circle and the Path is to go towards the Center. thus, no one has a monopoly of salvation. we all can reach it if we believe so, and otherwise. what is most important is that we be a reflection of everything good about our religion, and be more faithful than religious.
i was praying the rosary everyday when i was in high school during the long road trip to school. my regular Novena is for the Lady of Perpetual Help in Baclaran. have an ongoing desire to attend procession for the Lady of La Naval in Sto Domingo church every October. invoked lots of wishes which came true. right now, i intend to spread more devotion to our Patroness in Boljoon Cebu, my mom's hometown. Nuestra Senora del Patrocinio de Maria. learned that her incarnation is the only one pertaining to being her Patroness as Mary. pray pray pray
i do believe in miracles. happened lots of time. learned the lesson of letting go, the hard way. and when i pray, i usually don't invoke Jesus but more ask for intercession with the Blessed Mother and the Saints. i had a regression before with a psychic and she told me that i used to be a friar in 1500s stationed in Cebu. clothed in brown and offering Mass. that provoked me to admit why i so love the smell of incense and feel something different during High Masses and Consecration.
one of my cherished dreams is to attend a Papal Mass in the Vatican. save save save :)
friendships
- came across a book before that friendships is a constellation in your life. some go glowing brightly, some going faint in the distance. but it never means they are totally out of your life. i have suffered betrayals before. broken words. fought for a friendship which was never appreciated. collectively, i learned a lot. that's why i don't take the word "friend" any lightly. because once i call you that, it means that. nothing lesser but definitely more. it's not a mere word, for me it's a person.
i originally wanted to become a doctor but midway i realized i wouldn't be the best one. imagine i was in a Debate club competing, i was in the Student Board, i was enjoying The Practice more than ER...think think think
jologs and baduy
- i have a predilection for jukebox songs and all these sappy and sentimental songstresses,e.g. imelda papin, didith reyes [SLN], eva eugenio. of torch songs and third party never-leave-me-in-the-morning renditions. i know it's jologs [common place] to be? what the heck, it's hard to interpret in singing contests. i guess, it also is because of my liking for the masses. being raised by my dad to be able to talk to all people regardless of social strata, i guess, this is a conversation piece. although, i've always been looked at as burgis [bourgeosie] in the province given my academic pedigree. and that's my reason to my dad for not doing the campaign and pumping hands because i use the alcohol a lot, guilty!!! sorry na. hahaha. i just take care of the singing during miting de avance and whatnots. that's where i learn how to pass the mic to the audience when the notes get high and to serenade the voters. hahaha
i love scents
- i do. ask the peeps i work here with. i have amassed bottles of liquid soaps in all flavors imaginable. i love incense sticks, candles too. perfumes and colognes, i can't do without. Carolina Herrera is all time fave. Bvlgari too. but i do prefer Johnson's Baby cologne, Nenuco, Angel's Breath Yellow, and Bench Popsicle during day time. can't live without alcogel too.
i can play the piano [level3] and euphonium, i sing
- my parents really wanted us to learn how to play. more on my mom's frustration i think, ahehe. but i need the music sheet in front of me to play. my Kuya can do ouido [by ear] and play right away. i reason that i sing. haha. but learning euphonium [cousin to tuba] was more because i had to escape PE lessons in high school. you get exempted if you play in the school band. and my first PE was swimming! nah, i will not wiggle all my flabs. i'd rather pretend enjoying blowing through a mouthpiece and carry the weight. guess what, i learned about the rubber band technique in blowing there. *wink *wink, priceless
i used to sing Bangles' Manic Monday as contest piece for singing contests.
i don't know how to swim, i don't know how to drive
- even if mom's hometown is a beach paradise and i had to ride ships to get there during summer vacations, i never did. why? as i was tall since birth [exaj] i usually just walk and feel the sand whenever my cousins stressed to paddle and swim. and i still was farther from them. haha.
my dad is the best driver. i have a bad habit. i usually sleep on the way to school on the times he will drive me to, but i don't sleep on the car with everyone. that's how comfortable my dad drives. that's why i never seek the need to learn. besides, as we are a flood zone, i don't wish to be stranded and leave the car by the road side. i'd rather commute. excuses excuses
i know how to float, i sing when my dad is driving.
