Proud Alumnus: CKSC Grand Slam Bonfire 2012

- February 27, 2012, Monday.

- It is rare for our school to win the Manila Tiong Lian Basketball Tournament (errr, sort of like a Chinese and high-school version of the UAAP games,) and it is rarer for our school to win ALL categories, including the Baden Powell Cup (scout basketball.) In celebration of this grand slam victory, the school decided to let the students have another wash day, the first being last Chinese New Year. The students were asked to wear blue and white, my alma mater's colors. Aside from this, the main celebration was going to be a bonfire at the school quadrangle with performances by alumni and current students.

- I arrived at CKSC, wearing blue and white like the school colors, with brown-gray pants such as the concrete building, and orange accessories like my high school class colors. I quickly rushed off to the table where my theater group was, and spent most of the time with them.

- During dinner, I met up with high school batchmates, and talked like there was no tomorrow. After all, not a lot of them regularly visit CKSC like I do. I also met other alumni whom I haven't seen in a long time, even years.

- The food was free, which I loved, but drinks were not served. I had to go out and by myself a lottttttttt of drinks. The performances were great too, some from the elder alumni, and some from current students, recent alumni, or college students. MASCKS home dance group, the MASCKS Moverz, also took part in the performance. Of course we cheered for them. There was also a dragon dance and lion dance aside just before the bonfire. Aside from these, the firework display also made the night a lot colorful, literally in many ways.

- I wrapped up the night when it was around 9pm, and many people started to decrowd the quadrangle. I honestly wasn't supposed to go today, if my friend Oi Hing didn't invite me. I am not a fan of super crowded places, and I only went because of my friends, batchmates, and MASCKS. Fortunately, and surprisingly, the school was not as crowded as I thought it was. Then again, I thought tonight was amazing, and it indeed made me proud to be an alumnus of CKSC.

President Quesang's Birthday: Reunion Meeting

- February 26, 2012, Sunday.

- Wilbur once again gathered us organizers to have another Sunday meeting for the reunion. He wanted us to meet at Yellow Cab at three in the afternoon to discuss more matters.

- I met Cristina earlier today and hung out at Starbucks for a short time until it was time for us to go to Yellow Cab. People started to arrive, and there were nine of us who attended the meeting. I was glad to hear that some problems were lessened, and the more-fun-but-going-to-be-tiring agendas regarding the reunion were discussed.

- Wilbur treated us, as promised, since it will be his birthday tomorrow. Happy Birthday!!

- We ended our productive meeting at 5:30, and Melissa, Tina, and I went to the Korean grocery to buy ice cream, buy bread at Formosa, and sat and chatted at the creek-side chairs at Mandarin Square. I told Melissa that Tina and I needed to go after sunset, but Melissa wouldn't let us go. Haha. Cute. We'd be seeing each other in the near future anyway, so no worries. :D:D:D:D

Korean Buffet Day

- February 25, 2012, Saturday.

I.

- My former professor, Sir Sev, asked our Korean study tour group weeks ago if we'd be available today for a small gathering. Sir and Ceej knew about this Korean buffet restaurant at SM North called Seoul Garden, and thought that we all try it out. Of course, we were excited. Who wouldn't be excited for food??

- I met the group at around 12 noon, after I rushed to North EDSA from Makati, where I received my kimono set (kimono, haori, and obi,) plus my geta (sandals,) and my yukata. Mel and Guada came moments after I came.

- I had a nice time talking with everyone, while munching on some bibimbap, and self-grilled interestingly-marinated meat. My favorite was the fat fish, because it was the lightest to eat. Too bad I wasn't able to know which kind of fish it was. The fish was lightly marinated, and luckily, cooked to perfection. Drinks and ice cream (not the Korean variant though) were inclusive in the buffet. I think it's around 600php per person.

- We ended the lunch soiree at around 1:30 or 2 in the afternoon, and decided to walk around after Sir Sev and Lexie went away. Ceej and I went home around 30 minutes later, and left Guada and Mel in SM. I carried my very heavy kimono-loaded bag to home. (See previous album for my short Japanese afternoon.)

II.

- My friend Grace texted me the other day if I'd be occupied tonight. Since I wouldn't be doing anything, she asked if I'd want to have dinner with her, Marga, and Venus. I was too excited to see Grace again, since I haven't seen her in ages after she started work. I immediately agreed, only to find out soon enough that we'd be having dinner in a Korean buffet too.

- I met Venus and Marga at around 8pm at the Gil Puyat LRT station, and went to Grace's office, where she'd be driving us to Choice Korean Buffet, located along Macapagal Avenue. (Near Dampa, and Yakimix.)

- Comparing Seoul Garden and Choice, I think Choice was superior in terms of food choices and authenticity, although the service and ambience were better at Seoul Garden. It was a bit less expensive at Choice, and although it was a bit noisier in Choice, I think I'd choose to go to Choice rather than Seoul Garden. Both restaurants had ice cream and drinks inclusive of the payment.

- We had a lot of food-burning instances, since the four of us had a really good time talking about many things, especially after all this time that we haven't seen each other. I was also fortunate enough to meet some former schoolmates too. They were a batch higher than I was. :D:D:D:D

- We left the restaurant at closing time (around 10:30) and walked around the area before riding home c/o Grace. Grace told us that she seemed to be following "slow cars" the whole day, and I told her that it was a chance for us to talk more to each other while waiting for the slow cars to move faster. Haha.

