I have so many stories to tell, yet it seems that I never have enough time to commit to tell them!
Seasons change. Friends come and go. Fashion, haircuts, jobs, apartments, impending relocations.
So many things have happened to me since I moved out of my parents in 2003.
I lost my favorite aunt. I got a part-time job. I met whom I hope is the love of my life. We toured the country. We taught each other things that we know eill alter us forever.
I hope that following my heart will lead me to places where I need to be. Wish me luck.
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Cheer If You're Winning!
ZsaZsah Zaturnah Ze Muzikal!
CCP Tanghalang Huseng Batute
Filipino Comic book heroes have another wonder-man/woman in their esteemed roster! Here comes Zsazsah Zaturnnah! Ada, a gay beautician/ beauty salon owner from Smalltown, Anywhere, Philippines, becomes the mysterious recipient of a glowing stone that falls from the sky while he showers in his batalan. His hilarious sidekick/assistant beautician/flaming queen house mate, Didi, convinced that the stone is mystical and imbues a person with superpowers, talks Ada into swallowing the fist-sized rock and he promptly becomes…Zsazsah Zaturnnah! A 6-foot titan haired woman, with double D breasts and the powers to leap from tall buildings unscathed! Dodge bullets! Do super Kung Fu!
At first, Ada is bowled over by the fact that she has become a woman. But then a group of alien lady warriors called “Amazonistas”—Dina B., Sharon C., Nora A., and Vilma S., and their Queen, Femina, try to invade the earth by targeting their small town. They send a giant frog rampaging through the barangay. Ada knows that only ZsaZsah can save her town, and the earth, in an ultimate battle between good and razor-clawed, Celia Rodriguez-inspired evil Femina.
Ada/Zsazsa also has to deal with her burgeoning romance with Dodong, his hunky next-door neighbor. Can love triumph over social conventions? Will Zsazsa defeat the frog and the Amazonistas? And will she get the guy?
This deliciously campy comic book, released in 2003 by Carlo Vergara, created a stir among gay and straight comic-book aficionados, even becoming something of a mainstream hit. Its tongue-in-cheek humor, its steady pulse on 70s and 80s pop culture camp won over many readers despite its heavy use of swardspeak, which left some heterosexuals scratching their heads in incomprehension. When time came to bring Zsazsah to life, her exploits were turned into—what else? A musical!
Tanghalang Pilipino’s exuberant staging of Zsazsah shows how much fun the cast had during the staging. Lyricist, composer, and musical director Vincent De Jesus’ use of gospel and soul music, and the uplifting vocals of the chorus, provide just the right light-hearted treatment of this highly entertaining and outrageously gay musical. The collective crescendo of their voices is infectious; one can’t help but dance and clap along with them. Kudos goes to the production for the excellent casting, even of the small roles.
The cast had a grand time delivering the zingers in the script. Ricci Chan (of Magandang Umaga Pilipinas, most popular for his portrayal of Angel in the local production of Rent) is a scene-stealer as Didi, with his commanding vocals and balahura lines such as “Ikaw talaga, parang hindi ka sanay sumubo ng malaki!” In the hands of skilled Chan, he made the material shine its brightest.
Eula Valdez as Zsazsa, the gay Ada’s alter-ego, was a revelation. With this play, Amor Powers has proven that she can not only play api on screen; she can kick, act, and sing her heart out! Hats off to her, she really gave the performance her all, especially during some of the dramatic scenes. She has emotionally connected to her character. However, her portrayal lacked an indefinable je ne sais quoi. Perhaps, like Julie Andrews in the movie Victor, Victoria, it’s hard work if you’re a woman pretending to be a gay man. While Ada is a soft-spoken barrio bading, Valdez was still acting a bit too feminine for the part.
Kalila Aguilos as Femina plays the villain to the hilt. Her rendition conjures images of all of the istariray kontrabida actresses local cinema could muster. Her snooty faux-British accent, her raised eyebrow, her commanding portrayal of Femina is the icing of this deliciously pink cake. The final showdown between Femina and Zsazsa in an abandoned kakanin factory is hilarious!
