:: Tears of the Moon ::

:: Friday, August 19, 2005 ::

Rockestra! Ten rows from the front, baby!



Yes, it's true: listening to both Imago and Sandwich with an orchestra behind to carry their music was an incredible experience.

Met up with Chi at the Taft station of MRT, headed to Folk Arts. Was a bit miffed at the parents, who - all of a sudden - had the case of the parental worry by saying that 'unescorted ladies in Folk Arts area is a recipe for disaster'.

It's a concert, for pete's sake.

Picture-taking was banned from the theater. Since we were also seated at the White section (ten rows from the front, yeah!), the bouncers had a pretty good view of us. Damn.

Some thoughts on the music:

Imago's Iya has an incredible voice. Insanely incredible. Effortless singing amidst heavy guitars and drums. Hearing her sing Akap with the orchestra brought chills up and down my arms.

Sabihin sa'kin lahat ng lihim mo - iingatan ko
Ibaling sa'kin ang problema mo - kakayanin ko.

Sandwich with Raymund Marasigan playing vocals gives a different flavor (no pun intended) to the sound of the band. I don't know what's going on with Marc Abaya (when we went to Fete, he didn't sing for Sandwich, but was there in time for Kjwan. Dunno if he's quit Sandwich..), but Raymund did pretty well. They sang the same two songs from Fete: Humanda ka and Two Trick Pony (which they used for the finale). His voice also reminds me of the lead singer for Rage Against the Machine. The way he sang, and the manner in which he played made the band look and feel defiant, rebellious. They rocked.

Silent Sanctuary's singer's voice can't stand too well with a lot of instruments - reminds me of Barbie Amablis' inability to sing over the music unless there's a mic in front of her.

The teenage crush I had for Buddy Zabala (Cambio, and some other band I've forgotten the name for..) has never waned. Hee. It's still running strong. And I don't care if his last name starts with a Z. ;)

Post-Game.
After the concert, Chi and I went to Eastwood to have a (very!) late dinner. I haven't had lunch and dinner both, so I was very hungry. Got there, went to eat at Teriyaki Boy coz we were thinking of Japanese. Headed to Starbucks to unwind, and finish my ticket stub things to get the backpack. Took a cab, went home.

Oh hey, Dad's back from his trip!

:: D said @ 8:36 PM [+] ::
...

Zooming in for a totally freak thought:

What if I cut myself off? Would anyone really care? And why the fuck do I care that others don't?

Maybe I should stop caring.

Boy. When I told myself New Deep was the theme song for the year, I didn't realize how true it could be. Lol. Can't wait for the theme song for my twenty-fifth.

Here's a thought: cut yourself off, deal with it, and move on. It'll leave more brain space for the other stuff, other people in your life.

:: D said @ 3:57 PM [+] ::
...

"Imagine songs like `Mariposa`, `Divisoria` and `Two Trick Pony` played like you`ve never heard them before."

Rockestra. A collab of rock music with the Manila Symphony Orchestra. Been wanting to watch one of these since I heard Metallica play with the Boston Symphony on Carol of The Bells three Christmases back.

"ROCKESTRA. When Two Musical Worlds Collide (by Kristine Lim)
When an immovable object like classical music meets an irresistible force like indie rock the results are nothing short of explosive. ROCKESTRA brings together six of the Manila`s finest rock bands and the prestigious Manila Symphony Orchestra. At ROCKESTRA, the bands will rip through their sets with the usual enthusiastic abandon, only this time they`ll have the awesome firepower of a complete orchestra behind them. Imagine songs like `Mariposa`, `Divisoria` and `Two Trick Pony` played like you`ve never heard them before. MANILA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA`S `ROCKESTRA` with Cambio, Imago, Sandwich, Silent Sanctuary, Sugar Free, & Twisted Halo live at the Folk Arts Theater on August 19, 2005 8:00 PM. Ticket Prices: P975; P630; P350; P175; P75." (from the Ticketworld website)

Two Trick Pony with an orchestra behind it. Should be orgasmic. (Listening to the track on it's own already gets me high. What more with violins?)

So, when I got the email from Chi, I immediately asked for a leave from my boss. With some reluctance, she said okay. I normally don't call leaves for a date a week in advance (usually months ahead), but I think they know me well enough to understand that I'm a big fan of whatever it is I'm interested in (the "Lined up for ten hours to get a book signed" story still raises a few disbelieving eyebrows though - haha). So she said okay.

That, and maybe the fact that I raised it with Office Guy when he asked what 'the perfect date' would've been for me. After a bit of thought I told him, "Rockestra. Look it up."