- I came home, smelling like Korean grilled meat, but I can't seem to smile at the reunions-through-Korean-buffet I've had today.

The Sudden Visit: Konnichiwa to my Kimono!!

- February 25, 2012, Saturday.

- I picked up my kimono earlier today, and I excitedly told my neighbor Charmaine about it. After I came home from my Korean buffet lunch, I noticed Charmaine online in Facebook, and asked her to come see my oh-so-expensive-but-worth it kimono set. (I spent a lot on this kimono set, but I realized that in other places, I'd only be able to get a kimono for the same amount that I paid for my kimono set. My kimono set comprised of the kimono itself, the obi sash, and the golden-lined haori with a tiger-and-dragon painting inside.)

- It just so happened that my friend Abigail was with Charmaine, so I asked her to bring Abi along, since I haven't seen Abi in a while.

- After the two arrived here, I showed them my kimono set as well as my geta, or the Japanese wooden sandals. Since I couldn't let them wear my kimono (it was a male kimono,) I let them try out my geta. They liked my geta as much as I did.

- We talked all afternoon until they needed to go. There was a beautiful sunset outside my window that time, and it reminded me of Japan's red rising sun.

Jane Doe's Mask: The Last MASCKSerade

- February 24, 2012, Friday,

- Nervousness prevailed the auditorium as the performers frantically re-ran their own parts, or did their costumes and make-up. The call time was 6am, and I went to school with Ian and Andrew since we lived close by.

- The teachers were right - this was one of the plays that we were quite "unsure" of, which added to the eerie nervous atmosphere. We all weren't able to practice a lot in the auditorium this year, which might have resulted to space-related-calculation problems and situations like that. Still, we tried our best to pull things off.

- This year's play was "Jane Doe's Mask," a play written by club vice-president Clarice, and me. The story was about an actress' conflicting identities between her on-screen and off-screen self. The story was built around the English Department's suggestion of an "Awards Ceremony"-themed play.

- My main on-stage role in the play was the conductor for Moulin Rouge's "Your Song," originally composed and sung by Elton John, rearranged in the 2001-movie Moulin Rouge, and rearranged once more by me for this play. I also played a bit of piano for "The Masquerade" segment. Last, but not least, I was surprisingly an awardee in the play. I got the "Loyaly Award." I only knew about it this morning, although I did smell something fishy during the last few days. (Thank you very much MASCKS, you don't know how much this means to me.)

- I had a tough morning going up and down the stage and returning endlessly from backstage to front to deal with matters such as costume, photos, violin-tuning, and the like. Directly after my awarding though, it was nice to see and relive a bit of Yah Dharma Ke Pyaar, our summary of Ramayana way back in 2007. I, together with MASCKS adviser Ms. Nica Isip, have chosen the right people to play the characters in Ramayana.

- I was also proud of my singers and musicians in Moulin Rouge. My days of torturing the, telling them to sing loudly, and making them smile all the time (which, as for me, resulted to minor face cramps) had been fruitful. The musicians were superb, and were alert, despite some mistakes that happened along the way.

- The two runs seemed OK, not entirely perfect, but I guess I can say that we gave our best. Ms. Nica and Clarice' speech during the curtain call nearly teared me up, if only my brain wasn't too busy telling me to take nice photos of the curtain call at the end of the second show.

- We all had a quick lunch at the HE room soon after, and the participants had time to rest; they were excused from their last-period English class, and their first-period Chinese class. Everyone hung out at the auditorium, taking pictures here and there, and it was decided by some to hang out and eat after Chinese classes.

- The second-period bell rang not long after, and the students had to go to class. As for me, I went off to do some work in the high school library, and later, in the School of Music. I waited for the dismissal bell to ring, and met with some of the cast at the lobby. They decided to hang out at SM San Lazaro, since it was near, and had a lot of choices for us.

- I was expecting a big group, but the "sort of after party" ended with just the six of us: Justin, Singson, Cleo, Camille, Thomas, and me. They decided to watch "Jack and Jill," a comedy movie starred by Adam Sandler (as both Jack, and Jill.) The movie was mainly about the lives of twins Jack and Jill, their similarities, differences, company, love, friendship, and family. Although I wouldn't give the movie an A, or a B+, I definitely think it was a good movie to watch for families, or for us, since we just had a long, tiring, and sweaty day.

- In the end, we decided to have dinner at Shakey's in near my place - the very place we were avoiding that afternoon. (We felt that eating at Shakey's for a celebration was a bit overrated for people/students studying/living around the vicinity, but it was the most convenient place so far. We didn't want to stay long in SM anyway.)

- I treated the six of us, and gladly there were just a few of us, since I couldn't possibly treat a large group. Although the other guys refused to let me pay, I insisted. They all deserved to be pampered today - from all the stress, nervousness, sweat, and effort. MASCKS will always be with us, no matter what. As for me, the MASCKS legacy shall live on as an imprint in CKSC history, an influence to talented students.members, and a future to wait as a product of the members' innate greatness.

Dress Rehearsal for Jane Doe's Mask!!