in messaging in friendster/facebook or whenever i ask to be added in, my subject line is almost always "ey" not for anything
- for ease of toggling between that screen and back to emails/reports, bwahaha. choz
i hate movie houses
- love watching in the comfort of my house. you don't have to dress up, can watch eating rice and whatever left over food "repaired" and drink a 1.5L Coke all for your taking. i always reason that i have fears of being injected contaminated blood in the cinema. there was a scare before and i never gotten over. beside, my being chismoso [nosy] make me watch other people instead of the movie. hahaha.
i enjoyed koreanovela and other asian horror stuff
- best for me were Full House and All In [plus Kim Sam Soon and House Husband. Foxy Lady was hot!]. did some major decisions watching the latter, All In. it's about friendships, betrayal, getting back to one's feet after a major loss and of course love. on the macabre, i like The Eye and Shutter. never fails to shock me still
i love watching Wish Ko Lang
- never fails to make me cry. anything family based problems and resolutions, never fail to get me. especially those that show reunions of relatives who've lost each other and found them back. haaay. so should i be kapamilya than kapuso? hahaha
i don't smoke but i drink a lot, if i can
- usually, during the eve of the new year, which is my mom's birthday too, i get drunk with my family. can finish a bottle with my Kuya. that's why early on i make sure i am on leave already, can't afford to miss. just did though this past one. couldn't go home. though i love liquor, dark over clear? i can't choose. it depends.
the reason i don't smoke, is i hate the odor. i hate the maintenance [cheapskate remember?] on cost and having to go down and back. more so, i need to take care of my voice. worked hard to reach my range, can't just let go easy. aherherher
i also cannot go working without water. need agua all the time.
lastly,i've never been in love. i thought i did.
Lessons learned
-appreciate people sincerely. we never know when things end. better be able to say things before it's too late. who you meet going up, will be there when you go down
-there are no short cuts in life. be it work, relationships. we have to do what needs to be done and learn from everything-family first. no amount of success at work will compensate for your failure at home
-you are where you need to be, to get to where you want to be. this is my most oft quoted saying from the legendary Ms Dina Bonnevie. really lived up to it. said this a million times during job interviews, coaching/mentoring sessions with staff, bonding time. simply put, wherever you are do the things that will prepare you for the next
my family and me
- i am the younger of 2 sons, but now the middle one as we have my cute, adorable, loving sister, ling-ling. i was the one who gave her complete name, Ava Rosa Emilia. note, it's Ehy-vuh not Ah-vah. hahaha
- my father is from Laguna. got elected as town councilor a decade ago. now pursuing a law degree, on this 5th year incoming. i've always encouraged my dad to pursue this as we always figure in legal discussions. besides, he's got brains for that. funny that at his age, he is a member of the Law School Fraternity. hahaha. and comes home late after school. and i say in jest "is this the doing of a dutiful student?" my dad is 63
- my mother is all beauty and talent. she would have been a singer had it not been that frowned upon career during her time. she's from Cebu and was raised a closed door Catholic. my maternal abuela [grandmother] always heard mass and do all things ritualistic to our faith. but she is beyond reproach. she is a paragon of whatever good there is to a religious person. i got my fondness for rosary and novenas from her. back to my mom, she is like a celebrity. she never discloses her real age and her legal documents vary in her name. born Rosita, she prefers Rosette. a mezzo-soprano, my mom can really sing, can really dance. what i so love about her, aside from really cooking good meals [burp!] is that she is very passionate with everything. always has an opinion, and will fight for all of us. Bisaya eh! but being a politician's wife, she can be rugged one moment, and ravishingly delectable the next. she is a good homemaker and i got 95% of her Castillian temper. ahehehe
- my brother, looks so much younger than i do. it has become his habit to ask his friends, to determine who is older of us two. of course, hello! he wins. good looking, looks like Mark Anthony Fernandez when we were younger, he's busy with his Internet business right now along with his wife. when people tell me that i am a kind person, i tell them that my Kuya is 100% more than i am. i was the one who enrolled ina State University, but he was the Activist in the family. my Kuya and i still baby talk at our age. hahaha
- my sister, mentioned above, is now in Grade 2. just had her birthday, a Gemini; thus, the public and private personality. i can't get enough talking if it's about my sis. she complements and adverses all of us in the family. she is the amalgam of all we are. like how i always describe her, only my sister can convince me to change my decision. hahaha. she is a God send gift. she gave me the direction in life. the reason why i'd rather work far off from them so that i can send her to Assumption College some day. love her to bits
my family is my main inspiration. the reason why i am driven in a lot of things. people often say that they are lucky to have me as a son, but i guess i return it back to them. they have accepted me for who i am, been there during my triumphs and losses, and have tolerated my idiosyncrasies and moods. believe me, if they haven't been like that, i wouldn't be like this at all...that's why i always do inquire back at people who are hung up on life, with lots of emotional baggages and issues, often than not, boils back to how and what they are with their families
- me [again!]. whenever Recruitment asks me, "tell me something that's not in your resume?" i always answer with I was born in January 22 which makes me an Aquarius in Western Horoscope and Rabbit in Chinese Zodiac. having said that, i have a very vibrant gut feel on almost all things. i can sense if someone's coming, something's burning, or what not. i sense it even if people talk about me, hahaha...
