Discovering Cebu

Why is Malapascua Island Beautiful?

2011-10-28T12:09:00.000-07:00

Clean, crisp and clean waters welcome you at Malapascua Island in Cebu. It's a must see destination if you go to the Cebu Island in the Philippines.

Fish feeding at the Cebu Hilton and Spa

2011-01-01T16:15:00.000-08:00

Fish feeding at the Cebu Hilton and Spa. This activity originally came from Shangrila Mactan and since they share the same seafront, the fishes just goes to one resort to another.

Beachfront of Cebu Hilton and Spa

2011-01-01T16:12:00.000-08:00

This is the beach of the Cebu Hilton and Spa. It is a short shoreline but it's good enough.

Top 5 Hot Pictures of Shia Labeouf

2010-10-02T09:16:00.000-07:00

Watched the movie Wallstreet today. I enjoyed the movie because it was quite a drama movie. I even cried. These are my own top 5 hot pictures of Shia Labeouf.

How does the Room at Mactan Shangrila looks like?

2010-10-02T09:06:00.000-07:00

This is how a room at Mactan Shangrila Hotel looks like. An ocean club room will cost around Php 20,000 a night. And with this ocean view room, it's really expensive

Lady Gaga Lives Up To Her Name - A Concert Review

2009-08-11T13:15:00.001-07:00

Nothing actually prepared us for what we saw tonight. Yes, she has several solid hits which had huge airplays on local and international radio! Yes, her videos have crazy plots! Yes, she has #1 songs in most continents of the world! And yes, she has that weird 80s disco look which has greatly cemented her image and her music to everyone who was curious. However, to see her perform live, just elevates your experience of her music and she, without an iota of doubt, stamps on her audience, that she is indeed, gaga!!

It was but fitting that she chose to be "Candy Warhol" in her introductory video montage, because like the legendary icon, who was also an artist and photographer, Andy Warhol painted and photographed images in different shades and hues, and converted everyday mundane things into vivid pop icon imagery. His lookalike was even there in her video montage, but unfortunately, we could barely hear the audio, as the audience was already furiously screaming her name as it was airing. I could just hear snippets of it.

She definitely did not disappoint in the fashion department, as her several costume changes, throughout her show, brought us back to the days when rock stars were very adventurous, fashion-wise. She had a costume where you could actually see her butt - her two round butts. And she was traipsing on the stage in that bathing suit like thing with just a T-back like string on her backside. Then, another costume had shoulder sleeves very much like our terno - but this time, a terno that an alien would wear, or if maybe the Philippines was a country in Mars. The sleeves where spiky shaped and in metallic grey, and as usually, she didn't bother much to cover herself from the waist below. Finally, for her last song, Poker Face, she wore this outrageous balloon costume which could trick the eyes of the audience through the use of proper lighting. At first glance, she would appear to be naked, only covered by these transparent bubble-like balloons all attached to her body, from the waist up, covering the more important parts. However, she takes it off to reveal a two-piece bathing suit like piece which has almost the same color as her skin. It actually reminded me of how Madonna would be in some stages of undress during her concerts, but the difference lay on the comic wit of Lady Gaga - of her ability to use illusion in the name of fun.

She did look a bit tired but I could forgive her for that. Since August 7, she's had had 4 shows in 4 different cities in Asia, and today, she will be singing in Singapore, no rest day. What's great is that she gave it her all, because for sure, she's really exhausted and I congratulate her for that. Her handlers though should have made some considerations.

Her choreography was also very crazy. It was neither here - nor there. It was just random 80s style dancing, with arms flailing, and cute kooky movements of the hip and the butt - of course all done in synchronicity! There'll be running man here, and some Michael Jackson type of fist pumping, crotch grabbing movements, sleek it was not, but it looked like she was really having a lot of fun doing that. She loved to head bang too, so you could see her blonde hair swishing all over the place. This lady knows her 80s history very very well. (If you don't know this then ask your kuya or ate for a picture of Jon Bon Jovi, or Poison, or Axl Rose, in the 80s and check out the hair!!)

Finally, she was also very very very funny in her repartees with the audience! "Someone asked me a crazy question" "Lady Gaga, do you have a dick?" And she said, "Yes, and it's bigger than yours!" She also had this piano with a protruding microphone and she stoops down on the opposite of the microphone to the point where her butt touches the you know what. Maybe it was only me who noticed, but the sexual innuendos were very reminiscent of Madonna's early days. The "fuck you signs", the shouts of "motherfucker" - and all that body exposure. Cheeky!! Cheeky!! Cheeky!! That's the perfect word for all the crazy antics she did on stage tonight!!

My favorite part of the show - would be Poker Face - where in the first part - she does it ballad style - with the audience helping her out. Here, she's playing the piano and puts both her feet on the piano. So you see her, spread-eagled, on the piano (in a very sexual position), while playing the piano, and singing Poker Face. Not only that, she puts one of her legs on the piano stool and opens herself up facing the audience, while her fingers remain on the piano. (A very cheeky position, I should say, because this time, she was only wearing that skin tone two-piece ensemble. And was it only me, or did she touch herself several times in the show. I could count five I think. Because we were so near her. Very Madonna-like during the Blonde Ambition tour.)

Another interesting thing I noticed tonight was that her band looked like drugged out, rock band musicians, like Poison when they were in high school. It actually looked cool!! And all the back up dancers were black!! And she also said, her best friend was a Filipino. I hope she does not say that in every show as she changes the nationality. But I think not. She spoke sincerely of it and that she was happy to be finally here and perform before us. (Sweet, but for a veteran concert goer like me, all I could say was, Chika!!!)

The concert was sold out, much to our horror! We bought our tickets 7 hours before the show, and our only choices were General Admission or VIP. It was a no contest so we had to shell out P16T bucks today just to see her, because we did not buy the tickets much much earlier. Only Madonna, or Kylie, or Mariah, or Janet, can make us do that - spend US$333 to watch a one hour show. Was it worth it? Hell yeahh!!! It's as if I've finally met my next concert queen after Madonna. Yes, the show wass not as sleek, but it's her first tour ever, and she definitely performs much much better than Kanye West or Norah Jones, who were also first time tourers when I saw them. Even Alanis Morrissette looked boring at her peak, when she was still new. I would really be excited to see her DVD of this show.

There were a lot of celebrities tonight, Tessa Prieto, Quark Henares, the family of Francis Magalona who was a row behind us, Keren Pascual who was a few rows in front of us, Bruce Quebral, Jolo Revilla, Brent Javier, Angel Locsin (I wonder what they saw since they were like 10 rows behind us, on the other column, and in their column, many taller guys were practically standing on their seats in front of them.)

By the way, thank you Lord, for giving Vic and I the BEST BEST seats in the house - and we just bought the tickets today!! I say the best seats because, on our column, only the row before us was standing and the first up to tenth row, stood on the ground, while the rows behind, including us, were standing on our seats. Also, Lady Gaga performed all of her act, on our side of the stage. On the left side, facing her. EVERYTHING! As she entered in a motorcycle for "Just Dance", her weird metallic piano bubble for "Poker Face", her "Candy Warhol" sequences, so if you're buying tickets, buy on the left side facing the stage. It was as if she was singing just for us because I could have thrown a baseball straight and it could hit her on her face. That's how in front of us, she was. And the height of the Araneta stage, unlike outdoor shows, is not very high. So if a tall guy like me stood up on the chair, I could practically kiss her, if my chair was moved 12 rows to the front.

The crowd was ALIVE and there were so many girls who made up their faces just like her, who wore crazy high heels, just like her, and wore metallic dresses and tops with crazy asymmetrical cuts, just like her!! Gay boys, yes, there were groups of them in their tightest fitting shirts or their crazy colored prints. Daddies and Mommies with their little daughters (or gay sons - the one beside us, and I love her for it, brought her young gay son to watch the show!) Talk about acceptance!! And of course, straight boyfriends (I really hope so) with their dressed-to-kill dates!!

It took us one hour to reach Araneta (15 minutes usually from our house) and another hour just to get out. We were all like fireflies attracted to the light, flickering from a galaxy that only Lady Gaga can call her own!

Tony

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Hammered Into Submission by Nine Inch Nails

2009-08-05T10:56:00.001-07:00

This is one of the few concerts that I had to go alone because I couldn't think of anybody to invite, mainly because the brooding and extremely loud music played by this band may not be the cup of tea of my circle of friends. However, as I entered the Araneta tonight, I realized, yes, I did have this type of circle of friends, way back in the early 90's, when I was still running around with the IS crowd - when listening to Nirvana was still cool - and finding out that some of my fellow EE classmates were true blue headbangers themselves - sans the long cheveux. Of course, we all moved on, got married - some to the same sex, had kids, had mistresses, had more kids, and....ooppsss - that's too reality-based, alas, we bid goodbye to the good old days.

The one thing that greeted me tonight was the number of HOT MEN in the audience. Sa daanan pa lang on that restaurant row leading to the pila, whew, I haven't so so many STRAIGHT, goodlooking men in YEARS!!! Ladies, if you need to look for hot men, go to a rock concert, and I don't mean EMO bands ok, real rock bands, like NIN. Tonight, my eye candy thermometer just went through the roof!!! No wonder, many ladies were wearing sexy stilettos and really shorty shorts or skirts since the guys came in droves, bringing along each member of their barkada. It was literally, raining on the outside and raining men inside Araneta Coliseum!!

I was introduced to NIN through Jane's Addiction, an alternative band whose album covers caught my attention, when I was in college. I'm not quite familiar with the chronology of NIN's music, since they rarely hit the Billboard singles chart. However, their albums were instant bestsellers and I even have a copy of one of them - The Downward Spiral. I met a girl in my EE class who was also into this style of alternative music way back early 90's and we became good friends - eventually, we hung out at Mars during nights when they played this type of music.