- February 23, 2012, Thursday.

- Enough said, dress rehearsals!! :D:D:D:D A very very tiring day indeed. A fruitful session though (it SHOULD BE fruitful. Haha.)

The Calm And Storm Before the Real Storm

- February 20-22, 2012, Monday to Wednesday.

- Nothing special, just rehearsals. People have been cramming and procrastinating steps or lines, and I myself have shown a bit of my strict and stern side. I mead rehearsals when I say rehearsals.

- Everyone has done incredibly well since day 1, but still not enough. I am happy to see a lot of members putting in all their effort to do what they needed to do, including some of those I train. Well, performance is in a few days. Better work harder.

Reunion Meeting and Post-Meeting Meeting: "Hope It Works"

- February 19, 2012, Sunday.

- My friend Wilbur informed us that we'd have a meeting for our batch reunion at Cafe France this afternoon. I was hesitant to go at first, since I didn't know the people who would be part of the committee, but I thought I'd go to see what this plan had to offer. Wilbur asked if I'd be able to help out, which I reluctantly did at first, but I still gave the plan a chance.

- I arrived at Cafe France, and saw Wilbur, along with Megan, Sherly, and Glenn. To my delight, that was three more people than I expected. The meeting went well, although there were some problems to be addressed, but the plan seemed doable. Siennalee and Melissa were able to join us, which also helped add perspectives to the reunion plan.

- The meeting was adjourned at 4:30, and I was prepared to go home to rest. Melissa, however, had other plans. She asked if I wanted to accompany her to Binondo to catch up with each other, since we haven't met in a long time. Siennalee was kind enough to give both of us a lift, since Binondo was along the way, I think.

- Melissa and I chose to eat at Lam's Restaurant in the Pacific Centre, since Melissa was craving for oyster cake. I had too much to eat in Cafe France, so I didn't really order anything. I just tried some of Melissa's giant oyster cake, while chatting and making my straight hair curly from all her craziness.

The Philippines' Mascot: Mabuhay, Banzai, and Carabao Japanese (and Rehearsals After)

- February 18, 2012, Saturday.

I. The Preparation

- My friend Angela asked me days ago if I'd be able to help her tour her Japanese friend around Manila, knowing I sometimes give "unofficial tours" to people. Angela wasn't too well-versed with the places in Manila, since she herself wasn't a Manilan girl. Angela only based herself here since college started.

- I couldn't give my work to Angela, although I wanted to tour the Japanese friend badly, since it has always been my joy to introduce foreigners (even locals) to the wonders of the Philippines. Besides, I also wanted to practice my rusty basic Japanese.

- I was told yesterday that we wouldn't have morning rehearsals for this day, so I immediately messaged Angela the good news. I'd be able to tour her friend, Kotaro Sakaki, Angela also informed me that we'd be accompanied by her friend, Karen Ong. Angela met both Karen and Kotaro in Singapore last 2009, during their exchange programs. Karen is also a Filipino Chinese, who happens to come from our rival university. Then again, that "rivalry" didn't matter. (It doesn't really matter to me personally too.) Aside from this, Angela also told me that Kotaro would be bringing his best friend as well.

- Since I had to put my best mascot self forward, as a self-proclaimed cultural ambassador (any culture that is,) I thought of wearing something from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. It also happened that the look I came up with also matched the colors of the Philippine flag. I wore my Ifugao vest (Luzon,) T'Boli necklace and bracelet (Mindanao,) and my coconut belt from Bohol (Visayas.)

- Needless to say, I also prepared my maps of Luneta and Intramuros, and quickly browsed through the Japanese book I used in the university before. I had much information overload, but I guess I was able to grasp enough Japanese for the day. Hey, that's also added knowledge. Haha.


II. New Friends

- I rushed to Times Plaza at 9:30am after getting off at the UN Avenue LRT Station, so I could meet Angela and her two companions. Apparently, I got ahead of her, so I phoned her. Angela told me that Karen was there already, so she gave me her number. I texted Karen, but she didn't reply.

- I got hungry while waiting so I decided to eat at Dell's, a canteen-like restaurant at the second floor, where I usually ate during my internship days at the Instituto Cervantes de Manila. I saw this girl sitting near the entrance, and seemed to me like she was Karen, but wasn't too sure.

- Just as I was about to pay for my food, the girl at the entrance met my look, and I mouthed the word "Karen?" to her. She said yes, and we both excitedly shared a table and talked. We became instant friends because of the number of common friends we had, and possibly because of more or less the same Filipino-Chinese background.

- Angela came moments later with her two Japanese companions, and by that time, Karen and I seemed like we've known each other for years. Angela introduced Kotaro to me, and Kotaro introduced Yoshinobu Inadome (aka Yoshi) to all of us.

- I tried to give the Japanese guys a nice impression of me, so I spoke in straight Japanese while introducing myself. After brief introductions, I said the magic word "ikimashyou" (let's go) and off we went.


III. Tomodachi-tachi (Friends,) Mabuhay, and Welcome!!

- We started our morning by going to the nearby Luneta and walked through the relief map. I explained the three parts of the country (Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao,) and related those to what I was wearing. In the middle of the bridge, I had a dramatic ceremony of giving both of the Japanese guys a pack of souvenirs each. I hope they'll use them.