Hopefully, Tanghalang Pilipino will re-stage Zsazsa for the scores of people who were unable to buy tickets to the sold-out show. TP didn’t anticipate the popularity of Zsazsa, the comic book and the musical. Perhaps, they will be accommodated in a theatre bigger than the 100-seat Huseng Batute Theatre. While director Chris Millado’s innovative use of the small space is commendable (especially with the use of Barbie dolls in the giant frog scene), the play would have benefited from a larger venue. Such close intimacy of the actors with the audience is not a necessary requirement for the material at hand.
Overall, the musical never hit a false note. It remained faithful to the comic book without sacrificing time, and with minimal changes in the story.
While non-Filipinos and expats may have a hard time catching the gay lingo and the Filipino pop culture references, it does not diminish the power and energy of the play about Ada, a small town bakla who, because of a giant stone from the sky, discovered that he had he heart of a lion.
* to be published in Asian Journal
CCP Tanghalang Huseng Batute
At first, Ada is bowled over by the fact that she has become a woman. But then a group of alien lady warriors called “Amazonistas”—Dina B., Sharon C., Nora A., and Vilma S., and their Queen, Femina, try to invade the earth by targeting their small town. They send a giant frog rampaging through the barangay. Ada knows that only ZsaZsah can save her town, and the earth, in an ultimate battle between good and razor-clawed, Celia Rodriguez-inspired evil Femina.
Ada/Zsazsa also has to deal with her burgeoning romance with Dodong, his hunky next-door neighbor. Can love triumph over social conventions? Will Zsazsa defeat the frog and the Amazonistas? And will she get the guy?
This deliciously campy comic book, released in 2003 by Carlo Vergara, created a stir among gay and straight comic-book aficionados, even becoming something of a mainstream hit. Its tongue-in-cheek humor, its steady pulse on 70s and 80s pop culture camp won over many readers despite its heavy use of swardspeak, which left some heterosexuals scratching their heads in incomprehension. When time came to bring Zsazsah to life, her exploits were turned into—what else? A musical!
Tanghalang Pilipino’s exuberant staging of Zsazsah shows how much fun the cast had during the staging. Lyricist, composer, and musical director Vincent De Jesus’ use of gospel and soul music, and the uplifting vocals of the chorus, provide just the right light-hearted treatment of this highly entertaining and outrageously gay musical. The collective crescendo of their voices is infectious; one can’t help but dance and clap along with them. Kudos goes to the production for the excellent casting, even of the small roles.
The cast had a grand time delivering the zingers in the script. Ricci Chan (of Magandang Umaga Pilipinas, most popular for his portrayal of Angel in the local production of Rent) is a scene-stealer as Didi, with his commanding vocals and balahura lines such as “Ikaw talaga, parang hindi ka sanay sumubo ng malaki!” In the hands of skilled Chan, he made the material shine its brightest.
Eula Valdez as Zsazsa, the gay Ada’s alter-ego, was a revelation. With this play, Amor Powers has proven that she can not only play api on screen; she can kick, act, and sing her heart out! Hats off to her, she really gave the performance her all, especially during some of the dramatic scenes. She has emotionally connected to her character. However, her portrayal lacked an indefinable je ne sais quoi. Perhaps, like Julie Andrews in the movie Victor, Victoria, it’s hard work if you’re a woman pretending to be a gay man. While Ada is a soft-spoken barrio bading, Valdez was still acting a bit too feminine for the part.
Kalila Aguilos as Femina plays the villain to the hilt. Her rendition conjures images of all of the istariray kontrabida actresses local cinema could muster. Her snooty faux-British accent, her raised eyebrow, her commanding portrayal of Femina is the icing of this deliciously pink cake. The final showdown between Femina and Zsazsa in an abandoned kakanin factory is hilarious!
Hopefully, Tanghalang Pilipino will re-stage Zsazsa for the scores of people who were unable to buy tickets to the sold-out show. TP didn’t anticipate the popularity of Zsazsa, the comic book and the musical. Perhaps, they will be accommodated in a theatre bigger than the 100-seat Huseng Batute Theatre. While director Chris Millado’s innovative use of the small space is commendable (especially with the use of Barbie dolls in the giant frog scene), the play would have benefited from a larger venue. Such close intimacy of the actors with the audience is not a necessary requirement for the material at hand.
Overall, the musical never hit a false note. It remained faithful to the comic book without sacrificing time, and with minimal changes in the story.