The early 90's was also the time of intense self-examination on my part - mixed emotions of angst, despair, depression, sadness - were brewing inside me - and it was just apt - that songs from Nirvana and Pearl Jam and NIN became some sort of anthem songs for me. So it was pretty exciting for me to be able to see the band play some of these songs live, almost 16 years after I enjoyed them as a lost young adult.

The most interesting thing I noticed tonight was that the 2 most popular songs are also probably the darkest. Trevor sang "Head to a Hole" last, making it the closing song - and I remember years ago, reciting the lyrics - "I'd rather die than give you control" as some sort of mantra - just to prep myself up. Then, the encore was the equally disturbing "Hurt", which talks about suicide and loss - which at that time - fit perfectly - since Papa just died and I failed in my academic life - everything was just a mess - and this song was some form of release for me to just sing what I was actually feeling. I was feeling "Hurt" and I could not tell anyone about it.

And it was not only me singing alone. The whole audience was. And the way they did "Hurt" was very low key, and I could not even capture them on camera since they deliberately turned off some of the lights on the stage, allowing just enough to capture the shadows of the band members and Trevor.

The show was also electrifying because it mixed the use of lights to complement the intensity of the music. So song after song, these different colors of light hit us, especially our area since I was directly in front of the stage, so it turned bright very often.

As for the Trevor, he looked hot! And he performed like a real rock star that he is! I loved his rendition of "Reptile" - and sang along with him through "You're a beautiful liar!" - and "Gave Up", "Piggy" and "1,000,000". Everyone also started jumping when he sang "March of the Pigs" - a definite crowd favorite. I don't quite like "The Hand that Feeds" but the audience apparently did.

My ears are still actually ringing from all that heavy rock sound. They should be gone tomorrow though after I sleep it off. Interestingly, too, was that although NIN built their reputation on songs of despair and sadness, tonight, they did look very happy and content singing those sad songs. I guess earning millions from album sales and concerts, singing to angst-filled youth, really brings home the bacon. And the continuing fascination of today's youth on bands like Paramore and so-called EMO bands shows that there is money to be made on that sad youth sulking on the hallway.

NIN just pioneered that type of music.

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Book Review: Alan Bennett's The Uncommon Reader

2009-07-27T09:40:00.001-07:00

     Queens and comedy can only possibly work if the queen referred to a gay man, and not the Queen of England. However, this short book by Alan Bennett emphatically shows that putting a queen in a comic situation can be riotous fun - and not only ANY queen, but the queen of the stiff upper lips!

     This is the first book in years, that I reread, because of its brevity, and because I wanted to relish the witty commentaries. It afforded me also, a look into the goings-on in the life of the queen and her thoughts and what she feels when she has to do her duty to her country and her kingdom, I suppose. This is all fiction of course, but as you read it, it feels very contemporary, as if you are really reading a memoir of the actual Queen of England.

       Well, the subject matter, as stated in the title, revolves around reading, not quite an activity one would associate with action, or even comedy. But Bennett successfully crystallizes how that activity affects the actions of the monarch and her dealings with the people around her. In a society enthralled by Her Majesty, this book narrates how reading, in turn, enthralls Her Majesty, vis-a-vis, and how she views society as seen from the books she has read.

      The dialogue is straight from a comedy sitcom, like this -

      "I've served three queens, and got on with them all. The only queen I could never get on with was Field Marshal Montgomery".

      And it made me laugh in its garrolous references to previous events in the book -

      "If Norman didn't know who had engineered his departure, the Queen herself was in no doubt. Norman had gone the way of the travelling library and the case of books that ended up in Calgary. Like the book she had hidden behind the cushion in the state coach, he was lucky not to have been exploded."

     And the Queen is no slouch when it came to witticisms -

      "Pass the time?" said the Queen. "Books are not about passing the time. They're about other lives. Other worlds. Far from wanting time to pass, Sir Kevin, one just wishes one had more of it. If one wanted to pass the time one could go to New Zealand." (Of course, to understand this joke, one had to understand the hierarchy of countries in the Commonwealth and how they felt about each other.)

    And she's a very observant queen -

    "She read Ackerley's account of himself.....,being a homosexual......though feeling also that he had had a sad life. His dog intrigued her, though she was disconcerted by the almost veterinary intimacies with which he indulged the creature. She was also surprised that the Guards seemed to be as readily available as the book made out and at such reasonable tariff."   (Only a 'queen' will understand this hahaha!)

   Of course, the best joke comes in the end, and that I will save for all of you to find out. I actually had to check Wikipedia after I read that part, just to confirm if I got the joke or not. Strange!!

    If I were a writer, this is how I would like to write - succinct, witty, beautifully made out characters - definitely no muddling of events which makes other books so very exacting to read.

    If you want a relaxed book on a Saturday night, this is a good one. You should be able to finish it in an hour and be laughing along!!

Tony

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Definitely not the end of the road for Boyz II Men - A Concert Review

2009-07-24T20:46:00.001-07:00

One of the tragedies of my college life was that I never fell in love with any boy. Not a single one in my seven years in UP. Not to say there were no goodlooking guys around - there were plenty in Eng'g, some in the College of Science and plenty in BA and Econ - which for the first 2 years of college life, was the world I revolved in. I guess I was just intimidated by most of them - for not only do you find goodlooking guys around, most of them are really smart too, and the worst part is - they are also very down-to-earth and very nice people. Talk about having everything in life. Another bad part was in the late 80s and early 90s, being gay in UP meant being in Mass Com or Music - arguably, there was just no "gay scene" in the college of Eng'g and the ones in the College of Science had med school to worry about so really, no time to party like a gay man in those days.

That fact came into fore as Boyz II Men sang all of their popular songs - which dates from 1991 to late 1996, right smack into the heydays of my college life. Love songs which are wonderful to hear but has definitely no ties to any individual boy that I know. Not a single one. Tragic to the max!!! I surmise my college days were just days of lust which may be apparently true to any red-blooded male between 18-24. All they really think about is to fuck. What's love got to do with any of that anyway. A warning I should really give to Laura, tsk,tsk.

So as Boyz II Men began their musical journey from their hits-filled discography, it was not very hard to sing along to each of them, my favorites being, 4 Seasons of Loneliness and Water Runs Dry. Unsurprisingly, the huge audience tonight at the Araneta, sang along, not only to those two, but to most of their hits, two which I was not even familiar with, but was familiar to most anyone in the audience.

I now rarely get goosebumps in live shows, being such a veteran watcher, but tonight, I just got it several times. I thought it might be the fact I haven't heard these songs in a long, long, long, long time. I have since shelved my Boyz II Men CDs in 1996 when they had their last biggest hit with Mariah Carey - One Sweet Day. After that, I guess I just moved on, taste-wise. More so the fact that R&B also got raunchier with R. Kelly and Mary J. Blige beginning their careers. Officially, the days of snazzy crooning from the Boyz and superproducer Babyface, was on the wane, at that time.

One thing that caught, not only my attention, but also most of my co-audience mates, was that, the Boyz could dance!!! Quelle surprise!!! And they were very, very, very good at it!!! The choreo was snappy and it was executed very very well. Whitney Houston could learn a thing or two from the Boyz. Of course, there was no Janet Jackson or Madonna type of choreo, which would have been too difficult, as well as inappropriate, it was the basic use of the hands and fancy footwork reminiscent of what Gene Kelly used to do very well. The magnificent choreo just added a lot of pizzazz to the show!

Voice-wise, everything was impeccable! So, the goosebumps. It was also perfect that the venue was enclosed (at the Araneta), so you can really appreciate the power and beauty of their harmonies.

The Boyz promoted their new CD of Motown material in a 30-minute segment which they did very well. Except for a song or two, I was familiar most of them. However, I daresay that the original versions are really much better, sorry guys! They lacked a degree of spunk to create the vibe required of those songs - from War to Reach Out (I'll Be There) - all beautiful classics - but should be touched only by singers with enormous verve and steely grit - like Tina Turner perhaps. The montage was entertaining though but definitely not groundbreaking.

I was very surprised that I'll Make Love To You and End of the Road were quite popular with the audience. Those were their 2 biggest hits anyway, but I don't remember it being THAT popular in Manila at that time. I may be wrong - judging from what I saw tonight. Everybody just instinctively stood up when those two songs were being performed.

They sang a lot of their earlier work - which was good for me - since I do have their first three CDs and am familiar with their early work. I daresay this was the best concert yet this year - compared to the others that I've seen - based mainly on audience reaction and the artist's performance. After being 20 years in the business really paid off for the Boyz tonight. They were just very cool and perfected each move and just knew how to stoke the passions of the captivated audience! I came into the show not expecting much - I even expected to be bored a bit - since I detest slightly very mushy songs. But I came away enjoying myself immensely - like receiving an unexpected gift on Christmas Eve. In return - the Boyz were affable in their gratitude. Twenty years into their career, it's definitely not yet, the end of the road for Boyz II Men.

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Divisoria Tales: Catching Some Thieves in Action

2009-07-16T11:26:00.001-07:00

I have been personally doing the selling in my Divisoria store for the past 3 months now and every day is a unique day to itself. My co-tinderos and tinderas have warned me about the modus operandi of people who steal stuff - and my turn came today.

