10 posts from March 2009

A few months back, there's a guy I pursued. It was like a rollercoaster ride.

We always meet outside.

Eventually, I liked him. I thought, what if I take a chance?

Days and several weeks passed and I was told that it was his birthday.

I decided to give him a gift.

I did.

............................................................................................................................... full story.. x

Hey everyone, INVITE me to your posse.....! i'm up for friends.. thanks. ^_^

I'm on Level 51.

What a plug. hehe.

Oh, it's been a while since I updated.

Part of my time now goes to gardening, I have a relatively big garden to fill.. and I began digging my garden the other day and literally shovelling soil like I work at a construction site. ^_^

Whomever would say that gardening is easy should be hanged. It's really difficult. It requires work and sweat. In fact, my body is in pain and my muscles are hurt. *sad lips*

My work is somewhat rewarding, though, however, it is pretty expensive, I need to collect plants and do extensive flower and tree choices to make the perfect tropical landscaping I have in mind.

Some of my favorite flowers are in a group called Mussaenda Philippica I learned about it a few years back and that there are several hybrid flowers in it and are named after the First Ladies of the Philippines..  wow, a flower created and named after you.. could there be any ghey-er than that? ^_^

Here are the "Doñas"...

- named after the 1st wife of General Emilio Aguinaldo, Hilaria del Rosario

- named after the wife of President Manuel Quezon, Aurora Aragon

- named after the wife of President Jose P. Laurel, Pacencia Hidalgo

- named after the 2nd wife of President Sergio Osmeña, Esperanza Limjap

- named after the wife of President Manuel Roxas, Trinidad de Leon

- named after the wife of President Elpidio Quirino. Alicia Syquia

- named after the wife of President Ramon Magsaysay, Luz Banzon

- named after the wife of President Carlos P. Garcia, Leonila Dimataga

- named after the second wife of President Diosdado Macapagal, Evangelina Macaraeg

- Named after the wife of President Ferdinand E. Marcos, Imelda Romualdez

- named after the first lady president of the Philippines, President Corazon Cojuangco-Aquino

- named after the wife of President Fidel V. Ramos, Amelita Martinez

 

..but, as a girl's notebook asked, "why isn't there a flower named after Former First Lady Loi Ejercito and President Gloria Arroyo?" ^_^

I've always been fascinated with tall towers and structures, it's amazing how visions of certain artists, like the architects, engineers and planners are really made into existence.

The tallest one I've seen just yet is the Philippines' PBComm Tower. (Not even in the world's top 20. ^_^)

Every few years, a new building dethrones a record holder, and when a taller one rules, a new one starts to emerge from the ground.

I can imagine how the world of the developers is like, they compete with their egos, their desire to be on top are jokes among them, yet their projects are really fascinating.

They change the world, but I just hope that they do not let the past be stepped over.

Here's the current list:

1. Burj Dubai in Dubai, UAE

2. Freedom Tower in New York City                           

3. Taipei 101 in Taipei, Taiwan

4. Shanghai World Financial in China

5. Petronas Towers 1 and 2 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

6. Sears Tower in Chicago, IL

And in the coming years, buildings just can't stop growing and growing. Countries will try to get hold of the title of longest reigning tower, symbolizing power.

In the photo:

1. Mile Tower in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

2. Al Burj in Dubai, UAE

3. Mubarak Tower in Kuwait

4. Burj Dubai, Dubai, UAE

Talk about Middle East powers!

Last Sunday, my friends and I saw again the most fabulous gay musical, Zsazsa Zaturnnah Ze Muzikal at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, we watched it last February, and we decided to see one of the last shows for the 7th run, but this time, we made sure we'll see a different 'Didi', the main character's uber gay and funny sidekick.. and also 'Dodong', the object of desire of 'Didi' and Ada's (lead) secret lover and eventually, the love interest.

All the Didi(s) were incomparable, each had unique improvisation and funny dialogues to better adapt with the local gay scene. Nar Cabico was just hilarious and really good.. he was really funny, we couldn't get enough of him plus his grand plie.. ^_^

THE Lea Salonga was there during the matinee and everybody heard her laugh very loudly and definitely having fun. After the show, there's of course the photo opportunities, and I was so star struck with her, I didn't stop until I get to talk to her and have our photos taken

A couple of years ago, I tried to find my dad.

I failed.

(x)

Today, he showed up.

*** ***

That was a life changing scene.

I uncovered things in me.

I see them very differently now.

*** ***

This is my first piano piece. I learned this when I was about 11 and I'm proud to say that I really practiced hard at home and learned mostly by myself.

Here's a famous pianist, Ivo Pogorelich in one of his performances.. I feel, though, that the music is recorded.

go on a retreat.

I don't know, I just don't see myself praying that much, I used to feel excited before going to mass, but now I don't care.. I even read the bible and I liked the Exodus chapter. I don't pray anymore.

I resent how the church teaches, they're inconsistent, but I feel it's not about the rituals, but the deep connection.

Ok, I'll stop now, OA.. ^_^

do meditation.

