Standing On The Edge

A Week In Metro Manila: Up Dharma Down Documentary (Full Version)

noreply@blogger.com (Bel Certeza) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 05:30:00 +0000

More than a year in the making, Tony Rago's A Week In Metro Manila: Up Dharma Down documentary is now available to the public.

A Week in Metro Manila: Up Dharma Down” is directed and produced by Tony Rago, a Chicago-based Pinoy Music-loving fan. The film started as a means to chronicle his week-long trip in Manila where he met with his favorite band, Up Dharma Down.

The documentary, which put together over a span of a year, features Up Dharma Down in a way their fans have never seen; in-depth interviews, live performances and fan testimonies are featured in this documentary made by a fan not only for the band but for his fellow fans as well.

This documentary was made not only for Rago’s self-confessed love for the OPM band but also to introduce the band in the international music scene – a possible achievement for Up Dharma Down with their music which is most likely to cross various countries.

Up Dharma Down is Armi Millare, Paul Yap, Carlos Tañada, and Ean Mayor.

The documentary was screened at the Portage Theatre in Chicago, IL on November 05, 2011 as an official selection for the annual Chicago Filipino-American Film Festival.

The Manila screening was held at Capones, A-Venue in Makati on November 12, 2011.

23 - 29/366: Chasing Gleams Even On Sundays

noreply@blogger.com (Bel Certeza) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 12:40:00 +0000

I really need to figure out a more convenient and organized way to post my photos when creating my weekly Project 366 entries. I wanted to align the photos in threes but Blogger's layout is kinda weird. Windows Live Writer is another option but it doesn't allow captions, just mouse-overs. Yes, I am OC like that, LOL.

Saw J.Edgar last Friday. The movie was set in an era where cufflinks for men are necessary. Writing a review after I closed this entry but will be posting the review on my other blog.

Now on to the week that was:

Day 23

23/366: Eye. Say hello to my London Eye bag. It was a pasalubong from my good friend, Dominique. She's based in London and it was very sweet for her to give a piece of her hometown. The bag is made of generic flour cloth and its size is just perfect. Sorry for the dark image as my room is not well-lit.

Day 24

24/366: After. The MRT station is at least 7 blocks away from my office. The walk lasts at least 30 minutes and the degree of chaos is different each day. I do not ride the MRT and take the bus on most times. I took picture around 6:30 before reaching the bus station in EDSA. Yes, the train is faster but I'd rather be relaxed inside a bus than to compete with stress that is MRT chaos after a long day.

Day 25

25/366. Before. My Tuesday entry was tagged as 'After' so I thought it was only fitting to have a 'Before' entry. This is a view from the overpass in front of SM Megamall in Ortigas where I take the bus going to Makati. It's 6:45 AM and all I can think of is what to have for breakfast because I skipped dinner the night before.

Day 26

26/366: Gleam. Walked three blocks from the office to buy lunch from McDs. I ordered Fish Fillet sandwich. It was a glorious sunny day and I had to take a slower pace to appreciate the afternoon. I was wearing the dress I bought from Armi from the rummage sale. My boss always compliment me whenever I wear the dress. Was wearing my favorite jacket too.

Day 27

27/366: Chase. Look who came with my brother to drop me off at the FX terminal to go to work; our dearest Chase! And yeah, that cutie is my brother Zaide. Heh. :P

Day 28

28/366: Saturday. There is something therapeutic about cleaning one's room. I removed every single curtain on my window because I am certain that it is what's making me sneeze the past week. After tidying up my little corner, I decided to spend the rest of the day in bed and read my book. Sherlock Holmes has 1408 pages and it'll definitely take a while to finish everything. Torn if I should just stick with this one book or start another.

Day 29

29/366: Sunday. Say hello to my lovely parents. I find it really sweet that my father makes an effort to color-coordinate with my mother. This is before we drive off to church to hear mass. I told them I just had to take a picture because they look too darn cute together. I was teasing my father about his bulging tummy, hehehe.