I found out he's into jazz, so I'm going with my sister instead.

*looks at ticket prices*

Hey wow, the most expensive ticket's P950. Not bad.

I'm so excited!

Etc.
Still can't get enough of Dandy Warhols' We Used to be Friends from the Veronica Mars soundtrack. The sound is sarcastic and vindictive enough to carry the theme of the lyrics. And perfect for Veronica Mars. I normally don't go for nasal singers except if it were for humor and sarcasm - so this one's pretty good. And it always gets me into an ass-kicking mood.


A long time ago
We used to be friends
But I haven't thought of you lately at all
If ever again
A greeting i send to you
Short and sweet, to the soul I intend

Ah ah ah ah

Come on now honey
Bring it on bring it on yeah
Just remember me when
You're good to go

Come on now sugar
Bring it on bring it on yeah
Just remember me when...

It's something I said
Or someone I know
Or you called me up
Maybe I wasn't home
Now everybody needs some time
And everybody knows
The rest of it's fine
And everybody knows

Come on now sugar
Bring it on bring it on yeah
Remember me when
You're good to go

Come on now honey
Bring it on bring it on yeah
Just remember me when
We used to be friends
A long time ago
We used to be friends
A long time ago
We used to be friends
A long time ago We used to be friends
Yeah

Ah ah ah ah

A long time ago
We used to be friends
But I haven't thought of you lately at all
If ever again
A greeting i send to you
Short and sweet, to the soul I intend

We used to be friends
A long time ago
We used to be friends
A long time ago
We used to be friends
A long time ago
We used to be friends

:: D said @ 3:40 PM [+] ::
...

I just realized that I turned 5 at Fanforum yesterday.

Happy anniversary, Kitt.

I'm taking a moment.

Thanks, FF for expanding my network of friends - and for feeding the fangirl in me. :)



Thanks, Crashdown, for linking me to FF, and the Roswell Underground, where I made and posted my first fic ever.

Thanks to first friends from the Crashdown chatroom, when Foo (TVR) was still chatting, soul sistah katt, and shortiegirl. We haven't talked to each other in years, but wherever you are, I'd just like to say you were the first set of people I talked to about the Roswell addiction.

I remember going to class bleary-eyed and woozy (this was before I discovered coffee), getting to class and having May cover for me by nudging me awake whenever the teacher passes by. I mastered the art of faking note-taking (or at least I thought so - I think I got by because all my other classmates were recitation whores), and gulping gallons of Coke to stay awake.

Thanks to the Stargazers; my first fangroup. We were small enough to remember each other whenever we posted. I wasn't savvy enough to keep up with the speed for the Dreamers and the Candies. For the Gazers come and gone, I'll still always remember you. And thanks, Bri, the only other Gazer that I've been in contact with from the old group in this whole time. It's strange to remember that we were twenty once, trying out hand out at fics. We'll make that collab sometime.

The first Filipino thread that I joined at Roswell, where I met meg. Dude, thanks. I met you at a bad time in my life.. you were a savior to my sanity in a lot of ways. We were both in a transition in our lives, and we supported each other in ways that other friends couldn't. We don't meet and talk as much, or as often as we did before, but I want to tell you that you're always in my thoughts. You're my first online friend that I translated into real life. I still remember the very nervous giggly feeling I had when we got to talk to each other on the phone for the first time.

The Jahammers!, Flip Bukid! It seemed like I was the only one who watched Young Americans, and the folks at the JH and Flip Bukid were extremely friendly. This was where I met Roguester and Teena, also where I was invited to register to LJ so that I'd have an online journal. Also the place where I found Junior Year, and some of the most fantastic YA fics I've ever read.

The Sidekicks! The first true group for me.. I remember the HP discussion starting at the Book board, and widening when the HP board came about. I remember the discussion of what to call the Ron/Hermione shippers, and they decided to call us Sidekicks. Also got to know Jem better (having known her at the DC board first) - and that she's *gasp!* an Auror. Figures, coz we never seem to ship the same couples. Oh well.

Finally, the Fellowship, from the Legolas Greenleaf and the Filipino Fellowship. I met the wild and crazy bunch that led to the movie group for all LOTR showings, almost all movies with Orlando and the LOTR cast (I still can't believe I watched Hidalgo. Only for you, Meg and Teena.. Only for you), the HP showings if we can manage it.

The Arrows! Arrows on Speed! I credit my entire typing speed and agility entirely on those late-night postings with my 1/3 shift at the FF/OB Off-topic thread (yes, it's *that* granular) I miss a lot of the oldbies. I wish you were still online, we could still see each other. But life isn't like that, and that's okay.