I had been thinking of going on temporary solitude until I have realigned my focus. There've been soo many things going on in my mind that I can't even catch and get a grip on one and see what it really needs.

As Cher Horowitz said, "I had to find sanctuary in a place where I could gather my thoughts and regain my strength."

Last weekend, I spent 4 days and 3 nights at the country's City of Pines or the Summer Capital, Baguio City.

It's officially summer, and I started it with the 10th Flower Festival, or commonly known as Panagbenga 2009, also, it's the city's 100th year.. so that's double celebration.

That was my first Panagbenga celebration, and the last time I was in Baguio was in 2006.

We stayed at my friends' home somewhere in Kias, and met with their friends who were also on vacation.

The city's mood was very festive, there were SOO MANY people on the streets, it is fun to look at them moving endlessly yet everybody was fashionable, wearing scarves and fur coats.

I kept on feeling I was in the movie, Dante's Peak, except for the horrifying tragedy and the really steaming weather, but the setting of an urban place in the mountains surrounded with nature made the festive mood very relaxing.

We got on a bus and started the vacation with an evening street party along Abanao Square, there were bands performing and flowing booze, and lots of guys, guys and baguio guys, aha.

Got home very late, and because of that, we missed a few minutes of our 2nd day's Street Parade, but then, we were able to see most of them.

The Street Parade was uber cool, the costumes really made the whole strip of the popular Session Road really colorful, plus the loud beats of the drums gave different rhythm of native music.

The whole vacation had endless eating and walking, it's pretty tiring since we didn't have a car, and we had to chase cabs most of the time.

The evenings were all about party, party, party, I met with some friends and had dinner with them, one of which was a guy a girl friend hooked me up with.. we'd been sending text messages, and chatting online and talking on the phone sometimes, and we only met that evening. The others went to Ayuyang bar, I was supposed to follow but I stayed with friends.

We had dinner at Volante's and continued the party at the city's popular night spot, Nevada Square.. the place was packed with people, like, REALLY packed with people partying.

We danced and partied all night.

The next morning was the festival's highlight, the Flower Float Parade, this is where big establishments and businesses compete against each other through designing the most beautiful and artistic float using different kinds of flowers.

It's pretty interesting how big companies splurge on their floats, but I would've preferred if cities in the Philippines will take part instead.

Anyway, one of the most interesting things that I did was visiting "Oh My Gulay", it's a restaurant owned by Kidlat Tahimik, a well-known artist in the region.

It's a really cool place, made by his hot sons and several artists, and going there is not much of a thrill as there are common scenes of food stalls and is on the 5th floor, but as you reach the penthouse, an intriguing door design will greet you and entice you to check whats-in-there, and WHOA, the place was rewarding.

We spent the evening rather peacefully as we went to the church and did people watching, while the others went to the famous tourist spots.

I barely had enough rest during my visit, I slept about 4 hours every evening, going home really late and waking up for the next day's activities that start irritatingly early, but since it was cold, I was relaxed and in deep sleep.

Fun! ^_^

Random Panagbenga 2009 photos with floats, more here: x

I'll finally see one of my favorite operas on stage, Giacomo Puccini's Turandot.

2009 seems to be a very cool year for my theatre list. I've been dreeeaming to at least see this, but it's so thrilling to learn that I wished, and it's coming true!

Here's their Press Release:

Korean production of Turandot at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP)

The Seoul Romance Philharmonic Orchestra, in collaboration with the Cultural Center of the Philippines, presents Giacomo Puccini’s Turandot, a full-length opera, on June 18-20, 2009 at the CCP Main Theater. This event is held in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Korea.

Featuring top Filipino and Korean opera singers and the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, the production is set in Peking during “legendary” times. The evil Princess Turandot announces that she will marry the first man to answer her three riddles, and unsuccessful candidates will be decapitated.

Timur, the deposed King of Tartary, recognizes his son, Calaf, in a crowd assembled to witness one of these executions. Timur is with the slave girl Liu, who loves Calaf. However, Calaf loves Turandot and he resolves to solve her riddles. Turandot ridicules Calaf’s quest for her hand, and is less than happy when he answers her questions correctly. In an uncommonly generous move Calaf tells Turandot that if she can guess his name before the following dawn, she may have him killed. Turandot promptly orders mass executions if his name is not brought to her, so the people turn against him. They capture Liu and Timus, and Liu kills herself rather than give up the name of the man she loves. Calaf then professes his love for Turandot and melts her icy heart.  

Composed sometime in 1920-1926, Puccini spent the last five years of his life working on Turandot. He patched up his differences with Giuseppe Adami who, together with Renato Simoni, got to work on creating a libretto from Carlo Gozzi’s fairytale. After Puccini died, the task of completing Turandot fell on Franco Alfano, whose version is most often heard today. The opera premiered in La Scala, Milan in 1926.

‘Nessun Dorma’ (No One Sleeps), the aria from Puccini’s final opera Turandot became arguably the most popular operatic aria in the world in 1990 when it was sung by Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti on the eve of the football World Cup Final in Rome. This was the first Three Tenors concert (also starring Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras) and the tune remains hugely popular.