- We all walked towards the Rizal statue at the other phase of the park, which gave us more time to get to know each other, and throw in some trivia about the country, depending on what we saw. Kotaro had a special interest in Lapu-Lapu's bahag-like attire. He asked me why he was wearing something like that, and I told him it was hot in the country, and it was natural for people here to wear that during the old times.

- We had a quick photostop at the Rizal statue before Kotaro mentioned about a "castle-like structure" that wanted to see. I told Kotaro that we were on our way there, which excited him more. Yoshi, however, was still a bit tired from the early flight to Manila from Singapore (a stopover from Japan.)

- We arrived at Intramuros not long after - after crossing the street- and went to Silahis where Yoshi bought some native souvenirs. It was also a time for Angela, Karen, and me to rest a bit.

- I decided to have a short detour at the Baluarte de San Diego, a concentric-circular fort located along the way. It was also my first time there, so it interested me quite a lot.

- We headed towards the seemingly-far-but-not Fort Santiago, and headed quickly to the famous inner gate. Here, I had my first of a series Japanese fails.

Gilbert: Shashin o tabemashou. (Kotaro gave me a strange stare.)

Karen/Angela: Why??

Kotaro: He said that we eat the pictures.

Gilbert: Huh?? I said torimashou. (Torimashou = Let's take (photos)!!)

Kotaro: You said tabemashou. (Tabemashou = Let's eat!!)

Gilbert: OH REALLY??.....................Fine I'm hungry. :)) :)) :)) :))

- We went inside to find the embeded golden footsteps of Rizal, showing the route to his execution in Luneta. I explained it to the Japanese tourists, but they didn't quite understand. I dragged Karen hurriedly, and asked her to play along.

Gilbert: Karen-san wa Rizal desu. Watashi wa Supein-jin desu. (Karen is Rizal, I am a Spaniard.)

Japanese guys: OK.

Gilbert: Karen talikod ka!! Makiride ka lang. (Karen turn your back!! Just go with the flow!!)

Gilbert: ICHI....NI....SAN....BANGU!!!! (1....2....3....Bang!!)

(Karen does a theatrical pretend-death from the invisible bullet I just shot.)

- We all laughed at this but thankfully the Japanese both understood. Apparently, this second Jap-fail wasn't the last. The next one -and the last one- happened after the visit to the Rizal Shrine. The Rizal Shrine visit was brief, and aside from showing the usual things Rizal owned, we showed them Rizal's Japanese girl friend, O Sei San, and the Japanese translation of Rizal's "Mi Ultimo Adios."

- The exit of the shrine led to the river-side, where the dungeons with open-but-grilled-ceilings were located at basement-level. The reason for that is because when the rain came, the river would have a high tide, flood the area, and kill/drown the prisoners. It was hard for me to explain this in Japanese, so this is how it turned out....

Gilbert: Shita wa...."dungeon" desu. Puhrizonahhh....uhh....Reinu-shhhh....Pasig River....TSUNAMI!!!!....JIN....SHINU!!!!

(Below....is the dungeon. Prisoner/s....uhh....Rain-(making splashy sounds of rain)....Pasig River....TSUNAMI!!!!....Person/people....DIE!!!!)

- It was fun and embarrassing to do this in public, bu the Japanese guys seemed to understand me. That was the most important thing. Hahahaha. We all had a good laugh about this.

- We were later on our way to have lunch at Max when the rain fell hard. We took shelter at the door of the unusually-closed Manila Cathedral. Since Max wasn't too far away, we walked there just as much of the rain subsided.

- We had a feast at Max. We ordered sinigang na hipon, kare-kare, Max's chicken, and pork adobo (Kotaro's request and favorite.) We also had two dessert samplers for all of us.

- Karen and I had to leave after lunch, as for me it was because of rehearsals. I don't know about Karen though. As for Angela, she took the two Japanese guys to see the San Agustin Church, and let them rest the whole afternoon afterwards.

- Karen and I had a good walk-and-talk back to Binondo, a bridge away from Intramuros, and walking over the mighty Pasig River. Karen and I soon parted ways, and I got myself ready for an afternoon of rehearsals.


IV. Rehearsals

- One statement. Everyone had ADHD. I don't know why, but it seemed that everyone had much sugar to consume, and so the comment. Rehearsals were fruitful though, at least I'd like to think so, but everyone was a lot of fun.

- Scout Oliver dropped by as well, since he was with his scouts at the adjacent room, and wore the thobe/kandura and keffiyeh he brought back from his scout-thing in Sharjah, UAE. His costume complemented my costume oh too well. Haha.

- Rehearsals ended at half past six, tired everyone was, but little did I know, oh goodness, everyone's ADHD struck again. Haha.

The Last Few Days Before the Presentation Week: PRESSURE.

- February 15-17, 2012, Wednesday to Friday.

- Wednesday was not the best rehearsal day for everyone. Problems rose here and there, and everyone was a bit disoriented. I guess the only thing that cheered me up was the singers' sky-high improvement, and meeting my high school classmate Abegail by accdient at the LRT on the way to my/our alma mater. Still, not much has to be elaborated, nor remembered.

