Even after the floods have subsided, it is not yet over.  Time to help out now…

Donations are being accepted at the Phil. National Red Cross chapter office nearest you. Ours is at ATC, Alabang:

Go, go go, Pinoy youth power!: Classes are suspended for a week. There is no reason for them NOT to help out now…

The relief goods ready for distribution: We just hope they will recycle the plastic bags though…

My donation: With just Php 500, one can buy canned goods, noodles, bottled water, biscuits, soap, shampoo, can openers, candles – at least 5 bags worth of relief goods that 5 families may desperately need right now.  One can buy groceries at the supermarket in ATC, and just drop them off at the Red Cross Office in front, near Nat’l Bookstore.

BTW, medicines are also urgently needed: paracetamol, antibiotics, analgesic, oral rehydration salts, multivitamins and medications to treat diarrheal diseases.

If you do not have any material stuff to offer, you can volunteer in sorting, packing and distributing relief goods.  Just.. help… out.  It’s the least you can do…

(This is a continuation from the previous post. For more Ondoy pics, click here and here):

Sept. 27, 2009: Here are more images taken by my niece Pchie after the tragic ordeal brought about by the floods during Typhoon Ondoy.  These were from the streets of Provident Village, Marikina – one of the worst-hit areas in Metro Manila:

Rubber boats were already deployed in the village since the wee hours of Sunday morning. But it was nearly noon when they were finally able to see one pass by their street.

Dramatic rescue… Pchie: “Parang sa movie ko lng to napapanuod e…” Definitely NOT Richard Gutierrez doing the rescuing.  But maybe if that person was a starlet…

Our furry friends also need rescuing. Check the water level. This one was lucky. There were plenty of dogs lying on the street dead…

Some family’s refrigerator ended up hanging precariously on these power lines.  When Sis came out of the house for the first time since the flood, she thought the experience so surreal: “Parang yung pelikula ni Wil Smith? I am Legend ba yun? Ganun… parang wala nang tao sa mundo…“

A common sight now… Pchie: “Mayaman ang casa/talyer ngayon!” There were flooded cars being sold at the village entrance… um, possibly all over Metro Manila…

Refugee Levic (my 10 year old nephew in yellow-green shirt above) along with his sisters, trudged along ankle-deep mud, on the move for a safer and dryer place. They are now staying over at their Lola’s house.  While getting out of the village, Pchie and Paw shielded and distracted their little brother from the sight of dead bodies on the street…

… while Sis and Doc stayed behind to clean and to save what can be saved…

To all those who lost their loved ones in the flood, we are offering our sympathies and prayers. Our hearts are with you… Let’s heal from this tragedy, and rebuild anew. But we mustn’t forget as well. Let us as a nation learn from this and may this serve as a shout-out to the world that climate change is real and is happening, and that we should start making dire changes now before it is too late…

In unity, there is strength. Let us all help out any way we can through Phil. National Red Cross, and GMA Kapuso Foundation.

(Continuation from previous post)

Sept. 27, 2009:

I heaved a sigh of relief when after midnight, my sis texted: “Start na baba ng water, mga 18 ft. na lang… Lubog pa 1st flr, puro ubo na ng mga tao nrrinig d2…” At 2 am: “Kita na ibbaw ng gate…” Huhu! I was near tears reading these messages, thanking God, they’re finally safe from further danger…

Here are Before, During and After shots taken by my nieces and nephew (from the third floor of their house) regarding the havoc Ondoy wreaked upon Provident Village, Marikina:

DURING:

AFTER:

The water started to recede very slowly on Sunday. The last time it flooded in the village was 1988, but it did not rise up to the second floor. This 0ne was estimated to have reached up to 25 ft! Truly unimaginable…

DURING:

AFTER:

By noon of the following day, rescuers came with bulldozers to clear debris, and to carry flood victims.

BEFORE:

DURING:

AFTER:

Paw was able to take pics of the flood waters with her cellcam  as it began to rise higher and higher. The next day, lost things, debris and all sorts of garbage emerged from the receding flood.

BEFORE: Going…

and going…

… and gone!

AFTER:

The pix above show the parking area of the house. “Dpa naaninag mga kotse,” Sis texted during the storm. “Bka ntangay na ng agos.” When the water level went down, it was only then they realized -much to their surprise- that the cars were still there… Grabe.

More aftermath pix in the next post: Picking up the Pieces…

Sept. 26, 2009:

It was a harrowing experience - Typhoon Ondoy’s unprecedented rains were so heavy, it brought on our worst nightmares – metro-wide flooding that destroyed countless of homes, properties, and lives. And it was only Warning Signal No. 1!

Worst hit were riverside cities and low-lying areas, most especially Marikina, Pasig and Rizal. My sister, Doc, Pchie, Paw and Levic were all in the village that was among the hardest-hit in Marikina when the flashfloods came.  I was safe in my home in the south but I watched and stayed up late in the morning of the following day – monitoring via TV, radio, internet, and text messaging for every bit of helpful news I could grab on to.  I feel for everyone who got affected by the typhoon across all Metro Manila but my mind was focused more on my loved ones in Marikina who were experiencing it for themselves firsthand.