While non-Filipinos and expats may have a hard time catching the gay lingo and the Filipino pop culture references, it does not diminish the power and energy of the play about Ada, a small town bakla who, because of a giant stone from the sky, discovered that he had he heart of a lion.
* to be published in Asian Journal
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Sagada High
Warning: Adult Content
Before we set off on our trip, my brother leaned over into our car and asked us, "Hey when you get to Sagada, can you score some pot?"
First off, I feel like I have to explain why this is okay for me, as an older sister to a younger brother. My relationship with my siblings may be hard to understand by outsiders. We are a very-close-knit set; we cover each other's asses. We party together, we support each other. We are really good friends.
We discovered sex, drugs, and all that jazz independently. We confide and seek advice with each other. We know our limits, and I know my brother isn't a pothead.
The mountains up north are famous for producing quality weed, and of course, just like my brother, I was curious as to why this was considered the best in the country.
We really enjoyed our trip up north. Crisp mountain air, small, artsy, laid-back community, amazing food and great restaurants, this was right up my and Thomas' alley.
Thomas, like me, also enjoys the occasional joint. When we got there, he was also eager to sample the goods. I was reluctant to ask around for a score, so Thomas did the asking. We didn't have to go very far.
As we suspected, where there was smoke, there was a joint. On our second night there, we returned to *Bonfire Inn, where we had dinner the first night. We were greeted at the entrance by two teenaged kids making merry with liquor, who offered us a swig of their Tanduay. We refuse, as we raise the bottle of tapuy (rice wine) we brought with us. Instead, Thomas asked if they knew where to get something "to smoke."
"Oh, just go inside and ask for *Janice. She works for the restaurant inside."
So off we go and hunt for Janice. A few moments later, she materializes and she immediately understands what we want from her.
She took us to a dark corner, and produced a wad of tissue from her bosom. Gingerly unfolding the fabric, she says that her hash is P 500 for 10 grams. "I have good stuff, good stuff," she assures us, when we question the price.
After the purchase, we go back to the boys. They ask us if we were able to purchase something. We nod. Alwin and Mark. Alwin studies in the local high school, while Mark is a university student in Baguio. The examine our block, sniff it. Yes, this is a fresh harvest. We invite them to sample it with us.
We didn't have any paper with us, but they had cigarettes. Mark demonstrated a technique that I could not perfect. With his lighter, he burned off a corner of the stone, which later crumbled after pinching it off. Then he heated the cigarette stick, loosening the tobacco inside. After emptying the cylinder into his palm, he mixed the hash and the tobacco leaves, then scooped the mixture back into the paper vial. He is very adept at the skill.
I inhale during my turn. Heavy smoke fills my lungs, and the sweet aftertaste of the hash ring my lips. With each puff, my eyelids grow heavy, and words begin to fail me when I try to form sentences.
A man approaches us from the opposite side of the fence by the entrance. He offers us weed, saying that he has a fresh harvest. We negotiate--P 200 for 10 grams. He says he has to go home to get the merchandise.
Alwin creates another stick. After sharing the second joint, Mark begins to utter gibberish. Alwin apologizes for his friend; he's been drinking since 8 pm. Thomas, Alwin, and I take alternately take a swig of either tanduay or tapuy.
In the middle of the conversation, Mark suddenly falls silent. We leave him, thinking that he was trying to collect his wits. He suddenly falls on his side, on the grassy earth. Clutching his stomach, he vomits. Thomas says that he is puking in the right position; no need to worry about choking.
The man returns, and produces dried stuff that fills half of a small plastic bag. He also gives us a fresher batch "for free," wrapped tightly in paper like a giant ball of candy. We thank him for the stuff, and leave Alwin. "Take care of your friend, make sure he gets home," says Thomas as we wave goodbye.
The next day, we buy rolling papers from an artsy cafe in the mountain town. We ask for advice how to take it back home, fearing random inspections from police. You'll have to try your luck, says the storekeeper, there is no surefire way to prevent it.
Back to earth, during my brother-in-law's last night in the city, Thomas and I, My sister and her husband, and my brother sit in a circle and enjoy a joint--three joints, as perhaps our parents had, enjoying the smoke, the cameraderie of friendship and relations. The pot mixture turns out to be too strong for Thomas, and I help him back to bed.