- In contrast to a bad middle-of-the-week rehearsal, most problems were greatly resolved today. People seemed to be in a happier mood, although rehearsal-stress energies were all high. The cherry on the sweet cake today was the little kitten that kept on purring while we were rehearsing. Even after rehearsals at a whopping 8:30, the kitten kept on following us, with special interest in Cleo. Too adorable.

- Friday gave me sort of a break. I arrived at CKSC earlier, and hung out with some of the performers while the other members and Ms. Isip herself were at the gym cheering for our lead character; our lead was part of the scout basketball team. Fortunately, our school won.

- While hanging out, other members either danced around, or played around. I just sat at my corner and ate my fried rice. It was nice to see members together, and just being themselves. It was what everbody needed before a bloody-tiring rehearsal.

- Aside from that fun side, today was also serious and magical....or seriously magical day. I went to CKSC looking like an Indian priest, and so I did, I maximized my costume by giving the Ramayana-excerpt an "Indian chanting and meditation" workshop. I think it did help them improve, even a bit. I was serious today, a rare occasion, but it didn't mean that I was mean. It's just that I wanted my cast to focus.

- Things seemed to go well today, and I am nervous, but looking forward to a great rehearsal tomorrow. Great....meaning tiring that is.

Valentine's Shmalentine's: A Date With Rehearsal

- February 14, 2012, Tuesday, Valentine's Day.

- For singles like me, today was just an ordinary day, despite flower vendors and heart shapes everywhere. I'm not really bitter about Valentine's Day, it's just that it's still not relevant to me. However, I knew I had two dates today, and I felt like a two-timer.

- After my long and stressful date with work, I had to rush off again to rehearsals an hour away from work. Fortunately, the rain decided to subside today, so it was easier to (brisk) walk to the station.

- I arrived at the auditorium around quarter to six, even five minutes later I think, and the auditorium was about to be closed. Gladly, the English teachers allowed me to have a really really quick session with my singers and musicians. It wasn't a fruitful round, but at least they were able to hear the piano. Thanks to Rachelle for fanning me too; it was really hot at the auditorium.

- We continued our practice session at the lobby, with each sector doing its job. I on the other hand dismissed the singers after a few rounds and a few workshops. Realizing that I was left with nothing to do, I just sat at a corner, and was later joined by some people, including one of my violinists, Kristine.

- I taught Kristine some techniques in playing the violin, including the beginner's nightmare, the vibrato. She seemed to have figured out how it worked after a few pointers here and there, and I'm really proud of her. Her sister Klarisse also dropped by, and I played (cough, chased) around the little kid. She's so sweet and I want to take her home.

- I left school at a shocking 8pm, when I was expecting to leave school earlier, since I wasn't really doing anything. Well, I had a rough rehearsal day, and I am still really nervous about what will happen. It's not "my" play or anything, but I just want all of us to give our best come next week. For now, more rehearsals.

Turned Out to be a Good Day After All: Rain, Stress, and Food

- February 13, 2012, Monday.

- It's easy to say why I'm not a fan of Mondays. Most people are not fans of Mondays either. Still, Monday blues were flooded with rain, plus rehearsal stress. I do love rehearsals, especially when I see the students learn, but things seemed to have crumbled down the drain today.

- I came home around 7:30pm, after another short battle with the light rain on the way home. I had a quick dinner, and received a text from my friend Dianne, asking me if I wanted to go to her house; a few of our friends were already at Dianne's house, just hanging out.

- Luckily, my parents allowed me to go despite both not being in a good mood. I hurriedly went to my neighbor Dianne's house, and was surprised to see more people than expected.

- I met some new friends in Dianne's house, and fortunately we seemed to get along with each other. I also found out that Jermyn, one of the people I met in Dianne's house, was on a short vacation from her language course in China. It was awesome that they were able to get together before she leaves for China again in a few days.

- We had Shakey's for dinner (errr, my after-dinner,) while attempting to watch a movie. I forgot the title of the movie that we were supposed to watch since we were too busy talking to each other, especially me, who was just getting to know the bunch.

- Most of us left around quarter to 10, just enough time for me to rest before going to bed, and to hope that tomorrow would be a better day for everyone. On the other hand, my roughly two hours in Dianne's house was not enough to hang out with the awesome people I met tonight.

Productivity Saturday: Saving the World - A Workshop at a Time

- February 11, 2012, Saturday.

- I wanted long to have a Saturday that has loads of fun and productivity, yet not feeling that the day was too short - which is usually the case when someone has too much fun in a day. I had a long line of activities in store for the day, and I hoped that I'd be able to do all of them with much time to rest the moment I get home.

- I started the day with my weekly piano lesson (as how I usually start my lovely Saturdays,) and later headed to 168 to purchase something important. Went back to CKSC, and waited for the senior NAT-review to finish so I could practice my pianist in the music room.

- While waiting for the review to end, I went around my alma mater talking to people I saw, and observing the Amazing Race event the student council came up with. MASCKS/CKSC alumni Jan Carlo and Elton came to CKSC with their Mandarin-class students from St. Paul, since CKSC was a part of their Chinatown field trip. The three of us showed the students around a bit, until I had to go meet up with my pianist Cedric.