Here are the pictures taken by them during the typhoon:

Water started rising up to the 2nd floor of the rented house they’re staying in. They rushed up the third level of the house where they stayed safe and dry. Pchie: “…after lunch that day, we didn’t expect that it would really get WORST! we’re lucky to have a 3rd floor. Ang bilis ng pangyayari…”

… But their neighbors were up on the roofs, literally weathering the storm out throughout the day and night – exhausted, wet, cold, and hungry – having only rainwater to drink. They were only able to save the clothes they were wearing and nothing else.  My sis’ text message: “Wla na lubog na 2nd flr. 90%. Pls pray 4 us. mga kapitbahay nmin, gus2 lipat d2 kaso wla kami mgwa mlkas alon baha.”

At the height of the flood, the roofs of houses in the pic are two-story houses. The water was that high, and almost reached the third floor… Pchie: “Basta puro bubong (na lang ang makikita)… kala ko aakyat na rin ako ng 3rdfloor ng bubong namen! “

A neighbor awaits rescue… Just around midnight, Sis sent this text message: “Wla pa din rescue. My dumaan lang helicopter. Kawawa mga tao, konti na lang d na kta bubong nila… May dumaan nka jetski. sigaw mga tao 2big ska fud kc nga mrmi d pa nkkain…”

(The jetski that she was referring to at that moment was actually a speedboat which had actor Richard Gutierrez on it. He circled their street a number of times, looking for a starlet actress living in that area so he can save her. Not knowing who he was because it was pitch dark, people on top of the roofs were telling him to be careful ["Mag-ingat ka dyan. May pader dyan na may bubog!"] and asking him/them to come back and at least throw some bottled water or something ["Naka-ilang balik na kayo, magdala naman kayo ng kahit tubig man lang!"]. But he never did.  I don’t care what his reasons are, he’s an ass – he could have done more to help by letting rescuers borrow the speedboat or something… Hmp!)

By 2 am, Sept. 27, the flood waters were beginning to subside…

To be continued in the next post…

I say it’s a ‘semi’ obsession because it is not something I’m losing sleep over.  It’s more like a silly hobby really.

I think a lot of tweeps like me are also into this new silly hobby brought about by these ever-changing forms of technology.  I believe it is so novel that they haven’t had a name for it yet.  It’s about collecting replies from celebrities or what I call ‘celeb-retweets‘ (whether it be via twitter or from FaceBook)…

I already talked about it in my post about John Cusack. That one was something I was so excited about because it was the first one that came from someone I truly admire.  But I got other RTs from other celebs, too…

As I said, I know that this is just silly and fun! While others are wasting whiling away their time collecting stuff for virtual games like pet society or farmville (which I don’t do), collecting celeb-retweets is MY kind of ‘game.’ It requires a bit of strategy, wit, and luck, too.  You have to out-do your online opponents which happen to be other tweepers vying for these celebs’ attention as well.

But I don’t go around tweeting ALL the celebs just for the heck of it. I just choose those whom I like or respect the most.  Besides, not all of them tweet back. They don’t have to and you got to respect that. But how do I know if they’re the real thing, and not written by some secretary or their PAs? I guess if you read their tweets, you would know. It’s the tone that you ‘hear’ in their statements that tell you it’s them. Aside from that, if it’s a verified account, then there you go.

Here is (so far) my ‘collection’ of celeb-retweets. I show them off with the level of snooty enthusiasm that is akin to that of Sesame Street’s Bert when he showed off his shiny bottle-cap collection (Oh, Figgy Fizz! hehe):

1) Judah Friedlander: World’s “Greatest” Champ

June 19, 2009: I managed to eke out a birthday greeting from actor/stand-up comedian Judah Friedlander via FB.  Judah plays “Frank Rossitano,” the trucker-hat wearing writer of NBC’s 30 Rock.  He is swell guy who doesn’t let fame get into his head (unless when he’s boasting off his feats as the World Champ). If he had a chance to talk to his fans, he would – just like any regular guy (You could catch him online via FB and he would ‘hey’ back if you say ‘hi’).  Totally cool. Thanks, Judah. You are truly the World Champ!

2) Eoin Colfer:  Teacher to Teacher Talk

Aug. 24, 2009: Eoin Colfer is an Irish author; he was commissioned to write the 6th installment of “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” but he is best known as the creator of the famous Artemis Fowl series.  Though he does not tweet as much as the other celebs, he was kind enough to take time to answer a question I posed (which he answered after the day I sent it).  I do agree with his advice. And I also admire teachers like him who became writers.  They give me hope that someday I can accomplish the same feat. Gracias, Mr. Colfer!

3) Amber Benson: An awesome Greeting from a Buffy Royalty

May 8, 2009: I already mentioned about my love for the Buffy TV series in my previous post. Even if the series was over, countless of BTVS fans like me are happy that some of its stars are on Twitter.  Amber Benson (who played Tara) was one of the first (if not, THE first) BTVS alumni who got into Twitter.  She DMed (‘direct messaged’) me as soon as I started following her with the tweet above.  Of course, I was starstruck! Imagine, Tara from Buffy? She tweeted ME, a die-hard Buffy Fan?  Not getting it? Believe me, in Buffy-verse this is something that reaches major levels of awesomeness… Thank you, Amber!

4) Julie Benz: Scoring a Scoop from a Dexter Star!

Sept. 4 2009:  Julie Benz (who played “Darla” in both Buffy and Angel; currently in the show Dexter as “Rita”) is a real sweetheart.  I like her. She’s polite and sensitive.  I was able to get a ‘scoop’ (ahem) for the upcoming Season 4 of Dexter (which will start on Sept. 27) wherein she revealed that she will be doing a bit of singing! (A week later, TV Guide magazine posted this article regarding it). But really, if you watched Angel, you would agree with me that this talented lady DOES have a pretty voice.  Frankly speaking, I don’t watch “Dexter” much but now… I will.  Danke, Julie!