Apparently they come as a group. In my case, two young men, around 20 years old, who came just about the same time as another young man, of the same age. I treated them like any other customer, since in Divisoria, looks do not count at all. The man in raggedy clothes could easily buy your whole stock while a pasosy looking girl may be as kuripot as a rat. The first thing that made me realize something was amiss, was when the lone guy, wanted a different size from the one he fitted. Which is weird. And he said I want another color, when I said earlier to him, "It's all out", meaning, what you see on the rack is what's left, since we do not store stuff. The second alarm bell came when the behavior of the two men was unusual for a Divisoria shopper. They were too presko, I can be machika if I wanted to but not their type of chika. Too many questions, their eyes were wandering around and they ventured into nooks of the store which a normal shopper would not go. The third warning came to my brain when I gave them the right size of the shirt they wanted and they wanted something bigger, and when they were poking around the women stuff. Not unusual for a man to do that, since the usual reason is, it's a gift. But these guys were too talky about it - describing their supposed wives, etc. Men just don't do that, or at least, the ones who have bought clothes for their wives from me. The usual things they would check is the size, then the color, then the fabric, feeling it, touching it. And everything is done in 3 minutes, tops! And they rarely make halungkat. They just go through all the merchandise with their eyes and zoom in on the thing they think their wife would like. But these guys, were practically touching everything in the women's section. Hmmm....third warning bell. The fourth warning came when the way they held the clothes to me was similar to the warning that a co-tindera told me when I was still new there. These thieves would hold the clothes near your face or to block the other accomplice, something which a normal shopper would not do. What finally made me realize that this was a robbery was when I followed the eyes of the supposed lone guy and I could see he was communicating with the other guy through their eyes. So when that happened, I positioned myself near the dressing room, and near my kahera and just stood there and looked at them and voila, when I opened the curtain of the dressing room, some of the women's clothes were there on the floor. Apparently, the two guys were throwing the clothes there, while the other guy was supposedly asking my assistance for his shopping, and when he gets to the dressing room to fit, he will place everything in his knapsack. (He was bringing a small one which I noticed.)

So what did I do? My co-tindero of the store in front told me that when that happens, never shout or call the guards. Apparently, these people operate as a gang, and he said, if you turn the guards on them, they might hurt you in the parking lot, or do something bad to your store. As he said, "Hindi mo sila kilala lahat" and he said, they can move around the mall since hindi pa naman sila pwede pigilan ng guards. So what did I do, I think I smiled, and said something like, "Buking" and shook my head. The guy who was throwing the clothes to the dressing room smiled sheepishly and ran. The two men ran earlier. I can actually describe them if there was a line-up. I was really more relieved that they did not see my wallet or take my Ipod. The daily sales was in my pocket. Also, the tinderos and tinderas from the other stores apparently knew what was happening also and was keeping watch, but they did not say anything. I guess most of the vendors here are afraid of reprisals. I guessed it helped that I am a big person and I could look them straight in the eye. They could not physically harm me of course since the store is inside a mall and each store is just close by.

What should I do now? Warn my own staff about the modus operandi and not to get too agitated with customers. I am not too concerned since these are just clothes and could not be pawned off or resold at a very high price. The loss of stock though would be irritating. I have actually displayed everything in such a way that I could see every stock at any given time. So any hanger with no clothes, etc would mean, somebody stole it. For now, I have accounted for every single stock in the store so I think I've been lucky.

Do I think those thieves would return? I'm sure they will, but maybe the other members of the gang, maybe women, or older women, or pregnant women with children - the mix could be anything - so the idea is to stay vigilant, but remain nice and courteous to everyone who is pretending to be customers. After this experience, it should be much easier to sense that I'm in big trouble.

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Nicole and the Pussycat Dolls Make My Bottle Pop!

2009-07-16T11:21:00.001-07:00

It was sweltering hot (although intermittent sea breezes helped us cool off a bit), the place was jampacked, and there was just enough space to sway one's hips from side to side. This was my third concert at the MOA grounds and I'm beginning to like the place. Parking is much better than the Fort, the traffic, although heavy, was more manageable, and we did not have to worry about hurting an ankle since the ground was cemented or paved. Outdoor concerts though are still tiring since the heat can be oppressive, not to mention that since there were no seats, there was no option for you to sit down while waiting, or if you want to rest. Worse, if your height were five feet five or below, you should've paid half price.

The hype for the concert was impressive and the marketing campaign of that shampoo certainly paid off. I have so much of that stuff to last me a few months, although I think it's pricey though for an ordinary shampoo. As for the show, well, we finally saw the ladies, live tonight! I remember when they only had one hit yet, "Don't Cha" and they were doing a show in Bangkok, in a club a friend advised us to go. However, we went the day after they did the show. And anyhow, although we were there, we were watching Michael Bolton that same night. It's great though how the ladies have graduated from a dance club to a larger open air venue. Second time we missed them was in London. They were doing the tour for their first album. But since London offers more choices in entertainment, we had to eschew them again, choosing theater over them. Then they came here, for the first time, a few years back, but we were traveling so much, we missed them for the third time.

Was the wait worth it? Well, it was ok, the girls did try their best and they did have a lot of hit songs to keep me entertained but to a concert connoisseur like me, there was still a lot of things to improve. First I guess was the use of recorded music. A live band, I think, is still so much better, so I wonder why they never opted for that. Second, since I just came from the concert of the two Davids a month ago (their voices were incredible!), I can't help but compare how thin the voices of the ladies were, especially Nicole. Ok, I had no expectations that she could do a Charice or a Celine Dion, but even among her thin-voiced peers (Madonna, Paula Abdul, Janet Jackson) - the ones I've seen live, she could use a trick or two by employing the more full bodied voice of some back up singer. It would certainly help her cause. I did think she did well in one or two ballads whose titles I forget right now. But when the background music gets louder, that's when you notice the lack of vocal power. Third, the pacing could be much faster, a lesson they can learn from watching how Kylie Minogue or Madonna does it. Since they're all in the dance-pop genre anyway, a few back up dancers to kill the dead air and keep the momentum up could have helped.

Of course, Nicole did really try to keep everyone entertained. My favorite parts - well, I love the song "Bottle Pop" so that tops my list, although I'm not quite sure if it was lipsynched or not. I love their steps to that song though! Stickwitu is next, a personal sentimental favorite, and I checked the video I got and they did it well. Got the crowd to sing with them too! I also like their idea of remixing some of their hits, a very 80's idea, if I say so, but a good move by their musical director, if there was one. What they do is they sing their hit the normal way, and then, towards the end, the beat changes the way a DJ would've remixed the song. My favorite? - the one where they segue the 90's dance anthem "Show Me Love" - I'm sure their UK fans would've loved that part since that song is again a hit in that country - as a remix! Surprise, surprise! Another favorite part for me was Nicole's rendition of "Hush Hush" where she starts it as a ballad (here, her voice was strong), and ends it as a dance number segueing "I Will Survive" in it. Nicole's group mates were equally kittenish and vampy, and I'm sure the red-blooded males in the audience had their eyeful of Nicole and the Dolls as they were wearing really skimpy, shiny outfits. Hmmm....although I think, a more creative fashion designer would've helped, since their look seemed dated to me.

I think most everyone waited for Jai Ho, probably the most popular Oscar winning song to Filipinos since Tootsie's "It Might Be You" in 1982. I still love the original though and was frankly, quite shocked when they released a pop version of it. A.R. Rahman not only won two Oscars, he's laughing his way to the bank! Also upped the image of the PCD - since it's quite an honor to sing an Oscar winning song.

I really wished I could've danced more tonight. I just couldn't move properly since I was beside women and the space was just a bit crowded. Also, I opted to video some of the songs, effectively preventing me from jumping up and down. Anyhow, loved the energy of the group and I wouldn't be surprised if they come back here for a third time!

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Mon premier poème en français - Philippines

2009-07-16T11:17:00.001-07:00

(Ce poème est inspiré par Nicolas Fargues' Madagascar.)

Ici, tous les hommes Blanc est un Joe car ils se ressemblent tous.

Ici, des shampooing, des après shampooing et des produits pour blanchir la peau occupent moitié de l'espace des magasins.

Ici, les gens parent à leurs chiens en anglais.

Ici, les parents vendrent leur buffle d'eau pour payer les etudes de leurs enfants.

Ici, tout le monde est un millionaire en jour de paie.

Ici, le rêve de la plupart des gens est d'etre n'importe où mais ici.

Ici, dingdong n'est pas le son de la sonnette, c'est le nom d'une vedette.

Ici, l'enfant Jesu est plus dieu que Dieu lui-même.

*************************************************************************

(This poem is inspired by Nicolas Fargues' Madagascar.)

Here, all white men is a 'Joe' because they all look the same.

Here, shampoos, conditioners and whitening products occupy half the space of every supermarket.

Here, the people speak to their dogs in English.

Here, the parents sell their carabao just so they can send their kids to university.

Here, everyone is a millionaire during payday.

Here, the dream of most of the people is to be anywhere but here.

Here, Dingdong is not the sound of the doorbell but the name of a movie star.

Here, baby Jesus is more god than God Himself.

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Gone Too Soon: A Personal Discography Tribute to Michael Jackson

2009-07-16T11:09:00.001-07:00

When I saw my cousin, Warren post a link saying Michael was dead around 8AM Friday, I had to blink three or four times to make sure I was reading the words right. Of course, the posts poured in just as quickly over the next few hours, but interestingly, I ignored most of them, even the news coverage. Even a Body Jam class I attended paid tribute to his work and I was still not feeling it. However, after 4 full days of being in a state of denial, it was only tonight that it really sank in in my system, that Michael is really dead, that there will be no more beautiful, funky, danceable music coming from him; no more magical dance moves; no more of the incredibly groovy stuff he has sang which has colored most of my growing years. I am writing this through songs of his that has marked parts of my life as a kid and a teenager in Cebu, through my college years in UP, until the last CD I bought of his which marked my first year of work as a working stiff. My young life as told through the music of the King of Pop.

"Ben" - My summers in my lolo's sprawling house in Mindanao was always idyllic and playful. Now, my Uncle Ben, the namesake of this song, which was about a rat (still to be verified), had a 45 of this song. Now to the kids of today, a 45 single is a double sided record which was played on a turntable, and it had one song per side. My Uncle Ben, Papa's only surviving brother - all the rest died of pneumonia, tragically in World War II - really loved this song, and he played it over and over again. Such was my introduction to the genius of Michael Jackson. The sad, beautiful vocals, the simple arrangement - it really caught my imagination as a young boy of aroun 8 or 9 years old.