- Cedric and I were able to find a room in the music room and had a fruitful practice session. I left Cedric in the music room to practice after, upon Cedric's request that he be given more time to practice, since I had to go downstairs and teach the other musicians, singers, and hopefully some actors.

- My friend Renee was able to visit us again, and I asked her to accompany me to Eat Fresh to buy my take-out lunch. I gave up my lunch break for Cedric, but it didn't matter. Anyway, I was able to eat my lunch while rehearsing with the violinists and the singers.

- Renee and I had a nice time making giving workshops to singers and actresses, seemingly playing them around. It was also nice to see them improve a whole lot in a span of two to three hours. This made Renee realize, at least she told me, why I have chosen to stay with MASCKS (or teaching MASCKS rather) for all these years without pay. Sure, monetary benefits would be awesome, but this was not what I asked for in the first place. Seeing the students grow and go out of their shell was one of the most important concerns.

- After our session with MASCKS, some of us went to the college building to watch the scout-basketball finals, where some of our members were part of the scout-basketball team. Our school eventually won. Some of us, including me, weren't able to go to the college building, but went to Ersao instead to rest and eat. Those who went to the scout-basketball game eventually found us in Ersao, and stayed there with us.

- I left Ersao at quarter past 6 to go to my friend Crizeel's house to give her a mock defense for her thesis. It took me longer than expected to finish the mock defense, but at least we learned a lot from each other.

- I went home around 8, and still had time for dinner and my much-wanted rest, thankfully. I like to have days like these, although I don't think I can handle this much intensity daily. Still, a-day-a-week isn't enough to contain my performing blood.

Rehearsals Three-In-One: The Rush, The Reprise, The Anniversary

- February 8-10, 2012, Wednesday to Friday.

- The remaining week moved quite faster than expected. Rehearsals still continued as always, and a lot of things still had to be polished and practiced.

- Thursday surprised me with CKSC alumnus and former MASCKS president Elton Sy, my immediate predecessor. He was about to speak to the members as I walked in the little theater. My eyes widered at the sight of him, and the rest of the afternoon was history.

- Come today, I wanted to feel better since it was Yah Dharma Ke Pyaar (Ramayana's) fifth anniversary. Although rehearsals still became chaotic as always, the singers impressed me with their big big progress since the day before. Things were kept cool, and hopefully, everything will turn out very well in the end.

"Day Off" Productivity Day 2: Hello Old Friend, Welcome Back to Theater

- February 7, 2012, Tuesday.

- As my long weekend comes to a close, I thought it'd be nice to make it productive and fun. My friend Renee asked if we could meet up today, so I asked her to come with me to Tutuban to do some errands with me. Renee was excited since we'd be able to window shop, and of course, we'd get ot catch up again after ages of not seeing each other.

- We met each other at CKSC at 1pm, and walked straight to Tutuban to develop the pictures my dad asked me to. We walked around and around Tutuban to look at random things, until it was time for me to get my photos.

- On our way to have our afternoon meal, I took Renee to a short detour at the Seng Guan Temple. I wanted to show her the big Buddhas hidden in the middle of Manila. I think Renee was mesmerized when she saw the big bronze/golden Buddhas, as well as the big background where the other buddhas as apsaras (fairies) seemed to come out from the wall.

- We later had a meal in Eat Fresh. Since it wasn't exactly a place where people can stay long and hang out -as in Starbucks- we went back to our alma mater to hang out at the music room. In the music room, we coincidentally saw Renee's classmate Katrina.

- Renee and I went inside a room and was startled to see my friend Mary Grace, sitting in the dark and waiting for time to pass by. Grace invited us into the room, and the three of us played around with the piano until the dismissal bell rang.

- The bulk of my late afternoon was trying my very best to make the singers sing. Volume has been their primary problem, let alone tone and rhythm, until I had a "letting go/ being free" workshop. It did wonders, apart from the clapping-rhythm workshop I gave them. As for the musicians, I didn't have a prob with them.

- Renee was kind enough to "tutor" one of the young singers, reminiscing the days when I tormented Renee and the other singers during our Ramayana days. Renee has grown as an artist, and is now currently fit to be a mentor as well. I, on the other hand, had to go to the other room to fit the costumes of some of my Ramayana actors. I was glad that they seemed comfortable with the costumes.

- I went back to the singers not long after, just around the time Renee had to leave. I had a few more rounds with the singers, and dismissed them a bit earlier, as a reward for making me hear their nice and potential-loaded voices.

- I went to see the Masquerade bit, and waited until RC, a member, finished with the dance. He asked me to train him for his role. Weird enough, most of those who ask for my tutelage are usually the ones who excel the most. I had some pronunciation and volume drills wtih him, and RC was the first person to immediately reciprocate the weird non-English sounds I've been giving as challenges to other people whom I've given the workshop to. He was able to mimic the Arabic, Portuguese, and some Greek accents perfectly. Needless to say, I gave him a few pointers while listening to him enact his part as Harold Zidler, and I was done with him in a jiffy.

- Rehearsals ended around 7pm tonight, and I still felt like I wanted to have more rehearsals, if possible. If only there was a reasonable-income-generating way to teach performing for a living for the rest of forever. Sigh. And oh well, work again tomorrow.

"Day Off" Productivity Day 1: Costume Fitting, Rehearsals, Quick Dinner, Surprise Guest

- February 6, 2012, Monday.