5) John Cusack: No. Thank YOU, Mr. Cusack…

Aug. 23, 2009: Yes. Lightning DOES strike twice (And hopefully even more than twice).  In my second retweet from him, John Cusack thanked me… Again, let me reiterate this: He. John Cusack. Thanked. Me. For watching his HBO dramatic movie, Jack Bull.  And with three exclamation points to boot!  Sweet!  Haha!  I should be the one thanking him for coming up with Jack Bull. It’s really one of my favorites among all his movies (again, the key here is sincerity.  He knows if you’re bullsh#tting him so you better make it real if you want him to retweet back).  Too bad, Max and Get Outta the Boat are not readily available here, though.

Well, that’s my bottle-cap, I mean, celeb-retweet collection so far! Too bad, I can’t sell them on ebay. Hmm…

(Note: Click soundcloud below for heightened reading pleasure):

Every time, I catch an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer showing on AXN Beyond, I am like a deer caught frozen staring at a car’s head lights.  I just stay glued watching the entire episode, even if I have already seen it a gazillion times (I even own a complete dvd set of the series given to me by my friend, sreisaat!). That is because I’m a Buffy fan.

Why will I always love Buffy? Here are the reasons why:

1.  Buffy creator, Joss Whedon is first, and foremost, a genius.

2. Vampires are my childhood fear.  Sparkly or not, I hate them. I also hate weak-willed, pathetic, and clueless female lead characters.  Ergo, I hate Bella and Twilight. And also ergo, I heart Buffy.

3. When E! presented years ago their TV’s Top Guilty Pleasures, I was infuriated along with countless of Buffy fans when our beloved series was included in that list.  It shouldn’t have been considered a GUILTY PLEASURE BECAUSE THERE WAS NO GUILT FEELING WHATSOVER TO BEGIN WITH!  Get your facts straight, E! We were proud of being Buffy Fans. Sure, some fighting scenes with monsters and vampires can be taken as kitsch and campy for some.  But hey, it was MEANT to be kitschy (but not as the same level as Xena – sheeze! Now THAT deserved to be on the list).  Buffy somehow tastefully came into its own – thanks to the riveting story lines, the talented actors that breathed life to the unforgettable characters that they played, the directors’ creative approach, the superb and ingenious script, and of course, the magic touch of Whedon who presided over this fun-filled realm of action-fantasy. Guilty for watching it? NEVER!

4. It doesn’t get old! Even the clothes! Especially Buffy’s outfits.  Cynthia Bergstrom, and all of the show’s costume designers obviously made it a point to choose classic wear so that the show will not get stuck in some outmoded time warp. I mean, the show has ended years ago but people now can still wear most of the outfits that were shown there.  Two of my favorite Buffy-slayerwear include:

Her classic white blouse that she wore after her second resurrection (from Season 6 “After Life,” at Left)…

…and the sheer lacy top that she had on (and not for long…) when she and Spike did the Bad Thing for the first time (from “Smashed,” at Right):

5. I almost have no favorite episodes. I like them all. But of course, I concur with others that say that Hush, Once More with Feeling, Normal Again, and Forever are some of the truly best ones.  But the one I find truly memorable and that affected me the most was the one directed by Whedon himself – “The Body”.  It was the episode wherein Buffy’s mom died.  Someone mentioned that this episode simply “is more of an experience…cannot be explained… You just have to see it.” I’m telling you again – pure genius, that Whedon guy is. After watching the part wherein Buffy discovered her mom’s body and the scenes that followed thereafter, I cried my eyes out.  It was… totally heartbreaking.

There are many other reasons why I love Buffy.  But I can’t mention them anymore here.  When I underwent a ‘marathon-viewing’ of the dvd set of the series many weekends ago, I admit that I cried all over again when I reached the end.  I never realized how much I miss the Gang, knowing that there will never be anything like it ever again. I miss the fun, the action, the dustings, the laughter, the repartees, the drama, the jargon…

Nowadays, Buffy fans are settling for the Dark Horse comics’ Buffy 8 (left pic) of which I am way behind *sighs*. And of course, hairs on our backs began bristling when rumors circulated that there will be a Buffy movie remake that will star Megan Fox (Sacrilege!). Thankfully, it remains a rumor.

AND! we are thrilled to find out that some Buffy stars are on board Twitter now!  You can’t call yourself a Buffy fan if you’re not following @alydenisof, @amberbenson, @anthonyshead, @emmacaulfield, @elizadushku, @julietlandau, @tomlenk, @nathanfillion, @juliebenz, and @adambusch – all verified, genuine accounts.  Now if only Sarah Michelle Gellar, David Boreanaz, James Marsters, Charisma Carpenter, Nicholas Brendon, and Seth Green would only join in… If not, oh well, there are still the occasional reunions and Comic Cons.

Buffy and the Scoobies (right): I miss u guys. Srsly.

When it comes to slaying vampires, Buffy will forever rule. It just is. Period.

Mom, I remember …

…how you loved Rogelio Dela Rosa and Carmen Rosales.

…that you were a fashionista way back in college — being the first-born among a brood of 8, you had the privilege of always having new things, and never had to wear hand-me-downs.

…how you liked wearing heels to help add precious inches to your 5′1” height.