"Rock With You" - When I was 11 years old, my sister had this record "Off the Wall" and it had this delectable song, "Rock With You", which is now known to today's Body Jammers through Brandy's version. I remember grooving to this song, along with Diana Ross' "Upside Down", and Michael really looked cute on this album cover.

"Don't Stop Til You Get Enough" - Now anybody who has seen Dolphy's "John and Marsha" knows that this was the song used by Dolphy every Friday night to introduce his show. Of course, the lyrics were changed to the now famous line, "John magsumikap ka....." At that time, I did not know it was Michael's song, I was about 10 or 11 then, so I knew the Tagalog TV version. It was only when Thriller exploded that I knew that man, it was another of Michael's magical songs.

"Thriller" - The summer of 1983 was the day music videos came to my life and interestingly, every single teenager and kid at that time, was really awed by this 5-10 minute video of Michael. This was a full video, with Michael walking with his girlfriend home when they were supposedly attacked by a group of dancing zombies. Through the eyes of a 12 year old, I was transported to imagination heaven. Of course, music videos came fast and furious, so I associate this video with that of Billy Joel's "Uptown Girl", Culture Club's "Karma Chameleon, and Eurythmics "Sweet Dreams", all classics now. My then 5 year old cousin, sorry Richie, would dance to the choreography of this song, and he would do it really really well!

"Wanna Be Startin Somethin'" - Two words here - Aga Muhlach - I remember Aga dancing to this song in a TV show, and it stuck with me that, aside from being cute, he was also a very good dancer. Now to today's generation, Aga was just 16 years old then, and all my sisters and their friends were gaga over him. This was the Aga before all those award-winning roles and he was really hot because of the Bagets movie - the landmark teenage movie of the 80s where all the boys dressed like Michael in various interpretations. I know I did, but I will not write about that now as, my God, those were all fashion faux pas! Not Michael's, but my interpretation of how he dressed up.

"The Girl Is Mine" and "Say Say Say" - These two songs introduced me to the Beatle's legend, Paul McCartney. They sang them so beautifully, and the repartee was just perfect. I've heard of the Beatles, but to any kid who listens to his mother's music, it was just too passe for me, so when Paul was in these records, I was like, "wow, this guy has a really nice voice" and Mama said, oh that's one of the Beatles. Of course, Paul became known to my generation through "No More Lonely Nights" - remember this guys?

"Human Nature" - This is my most favorite Michael Jackson song. I just love the musical arrangement. I remember playing this song over and over again in my cousin's house in Ozamiz when it was dark, and my mind would wander and imagine such beautiful things. Close your eyes and be lifted by the melody and Michael's wispy, longing voice. A decade later, SWV revived the song and discofied it, and I liked their version too.

"PYT" - The hits from Thriller just kept coming and coming - which is very rare for any artist to do today. Seven top 10 hits from that album alone. Even Britney has not done that, or Miley or the Jonas Brothers or any of the American Idol winners. Today's hitmakers have a lot of work to do just to achieve one tenth of Michael's chart achievements. Anyway, this song was danced in my school during a school program and I remember enjoying the watching it, and the acronym PYT has stuck with me ever since too. I would say PYT if I see a pretty young thing - which is a guy to me, not a girl.

"We Are the World" - The summer of 1985, everyone just had to have this record, and I mean EVERYONE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD! We sang it everytime in school, Christmas program, any program, United Nations week, any chance to show we cared. Interestingly, the song spent 4 weeks at #1 and the song that replaced it at #1 was Madonna's "Crazy For You", my most favorite Madonna song. That's how interlinked my two major idols are. Madonna was not invited in the USA For Africa I guess because she was really had a slutty image then na di bagay for a charity record. Well, 25 years later, she is still producing new and relevant music, most of the people in that charity record are well........my bad.....

The "Bad" album - My high school years was colored by the another 7 top 10 hits (Vin, 6 or 7 ba?) from another Michael Jackson album. I think no one has ever achieved this, maybe Janet, I'm not too sure, or Whitney from one of her earlier albums. Anyway, Michael's run of hits was very emphatic, as hits like "Bad", "Dirty Diana", "The Way You Make Me Feel" and several more - just check Wikipedia, hahaha, all came from this album.

"Liberian Girl" - This song came from the Bad album and it was never released as a single. I am mentioning it though because my baby, when we talked about Michael's death last Friday night, said that this was his most favorite Michael Jackson song. I remember this song very well, a sexy ballad reminiscent of his next set of work for Dangerous.

"Man In the Mirror" - I had to make a speech for my high school graduation and on the morning of our graduation, I still did not have any speech. I never told Mama that I had to speak because I know it would mean endless practicing and badgering. And I wanted my speech to sound like me, not my mother. The week of my high school graduation also, this was the number 1 song in the US. So the timing was perfect. (This has to be verified basta thereabouts, hahaha). So I was thinking, what if I started my speech with some lyrics of this song. And so I did, but, after 30 minutes of writing, I decided against it, because I felt, what about my adult audience, would they know this song, kasi the bagets know it, but the oldies would be like, "anong pinagsasabi ng batang yan", so sadly, I rewrote my speech again and patterned it after an Emily Dickinson poem. Of course, not as deep and profound as her work but a 16 year old interpretation of how she would write her thanksgiving graduation speech.

The "Dangerous" album - Now this set marked my college years in UP. Sadly, none of my UP friends were as crazy with following up the Billboard charts as I was, except for Eric V., who was sadly from Ateneo (my kindred spirit, where are you dude????). Sadly, kasi, para kaming mga honghang every Thursday night when the new charts were revealed. I would go all the way to Ateneo just to chat with him kasi, aside from my high school walking encyclopedia friend, now Dr. Alvin, he was the only one who can match my enthusiasm, point by point. And Michael's foray into the 90's decade through this album was something we followed closely too. The title of this essay, "Gone Too Soon", a ballad, came from this album, as other staples like "Heal the World", songs that I don't really like but the Filipino public did.

"Black or White" - Two words - McCauley Culkin. This was the start I guess of the creepy part of Michael's life. Time will be the judge of that of course. But Culkin, who was a megasuperstar then, thanks to the Home Alone franchise, was in this video. I love the video, which was inspired by an earlier video of the song, "Cry", a UK hit when I was still in high school. Michael, of course, acknowledged this and the work here was more pulido kasi the technology advanced na rin.

"In the Closet" - Two words again - "Naomi Campbell" - and her sexy butt. That's all I remember from the video. She just prances around as Michael is singing and I remember she had an incredible ass. Coming from a gay man, that does sound weird. Anyhow, I loved the song although it did not really describe my state of gayness then. I don't know if Michael was talking about himself though. I haven't checked the lyrics. I remember though that Eric liked this song a lot. Kasi the beat was so good.

"Remember the Time" - Two words again - "Eddie Murphy" - as a pharaoh. My favorite comic is in the video of this thing, running around, as Michael disappears and appears again, dancing to the funky tune of this song. This was one of the last few songs I loved from Michael, in my opinion, the slow decline of his state of musicality. At this point, I was thinking, Michael, get a new relevant producer, maybe Babyface, who was really hot during this time.

"Scream" - I was already graduating at this time, don't compute guys, I stayed too long in college, but this song had a landmark video, he's Michael, a real trendsetter, and a first duet with equally successful sister, Janet. The song was so-so for me but I enjoyed the video!

"You Are Not Alone" - This was my last favorite song by Michael and this song marked my entry to the world of employment, along with Mariah Carey's "One Sweet Day" and "Always Be My Baby". This song was historic, because it was the first song ever, in the history of the Billboard charts, to go straight to #1. No one had done that before, and that Michael did it, it was no surprise. I really loved the tenderness of the song, and I felt it was the best song in his History greatest hits package. I remember buying this CD but I cannot find it now. I guess I left it in Cagayan de Oro. Check the video, both Michael and Lisa Marie Presley are supposedly naked together, yes a bit creepy, but that's Michael for you.

Sadly, I checked my baul and I interestingly, I did have his "Invincible" CD but I never got around to playing it. Hoarder kasi ako, bili lang ng bili ng CD, di naman piniplay lahat. Such was the fate of that CD. I played it in my store last Friday. Medyo passe na talaga ang sound, considering it was released in 2001, the time when Britney was really hot, hot, hot!

Now if only Michael kissed Britney too.........would it make him relevant to today's generation?

I also snubbed his recent collaboration on the Thriller rerelease with Akon, kasi nga they rereleased "Wanna Be Startin Something". How can you beat the original song when it was so so good already!! And also, Rihanna, released a much superior spin on it with "Please Don't Stop the Music". Check Michael hiccuping in the middle. I am always surprised to learn when today's bagets realize it's actually Michael really doing that. Guys, play the original, and see how brilliantly Rihanna's team segued everything. Another of those long list of songs paying tribute to the genius of Michael's originality as a singer.

I'll digress a bit here. Sadly, Madonna and Michael never got into recording a song together, a possibility in 1991. Interestingly, Madonna and Prince has a duet together, a very erotic one, and Madonna also has one with Ricky Martin. I guess, it's also because she rarely collaborated before. She only collaborates now with the young 'uns like Britney and JT so that she can be introduced to this generation weaned on Youtube, as opposed to us, who were weaned on MTV.

I am ending this essay by playing the hypnotic strains of Michael's "Human Nature" and reliving those wonderful summer nights as a teenager in my cousin's house in Mindanao "If they say why, why, - tell them that it's human nature....."

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My Favorite Downloads of the First Half of 2009

2009-07-16T11:03:00.001-07:00

I am writing this to make it easier for me to choose the year-end list, the criteria includes being highly played in my Ipod, a song which made an emotional connection during this period in my life, and basically songs that made me happy, regardless whether they were mainstream hits or not.