Bottom line? I'm grateful. The online community is such that it's part of my life. I am more articulate with myself, more comfortable in dealing with different types of people. More daring in meeting new ones and making friends. More creative in expressing myself and more comfortable in being open with myself.

The flip side is that I have different aspects of myself. This life- this active online life- is a personality that I'd rather not mix with my other life. The life that my parents, my siblings, my other friends know about. Sure, this is a public journal. Most of what I write, I'm comfortable with other people reading. But.. I'd rather not. The same way that I have online friends that I find hard to introduce to my 'real life' friends. "Where did you meet?" "We're friends" - and that's that.

It all stems from FF. Thanks.

Cheers.

:: D said @ 6:41 PM [+] ::
...

Currently reading Shadow Puppets, book 7 of the Ender series by Orson Scott Card. Bean's character is steadily growing to be more interesting than Ender, I have to say.

Also looping Seasons of Love from the RENT soundtrack (original cast, hey!) What I love about favorite songs is that listening to them is never the same: There's always an aspect, a line, a tune or sound from it that brings in new insight. So this time around, it's the line that says, Celebrate, remember a year in the life of friends. Nostalgic for me, at this point, I guess. Beautiful song all around. Currently playing on Loop on my Zen.

COMPANY
Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand
Six Hundred Minutes
Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand
Moments so Dear
Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand
Six Hundred Minutes
How Do You Measure - Measure A Year?
In Daylights - In Sunsets
In Midnights - In Cups Of Coffee
In Inches - In Miles
In Laughter - In Strife

In - Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand
Six Hundred Minutes
How Do You Measure
A Year In The Life

How About Love?
How About Love?
How About Love?
Measure In Love

Seasons Of Love
Seasons Of Love

SOLOIST #1
Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand
Six Hundred Minutes
Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand
Journeys To Plan

Five Hundred Twenty-Five Thousand
Six Hundred Minutes
How Do You Measure The Life
Of A Woman Or A Man?

SOLOIST #2
In Truths That She Learned
Or In Times That He Cried
In Bridges He Burned
Or The Way That She Died

ALL
It's Time Now - To Sing Out
Tho' The Story Never Ends
Let's Celebrate
Remember A Year In The Life Of Friends

Remember The Love
Remember The Love
Remember The Love
Measure In Love

SOLOIST #1
Measure, Measure Your Life In Love

Seasons Of Love...
Seasons Of Love


Broadband!
I *love* broadband internet. I now have a library of books loaded up on Lenny, and a couple hundred songs on the Zen (Zenny-?). Chi got herself a Blackberry from the office. Bryan took the UPCAT and told us it was "a crappy ass exam"

:: D said @ 3:53 PM [+] ::
...

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Funny that I'm the third on the list.

Oh. Lol, went to an impromptu Fondue party courtesy of Hollie from work. We went to the Manila Penn, despite the horrendous weather we've been having recently. Kat, Trish, Ces and me, and then Hollie, Bev, Blaine, and Celina from Collections.

Chocolate fondue with fruits and pastry.
Before:



After (which was about, twenty minutes later):

:: D said @ 2:32 AM [+] ::
...

UPCAT
Left Bry at the school. Turned out we were lined up at the wrong building/place - Bocobo, instead of Malcom - so we crossed the street and lined up at the other place. Seeing as the three of us were used to lining up for hours for whatever, we stood in line.

Due to it being UPCAT season, and Roco's funeral, the roads to the place were packed.

Left Bry at the school, and Chi and I looked for a ride to Gateway - watch a movie to kill time.

Called Joanna for directions on how to get out of the traffic sprawl that was UP on UPCAT day. Turned out she was in Laguna, and I woke her up. Still, she gave pretty decent directions ("walk away from the circle, and towards the streets that the jeeps take"). Some generous jeepney driver on his way out (not working), took some of the walking commuters in for a free ride to drop off to the actual jeep station.

My inner coño took possession of my consciousness and broke free. I realized something:

Any illusions I might have about going to UP for graduate studies are now shot to hell.

I'm not going back to study in that school unless I have a car (or someone with a car) to drive me.

Chi kept on rolling her eyes as I mouthed at her, No freaking way. No freaking way am I coming back. I'm *not* going to study here.. No freaking way..

So. Ateneo and La Salle, here I come. At least your grad schools are in Makati.

Chi and I ate at the newly revamped Pizza Hut (note to self: GREAT spareribs), and tried three times to figure out which movie to watch to kill time. We ended up watching Jennifer Love Hewitt's attempt at romantic-movies-with-Brits, If Only. More on that to follow.