…that you used to design and sew dresses by hand, including beautiful beaded wedding gowns, and had clients like veteran actress, Boots Anson-Roa.

…that you adored two of the most handsome (yet closeted gay) leading men of the Golden Era of Hollywood: Montgomery Clift and Rock Hudson.

… that you baked macaroon cupcakes, chiffon cakes, and apple cinnamon pies.

… that when you were a young college student in UP, renowned artist and Amorsolo’s contemporary, Ireneo Miranda (the “Dean of Filipino Cartooning”), took a liking for you (*ahem* since you apparently looked like his wife) and often invited you to model for his portraiture classes.

… that you valued the importance of reading and it was because your decision to invest in books like the Dr. Suess series and Companion Library Book Digests made a lifelong reader out of me.

… that you liked joining spelling bees in high school; and your tips on how to spell (close your eyes and ’see’ the word; spell by syllables not by letters) were quite helpful even up to now when I teach MY students to spell.

… that everyone said the same things about you… that you were the favorite niece, the favorite cousin, the favorite daughter-in-law, the favorite aunt… I of course didn’t bother to ask why. We all knew why.

… that I used to watch Nora Daza’s cooking shows with you every Sunday morning; I found it fascinating how you would be ready with your little notebook and pen, how you would jot down the ingredients but not the directions (which you mentally noted instead)…

… how I didn’t heed your suggestions on suitable career paths for me, but now I see. Moms are always right all along.

… the shape and softness of your hands and fingers as I held them in mine, and the contours of your face since I often caressed them when I was little.

… that you were not gifted with robust health even when you were young — reminding me to not take for granted my own health – to eat healthy, to exercise more, to sleep early.

… that we had you for a such a short time — reminding me not to take for granted my own existence, my own dreams, my own time, and the people around me – to live and appreciate life fully, and to love dearly.

… that you never had the chance to enjoy your grandchildren, but if you were still here, I’m sure they would have loved you to bits because I bet you would have made an awesome grandma.

Love you, Ma, and Happy Birthday!

If John C. was the celebrity I had been worshipping since I was a tweener, Trent Reznor was the rock god I have adored since I was in my young twenties.  I remember when I was a DJ in a rock station, I would play his music using my own CD that I bought from the store.  Since the songs were unedited or unapproved by the programmer (meaning – not fit to play on air), I had to resort to bleeping those nasty four-letter words in the lyrics myself while they were playing on air (*sighs*—those were good times…) even at the risk of bringing on the ire of the ntc or my boss.  I did it because of my love for Trent and his music…  But as time passed, from a rocking dj, I moved on to a more conservative job and lifestyle.  Also, my taste in music changed and mellowed.  But my infatuation with Trent remained.   What sets him apart from other screaming rockers was his unique voice. His gut-wrenching screams and howls were heartfelt and real.  The belief and conviction in his lyrics and music were still there.  He wasn’t giving you b*llsh*t.  It wasn’t all flash and show.  He was real and sincere, and in that sense, he was deeply respected and admired by the old fans who remained loyal and by the newer generation as well.

NIN rockin in Manila (right)

So when I heard that NIИ would be having a concert in Araneta Coliseum on august 5, the rockgirl in me rose from its deep slumber. I immediately sprang into action and bought the necessary ticket.  I wasn’t going to hesitate to buy the seats close to the stage.  This was said to be the farewell concert tour, it has to be now or never.  It is not every day (or every year even!) that such a legendary act like NIИ comes to our humble shores – we are always being bypassed and ignored for other affluent Asian nations.

How was it? I’ll cut the story short.  The place wasn’t packed but it was ok. We had a blast and worth every centavo! Trent sang a lot of new unfamiliar songs but the ‘classics’ were there – Downward Spiral, Hurt, Closer, Afraid of Americans, The Hand That Feeds, Head Like a Hole…  and even if a lot of songs were unfamiliar, we were absolutely thrilled.  Our mouths agape almost the whole time… couldn’t freaking believe that The Awesome Man in Black was finally here… in our midst… watching him sing! Water bottles were thrown plus mic stands, guitars… Trent even threw his tambourine to a lucky person in the audience (“Ay? Panu naman kami!”)!

The Awesome Man in Black (left): I was seated at the far right of the stage. Good view. Pero sensya na. I took countless of pix but only a few shots came out well.

The next day, my friends asked me how it was. I just couldn’t describe it well enough. I was still at a loss for words… then I guess the best way to describe it was (ahem! kids, cover your eyes first): “It was like great sex!” Basta, yun na yun… haha! It was full of high energy, dripping with dark sexy testosterone… Ibang klase talaga magrakrakan ang mga kano.

But then, I also watched the 1995 Manila concert of Foo Fighters, Beastie Boys, and Sonic Youth — NIИ was never anything like that… which only meant - ibang klase talaga rumakrak si Treznor!

Treznor waves goodbye (right): No, don’t retire yet, Trent. We can’t live without you, man…

As I said, I do have pix but they’re not worth posting (only worth looking at by me) so I’ll just repost pix from nin’s website. These following pix were taken by NIИ’s art director, Rob Sheridan. Click on the pix and they will lead you to their website:

Hello, SEXY BEAST! Trent sings Heresy… He screams, yells, and sweats profusely…

“Help me… I broke apart my insides!”