10. Not Fair - Lily Allen

One of the best British exports in recent years, Lilly hasn't really made major inroads in the American music scene, even here in our shores, but I've always liked the way she uses her quirkiness to hide the true irreverence of her lyrics. For me, it reached its zenith through this song, which, through early spins would seem like just a jolly song. However, I remember really listening to the lyrics, one time I was in the store, and I was shocked to find out that it was about sex - or rather - about not having any. It reminded me of some episodes of Sex and the City involving the character of Charlotte, who seemed to have everything on the outside, except for what Lily is singing about in this song. She sang it live in one of those American late-night talk shows which led me to adoring her even more!

9. Bottle Pop - The Pussycat Dolls

Everyone loved their version of Jai Ho. It was ok for me, it even surprised me that an Oscar winning composer would choose them (why not?). It becomes the most recent popular mainstream Oscar winning song since Eminem's Lose Yourself (at least to the Pinoy's consciousness). However, in their CD, this is the song that I liked the most. Everything here is racy - the beat, the lyrics, and the inclusion of Snoop Dogg takes it a notch higher.! I was just surprised that they did not release it as a single. Good for me though, at least it has not become a ubiquitous hit. For me, it's the perfect song for seduction - if you know what I mean!

8. Beautiful - Marillion

I don't know how this got to my Ipod, maybe through a recommendation of a British DJ. It surprised me even more that it came from the City of Angels soundtrack! I love the soundtrack of that movie (not quite the movie though). Anyway, my Ipod was on shuffle and suddenly I noticed the dramatic husky voice of the singer - similar to Joe Cocker - which is practically very rare nowadays and upon checking it, I chanced upon this gem of a song! This song should be 10 years old already but since I discovered it only now, it falls within this year's favorite's, still. I'm really a sucker for songs about longing, this included.

7. Where's My Head At - Jean Elan

I am a big fan of the Ministry of Sound's yearly compilation, and I remember they always have one or two songs in my year-end list every year, so it's not a surprise that they are present again in this list - this time - courtesy of its inclusion in a recent Body Jam set list. It has all the ingredients of a catchy dance tune - almost senseless lyrics, repetitive beats that lead to a rousing chorus, and those undeniable and insistent thumps that beckons everyone to descend on the dance floor!

6. Touch My Hand - David Archuleta

AI alumni have been present in my list in almost a year-to-year basis but frankly, it did seem incredulous to me that this younger David would appeal to me more than the older and rockified one. Well, this song has been a staple driving song for me and I was very happy that he opened his concert here with this one. It was not popular yet here when the concert happened but it has since become ubiquitous. I just like the beat and the simple lyrics. He could've been singing to a guy here, you know.

5. This Time - John Legend

The critics panned this song, I, on the other hand, loved it so much, it became another staple driving song throughout March! The piano playing is beautiful, his vocals melancholic, everything set up perfectly for that second chance type of love song. Unfortunately, he only played a snippet of it during his concert. The song though has become a bit popular in some radio stations here, and deservedly so, knowing how senti Pinoys are.

4. My Hands - David Archuleta

I am surprised as you are, how the music of a teener could appeal to an almost-40 year old guy. I guess it's because his music is pop at its most basic - unadulterated teen pop. None yet of that heavy love stuff reserved for more mature people, just those breezy, chorus-friendly type of pop songs. This is my favorite song in his CD and probably the most played song in my car this year. Everytime I would be sleepy or feel a bit melancholic, out comes his CD and everything becomes lighter and happier once again! It does help that he has this incredible voice. I love the chorus of the song, just the play of words and the way they roll in my mouth - and the second voice in the end - perfect!

3. If I Were A Boy - Beyonce

This song came out late 2008 but it overlaps into the early months of 2009 so I decided to include it this year. When I first heard this song, I became sure that Beyonce would grab another armful of Grammys in 2010. This song kasi is not eligible for this year, since September is the usual cutoff of that voting body. What impressed me about her current work is how she chose to depart from the sound of her previous work, which by itself, was impressive already - and saleable. Everyone was practically singing "to the left, to the left" way back in 2006. Beyonce has now become my new idol for hard work! If she can come up with good material - with sensually choreographed videos to boot - I can do that to in my own life - of course, in my own line of work. She reminded me of Madonna during the 80s, when the Material Girl just turned out hit after hit, from ballads to danceable tunes. I hope Beyonce hasn't reached her creative peak yet. I would be very excited to hear how she sounds as she matures as a person and as a woman.

2. Single Ladies - Beyonce

Fantastic video - widely aped. Trademark Beyonce dance rhythm. How can she go wrong with this? Number one, no less. The idea for the choreography - impressive! It's incredible how she and her dances can move their butts that way. Try it in front of the mirror. It's not easy. It's about time choreography - like what Lady Gaga does - takes center stage once again in today's music videos. I miss those days when Janet Jackson, Paula Abdul and Madonna ruled the charts. We would always look forward to their choreography. It just goes to show how gay I am, hahaha! Today's choreo is just so masculine, so hip hop, I'm just getting older I guess.

1. Say - John Mayer

"John Mayer" is the codename I have for an ex because when it was us, John had two fantastic CDs which we sang along to when we were driving. However, since we broke up, my interest in his music also faded a bit. It's sometimes weird how love can affect your music choices. Anyhow, when I checked the Grammy winners this year, I chanced upon this song, which gave John another Grammy - deservedly so - in the Pop Vocal Male Category. (He seems to win every time he gets nominated!). So I downloaded it and I was shocked to discover such a beautiful song! I asked some close friends if they knew about this song, and everyone had it on their playlist! Beatchhhes!! Nobody told me about this song!! Apparently, it was released last year, but due to that past love connection, it did not drop in my personal radar. Until now. It unexplicably continues to give me goose bumps - that's what favorite songs do best!

Glaring omissions:

I love Lady Gaga! - but her first two massive hits were just ok for me. There are three songs in her CD which I really like, and since two of them have just been released, I will include them in the list for the latter part of the year. Those would be Love Game, Paparazzi and Boys.

Unsurprisingly, no Pinoy songs this time. I think I need my therapist to explain to me why that is so, or maybe, no one in the current crop of OPM really appeals to me - which is false. There are two OPM CDs which I liked - Rico Blanco's and that collection of Cebuano songs - with very overt sexual overtones - but very very funny! I finally found that CD here in Divi and that song should have a chance next time.

I love "Ego" and "Halo"! I can't believe how Beyoncified I've become in the first part of 2009.

No non-English hits caught my attention this time. Now, there's a Korean song - very catchy - and wildly popular among the younger set - that was introduced to me last weekend but I guess the only thing holding me back is the inherent prejudice I have against Korean pop culture. Open your mind, Tony!! They are just practically everywhere, even in HK, when I was there. Rain could outsell any Western act, maybe except, hypothetically, if Michael or Madonna was going there. Four shows sold out in hours! However, the appeal is still a mystery to me - although they are really cute, have really nice bodies, and every guy on the street has their haircut.

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Fearless Forecast: Men's Draw French Open 2009

2009-05-23T10:00:00.001-07:00

I just saw the men's draw and if the stars align properly, it should be another Nadal vs. Federer final again(!) - with both megastars most likely having to stop 2 Frenchmen from getting into the final. Nadal may have to beat Gilles Simon - Federer, Gael Monfils.

Nadal, actually has the hardest draw among the four top players. He may have to contend with two of his talented countrymen - David Ferrer and Fernando Verdaso, just to reach the semi's, so it would be exciting to see who runs out of steam among the three. But knowing Nadal, it wouldn't be him.

Interestingly, in my opinion, Djokovic has the hardest draw. Like Nadal, he may have to beat two top Spaniards - Juan Carlos Ferrero and Tommy Robredo, just to reach the quarters, and there, have to beat the new kid on the top - Del Potro, just to get the honor of facing Federer in the semi's. Whew!!

Federer gets a really easy draw, probably a lucky post-wedding present, but he may still have to make sure to dispose of local hero, Paul-Henri Mathieu and the Czech Tomas Berdych, before he faces off, most likely, with local boy, Gael Monfils.

Take note that although there are many very good local French players in both the men and the women's draw, they usually succumb to the relentless pressure from the media and the unforgiving Paris crowd so there has not been much breakthrough in their own home slam for the French, sadly.

Now, the most open draw is the one with Andy Murray and Gilles Simon as the top seeds. Murray's clay record is ok but not spectacular. Simon may have to bear the pressure of an expectant home crowd. Lurking also in this draw is journeyman, Radek Stepanek, who may have a very, very, very good shot at his very first semi's grand slam if he doesn't freak out. There's also the sneaky Marat Safin, but his clay record is so poor. Fernando Gonzalez of Chile may be another lucky top player to be in this draw, and he has reached a Grand Slam final so he has another good chance here of at least making it to the semi's because of the luck of the draw.

Well, the fun starts later today! Of course, everything I say here may come out wrong in the end, but that's tennis for you!

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Avril Lavigne is Complicated No More

2008-09-04T11:35:00.001-07:00

           Vic and I just arrived in time for Avril's first song. The whole Coliseum was already in darkness when we entered and we did not even sit on our assigned seats as we just had to sit wherever it was vacant. No problem, I loved the view, and I loved the fact that no one was beside me or behind me so I won't be worried about another person not seeing properly because he or she prefers to sit in a rock concert.

          I was surprised by the sizeable crowd! There have been many different performers who flew into Manila to perform this year, and what I can say is that, there has always been an audience for each one. Incredible! I think they may have computed our GDP wrongly because frankly, the prices of our tickets here are pricier than the US and even HK. Americans throw up a storm for US$150 concert tickets.   Here, the tickets to the first 10 rows cost almost US$250 per pop and it was full. Oh well, I guess we have to pay more since these guys have to fly thousands of miles just to be here. Avril just has to cross the border and go south and she'll be in New York in no time (she is Canadian.)

