Pinakawalangkwentang sale

What so great about it?  

At hindi pa man din sa krismastaym ginawa ire. 

Yvonne Elliman, Stephen Bishop, Dan Hill at The Araneta 2011

And so we paid a scalper 2x1200 PhP tickers, instead of the original gate price--2x2650. Although we've felt remorse later, after thinking on hindsight that we could have pursued the other scalper (standing nearby) and could have launched a mini-pricewar. We could have paid for 1000 or less instead...

Anyway, Stephen Bishop and Dan Hill made it all worth it. The highlight of the night was in hearing this song:

The lyrics are bordering on sappiness, yes, but think about how the song applies to seeing your first born, especially since most pregnancies are truly unplanned today :-) I remember also the original music video for Something New in My Life (which I cant find today), which show Dudley Moore, as a new father, peeking into nursery of a hospital and seeing his twins. These lyrics accompany that scene:

a new face, a new smile, new song
and now i know i wanted you in my life all along


whatever else that i may do in my life
you'll always be something new in my life
from noww oonnn. 
i know there always will be you in my life
from now on...

Stephen Bishop's voice blend and holds together this short song. (unlike the other song that he sang, "saving on a rainy day," which is lame end-to-end. Even the tempo of that song doesnt suit his vocals).

Other quick comments on the concert for posterity:

• Yvonne Elliman should stop doing concerts. She sounds like my alcoholic grandmother. She can't reach the notes required in I dont know how to love him, and just shames herself. In the middle of the song, she had to stop the band, and ask that they lower the pitch. 

• She shared an interesting story though on how she just needs to substitute in a band one night, and then got cast as Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar the following day. 

• All three singers are lowering the pitch of their songs to be able to reach it.

• Some uncalled for attack on Stephen Bishop's physical appearance: he apparently ballooned to overweight fat over the recent years, but his legs and arms are thin out of proportion. He walks slowly minding the literal huge weight he had to carry. Also, Bishop sounds like Jonah Hill when speaking. And I think the reason he is keeping a full beard is because his upper lip is too thin.

• But Bish's voice is still there! Still can melt hearts. I wonder how he sounds on a smaller venue. They had another show at Casino Filipino the following week, cant find one review at this time. 

• I didnt know Dan Hill was grandfather old, but the voice and distinct style are still there. All of Dan Hills song have fantastic first lines, like horses bursting out of the gates. 
• To begin the night, J Michaels Whatshisname sang two songs. I think he was the lead organizer or something. Anyway, her voice is just normal. Then he asked the backup singers to sing Chain of Fools--total waste of time. Could have gone to Padi's point if we want to hear this quality. 
• WT Greer Samting-Samting then followed with a decent performance. We liked his version of All I Ask of You. 
• The concert is called Love Rocks. And the set has two whiteboards with felt paper cut up to the letter of love rocks, a la one project of a Grade 3 student  in Caloocan Elementary School. I also dont know why the concert is called Love Rocks, when the front-acts are famous for ballads. 
• The last scene that we remember is the back-up singer, who caused loud guffaws, almost a min-commotion from the audience. She had the audacity to turn her back, and show her bare back and misplaced t-back with cellulite and bilbil on the side. 

I believe in Japan

I believe in the resilience of Japan.

I believe in Made in Japan.

Japan can get back on their feet in no time.

Ramon Bautista is brilliant

my new Facebook friend, Fernabeth.

Aahh, should i get another credit card then?

Something is wrong with this sentence: "The Free Movie Passes all-year round program will end on March 15, 2011." Well terminating the promo is wrong altogether! What with BPI having their free Jollibee and HSBC with Starbucks gratis!

Malabon Zoo

Speaking of Malabon Zoo, we visited its piss-stained and piss smelling confines during the Holidays so Mariana can see some animals that she otherwise only see on TV.

The small alleyways inside the zoo remain cramped and wanting of better ventilation. These walkways smell of strong ammonia and tigers' shit. Stay on any these cramped sections for more than 10 minutes, and you'll feel on the brink of getting lung cancer soon.