bad side of being Aquarian is that not a lot of people get what we say right away. guess, it comes with our prognostication of things that are still not evident. hate to say it, but we do say, "told you so" lots of time
in school
- collectively, i have about 20 gold medals in academics. starting from grade 1 up to 4th year high. i never had a silver nor bronze as i specifically told myself, i never wanted one. i hate to lose, i'm a sore loser. that's why i never aspire for a particular subject unless i have a chance to get the plum prize. hahaha...
usually i get them for Social Science and Filipino. imagine, not one for English. hahaha. i guess, it's because way back i never had the facility to speak well as i never used English much except in school. la salle pa! hahaha. also one reason why i entered the call center industry. to enhance my comm skills.
since prep school till senior year, i've always been in the star/first section. never figured though in top ten in grade school though. guess, it was because i never thought there was so much in me.
as an Aquarian still, i love pushing the envelope and asking why and challenging authorities for the norm. in la salle, not a lot know about this, but i almost got expelled for shouting at a teacher. she was late in vacating a room and i accosted her for it. she felt slighted at the very least but gave me a chance. lesson learned really for me. one, to control my temper. two, to give 2nd chances on people. these two things i've strived to work on ever since and has helped me a lot in people management.
notre dame
- had my first taste of being a school official way back grade school in Notre Dame of Greater Manila. i was assigned to check all classrooms, from grade 1 to 6, and assess discipline [if they're not noisy, har har] and cleanliness [no brooms, candy wrappers] everyday and submit a report for recognition to the student council. the ones i submit gets a cash prize i think. and this started because i was commended for returning a lost wallet to the Guidance Office. i did most of my rounds when i find the class lecture boring. hahaha. tell the teacher i needed to do my "official duties." lol
after that i planned that i wanted my graduation yearbook to look that i have all positions under me. i did. ahehe. i was the President of the Knights of the Altar. Vice Pres for Guidance Counsellors. Secretary for the Science Club. Treasurer for the Student Affairs. i think i was even a liaison for another club. already forgot. that early, i knew career planning na pala. har har
la salle green hills
- where i went for high school. this institution has fomented a great deal on my view in life. it has given me the assurance that regardless if you speak English with a Tagalog accent, or from the wrong side of the village, doesn't matter. i used to be wary of filthy rich people as they are very snooty and all. but going here, was first a dream come true for my dad. second, when i landed first place along with the batch valedictorian in grade 7, i discovered that i can be at par! and i did well. not only academically, but extra-curricular activities too. my aspirations went beyond the books. i got to be an editor in chief of Habagat, the vernacular literary publication in 3rd year high. it was the first time it was granted. it should have been a Senior one. but i sat on it and did a lot of firsts. up to now, remembering how i got my team ride a river ferry to take pics and interview a GRO in the red light district still brings smile [rhandee, remember?] got the President position the year after.
i also won a scriptwriting prize for writing an interpretation of the Noli Me Tangere, titled Anno Domini. my first attempt in stage directing. hahaha. it was true, that when you're called on stage you'd be speechless. i thought actors just ham it up for effect. i was blank!
university of the philippines - manila
- in college, i used to be a debater. competed across Philippine schools and landed on the top 5, if i reckon correctly. the debate was held over a radio station and it was fun. you will be given a topic and you have to figure out how to create the discussion as the affirmative team. my team mate was ivy patdu. very sharp mind. i still misses her yaya's sopas [soup] during team practice. laced with cheese and dribbled with milk. ahhh!!! hehe. guess, i got all my over talking way and speed thinking through debate. you also become better with bluffing. that's why i subscribe to say that it is easy to lie with numbers. quoting statistics is a good way to do it. hahaha
i also was active with the UP Manila Chorale. bass. was part of the 4 voices to sing the Pahinungod during official activities. but i wanted to be a tenor so i can sing the melody.