Final encore song was HURT: this is the SOP concert moment wherein we hold up the customary lighters and lit up cellphones with matching swaying swaying…You can see my lit Nokia at the far left.  Ano ba. Of course I’m kiddin…

BTW, those 3 pix can also be found in nin’s wp blog.

Thank you, Trent for including us in your NIИ’s Wave Goodbye Asian Tour 2009.  We will surely won’t forget this… ever! It was superbly … asteeeg!

]]> http://seralulalu.wordpress.com/2009/08/10/my-awesome-date-with-ni%d0%b8/feed/ 0 SL smallribbon ninmanila 6248_1180422103047_1002990736_30595476_5832540_n 6248_1180421903042_1002990736_30595472_2182958_n photo-743312-743359 photo-771708-771743 photo-774198-774232 http://seralulalu.wordpress.com/2009/08/08/john-cusack-no-retweet-no-surrender/ http://seralulalu.wordpress.com/2009/08/08/john-cusack-no-retweet-no-surrender/#comments Sat, 08 Aug 2009 13:38:56 +0000 SL http://seralulalu.wordpress.com/?p=2379 ]]>

I first saw John Cusack in Better Off Dead.  From that moment on, I was instantly smitten.  He was funny and had that goofy, likeable charm that easily translates to a dependable bestfriend-cute boyfriend material.  And he wasn’t a bad actor, taking his craft seriously—the fact that he survived the 80’s Brat Pack was let alone a big feat, for while the careers of his contemporaries stumbled and faltered – his saw smooth sailing with occasional minor bumps along the way.  He can play the Hollywood game but he can pretty much steer his own ship, too.  He valued his privacy—something that I find truly cool and which I unconsciously emulated —one’s private life is his own business and not yours. He is not the type who would kiss and tell (especially about his current paramours) which I find extremely classy and manly.  But we do know he is loyal to his family and friends – making sure to include them in his successes, happiness, and plans.  And he’s obviously smart, too.  He is very vocal and genuinely concerned about real issues – political and social.  He just doesn’t do the talk he does them, too.  And unlike other celebrities, he does them without so much fanfare.  Can you blame me for sticking by him – through thick and thin?  There’s this FB group (of which of course I am a member) whose name sums it all up– “All Men Pale in Comparison to John Cusack.”

Just like any other normal fan – I look him up from time to time on the web but only for the purpose of getting some updates (e.g. imdb) and ‘stalk’ him in the typical kind of way – not the freaky kind.  There’s not much info on him though – I mean compared to uberstars like Pitt and Clooney.  He does have his blog in Huffington Post and his myspace site but there was no possible chance of any sort of interaction that I was wishing for.  So his recent forte into the twitterverse was something I rejoiced about (Twitter, love na kita– srsly grabe!).

Thanks to actor/comedian, Rob Corddry whose account I was following before John’s. Rob C. outed John’s supposedly ‘secret’ twittername with the tweet, “This is proof Screwheads. Cusack is @shockozulu. Now can we talk about something else? http://twitpic.com/9urha“ (You see, during that time, Rob and John were wrapping up their latest movie, “Hot Tub Time Machine”– yes, no joke, that is the actual title– in Vancouver so I do know that it was all legit).  I immediately checked it out and much to my utter delight – he was twitting back to his followers!

His tweets were typically Cusack—quick, manic and cryptic most of the time; reflective, cool and savvy on some days.  And so what if he was a bad speller (which was a surprising new thing I found out about him – dysgraphia?), it didn’t bother him… which was cool by me. Right away, I sent him messages, hoping I could get one in return.  He could be generous one day and stingy the next with his retweets.  It was clear to me that this wasn’t going to be easy.

I learned that the best time to get a retweet was when you catch him on-line.  However, I couldn’t get an opening. A lot of his fans—including me– were all vying for his attention.  And not only that, I also couldn’t catch a break — either I’m the one who was busy working or sleeping every time he was twitting or he was the one asleep when it was my turn to tweet.  He preferred to reply to quotes or tweets about Hunter T., politics and social issues (or whatever catches his whim at that moment).  But I can’t pretend that I know anything about those. That would be so fake. I didn’t want to beg either.  Or act like an annoying troll (which some pathetic losers resort into doing) to force an angry retweet out of him (lesson learned, read Trent Reznor’s bitter twitter experience).  I just have to do what I can by being myself.

Nevertheless, I wasn’t going to give up. My motto became Operation Qsack: No Retweet, No Surrender!

Then, one sad day, three days after Cory died, I finally got a chance.  The timing was perfect.  We were both finally on-line at the same time. He was then twitting about presidents (US’ Bill C. and Mexico’s).  I tweeted about what I was feeling at that time. Seconds later, this was what I got:

Aug. 4, 2009: JC sends his condolences via twitter…

My eyes brimmed with tears reading his 6 words.  Even if it wasn’t much, even if he already shifted his attention elsewhere, and to another fan’s twit, it was enough for me.  It was consoling at a time of grief.  It made me feel better.  Like hitting a small jackpot lotto prize.  Yay!

Now that this was over, one short term goal has finally been ticked off.  And as I told my friend sreisaat, “I can now move on with my life.” Haha!

Thanks, John.  You don’t know how much this means to someone like me. Really. And I know it might be a one in a million chance… um, ok, come to think of it — with the help of tags… make that one in a hundred thousand chance for you to be reading this but hey, who knows, right? Dreams CAN come true!

BTW, did I mention that I sooo love you, Twitter? I did but I’ll say it again- I heart Twitter! Thank you so much for making this fangirl super-duper happy!