On the positive side, the main attraction of the place is in showing to the visitors the animals being fed:

The zookeepers seem to genuinely enjoy entertaining the crowd.

and anyone can actually request animals to be taken out for pictures (except the fishes of course).

Although there are no elephants and giraffes, it's a legitimate zoo in size, compared to the smaller or backyard-themed Residence Inn or even that smaller one at Tiendesitas.

Malabon Zoo can be improved though, mostly in terms of ventilation.:-)

"His wife wore a diamond ring roughly the size of Manhattan."

Seems Jhinkee is now constantly looked at by reporters, so they will be able to write that zinger of a oneliner, which will spice up their articles.  

Two Movie Scenes

Both are fantastic!

Indiesine sa Robinson' Galleria

Sa mga hindi nakakaalam, mayroong sinehan sa Robinson's Galleria na nagpapalabas nang mga pinoy na indie films. Tuwing magagawi kami para tignan kung ano ang umuukopa nang slot na ito, kadalasang pambading ang mga tiradang tema ng palabas, katulad nang isang ito...

Pinapalabas ang mga obra nina Monti Parungao, Jonison Fontanos, atbp, sa sinehang ito. Ang mga taytol ay ganire: Ang Lihim ni Antonio, Parisukat, Pipo ang Batang Pro, Discreetly, atbp. 

Ang parating nasa poster ay mga lalaking walang pang-itaas, katulad nito:

Nakakahanga kung paano natatapos ang mga ganitong proyekto at kung paano nasusustena ng lokal na mga manonood. Meron na bang permanenteng tagasubaybay ang mga pelikulang ganire na sumasadya na lang sa Cinema 7 ng Galle lingu-linggo? Kumikita kaya ang mismong sinehan at namuhunan? Ilang araw kaya ang shoot nang mga ganitong pelikula? Paano kaya ang disposisyon sa pagkatay  nang mtrcb sa mga ganitong produksyon?

Samantala, ang palabas ngayon sa indiesine ay obra nang anak ni Celso Ad. Castillo:



Panalo ang pagkakahulog sa hukay nang bida! Hagalpak siguro nang tawa kapag sa sinehan ito pinapanood. Langya. UNTAMED VIRGINS, ang pelikulang parang hayskul project lang.

Best short story, 2010

There was a time last year when Ive decided that the only fiction that I will read are short stories. Given the short minutes I squeeze in as reading time before sleeping, I hate it when I get cut off in the middle of chapters in a novel or continue on until 3am and discover that there's only 3 more hours to sleep before preparing for work.  

(I bought too many short story collections last year. Big portions of current bookshelf are now occupied by collections). 

Besides the anthologies, I have been reading the short fiction in the New Yorker (my subscription will last until July) as well, especially when I see a well-known author or a skimmed random dialogue that catches me.

From this pool that Ive accessed, this is the best short story that Ive read in 2010. 

Besides mentioning that it is about drug-testing toward inmates, I dont need to introduce it further, because it is short enough for a 30-minute read.

It's also fantastic how the New Yorker story was accompanied by an author (George Saunders) interview. Read it after reading the story (not before, I warn you). But here's an excerpt anyway (available at the new yorker website):

"So most of what I’m doing on a given day is just trying to ensure that the wild ride happens, trusting and hopeful that the thematics will take care of themselves..."

Do you ever wish for just a small dose of VerbaluceTM while writing?Well, define “small.” I tend to use 50 ccs for fiction. For an interview like this, I’ll use 25 ccs, which runs out in about an hour or so. Dosage is key. One doesn’t want to underdose. Because an interview like this is important. Think of it: tens of thousands of readers reading me on there IPids. This is no time to take chanses. On a too low dose; their mite be a tendency: for my prows and sin tax and punch you ashun to get less presise. Which wud suk, sence I/am riting to the intervew to the yew norker, one of are mast presijus, if not most, magizins, who stil even publich friction in are dekadint acche!