i also was a block President and was voted to be the VP for my College in the Student Board. never became interested with street parliamentarism. activism never did become my thing. i'd rather be home watching Tropang Trumpo. way back home was hard that time and i never liked having a cab bring me home. the fare!!! goodness
after high school, i only had my mind set to enter the University of the Philippines and take up Public Health as a major. i never took any other college entrance exams. i only realized in retrospect, had i failed i wouldn't have gone on the first sem at all. hahaha. that's why in my quiz, it was never true i was in the top 20%. i was in the top 5%. lol
painfully shy
- contrary to how others perceive me to be, i am a shy person. i guess, like how i told Anna, when i was younger i don't answer anyone knocking on the door. fear of strangers. besides, as my job entails a lot of people interacting, getting paid for it, my home is a sanctuary. i am suplado [snob] to all my neighbors and if you ask them about me, chances are, they don't know me. hahaha. i don't like chitchatting with them nor telling them where i'm headed off. the very public person i am at work, i am your worst next door person. i really don't care. period. not for anything else, but i just want to mind my own business. that's why i don't go out my room if there are visitors in the house not mine. i don't answer the phone unless i have to. and i turn off my mobile if i'm on leave.
regine velasquez
- ahhh, this blog will never be complete if i don't about this lady. i've always liked her ever since. my mom never did. i think it's because she can scale the octaves with ease and really perform full blown volume and lung power. i am way past being a rabid fan and recklessly fight other people who say otherwise. nah, i know her strengths and weaknesses in performing. when she's inspired and give informed interpretations and when she's just holding the mic for all she cares. i've seen her best performances and her worst. i think i can even join a trivia contest about her and win it. hahaha. her voice before was really higher and effortless but her endurance now and techniques are faultless. time was when i used to say, i want Regine when she shows she's having a hard time reaching the notes. proves that she's still human. hahaha. but those were too few, really. proof of that is "What Kind of Fool Am I?" look it up and you will see that her first performance was a showcase true, but can be improved. and she has. for me, her Luna Awards 2005 version, although sharp at one instance, was the best in terms of technique and robustness. full throttle. same with the SOP version, the voice placement was perfect. but her Twenty concert was the most emotional. she was struggling for the voice to hit it. didn't sustain but great job still.
what i do like her is that TALENT is never enough. you should improve on any God given things. take time to learn more about your craft and do more. she really studied her voice well and improved on the last performance. and i always point this out during coaching sessions with people who think they have been sent to Earth to belittle people as they seem to know it all. sorry, they certainly don't. bwahahaha
oprah winfrey
- her outlook in life is certified inspiring. when i still used to do a per production job proofreading occupation, earning php1500 a week, i always look forward to watching her 1030PM show over channel23. it never fails to strengthen my resolve that things will get better and that things won't stay permanent. she was like my preacher that time, telling me to keep on going, take up the discipline and improve. it's a cycle, to raise the bar of performance higher and higher. add to this, her weight struggle which i sooo relate with. besides, ms winfrey worked hard for the money. heard an anecdote that one of her relatives told her, "honey, you already lots of money. don't work too hard." she quipped, "darling, that's why i have lots of money. because, i work hard." fine.
passion for writing
- to say i like to write is a major understatement. i have always loved the feel of unused paper and trying on a good pen. i still jot down journals, have a wish notebook, apart from pouring thoughts online. when i used to be a writer for Computerworld Phils., used to have around 10 pages of long handed drafts for my articles. hard was it for me to trust the PC to contain what i had to say. since it was my job, i had to be better writing and editing right after in a snap. no choice, i had to learn how to think and type. i usually do brain dump first. write anything on my mind. all my transcribed interview quotes etc. then i stand up, either eat or have coffee, so when i go back to edit, i have a fresh mind and eyes. now it's a matter of learning what time i need to submit anything, and i work around that. usually, i simmer on my ideas during my lengthy trips [still live in Valenzuela, a good 3 hour ride one way to Makati on a good day]. that's where i learn to construct my outline while on the road. i keep on reading my draft printouts until i can imagine where and where to place them in my final copy.