Up next: An awesome experience with Trent Reznor!

PS. For personal reasons, my twitter account is on lockdown as of this moment.  Sorry! I may change also my account in the near future… but I haven’t decided yet so.  Whatev.

(Note: A yellow ribbon will be placed on all my August posts as my sign of respect and sorrow over the passing of our beloved former President Corazon C. Aquino ~SL)

It has been a week since Mommy Cory died.  Everyone calls her Tita Cory. Even if I didn’t know her personally (the closest encounter I had with her was when I saw her pass by during a campaign rally for her chosen senators),  it felt like she was more than an aunt or tita.  It didn’t feel right to call her just “Tita” (In the Phils. and even in other Asian countries like Japan, that’s how you address the bestfriend of your mom or your friend’s mom).  It doesn’t feel right to call her just that.  Losing her was like losing a mom– the second time for me, having lost my real mother when i was in my late teens. Now here it is again.  The tears keep on coming.  Grief and bereavement…  Hurt, anguish, and despair over what’s freakin’ left for us to deal with, now that she’s gone.  It is really difficult to accept it. We feel like a motherless nation now– we feel so alone.

Even so… this was also a strange week wherein I got two of my wishes granted which cheered me up somehow.  It has something to do with two of my most favorite celebrities in the world  – John Cusack and Trent Reznor! One I made actual contact with and the other I get to see live in person!

I know I should be giddy and excited about it. But every time I think back about Mommy Cory’s passing, I shed hot tears all over again.  Such an emotional roller coaster week this is… along with a bipolar, roller coaster weather (rainy…sunny …rainy… sunny…) to match it.

I would like to share some of the lovely, poignant pictures that my older brother, Ito, took since Cory’s death last Saturday.  Living and working in close proximity to the places where he took these pictures, he was able to capture these historical moments superbly.  The captions are also from his FB album pages, too (If you wish to repost these pix in your website or blog, kindly ask for permission first – These pix aren’t mine… and even I had to ask permission from him. K? Thanks.):

“August 3, 2009. President Cory was transfered this afternoon to the Manila Cathedral. Thousands line up to view her remains and pay their respect at the cathedral. Meanwhile hundreds more are trooping to the Aquino residence along Times st., Quezon City.“

“They linger in front of the candles and offer their prayers to the President. And probably many are also praying for Hope and Change for the country.”

“1 am, Aug. 4. And they continued to line up so that they can pay their respects to the President at the Manila Cathedral.”

“Despite the intermittent downpour of rain, they continued to wait patiently for their turn. The line snaked in front of the cathedral and extended almost all the way to Manila City Hall outside the walls of Intramuros.”

“4pm, Aug. 4, Necrological Service at the Manila Cathedral.”

“An opportunity to earn a little money…”

“Aug. 5, 1pm. The people are waiting for the funeral cortege to pass through. This was at the corner of Roxas blvd and Quirino Avenue.”

“Finally, the coffin of Pres. Cory with the military honor guards on top of a truck.”

“L for Laban! Not anymore Loser.”

BTW, even if Cory did not have a state funeral (the family refused the offer from the current administration on account of political -and personal-differences), she was still better off without one.  I think her wake, cortege, and burial were truly well-organized, beautiful and touching.  I would like to congratulate everyone who made all these possible — the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, all the singers, musicians, choirs, the nuns, the military honors, the guards, the police, the priests, the people who lined up at the wake, and walked beside her before she was laid to rest. I would also like to commend the reporters, too, especially those from GMA Channel 7 – the Kapuso Network - that made it possible for millions of Filipinos (here and abroad) to take part in the ‘virtual vigil’ during their unselfish, tireless, almost 24/7 coverage of the events via their free online livestreaming tribute page! You all make me truly proud of being a Filipino – especially when we band together – we can REALLY make things happen!

Para kay Mommy Cory, mabuhay po tayong lahat!

Para sa minamamahal naming Tita Cory…

Kami po ay nangungulila sa inyong pagpanaw– parang nawalan ng mabuti at mabait na inang nakasama namin sa hirap at saya.  Tila kami naman ngayon ang nag-iisa. Masakit man ito ngunit maligaya rin kami sapagkat kayo ay nasa matiwasay na kalagayan na ngayon– ligtas  sa kalupitan dulot ng inyong naging karamdaman.  At dahil kapiling ka na rin ng Poong Maykapal, taos-puso naming hiling na sana ay maligaya at mapayapa na kayo sa inyong kinalalagyan.  At dahil alam naming malapit kayo sa Kanya, nawa’y ipagpatuloy ninyong ipagdarasal na sana matamo na ang inyong mga pangarap para sa inang bayan.  Nanalangin din kami na sana sa aming pagsisikap bilang mamamayan at taong-bayan na maitaguyod na rin namin ang mga ito para sa inyo sapagkat ang mga pangarap ninyo ni Ninoy ay mga pangarap din namin.

Maraming, maraming salamat po sa lahat….

-SL

Maria Corazon Cojuangco Aquino

11th President of the Republic of the Philippines

1933-2009

Passing through LRT2 Cubao Gateway Station…

I chanced upon this art exhibit/competiton results.  It’s called ‘Art along the Riles’ from the recently concluded LRT ART 2009.  The theme of the competition was “LRT at ang Buhay Pinoy” (LRT and the Filipino Life).  This is the first art event from LRT and would probably be held annually. Being a commuter for generally all my life (and a Fine Arts grad in case you belittle my ability to comment on the entries), my interest was piqued.  But I am more of an MRT commuter than LRT’s. Either way, it’s still the same.