        This is the third time I have seen Avril live. The first time was in the Fort in 2005, when she and Simple Plan headlined the show. She was a bit shy then, not talking too much to the audience. Nevertheless, we had a fantastic time as we were standing on our seats the whole show. The second time was last year, in Hong Kong, which was worse, since she sounded disinterested and detached from the audience. It was as if she was just there to perform and get the money and run.

         Tonight however, Avril delivered probably the most polished live show that she has done. Her live performance instincts have certainly improved a lot. For starters, she connected with the audience really really well. She was not shy anymore in rousing the audience and commanding everyone to her whims, as any experienced live performer should be able to do. Second, she had a group of dancers this time, which helped pepper the show with more youth and vibrancy, which is key to the presentation of her fast rock songs. Finally, I love how she paced the show and the arrangement of the songs. Since she has many slow, brooding hit ballads, it was key that she sang them in the first part of the show. It was terrific, since it was a virtual sing-along for everyone and for me too, of course. From My Happy Ending, Don't Tell Me, and I'm With You plus some slow songs from her latest CD. My favorite part was when she sang Hot, which is my favorite song of hers. She did it acoustic style but with enough rock edge especially in the refrain to match the pace of the recorded original.  The irony is that I actually hate her first hit song, and probably the most popular to most Filipinos - Complicated that I did not even bother to buy her CD till I heard Skater Boi. Of course, her next 2 CDs are some of my favorites because she certainly has good writing skills.

       Yes, the crowd is getting younger and younger now.   Frankly, I don't know how long I can keep it up. Tomorrow, I will be watching the band Boys Like Girls, and the gay gang said there will be a lot of emo kids there. Wow, I am 37 already and most of my seatmates will be your kids, probably, hahaha! Oh well, I may look old and I'm certainly 100 pounds heavier than most everyone around me, but my heart and my mind certainly feels young, and I will always welcome new music from new and fresh talent anytime. I am even surprised my younger gay tropa does not know the band. Their first hit The Great Escape was my "happy" song for a month. When I was sad and depressed, I would just sing along with that song and feel 16 again. They even said Avril was laos na raw. Well, they were wrong. Maybe, in the vain world of Pinoy gaydom, but the astounding attendance tonight made it clear that many people have connected with her music.

      I am saving money now since I want to watch Billy Joel in HK. Hope I make it on time. He's one of my biggest musical heroes and his CDs are virtual soundtracks of my youth (An Innocent Man, The Bridge, River of Dreams and Storm Front). Certainly a show not to be missed.

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Panic at the Disco! sends Manila’s teenage girls into frenzy!

2008-08-19T12:54:00.001-07:00

The first thing I noticed when I entered the Araneta Coliseum was the huge number of teenage girls in the audience. I admit it was a bit of a surprise. Everyone on the row to my right were teenage girls. Made me feel really, really old. The last time this happened was in Gwen Stefani's show in Bangkok. Anyway, I was introduced to the music of this band a few year's back with I Write Sins, Not Tragedies, weird title, ok hook. However, it was their second CD, which they released just this year, which really made me a bonafide fan of the band due largely to their ingenious lyrics and happy melodies. Not only are their music videos quite interesting, the titles of their songs are very quirky, it reminded me the first time Fall Out Boy burst into the mainstream. However, other than that, their brand of music differs. Panic is more pop-oriented as opposed to FOB. But both have legions of very loyal fans who know the lyrics of each of their songs. The girl beside me was practically a Panic karaoke singer. She knew when to pause, when to beat the drum, when to sigh, when to shriek, it was incredible! Frankly, although hip hop music is perceived as more popular, it is the fans of rock music who are more interesting, because hip hop music fans only know the hits. Case in point – during Ne-yo's concert, the girls only knew his radio hits but were clueless with the other album tracks. But, with a rock band, the girls know every single song, whether it's a radio hit or not. It happened during the My Chemical Romance show, at the Simple Plan show, it happened again tonight. Oh well, I guess rock chicks always make more effort, while hip hop chicks may have their brains where they shimmy best. Just an opinion.

Goosebump moments were aplenty. My favorite part was when they sang Northern Downpour and with lyrics on the screen, they asked the audience to sing along with them. A really swell idea moreso because I love the song as well, along with thousands of screaming teenage girls. The opening song was a blast as well, as they segued from We Were Starving to Nine in the Afternoon. Finally, I was so happy they sang, Mad As Rabbits, one of my favorite songs from their latest CD. It was a fitting finale to a raucous show that showed that young girl power was alive and well in Manila's live music scene.

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Never Gonna Give Up On Rick Astley

2008-08-02T13:15:00.001-07:00

In what I believe was the most spontaneous concert yet this year, that I've watched, of course, 80s dance superstar Rick Astley helped, the largely 30+looking guys and gals at the Araneta tonight to relive those oh-so-wondrous high school days! The show started pretty late, I reckon around 9:30PM already but Rick made it really worth it for everyone in the audience. Yes, his voice is still booming as ever. Yes, his 'British'-ness really showed, sprinkling his repartee with words like, 'luv', 'murder', 'bloody'. Yes, he still moved as gangly as ever, doing maybe just a three-second worth of what dancing would be to him - that is swishing his hands from the left to the right and back again while swaying his hips. And yes, he told everyone why he disappeared for sometime. In one of his repartees, he said he now has a 16-year old daughter, and he said partner, not wife, so maybe they did not get married, or whatever.

Interestingly, Rick Astley's music played a major role in my teenage life. "Never Gonna Give You Up" hit number in the US around February 1988, at around my birthday, I think. Or was it "Together Forever"? Anyhow, it maybe one or the other song, but what made that song special was that, Papa also loved that song. It is probably the only song that connected both of us, he was 49 years old at that time, I was 17 and about to graduate from high school. It was his birthday on the 14^th of February, mine was on the 15^th, and we both played that song on our birthday parties, with the cassette tape (remember those) of Rick's first album, Whenever You Need Somebody. Whenever Papa was at home, he would always ask me to play that tape. I guess he was trying his best to connect to his teenage son, trying to enjoy what I also enjoyed listening to. Of course, I did not know that he would die the year after, so that song is pretty special for me because it is probably the last thing that we both liked simultaneously as father and son. After that, me going to college and him getting sick just made the bonding more difficult. I'm sure he would've enjoyed watching the show tonight even at the age of 69.

Back to the show. Highlights there were aplenty. First, he opened the show with "Together Forever", which got everyone to stand and dance immediately – (check the performance at this link - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEyHGuDVWac) and followed it up with "It Would Take A Strong Strong Man", which cemented the party atmosphere tonight. Second, he had this karaoke portion, wherein he picked a lady from the audience. He picked Gina who took several close up pictures of him. I don't know though if this was premeditated or not but it did look unplanned. Gina would take his picture really close and he would pose like he was going to fly with his hands glided towards his back. And she did that about two times (Gina was on our side very near where I sat) and the next time she took a picture of him again, he said, "Oh, you again!" Well, Gina got lucky tonight. We got to know her name because Rick told us. She got a hug (a very, very long one!), she got to dance with him really, really close, and they twirled 5 times! She also got to sing with him karaoke-style! And she sang! She was really game about it and her voice was ok, not out-of-tune. Third, and probably, the part that roused everyone was when Rick asked Roderick (Paulate) to come up the stage and sing "Never Gonna Give You Up" together. Roderick was pretty game about it, he even danced to the song and they first sang it guitar-driven, with Rick playing the guitar, and then as he and Roderick sang the verses around three times I think, he then segued and sang it as it was originally arranged. The lighting, at this stage, was pretty cool. There was a mirror ball on the stage and with it swirling around, the whole coliseum looked like a giant party place. A fitting ending to a night full of reminiscing. Of course, this was also my most favorite part of the show, because unlike the encores posted in Youtube of his show, this was probably, the most interesting, the most spontaneous and the most rousing – really, truly, only in the Philippines! Catch their performance at this link - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLq_T-3z9co&feature=related

Celebrity watching, well, Carmi Martin was in the same section that I was and at 50 (I think), she still looked very sexy. Of course, when Roderick Paulate entered the venue at around 9:25PM, the whole audience erupted in applause and cheers as his earlier association with Astley and that song was still clear in the memories of most people in the audience tonight. Vic did not know what the connection was, I did. I remember Roderick had a TV show with Carmi where they danced and sang and Rick's songs were pretty prominent in his repertoire.

Well, I posted some pictures here and some video. Enjoy!

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Daughtry Rocks Eastwood

2008-07-29T12:47:00.000-07:00

I rarely go to Eastwood City for the plain reason of inconvenience. I would have to pass through the narrow and traffic-ridden Crame and then negotiate a U-turn in Libis that allows only one car to pass through at any given time. Tonight, it took us 20 minutes to reach Libis, but 30 minutes to pass through that darn U-turn. I'm surprised the Megaworld people haven't noticed that problem. Maybe they already have enough business from the Marikina and Pasig people. Oh well, even if I lived just across at Green Meadows, the thought of having to fight through that U-turn just to have coffee at Eastwood would not be worth the effort.

But tonight, we had to be there because Daughtry was performing. Vic was the kontrabida tonight because he could not believe I would spend so much on tickets on an American Idol contestant. Frankly, I do not really care about AI, Daughtry's music just appealed to me and him being a contestant was just incidental, and maybe was his ticket to the big time. Of course, as soon as the night ended, Vic was quite impressed with Daughtry's performance, a far cry from Chris' timid days at AI.

Last year, around this time, I asked my piano teacher to help me play 'Home', a song that just grew on me the more I heard it. That was after I mastered, the High School Musical theme, 'Your Are the Music in Me'. I think the appeal of Chris Daughtry is to make his music and lyrics accessible to people - none of the angst common among his younger peers, nothing subversive like Marilyn Manson - but in my opinion, a more edgy pop-rock sound with lyrics that appeal to an emotional level to most people.