no love for Math lost
- i don't have immediate liking for Math. Geometry was hardest for me. i really didn't get the Proving part, ever. that was the only time in LSGH that i scored below 85 which was my threshold for grades, har har. but i did like Algebra though. i was the test paper checker back then. ahehe. i think it was more my fear to flunk that made me like it. used to be seated next to Jun M. [hi!] who during exams will just making a drawing of a circle and derive all the formulae from there, the pi and radius whatever. me? as soon as the teacher says, start i write all the memorized whatnots first before i forget so i can solve. hate it!
i truly believe that love for Math is in accordance with how good the teacher is. great ones i did encounter in high school made it so enjoyable and pragmatic, can't help but sail through.
up to now, i still don't get why i needed to learn angle of elevation and depression [where the hell the ship is if you're on a hill], to determine which pocket in the billiard table the ball will go given an angle x and velocity y. or find out the Molarity and molality of a table sugar cube or the composition of the dirt caused by a Periplaneta Americana, duh...hate it!!
we used to have a joke that in class 3-E, chemistry with ms Laura [hello!] was more a reading comprehension exam and not problem solving. gosh, she was something really. her exams were all, okay what was that again? haha. and she even intimated that she sings the Periodic Table of Elements. lol
ukay freak
-yes. i am a cheapskate, guilty! that's why when ukay [relief goods/surplus/overruns] came about, helluva! my main take on it is that, it's branded, it's cheap [php20 most times i bought], and it fits my frame [most of them are american sizes] so what the friggin' reason should i not? besides, where i shop people prefer the printed ones [read: balloons/yachts etc]. my closet is prized, i have Balenciaga, YSL, Hugo Boss, Paul Smith, CK, Dunhill, Ralph Lauren, Brooks Brothers, Diesel, Kenneth Cole, Armani, Versace, Ascot Chang, Lane Crawford, Abercrombie/Fitch, DKNY, Tommy Hilfiger, Gant, Daniel Hechter, Ermenigildo Zegna
one reason i don't buy Giordano and Bossini. it's priced higher than what i get. hahaha
food craving
- evidently, i love to eat. think, it's just a matter of what i want to eat at a particular time. all time fave will be Jollibee spaghettin plus chicken joy. i'm fond of fried/roasted chicken and love the breast and thigh part. always wondered how people wanted a drumstick, worse my mom loves the wings. gosh, all skin and not much meat, c'mon! also, believe in comfort food. love goto/arroz caldo [beef stipe/chicken porridge]. anything sinful, pork dishes, is a must. calorific and everything, i do believe that we must try all dishes first at one time. love also japanese food. but true and tested, will be, next to Pinoy, Chinese dishes. ahhh. that's why it's heaven here in KL. i was never fond of North Park's lemon chicken coz it tastes like wax, but here? for a RM5, i can eat it with gusto. i also love street food. but if i were to eat something everyday, has to be siomai [with chili garlic sauce], pansit canton, fried chicken and fried fish. galunggong and tilapia are all time fave. can eat it everyday
getting fit
- after food, the guilt. hahaha. used to be so big really. and never thought that i was affected, self esteem wise, by it? but i really wanted to be fitter. was never a sports buff. save for badminton [where i played in intrams] and bowling [where i scored a flat 1.o in college]. a good sweat is great. at the gym, i usually do the stepper, then treadmill. then i start to think if i wanted to do weights. haay. always and forever, a battle. but the butt shaper is a killer. if i wanted to punish myself for eating too much rice or what, i go there and suffer the ignominy of a 5 minute work out. can't do lots. but Dawnne can. leche!
had to really lose weight as my sugar level is now higher than normal. really, should be a lifestyle driven thing. find out what fits your groove. used to try lots of diets in the past, but only dawned in me that i need to alter the way i see food. i should appreciate it instead. and that doing cardio should be done along side. it need not be gym at all. can be walking, lifting things etc. it is hard. takes commitment to do it but yeah, agree to what Fitness First says, it's motivation first then habit eventually. it has to be your vow to stay fit. at least now, i'm medium sized for Carrefour shirts. ahehehe.
fashion plate
- people often say, you are what you wear. i agree to a point. not necessarily for being an effective performer in the office nor a better person, but more on perception management. you dress for what you aspire for, they say. again, to a certain point. me? i believe that it is very individualistic. people who suck in dressing are not necessarily aware they do? and people who are good at it are the ones who don't make too much an attempt to do so. most often, people say the branded items carry them, but i don't agree. rags are rags, it's you who make the clothes stand out not the other way around.