It has been some time since I’ve seen an art exhibit and decided to look around and take pix.

The venue is in the station itself which serves to be too dark and gloomy to be a proper place for an exhibit.  The lighting fixtures don’t help either. However, it does make the passers-by and LRT commuters stop and look and dawdle for awhile.

Here are some of the winners and non-winners. You can click on the pix for closer look:

Finalist “Via Caballeria” by Vincent Paolo De Pio (acrylic on canvas) on the left. Pinoy cosplay in the LRT?  Guess it means old meets new. On the right is a Juror’s Choice, “Sa Bisig ng Panatag” by Alexander Roxas (oil on canvas).  A guy (looking like a cross between Rizal and Cesar Montano) symbolizing LRT while cradling a child (let me guess–that’s us?) and words describing LRT in the background (like dependable and environment-friendly) can sure kiss the jurors’ asses but hey–it worked.

Finalist: “Korona Po ng Pagyabong” by Jerry Morada (oil on canvas). Great technique but a head scratcher. I get the crown of lrt tracks but what does it mean? Should we recycle foil?  Sometimes the baffling can be eye-catching and intriguing though.

Both Juror’s Choices: At left, “Sakto” by Johann Padiemos (oil on canvas); and at right, “Buhay Pinoy” by David de Vera (acrylic on canvas).  I am in favor of “Sakto” being one of the winners. It speaks volumes of how LRT can be a useful and convenient way of traveling for us Pinoys.  That could be me– holding the wallet but with prettier hands though. “Buhay Pinoy” shows how integrated lrt is (along with the classic jeepney) in our everyday lives.

Finalist: “Samu’t – Saring Pinoy sa LRT” by Malyn Bonayog (acrylic on canvas).  This could be even better as a series than as a single piece. Great job!

Finalist: “Pananaw” by Proceso Gelladuga II (oil on canvas).  Good composition.  Epitomizes the young urban Pinoy as a cool lrt commuter.

Grand Prize: “Sakay Na Rin Po Kayo” by Mario Panis (oil on canvas).  A disappointing and lousy choice.  It’s naive, too safe and unimaginative. But I have to remind myself that this is really not an art competition.  More like a commercial and business one (you join this competition to win, not to express yourself).  So jurors value technique (and a kiss-ass message) more than concept and style.

“Welcome to Republika ng Pilipinas” by Joannalyn Wong (oil on canvas). I like this one though it did not receive any commendation. It’s honest and beautiful in all its chaotic splendor! Looks better in person…er, in object. Kudos, you’re a winner in my book!

“Makulay na Buhay” by Eduardo Chiomico (acrylic on canvas).  Did not win, too. Why? Give you two words: PLDT Directory. Too bad, I kinda liked it, maybe it was because of the hard work and effort obviously put in by the artist. Plus it exemplifies what makes Asian art unique–the intricacy and delicateness, and (sometimes) the spiritual fervor put into the workmanship.  But compositions like these have been done by so many others that, alas,  some are already too numbed by it. But still, I like it.

I also like this one–another non-winner. Sorry! So dumb of me not to get the name of this piece.  I like simplicity, intelligence and sophistication in an art work because incorporating all three qualities in one piece or design can be challenging and tricky– it could be the hardest thing an artist could do as well. The only letdown here is the bottom part that cuts off the metal door which ruins the over-all composition. I know it is a blurry shot but if you could look closely, there are faces reflected on the metal door and on its glass. Nice!

The exhibit by the way runs until July 31.

]]> http://seralulalu.wordpress.com/2009/07/20/passing-through-lrt2/feed/ 6 SL lrtart1 stuff 3076 lrtart2 lrtart4 lrtart5 lrtart6 lrtart7 lrtart8 lrtart9 lrtart10 lrtart11 http://seralulalu.wordpress.com/2009/07/17/my-top-7-soups-for-rainy-days/ http://seralulalu.wordpress.com/2009/07/17/my-top-7-soups-for-rainy-days/#comments Fri, 17 Jul 2009 07:35:23 +0000 SL http://seralulalu.wordpress.com/?p=2252 ]]>

、ヽ｀、ヽ｀个o(･_･｡):｀ヽ、｀ヽ、

As I predicted, 2009 is so far the wettest, most rained out year that I have ever experienced.  We had a wet Christmas and a wet summer; ergo, it’ll be wet all year round.  Classes have been suspended since yesterday due to heavy rains and flood (even if there was no signal number raised in Metro Manila).

I think PAGASA should rethink how they classify or modify what makes a signal number one, two or three.  These had always been a perennial issue that never seems to get resolved, considering the global climate changes and all. The only major changes PAG-ASA have made for the past years is to come up with new names for typhoons. What a bunch of dumbasses. ﾀﾞ━o(｀･д･´)ﾉ━!!

Anyway, it may be raining hard but it’s not at all that bad. This is a perfect time to reminisce about what we all enjoy during a cold and rainy weather–Soups!

I don’t actually take pictures of all the food I consume but sometimes they can be handy for a blog topic such as today.  Here are some of my top favorite hot, hot soups I enjoyed for the past year:

My Dad’s nilagang baka (beef broth with vegetables) for Sunday lunch.  Adding rice into the broth, and let it absorb the soup while it’s piping hot – that’s the way I like it.

