Status: Terrified.
Music: Terrified | Kara DioGuardi feat Jason Reeves

• BELATED HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ANDRE! It was his birthday last Saturday, February 21. I had a great time at his party despite the migraine. Slept in the couch while the rest were belting out diva and boy band songs. Haha. And Andre, alam ko minumura mo ako habang natutulog. Haha. Tangenamurin.
• I finally got to attend a blogger event! Haha. First time. I was a little nervous, though, coz I never really wanted to attend ANY blog event. Too shy for that. But I was so glad to meet Lio, Jehzlau, Ada, Benj, Coy, Eric, Joms, Fitz, and many others. Waah, sorry, I suck at identifying faces and remembering names. Plus, I spent most of the time hiding behind a sheet of paper.
• I met up with Kuya Ethan at UP Shopping Center last night to get the book he owed me, ehehe. Gaahd, I missed him so much. Hahaaaay.
• The Amazing Race 14 has started. Weeeeeh. So far I like the Asian siblings and the flight attendants. TAR is still my most loved reality show.
• American Idol Season 8. Hmmm. I’ll start blogging about it after the semi-finals. But as of now, Alexis Grace and Danny Gokey get my lovin’. And waaah, Anoop Desai didn’t make it. Wuwuwu.
• Speaking of Idol, in an email exchange, blogger friend Berg urged me to listen to “Terrified,” Kara DioGuardi’s collaboration with Jason Reeves. Well, right now, Kara is my most liked among American Idol judges. And Jason Reeves is looove. And Berg has a really, really great taste in music. So I took time to listen to it, and I was blown away. Here’s a live performance:




And I-I-I’m in love (I’m in love)
And I-I-I’m terrified…
I only said it ’cause I mean it
I only mean ’cause it’s true…

• Aside from the pretty song above, other songs that have been inducing LSS include:
  The Fray’s “Never Say Never”
  Kings of Leon’s “Use Somebody”
  Jesse McCartney’s “How Do You Sleep?”
  Snow Patrol’s “Crack the Shutters”
  Craig David’s “Insomnia”
• Wahaha. I love the recently concluded Oscars. Knew Slumdog Millionaire would win but I would really be happier had it been The Reader instead.
• Kate Winslet made me cry with her shampoo bottle speech. At last, Winslet, at last.
• And Sean Penn, I adore you not just for your excellent portrayal of Harvey Milk but also for your speech:




I think it’s a good time for those who voted for the ban against gay marriage to sit and reflect and anticipate their great shame and their shame in their grandchildren’s eyes if they continue that support. We’ve got to have equal rights for everyone.“ –Sean Penn

• Nicole Kidman speaking and paying tribute to Angelina Jolie was my idea of award-show bliss. Made me giggle a number of times. Anne Hathaway was teary-eyed. Love her.

(more…)

Coz I’m not capable of handling a relationship.
And I must be high when I thought I could. Or was too in love to think I could.

I guess I’m better off alone after all. Hahaaay. Single again.

images courtesy of ecocentric.co.uk

Because updating Twitter and Plurk every whatever hour is too grueling a task for me (yeah, I’m lazy like that), why not deliver updates all at once every week? Wahaha.

• February na! Birthday season. Hahaay. Most of my friends are Februarians. And as I said before, unlike January which I have a love-hate relationship with, February is ALWAYS kind to me. And I know this year ain’t gonna be different. 
• Kelly Clarkson is baaaaack! Although I actually think that My Life Would Suck Without You isn’t one of her best singles, I’m just ecstatic she’s back on top, making history. Hihi. She now holds the record for Billboard’s greatest jump formerly clung under Britney’s belt. Eat that, Britney! (Kidding! I love Britney Spears, too.) Also, she’s the first American Idol to score two Billboard Number 1’s. I’m soooo happy for her. She’s my fave Idol ever. And Carrie Underwood. And David Cook… Aright. I have many fave Idols ever.
• I’m loving I Hate This Part by The Pussycat Dolls. Lovet. I gotta do eeeet… I gotta do eeeet… I gotta do eeeeeeeet…
• I’ve just found out that Boyce Avenue is coming to Manila. Somebody slap me now! I just can’t help getting giddy this early. They will be performing in the following:
  February 12 – SM Cebu, 6 PM
  February 13 – SM Mall of Asia, 7 PM
  February 14 – SM North Edsa, 5 pm
  February 15 – SM Megamall, 7:30 PM
  I’ve been in love with them since like the Cretaceous Period! I remember the time when their youtube pages had only a few views. Now, they’re getting bigger and more popular. I’m happy for them.
• I was at Red Box in Greenbelt 3 last Friday night with clients. And it dawned on me that boy band songs love me. I don’t know what he does to make you cry. But I’ll be there to make you smile…
• I’ve finally seen The Reader. I’m sorry Slumdog Millionaire, The Reader just stole my heart from you. Oscar Best Picture? The Reader for the win. (Kate Winslet is love.)  I’ll be posting my Oscar predictions and the second part of my Movie Rundown: Oscar Contenders post soon. I just need to see Frost/Nixon.
• Amanda Tanen of Ugly Betty is the apple of my eyes right now. But no, I’m not going straight. She’s more like my role model. My answer to the question: Whom do you want to be like when you grow up? Wahaha.