i prefer accoutrements when i feel low. that's why i hate dressing up. but if i feel bad, or want a change, i rise to the occasion. i prefer mixing high labels with stuff you find in the department stores. all black, with colors peeping through somewhere. or very conservative, but with shoes that talk! accessories play a vital role as well. play with prints. pile things up. play with colors. nobody can say there's a rule in dressing up. all are guides.
i just hate it that people flaunt their inheritance with so much "shining shimmering splendid" baubles on. they fail to think that they look like a christmas tree walking around. well to put it, you really can't buy class.
at least for most, it we don't have it? let's make the attempt worth it. as one said it, "anyone can cook but not everyone has taste."
pinoy trivia addict
- way back grade school, used to have a notebook filled with newspaper clippings of all showbiz personalities. i love chismis [gossips] about them. and up to now, and my closest friends hate me for it, i still go starstruck when i see a celebrity. i don't know but i do keep watch of everything about showbiz. plus, being Pinoy, and a TV addict. i can give you a memory trip on the 80's and 90's shows and denizens. even the soap operas, i have watched. all Awards night, i have. talk show, the most watched. again, it's my liking for observing human behavior i think that brought me to have fun doing this.
being faithful
- i am a Roman Catholic. born, raised and practising. but i never delineate one religion from another. for me? we are all in a circle and the Path is to go towards the Center. thus, no one has a monopoly of salvation. we all can reach it if we believe so, and otherwise. what is most important is that we be a reflection of everything good about our religion, and be more faithful than religious.
i was praying the rosary everyday when i was in high school during the long road trip to school. my regular Novena is for the Lady of Perpetual Help in Baclaran. have an ongoing desire to attend procession for the Lady of La Naval in Sto Domingo church every October. invoked lots of wishes which came true. right now, i intend to spread more devotion to our Patroness in Boljoon Cebu, my mom's hometown. Nuestra Senora del Patrocinio de Maria. learned that her incarnation is the only one pertaining to being her Patroness as Mary. pray pray pray
i do believe in miracles. happened lots of time. learned the lesson of letting go, the hard way. and when i pray, i usually don't invoke Jesus but more ask for intercession with the Blessed Mother and the Saints. i had a regression before with a psychic and she told me that i used to be a friar in 1500s stationed in Cebu. clothed in brown and offering Mass. that provoked me to admit why i so love the smell of incense and feel something different during High Masses and Consecration.
one of my cherished dreams is to attend a Papal Mass in the Vatican. save save save :)
friendships
- came across a book before that friendships is a constellation in your life. some go glowing brightly, some going faint in the distance. but it never means they are totally out of your life. i have suffered betrayals before. broken words. fought for a friendship which was never appreciated. collectively, i learned a lot. that's why i don't take the word "friend" any lightly. because once i call you that, it means that. nothing lesser but definitely more. it's not a mere word, for me it's a person.
i originally wanted to become a doctor but midway i realized i wouldn't be the best one. imagine i was in a Debate club competing, i was in the Student Board, i was enjoying The Practice more than ER...think think think
jologs and baduy
- i have a predilection for jukebox songs and all these sappy and sentimental songstresses,e.g. imelda papin, didith reyes [SLN], eva eugenio. of torch songs and third party never-leave-me-in-the-morning renditions. i know it's jologs [common place] to be? what the heck, it's hard to interpret in singing contests. i guess, it also is because of my liking for the masses. being raised by my dad to be able to talk to all people regardless of social strata, i guess, this is a conversation piece. although, i've always been looked at as burgis [bourgeosie] in the province given my academic pedigree. and that's my reason to my dad for not doing the campaign and pumping hands because i use the alcohol a lot, guilty!!! sorry na. hahaha. i just take care of the singing during miting de avance and whatnots. that's where i learn how to pass the mic to the audience when the notes get high and to serenade the voters. hahaha
i love scents
- i do. ask the peeps i work here with. i have amassed bottles of liquid soaps in all flavors imaginable. i love incense sticks, candles too. perfumes and colognes, i can't do without. Carolina Herrera is all time fave. Bvlgari too. but i do prefer Johnson's Baby cologne, Nenuco, Angel's Breath Yellow, and Bench Popsicle during day time. can't live without alcogel too.