16 - 22/366: Crashed Into An Inferno Of Cupcakes

noreply@blogger.com (Bel Certeza) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 01:03:00 +0000

Rhinitis is EVIL. Been suffering from it for the past three days. Missed a day and a half of work this week because I feel really queasy and weak. A client just sent me a request for buy morgan silver dollars to write about, but it was a good week, I should say. Ending it hanging out with friends made a huge difference.

Here are this week's photos:

Day 16

Day 17

Day 18

Day 19

Day 20

Day 21

Day 22

16/366: Name. My weekend of editing paid off. Most of my office mates seemed to like the video presentation that I made for Sir Rene and Sir Dennis' Send Off. The Send Off party was a Children's Party at McDs. My group mates made me write 'Bella' instead of 'Bel' on the party hat. I wasn't feeling well all day.

17/366: Step. Still not feeling well because of a bug that I think I caught over the weekend. I finally ended my self-debate and decided to do what I thought felt right. It was a step I took that made me feel uneasy but at the same time sure. Both of us are mixing the cement and polishing the bricks that we're slowly starting to put between us. He's doing it as fast as he can and I am gradually just getting used to it. But I know in my heart he has a mallet lying around somewhere.

18/366: Crash. Third day of not feeling well. There was a point in the day that my energy started crashing and needed a hug. I took three 10-minute naps in between tasks to make it through the day.

19/366: Dust. Decided not to come in at work because my rhinitis had been in its worst. Woke up light-headed and dizzy. I spent the day in bed, slept and had a glass of water in between.

20/366: Complete. Went back to work though I still felt uneasy. My boss said I should've taken the day off because I still don't look good. But I said I don't want to find myself behind my tasks so I decided to come in. My short time at a bookstore at lunch time was worth it because I found a complete collection of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes series in one book. The cover was a bit battered so I asked if they have a new copy. The customer service personnel said that was the last copy. I decided to get the book because it was hard finding an edition like that. I asked if they can just give a sort of discount, and they gave a 10% off.

21/366: Inferno. Popular Days is on when I arrived at SaGuijo. It was the first Terno Inferno for 2012 and all my friends will be there so I decided to come even though I haven't fully recovered. And I am glad I did. Brought my camera with me and was able to film sets from Not Another Boy Band, Hidden Nikki, Sleepwalk Circus, and Up Dharma Down. I just really feel good whenever I film something.

22/366: Cupcake. That's me, Kris, and Armi. It was dark because my BlackBerry doesn't have a flash and SaGuijo's starting to turn off their lights. Terno Inferno ended at 4am. Hung out with friends for a bit after. We surprised Armi, Ean, and Paul with cupcakes because the three of them celebrated their birthdays this month. I'll have to wait for another month to see them again.

Toe Live In Manila on March 20, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Bel Certeza) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 04:13:00 +0000

This is probably the best news this week (aside from the low prices for med cart, heh) : Japanese band Toe is confirmed to have a show in Manila on March 20!

After their successful 10th Anniversary concert featuring Indie pop-rock band Tahiti 80, Terno Recordings is bringing yet another brilliant music to Manila shores in the form of Japanese band, Toe.

Toe is composed of Kashikura Takashi on drums, Mino Takaaki on guitar, Yamane Satoshi on bass guitar,
and Yamazaki Hirokazu on guitar. (photo from INTASTELLA BURST HK)

I fell in love with Toe after hearing their song, Goodbye, from their For Long Tomorrow LP.

Now if hearing that song and seeing how passionate this band is while playing their music still did not convince you to see the show, then there is something wrong with you. Seriously, seeing Toe live would definitely be an experience of a lifetime and not to be missed.
Update: Toe's first Manila concert on March 20 will be held at The Tents, Alphaland Southgate in Makati.

JGL ♥

noreply@blogger.com (Bel Certeza) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:14:00 +0000

Hi, Joe. May I admire you? ♥

11 - 15/366 | Blogging Pains and Plans

noreply@blogger.com (Bel Certeza) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 14:42:00 +0000

I've successfully taken one photo a day for 15 days straight, but sort of failed with the 'blogging everyday' part. I guess I just really have to push myself harder and write something about my day on a daily basis. My life is pretty boring and there's nothing interesting for me to write about. Or there is still that fear of being called 'self-centered' that's why I cannot really gain back my enthusiasm when it comes to really writing down my thoughts.