Then, hung out at Starbucks to read. Having been up for 24+ hours (since I came from work), I was woozy and needed the caffeine. Had Bryan take the ride to Gateway (we didn't want to get back there). We owed Bry dinner, so we went back to Pizza Hut (I swear, they were revamped and they looked great) because he felt like pasta. Also, the service was fantastic. Simply fantastic.

Headed home at nine, went straight to bed.

If Only.. we didn't need to watch that movie.
It was a long music video, a bad excuse for an album launch and an awful movie rolled into one. We checked the credits and it turned out Jennifer Love Hewitt's the executive producer. So, of course she had to be in the movie - lead female, no less. While the premise was good, the delivery was bad.

It was a very sappy date movie thing, though. If your gf's a big romance sap (regardless of plot - basta romantic), this is the movie to go to. The guy cries more than the girl, he's a bastard boyfriend, but he 'redeems himself' at the end (by jumping in front of her during a violent car crash). Chi and I kept on giggling like idiots at how it was made.

When the lights came up, the girls to both our sides were weeping, wiping their eyes, etc. Sheesh.

etc
Saw the last sentence of the movie cast for Rent singing Seasons of Love at the Today show. Fought the urge to strangle myself coz I didn't get to manage listening in to the entire song. Damn, I'm downloading the song.

New addiction: Veronica Mars. The upshot? We got to catch the first season. I wanted to follow up on Buffy and Angel, but the stories were already so far ahead that I couldn't catch up on the subtext anymore.

Also got to watch the season ender for CSI. Fantastic episode; although I think they need to tighten up a bit on the storyline. It didn't feel like a CSI episode as much, though. Had Quentin Tarantino's fingerprints all over it.

Getting sick and tired of Bamboo. The band, not the plant. Starting to feel that, like the Gloria impeachment attempt, they're overextending themselves and it's a fad. I hope they stop jumping on the bandwagon and start rejecting ad placements. I heard Bamboo Mañalac's also signed up for a Smart wireless ad for late this year.

Somebody show some talent soon, please, or I'm going to switch the radio channel to another song.

:: D said @ 2:18 AM [+] ::
...

Rest in Peace, Raul Roco.

FORMER senator Raul Roco, who challenged President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the 2004 election, passed away on Friday after a long battle with cancer, his family announced.
Roco, 63, died of cardiac arrest, a complication of his illness, at 9:16 a.m. at St. Luke's Hospital in Quezon City, his wife Sonia, son Robbie Pierre, and staff and supporters said.

Inquirer
EastDay, China
Sun Star

Roco's Hometown Declares Month of Mourning

The man who would've been - could've been - great. I voted for you, and I'll still vote for you if time came. The country lost a great shining star today.

:: D said @ 5:44 AM [+] ::
...

Why oh why?
Why does it always seem to happen that guys who seem interested in me are either gay, married, engaged, or already someone else's boyfriend? And why aren't they Filipino?!

*tears hair*

And, why are single guys such hormonal idiots? Particularly guys my age?

Tramp
What pisses me off are women who make pathetic attempts at throwing themselves at men. Case in point, this tramp at the office from another program. She placed herself in a strategic position to see our client. Pathetic attempts at engaging him in discussion (while having her caller on hold, etc), wearing revealing clothing (shouldn't she be getting a memo for this? What the hell is her supervisor doing?), her body language showing that she wants her cleavage/butt crack/thongs/bleached hair/tattoo (might as well have been a target) to be seen, doing that little girly voice thing.. makes me want to puke.

So I did the Bad Supervisor thing and shoo-ed her off our call floor. ("You're not part of our program. You might want to start moving along. You shouldn't be on our floor")

What pisses me even more is that idiot foreign guys seem to dig it.

*gags*

I so hope that this is not their image of the Filipina: easy, bleached fake blonde hair, speaks with a stupid island girl accent.

Again, what pisses me off even more is that That particular foreign guy seems to dig it. I told him that showing pictures of his wife and kids won't stop her. He showed the pictures, and ten minutes later she gave him her email address.

I wanted to kick her ass so bad for being such a disgrace.

UPCAT!
Okay, UPCAT season yet again, and this time it's my brother's turn. Bryan's taking the exam tomorrow afternoon at Malcom Hall.

Funny, now that I think about it, if I ever went to UP, I'd be going to either Malcom or Palma (AS) - the law school, or the arts/letters one. I hope my brother passes the exam.

I'm bringing him there tomorrow coz everyone else already had engagements. I just have to figure out how to get to the freaking Malcom Hall.

*shrug*

:: D said @ 5:43 AM [+] ::
...