Naruto’s favorite: Ramen! This is Shio, a clear broth ramen from Rai Rai Ken, in Southmall, Las Pinas City. It was my first time to order ramen from a restaurant and found it similar to our Chinese-Pinoy soup dish mami.  It was fine until I suddenly had the sudden yearning to eat it along with siopao (Chinese meat bun) which of course was unavailable in a Japanese resto.

I have always been fascinated with Vietnamese food.  This spicy beef curry soup from Pho Hoa, (Alabang Town Center) is no exception. So deliciously hot–tanggal ang sinusitis mo dito.

Our unforgettable jaunt to Tagaytay last year included a taste of this bulalo dish (beef bone marrow soup with vegetables).  I remember eating this on a cold rainy long weekend at the bulalo eateries located in the city’s Mahogany Public Market — sarap matulog afterwards!

Another perfect soup to eat in a cold weather like this is Arroz Caldo (literally translates as ‘hot rice’). This is from our Sagada vacation last Holy Week.  It is a Cordillera version of rice porridge with pinikpikan chicken, boiled egg, and dayap juice.

At Little Big Store, a Chinese store and eatery at Gilmore St., Quezon City, I ordered this strange thick black soup with some cubed cuts of fish fillet.  I say it’s strange because I can’t seem to identify the ingredients that make it become so black (seaweed?) and gooey (cornstarch?).  They call it Miki which is also weird because it doesn’t contain Miki noodles. Oh, well, enough with the wondering at kainin na lang…

And just today, what we had for lunch is this macaroni soup with mushroom, cabbage, and bits of hotdog and chicken. Home-made, tasty and warms the heart and soul. Ayos!  Siesta na muna ko, ha?

ヾ(=_=)ゞ hohum\(〃^0^)-C<*_ _)｡o○ zzzz…

Today marks the first anniversary of my blog. Woo-hoo! (￣ー￣)ﾉﾉ”” ~clap!clap!clap!~

I remember shedding blood, sweat, and tears setting this all up a year ago, trying to make sense of how things flow in WordPress. I was even thinking of giving up and going back from whence I came (which was blogspot – ugh!).

But I persevered.  And now, it’s still no-regrets-whatsoever.  I like the WordPress community. We really ARE a community in a true sense of the word and am truly appreciative of the constant improvements, messages and support that Matt, Heather, and the guys have been giving to us.  (BTW, I went to check up on my old blog in blogspot just recently and i was really disappointed to see that things haven’t improved at all!).

Anyhoo!

Here are the stats, as of today:

OMP is now a year old with 10,921 hits so far (It had hit the 10,000 mark a week ago–not bad for a personal, no-specific-theme blog— but hey, I can do better…yes i can!).

101 posts have been published (hmm… ‘published’–has a nice ring to it), and 423 spams have tried and failed (yes, I acknowledge these poor souls for even trying, and thank God for twitter, spammers have somewhere else to wreak havoc upon).

Compared to half a year ago, I have three new top posts for now. And they are:

crying time with 1 liter of tears — 1,065 hits; It reached its peak during the time One Liter of Tears was being shown on gma network. People were researching about the story (either that or they’re curious about actor Nishikido Ryo), hence i got some of the traffic flow.  Great show, memorable songs, good response. Hope the Kapuso network would take a hint from this and show more of Ryo ’s talent in jdoramas like Ryusei no Kizuna and Attention Please.

The Gumasa Beach Experience — 268 hits; Being one of the best kept secrets of Mindanao, Gumasa beach is now slowly permeating into people’s consciouness as one of the loveliest beaches in the south.  I noticed that the hits keep coming in heavily during the summer, too.

Nodame Cantabile: how do you say ‘Gyabo’ in Filipino? — 267 hits; another top post on a jdorama? Well, that’s how it goes, I guess. Pinoy jdorama addicts like me are hungry for information and relying heavily on each other’s blog posts considering that we don’t get details from anywhere else.  We are a desperate lot, alas…  o(ﾟдﾟo≡oﾟдﾟ)o??? but loud and proud! (btw, hope Hiroshi Tamaki gains weight… as Chiaki, he doesn’t have to use a baton cause he looks like one!–Haha! Just kidding! I love Tamaki and I’ll be posting a special on him soon!).

And I’m still receiving the most visits from these five countries (in their proper order): The US (1,793), the Philippines (1,230), Indonesia (376), Canada (224) and the UK (192).

Cheers to my one year old blog!

ﾟ･:*:･｡ヽ(◎´∀｀)ﾉ┌i┐ε-(･ε･´) puff~━congrats, OMP♪ﾟﾟ･:*:･｡

(I haven’t tried using the polling feature of WordPress. Guess it would be fun to try it out just once – (^-^))

I am a huge fan of the 2005 hit kdorama, Full House, having watched it a number of times (and may do so again!).  And we all know that Richard Gutierrez will portray the role of Lee Young Jae (Justin in the Pinoy dubbed version) in the GMA version soon.  But who will be Han Ji Eun (Jessie)? So far, GMA hasn’t confirmed yet on who will be chosen for the role.  But definitely, whoever gets to have it will be given a big break.

I’m interested to find out what fans think.  Here is a list of actresses for you to choose from. The choices were made based on viewers’ feedback from threads which for me, I find a bit surprising.  I included actresses from the other network, too.  If you do not like the choices, and have someone else in mind, leave a comment. Thanks!

Vote now!