The seats in the venue were placed pretty close to each other. I was actually wondering how we would be enjoying the show as the seats were really really close to each other. Also, it was done in open air, so it was pretty warm, but due to the rains yesterday, it was not humid, it was good evening warm weather. Byy the second song, Daughtry asked everyone to stand so the problem was solved, as I asked Vic to stand on my seat, so there would be space for me to move. Celebrities, well, two basketball players were there from our generation - Jeffrey Carioso (he looked heavyset already) and Benjie Paras (he still looked yummy as ever and he's 4 years older than me - it's so unfair!)

Daughtry can hold his own against so-called "real" rock stars. His voice is very strong, gravel-y, sounds even better than the album. Funny thing though was when he sang "Feels Like Tonight", there was a part where he sang totally totally off key. Then he gestured to his earphones, so maybe he could not hear himself anymore or something. It sounded funny because the song is a hit and of course, we know what the note would be at most parts of the song, so for him not to hit the note, well, results to bewilderment. To be fair to him though, he did hit almost 90% of the high notes of most of his songs. Sometimes, we fans can be unforgiving to them, but yeah yeah, we know you have to sing almost every other day so we forgive you if you miss some notes or two. The reason why we can hear him well was that the venue was very intimate. I suspect just about 2000 people all in all, so everything is really up close. Not too much space for mistakes.

The band, like Chris, was also superb! Each song done to effect! Daughtry sang my two favorite songs in the beginning, I think, the second (Breakdown) and the fourth song (Used To), so my night was already ok by then. Interestingly, my favorite part of the show was when he sang What About Now, a song which my part of the audience knew the lyrics to, and we were singing it along with him. I loved the way he sang it! Also, I loved how he did the last song, the rockin' There and Back Again - superb guitar work and impressive growling, hahaha! That was the last song of the encore, which he began with his biggest hit Home.

Of course, the fun did not end there. Our exit just happened to be very near the exit of the band too, so we behaved like real fans and waited for the band to come out, which they did in about 20 minutes. Well, ladies, Chris is not tall at all. I am even taller than him, to Vic and my surprise. The only guy in the band taller than me was one of the guitarists. Oh well.....he had the voice...and the presence though. Like most bands and foreign acts who come here, the rousing audience appreciation has certainly moved Daughtry too. I guess one reason why Avril Lavigne and Alicia Keys are coming back for the second time here is precisely I guess the wonderful audience response they got first time they came here. You can't fake that.

Well, this Friday, it's back to the 80's! Rick Astley will have a show at the Araneta Coliseum. I don't think I can give you good pics as we opted to get cheaper tickets. The live videos we got from Youtube of his recent shows are not very encouraging. Oh well, if Simon LeBon and Duran Duran got everyone on their feet last month, I hope Rick does the same for his now, slightly older fans.

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On Nora, Vilma, Dolphy and Nino

2008-07-28T11:13:00.001-07:00

I had a pretty lazy Saturday last week, almost did nothing except leaf through magazines and watch some DVDs. This time though, I shunned the usual Hollywood fare, and instead, watched two movies that featured some of the legends in our local filmdom. And they're all about gay people, what else.

First was the Nora-Vilma tandem (yes, they did a movie together in 1982, imagine that!) in "T-bird at Ako". It's not difficult to imagine who the t-bird was and I really enjoyed watching this one. The dialogues were snappy, insightful, and well-delivered. The acting was terrific, with Nora and Vilma sparring in some memorable scenes. You would be hard-pressed to wonder who among today's young generation is capable of tackling these roles and do a movie of this caliber, of well-developed characters, of intelligent musings on how it is to be a lesbian, of how men become cowards in the face of responsibility, on how it is always the woman who has to bear the burden of unwanted and unplanned children. I will leave it to you to go out and buy this DVD. You wouldn't believe how EDSA looked like in 1982. Vilma is tres sexy here and she dances to "Body Language" here - remember THAT song! It's sad to know that Nora is now lost in limbo in the US, and Vilma is now a politician. These two are real gems in our acting pantheon. It's not hard to watch good acting again and again.

Now, I've always wondered why our local academy, and even our local press never gave an acting award to Dolphy. Incidentally, a book on his life is being released this month, and it should be an interesting read. The second DVD I watched is entitled, "Ang Tatay kong Nanay" with Dolphy, Nino Muhlach (he's really adorable here!), and Philip Salvador (oh so sexy in 1978 hahaha). They should have given Dolphy an acting grand slam for this movie. This is unlike any role that you may have seen Dolphy in - he just hits the right notes in all the scenes - from being a real mahaderang bakla, to one who has to check his gayness whenever he's around his young adopted son, to a father fighting to keep his son from going to the boy's real biological mother. It's only a tearjerker at the end so don't worry about having a tissue near you. Of course, the last few scenes are real for us, since we have two adopted kids with a biological mother who is alive. What if she does what she did to Dolphy in the end of the movie to us? By the way, this was directed by Lino Brocka so wonder not about how well it's done. It's snappy, witty, Soxy Topacio, one of Dolphy's tropa here, are surreal, funny, very realistic in their portrayals and their language is as colorful as today's gay slang. They even used "etsos", - imagine that - in 1978 - and it's still being used now! The chemistry between Dolphy, the gay father and Nino Muhlach, the adopted young boy is magnificent, and their repartee is touching. Everything is tight here - the storytelling, the denouement, the progression towards the conflict and the depiction of how love can transcend blood ties. In the end, it is the one who loved you, who matters, not always your blood relation.

I still have a stack of local DVD movies to watch which I'm excited to see when the next lazy weekend gets around. Beats watching another inane Hollywood action movie with no soul, just stupendous special effects.

In-Your-Face Poverty of "Serbis"

2008-07-26T11:19:00.001-07:00

       I guess the only reason the Cannes-screened Pinoy entry this year was never shown in the hoity-toity cinemas of the Ayalas or even in SM was that it may be too much for the ordinary Pinoy to watch. Who wants to see his own poverty onscreen? We watch movies to escape to another world, right? Not to see our lives being acted onstage with such stark realism it would make the viewer a bit uneasy.

       I watched "Serbis" at Robinson's Galleria - where they reserve one cinema for independent Pinoy filmmakers. I have followed my New Year's resolution of watching a Pinoy movie at least once a month -and not the John Lloyd-Sarah Geronimo variety, mind you, but more of what our digital filmmakers are churning out.

      "Serbis" though is not a digital movie. It is well-lighted, well-acted and shows snippets of daily Pinoy life. There are several nude scenes and the mandatory sex scenes. How else are you going to let people watch your movie without selling it as some sort of sex film? Without them, this movie would be hard to watch because it reflects not only a seamier segment of the gay lifestyle, but of the poverty that has clutched the characters into some sort of jail which they are hard-pressed to get out from.

     The highlight of the movie is the realistic portrayal of what I said earlier - the seamier side of the gay lifestyle. Soon enough I will reveal my own personal experiences re this type of experience but for now, it's TMI for me (too much information) and it's something that I am not yet ready to tell the world about. Remember this was before Internet dating and openly gay butch men were out. I was even disgusted myself but it's real and it's happening up to now.

     Downsides, well, some of the sex scenes and nudity were not needed to push the story forward. I am not being prudish but did you really have to show that girl in her naked glory, or show Coco Martin's ass for almost 2 minutes. Was the pigsa on the butt a metaphor for something - maybe the Arroyo presidency - and the Philippines is the butt? Well, what is clear though is the superb acting of the veteran actors - Gina Pareno, Julio Diaz and Jaclyn Jose. Without that, the moviegoer would have to rely on identifying all the metaphors that the filmmakers intended the audience to dissect. Not very hard to do that though.

    I do not know how the Cannes critics reacted to this movie but I am afraid our kababayans in France or in Europe will have a lot of explaining to do to their French amo or colleague. As for me - the intentions of this movie are Brocka-esque by nature, a genre perfected by the late activist-director sans the self-serving pussies and butts and exposed breasts and blow jobs from transvestites. Gina Pareno's character says in the end - "Ang dami pang aayusin sa sinehang ito" (There are so many things to fix in this theater) - she might as well have referred to our country.

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A First Time for You and Me and Lifehouse

2008-07-26T10:51:00.001-07:00

          It's going to be a very busy week starting today as several foreign acts come to Manila to do some shows. Lifehouse started the ball rolling tonight, with an undeniably solid set of expected hits, some tracks from their previous albums and some selections from their new set - "Who We Are". Well, let's start with their new CD first. This is my favorite track from that CD - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6o-OJWINPpE&feature=related. It's entitled "Storm", it's sparsely arranged, with mostly Jason doing the first part acapella and the song picks up in the middle. One of those mushy love songs that I hope no one will discover, but I guess some hard-core fans have discovered it too and made it their own theme songs. Beautiful lyrics, haunting arrangement. Unfortunately, he did not sing it tonight. I should've requested it during their mall show yesterday at MOA, which I did not go to.

        Has it really been 8 years since they blasted into mainstream consciousness with "Hanging By A Moment"? Time flies so fast! Well, they sang this song midway into the show, albeit in a very short version. I guess they're sick of it already. I am too but the crowd at the Araneta suddenly awoke from some kind of stupor to this one. Maybe because the first four songs were barely known to them.

        Jason Wade is not really handsome but his vocals tonight are pretty impressive. It really showed that he prepared for this one night only gig. The band also enthused very much about how they loved their stay here and how nice we are and it did sound sincere. The instrumentation was solid and you could really see that it was a set they really prepared for.