Day 11

Day 12

Day 13

Day 14

Day 15

Here's the run-down of the past five days of my life:

11/366: Break. One of them coffee breaks. I stayed in the office all day just getting used to the new rules and finishing up stuff that needs to be delivered that day. I am getting more comfortable with being myself further and further. More shrugging and not give a f*ck.

12/366: Buddies. Had dinner with my best friend at Tokyo Tokyo in Megamall, beside that hexagon gazebo. We were so into each other's kwentos that we failed to take a picture together to document the evening.

13/366: Transition. Began editing the Send Off party video presentation that day. It had been ages the last time I did some editing. I downloaded a trial version of Avid Studio. I was surprised at how vast the selection of effects, transitions, and other effects that you can do with Avid. The transitions are pretty tricky so I decided to just stick with the basic transitions because of the limited time frame to finish everything.

14/366: Fan. Still did some editing, and then went with Kris to Ayala Museum. It was fun touring the museum specially the Diorama. The last time I had been at the Ayala Museum was when I was in 5th grade. After the museum tour, we went to the Glorietta Activity Center to see Up Dharma Down play at an event there. It was weird they weren't allowed to play Sana, Indak, and Tadhana. Brought my camera with me and shoot the whole thing. Videos will be up on my YouTube page in the coming days.

15/366: Blue. After one week, I still am blue.

10/366: Change.

noreply@blogger.com (Bel Certeza) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:16:00 +0000

Project 366: Day 10

I needed it. As soon as possible. Drowning in a sea of uncertainty and negative vibes for more than two months is just too much to handle. I never had a boyfriend, and maybe will never be a girlfriend for that matter but the first solution I thought of was doing the typical thing a person does when some part of herself is broken: get a haircut.

Don't worry, I didn't do anything drastic.

9/366: Lines.

noreply@blogger.com (Bel Certeza) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 13:52:00 +0000

Project 366: Day 09

One of those beautiful afternoons after work. I am starting to get the hang of the new routine. Yes, I'd like to say that I am a 'routine' kind of person. The good thing about routines is it somewhat gives you a straight line to follow. My 2011 was a year of routines. And there is one routine that I am trying to get pass. To move on from. Being it an everyday thing for almost eleven months is kinda hard for me.

I guess ~~one~~ change will forever remain constant.

8/366: Brosia.

noreply@blogger.com (Bel Certeza) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 11:07:00 +0000

Project 366: Day 08

Warning: this book cannot be read in public.

Pol Medina Jr.'s Pugad Baboy Issue One. This was an unexpected gift from Sir Rene back in 2006. I was a newbie at our company and he is one of my boss. I'm always known as a gloomy one and reading this book makes me otherwise.

7/366: Team.

noreply@blogger.com (Bel Certeza) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Project 366: Day 07

Meet Tutets and Chase, our two trusted canines. They have been with the family for more than five years. If only they can learn how to be a 'guide dog', that would help my mother a lot. Funny how they always fight but at the end of the the day, they have each other's back.

Death Cab For Cutie Live in Manila Ticket Prices

noreply@blogger.com (Bel Certeza) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 02:10:00 +0000

March 05 2012, 8PM The NBC Tent, Taguig

Early bird promo from Jan 06 to 15:

Php 3,420 VIP
Php 2,250 Gold

From January 16 onwards:
Php 3,800 VIP
Php 2,500 Gold

Tickets available at Ticketnet. For more details, call 911-5555.

6/366: Corner.

noreply@blogger.com (Bel Certeza) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 17:43:00 +0000

Project 366: Day 06.