- I was quite happy to have two days off from work, today and tomorrow, because of two Ateneo school holidays. It was weird getting up later than usual on a Monday, and I was able to get my much needed rest. Still, today's vacation was still meant for productivity.

- Earlier this afternoon, I went to Tutuban and 168 to hunt for props and costumes for the Ramayana excerpt. I was able to find nice bargains, and was able to go back to my alma mater earlier than expected. I rested my legs at the music room, played the piano a bit, and waited until the dismissal bell rang.

- The acting practice was cancelled today in lieu of the photoshoot, but I still grabbed hold of the musicians and singers for a practice session today. The musicians have improved a whole lot, while the singers needed a lot more work; they have improved too, nevertheless.

- I let the Ramayana-excerpt cast feel how their costumes looked like, and they looked a lot like the original Ramayana cast I had way back in 2006-2007. Ah, memories. :) :) :) :)

- We finished the photoshoot/rehearsals around 6:30, and I dashed off to the nearby Ersao, where two of my high school friends decided to have dinner. In between my "hi"s and "hello"s to many of the passers-by whom I knew, a pleasant surprise passed by the window I was facing at - my friend Cristina.

- I quickly urged Cristina to come in and hang out with Bless, Jess, and me, and since we were about to finish dinner anyway, hanging out won't take long. It was getting a bit late, and I knew Tina would be a bit tired from work.

- We all went home at 8pm, with the big full moon in the night sky. Apparently, today was the Chinese "yuan xiao jie," where people eat round peanut balls, symbolizing unity and the roundness of the spring full moon.

Tribal Talks on a Senti-Sunday

- February 5, 2012, Sunday.

- I decided to have a brief meet-up with Audrey since afternoon, since we wanted to hang out, and I wanted to introduce her to The Tea Life - a milk-tea place in Ongpin I like so much.

- I met Audrey at around 4, bought our milk tea and ice cream, and headed to McDonald's just so I could use my Chinese-new-year-discount coupons. The lady who was next to me in the counter asked me about my coupons, and wanted her own set of coupons. I couldn't blame her since some of the coupons provided really big discounts.

- During the remainder of the afternoon, we talked about Filipino ethnic tribes for one of Audrey's current artsy projects. That just made me more interested in Filipino ethnic groups.

- While talking about a lot of things, I noticed that McDonald's kept on playing sentimental songs, and a few pop songs, from the early 2000s, or late 1999 (eh. M2M, Destiny's Child.) I took interest in the music since I knew most of the songs that they were playing; I was lip-syncing to the songs nonstop.

- We both went home just as the sky grew a bit dark. I had a quiet walk home, while all the colors and costumes of the tribes being stuck in my head.

From Hyperness, To Starvation, To Abdominal Bloating

- February 4, 2012, Saturday.

I. Rehearsals

- I was able to recharge myself from a good night's sleep last night, and woke up 5 minutes earlier before my alarm went off. I quickly prepared myself for my piano lesson, and was ready to meet the musicians right after.

- The morning rehearsal with the musicians was very fruitful, since I was already able to fit all parts of the mini-orchestra together. They all sounded nice, and I told my musicians to be very proud of themselves. As a reward, I gave them a rather generous "break" in between our morning session, and I also let them off earlier.

- I had lunch with some of the other members who went earlier, went back to school, and waited until the afternoon session commenced. This time, actors, dancers, and everyone else were there. Most of my musicians were not able to go to the afternoon session, so I dealt with the singers, and the actors.

- I had too much fun with rehearsals, so much so that I played around with some of the other performers, even doing a rather interpretative dance of the theater version of Lion King's "Circle of Life." Haha. It was hard doing all those moves while trying to not make myself dirty, and carrying a semi-heavy necklace on my neck (that suits my batik polo.)

- We ended rehearsals at quarter to five, with me bagging along the club fund collected for the day, so I can buy the Ramayana-excerpt costumes on Monday. Thank you Ateneo for giving us a long long weekend.



II. Buffet 101

- I quickly walked to my friend Dorenett's house after rehearsals, feet still sore and tired from all that Lion-King-ing, and craziness whatnot. I quickly rang the bell, was let in, and sat for a while to soothe my ham-fat legs.

- Our friend Monica rang the bell not long after, and enthusiastically ushered us to her car. The three of us were on our way to the newly-opened Buffet 101, right beside SM Mall of Asia. Since it was my first time there, I was excited to try out all the food there. It is always hard to please me when it comes to buffet restaurants, since my expectations and standards always go up a notch higher.

- Overall, Buffet 101 was above average. The dishes were not too special, although I want to commend the Japanese section for making their sushi/maki distinct from each other, despite the notion of Japanese food being bland. I also took interest in the desserts such as the creatively-flavored panna cotta placed in shot glasses. The drinks were also inclusive of the payment, which I think is also a plus for me. (Each person cost around 1050php.)

- As the three of us were trying to spend time catching up and having a "special bonding session," we noticed most people who crowded the place were familiar faces. It was inevitable to say "hi," or to smile at someone we knew - that doesn't include the other people we didn't know, but knew that they came from our alma mater (faculty, administrative staff, alumni, current students, etc.)