NikkiAlfar
Tobie Abad
Gabby Lee
Andre Mischa Cleofe
Before we set off on our trip, my brother leaned over into our car and asked us, "Hey when you get to Sagada, can you score some pot?"
First off, I feel like I have to explain why this is okay for me, as an older sister to a younger brother. My relationship with my siblings may be hard to understand by outsiders. We are a very-close-knit set; we cover each other's asses. We party together, we support each other. We are really good friends.
We discovered sex, drugs, and all that jazz independently. We confide and seek advice with each other. We know our limits, and I know my brother isn't a pothead.
The mountains up north are famous for producing quality weed, and of course, just like my brother, I was curious as to why this was considered the best in the country.
We really enjoyed our trip up north. Crisp mountain air, small, artsy, laid-back community, amazing food and great restaurants, this was right up my and Thomas' alley.
Thomas, like me, also enjoys the occasional joint. When we got there, he was also eager to sample the goods. I was reluctant to ask around for a score, so Thomas did the asking. We didn't have to go very far.
As we suspected, where there was smoke, there was a joint. On our second night there, we returned to *Bonfire Inn, where we had dinner the first night. We were greeted at the entrance by two teenaged kids making merry with liquor, who offered us a swig of their Tanduay. We refuse, as we raise the bottle of tapuy (rice wine) we brought with us. Instead, Thomas asked if they knew where to get something "to smoke."
"Oh, just go inside and ask for *Janice. She works for the restaurant inside."
So off we go and hunt for Janice. A few moments later, she materializes and she immediately understands what we want from her.
She took us to a dark corner, and produced a wad of tissue from her bosom. Gingerly unfolding the fabric, she says that her hash is P 500 for 10 grams. "I have good stuff, good stuff," she assures us, when we question the price.
After the purchase, we go back to the boys. They ask us if we were able to purchase something. We nod. Alwin and Mark. Alwin studies in the local high school, while Mark is a university student in Baguio. The examine our block, sniff it. Yes, this is a fresh harvest. We invite them to sample it with us.
We didn't have any paper with us, but they had cigarettes. Mark demonstrated a technique that I could not perfect. With his lighter, he burned off a corner of the stone, which later crumbled after pinching it off. Then he heated the cigarette stick, loosening the tobacco inside. After emptying the cylinder into his palm, he mixed the hash and the tobacco leaves, then scooped the mixture back into the paper vial. He is very adept at the skill.
I inhale during my turn. Heavy smoke fills my lungs, and the sweet aftertaste of the hash ring my lips. With each puff, my eyelids grow heavy, and words begin to fail me when I try to form sentences.
A man approaches us from the opposite side of the fence by the entrance. He offers us weed, saying that he has a fresh harvest. We negotiate--P 200 for 10 grams. He says he has to go home to get the merchandise.
Alwin creates another stick. After sharing the second joint, Mark begins to utter gibberish. Alwin apologizes for his friend; he's been drinking since 8 pm. Thomas, Alwin, and I take alternately take a swig of either tanduay or tapuy.
In the middle of the conversation, Mark suddenly falls silent. We leave him, thinking that he was trying to collect his wits. He suddenly falls on his side, on the grassy earth. Clutching his stomach, he vomits. Thomas says that he is puking in the right position; no need to worry about choking.
The man returns, and produces dried stuff that fills half of a small plastic bag. He also gives us a fresher batch "for free," wrapped tightly in paper like a giant ball of candy. We thank him for the stuff, and leave Alwin. "Take care of your friend, make sure he gets home," says Thomas as we wave goodbye.
The next day, we buy rolling papers from an artsy cafe in the mountain town. We ask for advice how to take it back home, fearing random inspections from police. You'll have to try your luck, says the storekeeper, there is no surefire way to prevent it.
Back to earth, during my brother-in-law's last night in the city, Thomas and I, My sister and her husband, and my brother sit in a circle and enjoy a joint--three joints, as perhaps our parents had, enjoying the smoke, the cameraderie of friendship and relations. The pot mixture turns out to be too strong for Thomas, and I help him back to bed.
NikkiAlfar
Tobie Abad
Gabby Lee
Andre Mischa Cleofe
*Name has been changed
Sunday, March 05, 2006
Infamy
To understand what this post is about, first you have to read this
Done? Good.