Say hello to my corner at the office. :)

5/366: Asiong.

noreply@blogger.com (Bel Certeza) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 14:50:00 +0000

Project 366: Day 05

There are a few things that was going on in my head before I went inside the cinema. The last local movie I saw that I was really impressed was Quark Henares' Rakenrol. And Manila King Pin: The Asiong Salonga Story is the second film that I really took the time to watch. I have seen the trailer more than twice and I've read good reviews about the movie.

The film's cinematography is one of the reasons why I wanted to watch the movie. The whole thing is in brilliant black-and-white, and I must say I am really impressed.

If only they've selected a better actor to play the title role, then it would've been perfect.

4/366 | Sherlock.

noreply@blogger.com (Bel Certeza) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 13:38:00 +0000

Project 366: Day 04

Ok, I admit, today was a bit busy and was very focused on work today that I forgot to really take time and snap something more interesting (like Medical Office Manager Jobs. Heh.). I thought of sharing something about myself instead.

Sherlock Holmes. One of my most favorite characters in literature. The master of deduction and disguise. I haven't read all of his cases, but as far as I know, it was only Irene Adler that was able to elude Holmes. I have read The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes five times and every time I read it again, I still discover something new. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is very detailed with how his hero analyzes each case that sometimes I get too absorbed with the deduction process that I miss small details.

3/366 | Wallflower.

noreply@blogger.com (Bel Certeza) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 15:16:00 +0000

Project 366: Day 03

One of the things that I want to bring back to my routine next to faithfully blogging everyday is reading more books. Stephen Chbosky's The Perks Of Being A Wallflower is the first title I bought this year.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is an epistolary novel written by American novelist Stephen Chbosky. It was published on February 1, 1999 by MTV. The story is narrated by a teenager who goes by the alias of "Charlie"; he describes various scenes in his life by writing a series of letters to an anonymous person, whom he does not know personally. (Wikipedia)

Had finished reading a few pages in between work today. The story is written for young adults which made me conclude that it's an 'easy-reading' kind of novel. I hope I can finish reading this come weekend.

I think there will be a movie adaptation for this novel. Logan Lerman will give life to Charlie, the main character and the narrator of the story and Emma Watson will play his love interest.

Next on my reading queue is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Return of Sherlock Holmes and Roald Dahl's The Umbrella Man and Other Stories.

2/366 | Six.

noreply@blogger.com (Bel Certeza) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 14:50:00 +0000

Project 366: Day 02

It's amazing to realize that I have been working for the same company for almost six years. This morning, I woke up with high hopes that the first day back at work this 2012 will start on a positive note. And it did.

Makati greeted me with this glorious view. This is around 7:15am. One might think that it was a humid morning, but it wasn't. The weather was just perfect for one to walk one or two steps slower that the usual pace and enjoy every step.

New set of tasks, new set of rules, but with the same solid team. Having team mates as committed and as positive as our team will inspire one to strive and be the best one can be. Believe it or not, I am excited with everything that is in store for the team and the whole company. Something that will make one step up their game and be a better version of oneself, career-wise.

2012, I am ready for ya!

1/366 | Empty.

noreply@blogger.com (Bel Certeza) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 15:13:00 +0000

Project 366: Day 01

Happy new year!

A family reunion (father's side) had always been the start of my year for more than 21 years. I just got home from a tiring but fun day with my aunts, uncles, and cousins at Patio Balag.

What I like about our annual reunion, aside from the fact that the family gets bigger and bigger each year, is that everyone is always up to join the parlor games. We are one big happy bunch.

These two chairs, which are normally occupied by my Nanay Siding and Tatay Genio, have been empty for the past four years. My fondest memory about Nanay and Tatay is how jolly and excited they are whenever they cook or they get to talk to their apos. But with the immense happiness and camaraderie this night had, I say the spirit of my grandmother and grandfather lives inside of us all. :)

Death Cab For Cutie Live In Manila On March 5, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Bel Certeza) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 04:39:00 +0000

I literally screamed when this Twitter update popped on my feed:

OH YEAAAH!

It was just a rumor yesterday and now it is really happening! Washington-based band Death Cab For Cutie will be in Manila on March 5, 2012!