• I keep on finding myself in Trinoma lately. Actually, I don’t feel like going out lately. But I have to. Meetings. Groceries. My usual tambayan is at Dairy Queen in Glorietta 4. But Trinoma has been attracting me gravitationally. But it’s aright, Trinoma is my fave mall after all.
• I didn’t realize there’s actually a Froyo (Frozen Yogurt) place near my place. Yogurbud! Waaah. I know they have branches at SM Megamall and The Podium but I didn’t know there’s also one along Tomas Morato. Yaaaaay! Someone’s gonna be a regular!
• I’m buying a fridge. Yay. Finally, I can store as much yogurt as I want. And ice cream. And milk. And salad…
• Andre spent the weekend at my apartment again. So yes, there’ll be a Weekend with Andre Part 2.
• I was WTF-ing and WTF-ing when I read this report: A Filipino machine operator was reportedly sacked by an engineering firm in Australia allegedly for his toilet habits. A Townsville Bulletin report posted on news.com.au said Amador Bernabe, 43, a Filipino machine operator was kicked out of his job by the Townsville Engineering Industries (TEI) for using water, instead of toilet paper, to clean himself during toilet visits. (abs-cbnnews.com)
• Dear God, why is it sooo hard to quit smoking! Give me the determination to expel nicotine from my body.
  images courtesy of dessertcomesfirst.com and stereogum.com
  

Status: Perfectly functional.
Music: Smack into You | Jon Mclaughlin

• Wow, time flies. January has only a few days left.
• I still got tonsilitis. Dammit. But it’s aright, I’m completely functional. Just that my breath smells like a slice of durian you trap in a jar for a week and then you open it and voila… welcome to Payatas. Yaaak.
• So now I’m in Batangas with my family. Yesterday, I was in Tagaytay. And it was COLD. I know what you’re thinking. “Come on, it’s Tagaytay, of course, it’s cold. Duh?” Well yeah, but not that cold. I’m always there. Thanks to its proximity to our house here. But it was really cold.
• And I realized that listening to my dear Jon Mclaughlin’s album “OK Now” in a freezing weather is therapeutic. I’m starting to think that I’m only getting better coz of it. (Yeah, screw antibiotics! Men are THE cure! It’s always men!)
• It’s Sunday! My favorite day. And it’s not because of the church. It’s Philippine showbiz, baby. Sunday means ASAP 09 and The Buzz. Haha. I looove seeing Ruffa Gutierrez and Kris Aquino bickering on POV (Points, Opinions, Violent Reactions). Gaaawd. They really HAVE to replace Boy Abunda. When he sits in between Ruffa and Kris, he’s getting blander and lamer and uglier by the second.
• Been hooked to Tayong Dalawa. Ehehe. Fantastic ensemble. Even Gerald Anderson is impressive. Sana may quotable quotes din like Iisa Pa Lamang, haha.
• Andre, Dohna, Ayn, and I are planning to go to Thailand. And Cambodia. And Vietnam. Later this year. Yay! Me excited. Eeeeeeeh.
• I’ll be posting my Oscar predictions. But I need to watch all the nominated films first. But even though I’ve only seen a few, my heart already belongs to one film — The Reader. I worship Stephen Daldry. I pray to him before and after every meal. (Char!) And as my friend Ayn pointed out, he has made only three movies, but all of them are Oscar-nominated. (The others being Billy Elliot and The Hours.) I might change my mind after I’ve seen all the films, though.
• In a bit more than a month from now, I’ll be turning 23. But I can still barely say I’m a grown-up. It hurts to grow. It hurts to grow.

I don’t want to start this blogging year with an emo entry but I really have got something emo to say. And I’ve got to say this now.

Even before I hit puberty, my friends have been emigrating — to Canada, to the US. That’s why back then, I developed some sort of hatred towards these two countries. I felt like, “North America is stealing my friends.”

Years passed, and I noticed that I’d been losing friends not just to Canada or the US but also to Australia, to the UK, to the Middle East. It’s as if all the other nations are conspiring to make my life miserable. I felt like being left behind. Left alone.