Now I am amazed at the ripples that some of my actions cause. Last Thursday, My friends from the younger set of the Executive Toastmasters Club decided to go out for some drinks after the meeting. I was coaching Lyra, one of our newest members, on how to pick a topic for her Speech number two for her basic manual (hehe, TM geek-speak).
The discussion drifted to places where we can go hang out outside of TM, and she mentioned that she goes to the annual Cosmo Bachelor's bash as a panata (personal vow). Leslie and I were not able to go because we weren't able to score tickets, plus, Thomas and I went to Marinduque for the weekend.
"But I did attend the 2004 bash. In fact, I went up the stage for one of their contests," I noted.
"Oh yeah? I was there too! Who were you there?"
"I don't know if you'd remember, but I joined the lick-the-chocolate-syrup off the model contest."
"Oh my God! Who were you there?"
"I was the girl who made the model lie down..."
And she lets off this shriek, "OH MY GOD! YOU WERE THAT GIRL!!! YOU'RE INFAMOUS!" and she starts laughing her head off.
In an excited voice, she tells me that the 2005 party was boring, and I spiced up the 2004 party, asked me what the hell I was thinking, blah blah.
And here is the kicker! "Ohmygod, my girlfriends and I were debating whether or you were a tranny!
And I had the biggest laugh of the month! I get it all the time, and all because of the same reason she gave. "Because we weren't sure if there was really a girl who would have the guts to go do what you did!"
"Actually I went backstage after that and spoke to the other male models. They were all shocked at what you did and they all felt sorry for the model. They felt that he was exploited!"
A kick in the head, eh? Should I say go girl power?
I retort, "Hello, the felt exploited? This was a party where they had male models gyrate in cages!"
"Oh my God, I can't wait to tell my friends that I met that infamous girl from the Bachelor's Bash.
Dammit, and I still have leftover mouthwash to prove it!
---------
On another note, Michael (aka Basang Panaginip )has compiled a list of the sexiest bloggers in the blogosphere. And yes, I am on that list! I even ran into an old college classmate. Read his selection, he has led me to some blogs that I now read avidly. Thanks for picking my blog, I am so flattered! I guess my name does indeed live in infamy!
Done? Good.
Now I am amazed at the ripples that some of my actions cause. Last Thursday, My friends from the younger set of the Executive Toastmasters Club decided to go out for some drinks after the meeting. I was coaching Lyra, one of our newest members, on how to pick a topic for her Speech number two for her basic manual (hehe, TM geek-speak).
The discussion drifted to places where we can go hang out outside of TM, and she mentioned that she goes to the annual Cosmo Bachelor's bash as a panata (personal vow). Leslie and I were not able to go because we weren't able to score tickets, plus, Thomas and I went to Marinduque for the weekend.
"But I did attend the 2004 bash. In fact, I went up the stage for one of their contests," I noted.
"Oh yeah? I was there too! Who were you there?"
"I don't know if you'd remember, but I joined the lick-the-chocolate-syrup off the model contest."
"Oh my God! Who were you there?"
"I was the girl who made the model lie down..."
And she lets off this shriek, "OH MY GOD! YOU WERE THAT GIRL!!! YOU'RE INFAMOUS!" and she starts laughing her head off.
In an excited voice, she tells me that the 2005 party was boring, and I spiced up the 2004 party, asked me what the hell I was thinking, blah blah.
And here is the kicker! "Ohmygod, my girlfriends and I were debating whether or you were a tranny!
And I had the biggest laugh of the month! I get it all the time, and all because of the same reason she gave. "Because we weren't sure if there was really a girl who would have the guts to go do what you did!"
"Actually I went backstage after that and spoke to the other male models. They were all shocked at what you did and they all felt sorry for the model. They felt that he was exploited!"
A kick in the head, eh? Should I say go girl power?
I retort, "Hello, the felt exploited? This was a party where they had male models gyrate in cages!"
"Oh my God, I can't wait to tell my friends that I met that infamous girl from the Bachelor's Bash.
Dammit, and I still have leftover mouthwash to prove it!
---------
On another note, Michael (aka Basang Panaginip )has compiled a list of the sexiest bloggers in the blogosphere. And yes, I am on that list! I even ran into an old college classmate. Read his selection, he has led me to some blogs that I now read avidly. Thanks for picking my blog, I am so flattered! I guess my name does indeed live in infamy!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