Rico Blanco's twitter post said that the concert will be held at the NBC Tent in Taguig. The update was cut but the rest of it read that ticket details will also be posted today.

I still am all smiles while writing this entry because a lot of the bands I like will be coming this 2012. And I never expected that Death Cab For Cutie will be one of them.

I'd be in tears and will definitely have my moment if they play We Laugh Indoors that day.♥

Flu

noreply@blogger.com (Bel Certeza) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 12:35:00 +0000

For the third time in a row, I spent my Christmas in bed because of flu.

Christmas here at home was turned into a videoke party with all of my cousins, aunts, and uncles from my mother side spent their afternoon here at home. I have been feeling a bit uneasy when I woke up that morning. I am a bit light-headed and not really up to whatever it is that's in store for that day. I remember spending a few minutes browsing northface backpacks to rest a bit after cleaning the whole house before going to bed the night before.

I was ok for a few hours, but I cannot stop sneezing come lunch time that I asked my aunts to take over and entertain our guests.

Christmas preps

noreply@blogger.com (Bel Certeza) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 04:15:00 +0000

Waking up to an uncomfortable body pain is not good. Not today.

For 27 years, I am used to watching my mother getting really excited with getting the whole house its Christmas make-over. The holiday preparations normally starts as early as Halloween. It had been a tradition that we put up our Christmas tree come November 1st. Then me and my mother would start crossing out the names on our Christmas list and start buying and wrapping gifts (from huge ones like maybe a tea set for her sister or as small as lapel pins for her high school friend). Our tree will be filled with gifts come first week of December.

This year is different though. I cannot do the usual thing I have been used to doing every holidays, which is to admire my mother and do her usual Christmas prep traditions. You may have read an entry or two here on my blog about my mother loosing her sight last year. My aunts and my mother's friends were present and helped my mother last year, but this year everything will be up to me. Well, not really since I have been talking to my mother and taking all her notes to heart on how she wanted things done this year.

I went to the mall yesterday and bought almost all the things that my mother mentioned she wanted on our table tonight for Noche Buena. I will be wrapping gifts in a bit after writing this entry, and this body pain is not helping at all. Good thing I have the right medicine to ease the pain to get me through today.

After wrapping gifts, cleaning the entire house and putting some more decorations will be my next agenda. White curtains and blue seat covers are the ones requested by mother to be put on our living room.

This is going to be a long day for me.

The Dark Knight and The Hobbit

noreply@blogger.com (Bel Certeza) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 04:42:00 +0000

Trailers of two of the most anticipated films of 2012 debuted this week.

I have been reading great things about Chris Nolan's The Dark Knight Rises trailer. Fans and critics had a lot of doubts that Nolan will satisfy what they were expecting. But the mood of the tweets and the blog posts changed when a 6-minute prologue of the movie shown exclusively on IMAX before Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (MI:GP) and this trailer came out a couple of days ago:

Upon watching the trailer, and hopefully watching the prologue when I watch MI:GP on IMAX within the week, I can see why fans and critics have become an instant fan of Nolan. The trailer has a sneak peek of Bane (and his mysterious voice, audiences will really pay attention to what he's saying while watching the film), Cat Woman, Joseph Gordon-Levitt whom I still am confused what really is that character that he plays on the film, Alfred, the bat cave...everything a Batman fan would want to see in a Batman film. There is no official date for the release, but everyone is I think wishing the Summer of 2012 come as fast as opening ones presents and searching for online college degree.

Another anticipated film that had its trailer debuted I think today is Peter Jackson's The Hobbit. I am not really a fan of the Lord of the Rings (LOTR) book series, but I thought the movie adaptations are fantastic and a must-see. The LOTR trilogy is done and is now considered a classic, and now Peter Jackson will be releasing a new film, a prologue to the trilogy, billed as The Hobbit. Here's the trailer:

How We Can Help The Victims Of Typhoon Sendong

noreply@blogger.com (Bel Certeza) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 07:43:00 +0000

I just had to stop noting address plaques online for a client upon reading the stream of information about how we can help the victims of typhoon Sendong. The people from Iligan and Cagayan De Oro are the most affected. I have been hearing reporters on the radio all day noting that for donations, water and food are a must.