      The crowd tonight was noticeably bigger than that of James Blunt but lesser than Ne-yo. The only micro-celebrity we saw was this model whom Vic knows, Bruce Quebral, who was sitting beside us and he came along with a girl daw who spoke like a palengkera (market vendor). Model looks, palengkera mouth. Vic even said, "I think they came from a motel because Bruce smelled strongly of Safeguard, or a soap which motels give to their clients." I retorted, "Maybe he has no money for more non-family soaps - Safeguard really has a strong smell, you can guess that someone used it - or to buy the expensive soaps you use. He's just a newbie model." He's from UP daw pala, a basketball player. Hmmmm......0 wins and 9 losses last season sa UAAP - I'm too ashamed to say I come from UP. Sobrang kulelat naman, nakakaiyak. (A wimp of a team, sob, sob!)

       If you want to catch a glimpse of the show, there are many videos in Youtube that has been posted already, but what I can say is that the energy they exuded tonight far exceeded their performances in their US venues. It showed that they really loved us and how we reacted to them!

       The highlights of the show for me was when they sang "Disarray" and "Broken" - songs from their latest CD. I sang along with Jason in "Disarray" fully emoting as the lyrics reflect somewhat my life right now. It's a lovely rock song - sing-along vocals, rocking chorus. Broken though is a ballad which may have slowed down the atmosphere as it was the last song of the night, but it was perfect for me, it had an anthemic chorus and emotionally-charged lyrics. The band really rocked playing these two songs.

       Crowd favorites? Well, aside from "Hanging By A Moment", there was "You and Me", which I sang along too, albeit very loudly; "First Time" - a jumping rock song with a blazing guitar arrangement and "Whatever It Takes", which I think is the song being promoted now in Philippine radio. Well, they are my favorites too but I prefer the new songs, medyo gasgas na kasi for me ang mga hits nila.

       Next up is another pop-rock band, Daughtry at Eastwood. Let's see how rockin' these guys are going to get!

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Viva Elena!

2008-07-02T21:32:00.001-07:00

        This is my ode to my favorite tennis player, currently active this time - Elena Dementieva. Unsurprisingly to me, Elena just reached her first Wimbledon semi-final, unsurprisingly again, in Elena-esque style - dramatic, and a constant pull between the forces of nerves and self-doubt.

      I first saw her play in 2003, while I was vacationing in Oslo, because there, they show women's tennis on TV, something we only got here in Manila just this year, thanks to the Balls channel. Anyway, it was love at first sight, and so, aside from tracking down what the other superstars were doing - the Williams sisters, Hingis, etc., I also quietly observed her performance. I finally saw her play live and in the flesh, in Wimbledon 2006, in Court 18, where, along with my fellow Dementieva-worshippers, cheered for her lustfully.

      Why do I like her? Well, watching her play is like watching me wrestling with my personal demons. It is like watching real life. My most memorable game with her was the US Open semi-final in 2004, where, half-asleep, half-awake (it was 3PM in NY, and 3AM in Cebu - I just had to watch it live, no fun in watching sports when you know the score already), I saw her, with her feeble, erratic, double-faulted serves, yet matched with her rocket like groundstrokes, wear down the French champion Amelie Mauresmo. The match was bizaare, to say the least, and from then on, it's a description that would always be attached to her matches.

       What I learned from that match (the heat was the problem there, it was wearing them down), was if you just stick to your guns, and even if some things don't work out like you want it to (her serve was failing her), and you plod on with whatever remaining aces you have on your sleeve (in her case, her powerful forehand), you can still win. Of course, it helped that Mauresmo was also rattled by having to hit 70mph serves. In a season where Venus or Serena can whip 120mph serves, and where women players are programmed to hit those back hard, I think Amelie was bewildered to be hitting such slow balls, and putting them all out instead.

      Another thing I love about her is her tenacity. Most players in the Tour know that to fight her, you have to have the stamina and the psychological mindset to take it all in 3 sets. It is not surprising to see many of her matches with the really top players go into 3 sets.

     Well, I was just happy that she did not have a meltdown this time at Wimbleon like what happened to her at Roland Garros. To be so close yet to be so far from achieving the goal. It can be unnerving, unsettling, irritating, but it's also very human, and the parallels that I can see in people around me are plentiful. But I just love the way she picked up the pieces this time at Wimbledon against Nadia Petrova. She said, she just forgot about the second set and began anew. Perfect advice for life. Shit happens in life all the time. It's how we pick up the pieces after the shit is all over your face and your body and your heart that makes you stronger.

     Elena will meet Venus at 8PM Manila time tonight for a place in the finals on Saturday. I love Venus too, prefering her quiet, smart demeanor as opposed to her sister's brash, very American-esque way of dealing with the people. Venus, of course, is the front-runner, as she has four Wimbledon crowns to her name. I just hope Elena gives her some battle. It would really be interesting how she would fashion out her win against this generation's Wimbledon queen.

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Moving On

2008-04-29T03:21:00.001-07:00

It was just like yesterday that I had my first touch on a computer, my first most responsible award, my first composition writing, my first mathematics problem, and my first friend in school. Now, I can hardly believe it. I saw myself having changes and accepting changes. Not only did I grow tall, quite handsome (modesty aside!), and more mature, I also had grown my interests and had expanded my world.

And now, I am certainly not getting any younger. As the semestral break comes in, I find myself slowly wanting to have a little change in myself. And this want continues to grow and grow later on. Yup, you heard that right. There is something in me that wants to reinvent.

And slowly, I can see this change already happening in me. Things that happened make me realize that time indeed heals everything. After months of anger, madness, and disappointment, I got tired. I came to a point where I was able to understand everything no matter how mad and how crazy things were. And even if the worst happened, eventually, what would remain would only be good memories. I couldn't help but look back to those good old times - times of good friendship and great company. And so I decided to not be consumed by my pride. I reached out first, and succeeded. And this was the change I just saw in me. It was something new to me. I allowed myself to forgive - and forget. I tried to be more forgiving, because at the end of the day, I couldn't deny to myself that the persons I got troubles with were the persons who have been true friends to me. It was also sort of a reward to myself because I know, deep in my heart, that it is what I truly want - to have my friends back.

I also decide to be more optimistic with life. Maybe this is what I truly lack in. I now see the difference between pessimism and reality. Now is the time I should believe in myself more than anyone else should. Whatever the other changes will be, I am positive that they are for what's best for me.

Now, I advance my feet on to the next step. I let go of any past behind me and move on with a new tomorrow. There are things I need to sacrifice in order to achieve what's best not just for me but for everybody. I cannot do this if I leave my other foot behind. I must do this wholeheartedly. What's important is that I have left having good relations with people who have become part of my past.

And now, finally, I am to travel the road I haven't been before. And I realize, I must be the change I want to see in this world. Wherever the road will lead me, I hope everyone still remains at my side, willing to save me in case I choose the wrong road.

Breaking Through the Ceiling

2008-04-29T02:37:00.001-07:00

Maria Clara, for decades and decades, has been highly regarded as the epitome of an ideal Filipina. With her conservative way of dressing, Maria Clara has been labeled as submissive and passive. She clearly symbolizes the traditional gender stereotypes and biases that the Filipino culture, as well as other cultures, have been embracing and have attributed to the feminine gender for a long span of time. Disciples of Eve have always been regarded as the weaker and dependent group. Women have always been taught that they should be silent, demure, uncomplaining and obedient.

Yet, times are changing. Situations are evolving. People are learning. Traditions are shifting. The world is turning around. Cliché as it may sound but reality it is that only change remains predictable in this world full of inconsistencies. What we have been used to may no longer be present in the future. The traditional even usually comes in conflict with the conventional. It can be traced in history that Filipinas have certainly come a long way from being the mere dishwasher and laundrywoman at home who says 'Yes' to every single snap of the finger of her husband. Filipinas are no longer confined to being sales clerks who obeys every single order and bows at every single command of their domineering, authoritative male boss. Modern Filipinas, in some ways, have learned how to use their mouths to defend themselves against any form of evil or wrongdoing targeted against them. Likewise, Filipinas have found their own niches in the society they belong to. More importantly, Filipinas are now actively shaping the society into how they want it to be.

Most Filipino families are embracing egalitarian roles for both the father and the mother. The increasing percentage of working mothers and dual career families are a manifestation of the Filipino families' openness to a paradigm shift – that women can do better than just stay at home and do the laundry. In all walks of life, in all types of career, we now see women conquering kingdoms that have been previously dominated by men for decades. Filipinas are now making their marks.

Women have succeeded in their clamor for the right to suffrage. We even see women taking steps in advocating socially relevant causes. In the corporate arena, we see women breaking through the glass ceiling. We see women who have dared to step up and be different. We see women who have succeeded in proving that women don't always have to be just behind a man's success – women can be at the forefront.

Women have also learned how to use their sensitive and relationship-oriented personality to their advantage. Filipino women have gained higher trust than their male counterparts in mediating conflicting issues and parties. Women have also been respected for their empathic nature. Opportunities to lead have also been offered to a great number of the members of the feminine species because of their transformational leadership style.

In the greater picture, we saw two strong and competent Filipinas rising to the country's highest seat of power. Although deeper monitoring must be present to ensure that these women who have been regarded as icons of women empowerment will surely be able to build their own identity, separate from the identities of the successful men they are associated with.

We see more and more women taking managerial and other executive posts. Again, an intense evaluation system must be at the coast to ensure that these women will be doing well with the posts they are entrusted with. We must also make sure that these women are driven to succeed no longer by the dark shadows of gender stereotypes and biases previously enveloping them.

The increasing intensity of women courage and empowerment has been misconceived as a desire to overpower men. Competition should not be the case. In the call for empowerment, cooperation should be the end in mind. The ideal society we all dream of would be possible with the positive interdependence of the emotive auras of the women and the rational auras of the men. The greatest negative force pulling women down is not the negative stigma posed upon them by the society. Their greatest failures are their own negative notions. Their greatest failures happen when they themselves believe that they are worthless. The greatest challenge for women is not to rule over men but to rule over themselves. After all, the greatest battle we are facing is not a battle of the sexes, but a battle with our own negative force, pulling us from reaching the top.