- Monica was finally able to give me the batik that I asked her to bring for me from her recent trip to Indonesia (thank you for not letting me pay, but I shall make it up to you somehow. Haha.) That's the main reason why I reserved my batik polo for today. I loved the batik she bought, and I'm currently experimenting on ways to drape/wrap/tie the cloth that would suit me.

- We left Buffet 101 at around 9:30, and walked a bit to help the food go down. We were able to catch some of the weekend fireworks by MOA that lit up the sky, just before a few drops of rain fell. We found Monica's car, and we were all driven home by Monica's chauffeur. The traffic was a bit heavy tonight, and the hour-long trip home gave us more time to talk.

- Today's whole-day affair was definitely tiring, but very productive, enjoyable, and nonstop fun.

Ending the Week// Starting the Weekend with a Chaotic Bam: Rehearsals Yet Again

- February 3, 2012, Friday.

- After a chaotic afternoon at work today, I was able to de-stress myself from rehearsals. Errr, it's not so much of a de-stressing session, since directing and all the hullabaloo can really be quite tiring. Nevertheless, it's what I do, and what I like to do.

- I arrived an hour earlier than usual because I leave work an hour earlier on Fridays. Since I've been having a rather nice week, I thought of "rewarding" myself by riding a trike from the LRT station to my alma mater. I usually walk, and arrive extremely sweaty.

- Rehearsals were just like the usual today, although some teachers from the English department were there to critique and comment. Although some things need to be polished, the comments were generally good. Thank God.

- Rehearsals ended around 7:30, since I had to give additional crash-course workshops to some actors who needed them. It was a lot fun, and a good way to shrug off some of that stress. The workshops worked, which made me happier. As for tomorrow, as always, will be rehearsals. HAHA.

And My Gut Does It Again: Brought My Cam To Everywhere I Went Today

- February 2, 2012, Thursday.

- Today wasn't too special like yesterday, although bringing my camera was a blessing. Again, aside from my (almost) daily rehearsals with the theater group, I was able to take a few shots of me with my attire today. I told my friend Clarisse that I finally wore the t-shirt she gave me from Thailand, and that I wore the shirt with other interesting things that made me into a modern-Thai-hippie. Thanks to the invention of the "timer" function, I was able to take nice photos of me, by myself.

- The main bulk of the album comes from today's initial dry run during rehearsal. Since I came from work, I was able to miss a big chunk of the rehearsal, although I had to train a handful of actors after the dry run.

- Today was also one of the rare moments when I went home at 8pm, because of rehearsals; I usually go home around 7, or at most, 7:30. Oh, the perks of living near school (err, my alma matter.)

- Tomorrow is a Friday. Time to rejoice - I hope. :D:D:D:D

Oh-So-Many-Things: When Your Gut Tells You To Bring Your Camera - BRING IT!!

- February 1, 2012, Wednesday.

- I didn't know why I felt like bringing my camera today, knowing that I wasn't going anywhere aside from work and after-work-theater, and there wasn't any special occasion today. I still decided to bring my camera, even if I had more things to bring today - such as my scarf and some accessories to adorn myself - since I felt like I wanted to document today's theater rehearsal.

- I wore my Tibetan shirt today, complimented by my Indian scarf, Singaporean-Chinese turtle necklace, and my yellow Buddha-bead-like necklace. I wanted to somehow match the artifact (replica) display in the conference room my office would be in today for our planning session.

- My day started out pretty bad because of my ID mishap - nearly lost it, had to go around school retracing my steps, but luckily retrieved my ID, found and kept safely by the Ateneo Gate 1 security guard. Despite this, I noticed a tarpaulin of the yearly "Jumpstart Study Abroad Fair" by one of the organizations of Ateneo (ASEC, I believe.) The fair happened to take place today, and I was excited to visit the booths, mingle with the people from different countries, embassies, and institutions, and of course, get some freebies as well.

- I visited the fair later this morning, during our planning-session break. I was surprised to see new countries that participated in the fair, most especially India. I was informed that no one was manning the Indian booth, because the embassy "lacked man power." I felt a bit sad that I wasn't able to talk to someone about studying in India (an opportunity to maybe make myself noticed,) but I still got all the brochures and magazines. All of them were interesting reads.

- Countries such as Malaysia (the most number of participants,) France, Germany, Chile (unmanned too,) Czech Republic, Taiwan (they were surprised that I knew Mandarin,) were present. Other participants included the Erasmus Mundus foundation, British Council, and others. Still, the number was still fewer than the first time I encountered the fair in 2009.

- Now, fast-forward to this afternoon, after my rejoice of being allowed to go earlier than my usual time-off. I went straight to my alma mater, where everyone was surprised by my early arrival. I had a nice time hanging out and directing some of the actors, and indeed I took some very interesting - albeit a bit disturbing - shots. The best part of the afternoon was when the current club president, Cleo, had to substitute a guy's role - the lover of our member Abi's role.

- I've been having a terrific week lately; everyday felt like a Friday, and I hope this continues until the end of the week, and the extended weekend on Monday and Tuesday due to Ateneo's school holiday. I could have brought my camera yesterday as well, since I also liked what I wore yesterday, but today's surprising and bizarre events made the day extremely camera-worthy.