I also found this page on Facebook where one can find information on How to donate and volunteer for Sendong victims.

PayPal account holders can also send their donation via PayPal page.

LBC branches are accepting donations that they will ship for free to Iligan and Cagayan de Oro.

Been reading blogs all morning and found these information:

TV5 KAPATID FOUNDATION
Donate in Cash
Bank of the Philippine Islands
Savings Account No. 1443-05333-2

Donate in Kind
News5 Aksyon Center, TV5 office
San Bartlolome, Novaliches, Quezon City

News5 Aksyon Center hotline - 938-6393

SAGIP KAPAMILYA
Donate in Cash
BDO Peso Account
Account name: ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.-Sagip Kapamilya
Account Number: 39301-14199
Swift Code: BNORPHMM

BDO Dollar Account
Account name: ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.-Sagip Kapamilya
Account Number: 39300-81622
Swift Code: BNORPHMM

PNB Peso Account
Account name: ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.-Sagip Kapamilya
Account Number: 419-539-5000-13
Swift Code: PNBMPHMM

BPI Peso Account
Account name: ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.-Sagip Kapamilya
Account Number: 3051-1127-75
Branch: West Triangle, Quezon City
Swift Code: BOPIPHMM

BPI Dollar Account
Account name: ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.-Sagip Kapamilya
Account Number: 3054-0270-35
Branch: West Triangle, Quezon City
Swift Code: BOPIPHMM

Donate in Kind
Sagip Kapamilya
ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.
Mother Ignacia cor. Eugenio Lopez St.
Diliman, Quezon City

Hotlines
(02) 411-4995
(02) 394-9272
0917-887-4411

THE CIVIL RELATIONS SERVICE, AFP
Donate in Kind
Situation Awareness Center (SAC),
CRS AFP, Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City

Landline: 912-6615
CP Nr. (0917)2471252
Focal Person: LTCOL ROLANDO RODIL, Opns Officer

Hello!

noreply@blogger.com (Bel Certeza) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 02:04:00 +0000

Yes, I know. I know. I deserve all the plaques in the world for the worst blogger ever. The lack of updates is unforgivable so here I am trying to make up for it. The past weeks have been the craziest, both physical and emotional. Most of the things that have happened are definitely blog-worthy, but it has all been overwhelming that I do not even know how to begin.

Maybe noting the things that I MUST write about would be a start:

the documentary premiere. You have seen a couple of post about it here. Both Chicago and Manila premiere were successful. There are photos that have been uploaded from both premieres so I'll post those too.
movie reviews. Tons of movies to write about because I have seen amazing ones that are worth sharing a piece of my thought with.
plans for the coming holidays.

Covered In The Flood: Download Dashboard Confessional's New Tracks For Free!

noreply@blogger.com (Bel Certeza) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 14:07:00 +0000

Chris Carrabba of Dashboard Confessional and Further Seems Forever just tweeted and shared that they are currently offering a free download of the four cover tracks that they just recorded and named the compilation Covered In The Flood. How awesome is that?! Songs they covered are the following:

Big Star's I Am In Love With A Girl
Walker Jerry Jeff's The Cape
Justin Town Earle's Mama's Eyes
The Replacement's Skyway

You can download the songs from this page on their website.

Halloween

noreply@blogger.com (Bel Certeza) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 02:59:00 +0000

I was researching about document imaging software when a plug on TV started playing. It was Noli De Castro, promoting the network's special feature.

If you are are true-blue Pinoy boob tube fan, you'll know that it had been the country's tradition to tune in to the now-defunct show Magandang Gabi Bayan on Halloween season. The spooky stories and videos had been keeping Pinoys on the edge of their seats come Halloween weekend. The show was cancelled years ago, and seeing a similar format with the same host but with a different title is really exciting.

The show's tagged as Kababalaghan, but it is still Magandang Gabi Bayan for me.