i can play the piano [level3] and euphonium, i sing
- my parents really wanted us to learn how to play. more on my mom's frustration i think, ahehe. but i need the music sheet in front of me to play. my Kuya can do ouido [by ear] and play right away. i reason that i sing. haha. but learning euphonium [cousin to tuba] was more because i had to escape PE lessons in high school. you get exempted if you play in the school band. and my first PE was swimming! nah, i will not wiggle all my flabs. i'd rather pretend enjoying blowing through a mouthpiece and carry the weight. guess what, i learned about the rubber band technique in blowing there. *wink *wink, priceless
i used to sing Bangles' Manic Monday as contest piece for singing contests.
i don't know how to swim, i don't know how to drive
- even if mom's hometown is a beach paradise and i had to ride ships to get there during summer vacations, i never did. why? as i was tall since birth [exaj] i usually just walk and feel the sand whenever my cousins stressed to paddle and swim. and i still was farther from them. haha.
my dad is the best driver. i have a bad habit. i usually sleep on the way to school on the times he will drive me to, but i don't sleep on the car with everyone. that's how comfortable my dad drives. that's why i never seek the need to learn. besides, as we are a flood zone, i don't wish to be stranded and leave the car by the road side. i'd rather commute. excuses excuses
i know how to float, i sing when my dad is driving.
in messaging in friendster/facebook or whenever i ask to be added in, my subject line is almost always "ey" not for anything
- for ease of toggling between that screen and back to emails/reports, bwahaha. choz
i hate movie houses
- love watching in the comfort of my house. you don't have to dress up, can watch eating rice and whatever left over food "repaired" and drink a 1.5L Coke all for your taking. i always reason that i have fears of being injected contaminated blood in the cinema. there was a scare before and i never gotten over. beside, my being chismoso [nosy] make me watch other people instead of the movie. hahaha.
i enjoyed koreanovela and other asian horror stuff
- best for me were Full House and All In [plus Kim Sam Soon and House Husband. Foxy Lady was hot!]. did some major decisions watching the latter, All In. it's about friendships, betrayal, getting back to one's feet after a major loss and of course love. on the macabre, i like The Eye and Shutter. never fails to shock me still
i love watching Wish Ko Lang
- never fails to make me cry. anything family based problems and resolutions, never fail to get me. especially those that show reunions of relatives who've lost each other and found them back. haaay. so should i be kapamilya than kapuso? hahaha
i don't smoke but i drink a lot, if i can
- usually, during the eve of the new year, which is my mom's birthday too, i get drunk with my family. can finish a bottle with my Kuya. that's why early on i make sure i am on leave already, can't afford to miss. just did though this past one. couldn't go home. though i love liquor, dark over clear? i can't choose. it depends.
the reason i don't smoke, is i hate the odor. i hate the maintenance [cheapskate remember?] on cost and having to go down and back. more so, i need to take care of my voice. worked hard to reach my range, can't just let go easy. aherherher
i also cannot go working without water. need agua all the time.
lastly,i've never been in love. i thought i did.
Lessons learned
-appreciate people sincerely. we never know when things end. better be able to say things before it's too late. who you meet going up, will be there when you go down
-there are no short cuts in life. be it work, relationships. we have to do what needs to be done and learn from everything-family first. no amount of success at work will compensate for your failure at home
-you are where you need to be, to get to where you want to be. this is my most oft quoted saying from the legendary Ms Dina Bonnevie. really lived up to it. said this a million times during job interviews, coaching/mentoring sessions with staff, bonding time. simply put, wherever you are do the things that will prepare you for the next
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
humility shown, greatness earned
it has been almost a month that this birthday special has been shown, yet i still can't get over the fact that this was a showcase of my dad's paradigm, that "we really don't lose anything with being humble."
for the uninitiated, regine velasquez always had a show during her birthday month, april. used to be when i was still in high school and college, i will watch out for her "songbird sings streisand" in mandarin oriental. not being able to afford the ticket, but just to wait for it to be shown on tv. then her live concerts followed by tv specials until then the "roots to riches" which was just recently showed in may came. the press release that got to me was that, the staff did a research on who used to be her main rival in the amateur singing circuit way back and they were able to track her down.
her name is minerva "eva" castillo.
eva has beaten regine, who was used to be known as "chona", in all contests except one. they were in a tie that time, only once sharing the same price but never beaten. imagine? amassing around 300 trophies all in all. that's how good eva was at that time.
thus when i was able to watch this one out, i was amazed. it has been and will always be true that talent will out. that true born singers, no matter what happens, will sparkle with their gift. and they will always deliver...she did...eva castillo did...
her style counterpoints with regine's high flying runs and acrobatics. her style is classy, her voice is nuanced, her delivery is with conviction.