But then, as I grow older, I’m starting to realise that this is life. And that it’s not about me. It’s about them. That although the friendship you share is deeply treasured, your friendship is not all there is in the world. That no matter how much distance the world puts between you two, the value of that friendship does not change.

That people come and go. Just like that.

But it’s hard to accept this truth because when people come into our lives, we love them. We love them as though they will be with us all the time. We just don’t think about the moment they’re gonna have to leave. Because we never think they are gonna. Until they do.

Who could blame us? They are friends. We get used to the comfort of their presence.

That when they reach out, it’s hard not to hold their hands.

That when they speak, it’s hard not to listen.

That when it’s their turn to listen, it’s hard not to cry.

That when we need to cry, it’s hard not to be with them.

That when we are with them, it’s hard to leave.

And that when it’s their turn to leave, it’s just hard — so hard — to let go.

To JT. You will be missed.

image courtesy of bifsniff.com
PBA09035542p

I was just about to post the third part of the Top 25 Local TV Shows I Miss when I noticed a Facebook message from my former boss based in Victoria, Canada. The mail contained a link to one of the lists I produced while working with her — Top 10 Signs that Your Boyfriend is Gay. This post was cross-posted to Crunkish.com, where it received a couple of comments that somewhat challenge my morals. Haha. They go:

Honestly, I just don’t know what to say to them. I feel sorry but I think I have made it clear in that entry’s introduction that these signs are not absolute.

…You have to remember, however, that these signs are a bit stereotypical. These are not absolute. If you see these signs on your boyfriend, it doesn’t necessarily mean that he is gay or bisexual. Not seeing these signs doesn’t mean that he is not, either. Again, playing detective is a tricky business….

I’m still trying to come up with a polite, apologetic reply. I think that’s proper.

But there’s another comment that made me LOL.

That made me feel a bit better!

Gaaah. Anyway, before my conscience finally convinces me to believe that I am a bad person, I should go back to writing the rest of the Top 25 Pinoy defunct TV programmes that I miss. Or perhaps I should start announcing Yoshke.com’s BLOGS OF THE YEAR.

image courtesy of bantamapparel.com

Except, of course, when it’s so crowded and you feel like you’re having an orgy. Just that it’s the kind of orgy you don’t like.

Not that I like orgies.

Of course, I don’t like orgies.

Eeew. The thought.

Anyway, I can still remember this one time in November last year that I was aboard the MRT. This was before they discovered the wonders of prerecorded announcements with pesky Chowking ads. Approaching San Juan Station, the train had just left Cubao. It was a very quiet but rather packed 7am ride. And then the MRT operator broke the silence.

H’wag po tayong sumandal sa mga pinto. Dumiretso lang po tayo sa gitna. Manatili lang po tayong nakahawak sa mga mandurukot…

Anu daw?!? Haha. Everyone was trying their best not to laugh. But they couldn’t. All I could mutter was “Manong, gumising ka! Gumising ka!”

I overheard a woman sport a cheerful mockery. “Nasan daw ang mandurukot? Hawakan daw natin at baka makatakas.”

When I told Jon about this, he shared his very own MRT ride-turned-Wow Mali episode. Again, starring our friendly neighbourhood MRT operator.

Ayala Station, Ayala Station…

…ay lagpas na pala… Buendia Station, Buendia Station….

Ain’t the MRT fun?

image courtesy of Benny Yap of Flickr

The comedy is that even after all this time, we’re still like this.
The tragedy is that we’re still like this.

And that’s just nasty. Oh well.

Read more >>

I kinda miss Donna Cruz. I love her music. During the height of Vina Morales-Donna Cruz rivalry-brouhaha, I was soooo on Donna’s army. Front line pa! (But I like Vina as a performer now.)

Tangena, ang jologs ko. Haha. Here are some of her songs that I grew up listening to.

• Ikaw Lang ang Mahal
• Isang Tanong, Isang Sagot
• Tayo Lang Dalawa
• Hulog ng Langit
• Wish (with that white guy)
• I Can (with Mikee Cojuangco and Regine Velasquez)

But this one… it just strikes through. Only Me and You.

“It’s enough for me that I have come to love you, I see,
Because the heart I have could only want you.
I just want you to remember
even if it takes forever,
I would wait until the world is through
When all thats left is
Only me and you…”

Aaaaw. Maudlin, maybe. I love the 90s! Ah, the schmaltziness of that decade.
image courtesy of filipinoexpress.com

Yes, this is the part where I try to squeeze in some school pride. Hehehe.

UP Pep Squad grabs the 2008 Samsung UAAP Samsung Cheerdance Competition trophy. Happy, happy. “Matatapang… matatalino… walang takot kahit kanino…”

image courtesy of Teresa Barrozo