true, her voice evokes of life's hardships and experiences and not merely acted out. for me, i call her "No Ordinary Diva." as she may just be any ordinary woman, washing clothes and making ends meet, but once she sings, you listen.
not only was this scene with regine, heart tugging at the very least. what i always talk about with closest friends is that regine exhibited extreme humility with showcasing a used-to-be contender who's never given her the light of day in singing, and admit this to the entire world. and more, to show her on the same stage with her.
when i saw the footage from "mel and joey" during their rehearsals, eva was given the same treatment, given a make up artist, a gown from pepsi herrera no less. and regine even talked to her in the dressing room. if i were some diva, i will lump her together with the rest, she's a "no who?" anyway. give her the regulation clothes, why waste designer rags? and let me have beauty rest, as i needed to given my stature.
but sorry to disappoint big time. regine took time out giving her pep talk. assuring her. inspiring her to make it a good performance, for who knows? and i am one person who believes in giving chances. true enough. eva castillo reigned with regine in the show.
i admit, regine was a disappointment to me as of late. what with her reckless "Listen" rendition in SOP. goodness, practice was sooo badly needed. what with her relationship with ogie a. i mean, she was single for the longest time and why have a complicated one?
but i think, undeniably. her effort for this special paid off. much more, her effortless and sincere idea of helping someone out was remarkable. true, she didn't have to? true, this person may have ran to the bank with winnings she should have gotten? true, this person is now a nobody.
but that is the essence of what she has shown. greatness is not asked. it is given. and in moments where we least expect it, if we are sincere and meek enough, the spotlight may not be on us anymore, but the attention has never faltered.
happy Wednesday everyone :)
here's the link to that remarkable song number: eva castillo with regine velasquez
for the uninitiated, regine velasquez always had a show during her birthday month, april. used to be when i was still in high school and college, i will watch out for her "songbird sings streisand" in mandarin oriental. not being able to afford the ticket, but just to wait for it to be shown on tv. then her live concerts followed by tv specials until then the "roots to riches" which was just recently showed in may came. the press release that got to me was that, the staff did a research on who used to be her main rival in the amateur singing circuit way back and they were able to track her down.
her name is minerva "eva" castillo.
eva has beaten regine, who was used to be known as "chona", in all contests except one. they were in a tie that time, only once sharing the same price but never beaten. imagine? amassing around 300 trophies all in all. that's how good eva was at that time.
thus when i was able to watch this one out, i was amazed. it has been and will always be true that talent will out. that true born singers, no matter what happens, will sparkle with their gift. and they will always deliver...she did...eva castillo did...
her style counterpoints with regine's high flying runs and acrobatics. her style is classy, her voice is nuanced, her delivery is with conviction.
true, her voice evokes of life's hardships and experiences and not merely acted out. for me, i call her "No Ordinary Diva." as she may just be any ordinary woman, washing clothes and making ends meet, but once she sings, you listen.
not only was this scene with regine, heart tugging at the very least. what i always talk about with closest friends is that regine exhibited extreme humility with showcasing a used-to-be contender who's never given her the light of day in singing, and admit this to the entire world. and more, to show her on the same stage with her.
when i saw the footage from "mel and joey" during their rehearsals, eva was given the same treatment, given a make up artist, a gown from pepsi herrera no less. and regine even talked to her in the dressing room. if i were some diva, i will lump her together with the rest, she's a "no who?" anyway. give her the regulation clothes, why waste designer rags? and let me have beauty rest, as i needed to given my stature.
but sorry to disappoint big time. regine took time out giving her pep talk. assuring her. inspiring her to make it a good performance, for who knows? and i am one person who believes in giving chances. true enough. eva castillo reigned with regine in the show.
i admit, regine was a disappointment to me as of late. what with her reckless "Listen" rendition in SOP. goodness, practice was sooo badly needed. what with her relationship with ogie a. i mean, she was single for the longest time and why have a complicated one?
but i think, undeniably. her effort for this special paid off. much more, her effortless and sincere idea of helping someone out was remarkable. true, she didn't have to? true, this person may have ran to the bank with winnings she should have gotten? true, this person is now a nobody.
but that is the essence of what she has shown. greatness is not asked. it is given. and in moments where we least expect it, if we are sincere and meek enough, the spotlight may not be on us anymore, but the attention has never faltered.
happy Wednesday everyone :)
here's the link to that remarkable song number: eva castillo with regine velasquez
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