A little girl's wish for Christmas ♥

I found this video on the web and just wanna share it with everyone since it touched my heart, and never fails to make me tear up whenever I watch this ♥

Every time there is LOVE and Christ in our hearts,

it is CHRISTmas for me 

so MERRY CHRISTMAS, everyone! :)

Being a Part of Her World ♥

First of all, I would like to say a BIG THANK YOU to all those who helped me just so I can go to Manila and watch the second to the last show of Disney's The Little Mermaid. I didn't just go there to watch as a fan and friend of Rachelle Ann, but as a fan, patron, performer and director of the arts - theatre and music.

It was an adventure for me going there alone with very limited budget in my pocket, but I survived, and I enjoyed the show so much. In my 31 years of existence, I can say that it was perfect. From the songs, to the staging, to the orchestration (yes, a live orchestra), to the performances, to the sets and props, it was absolutely PERFECT!

Some people are born to play certain roles in their lifetime that no one else can. Shin was born to play Ariel, period. With all objectivity, she was so much better than the original Broadway Ariel (Sierra Boggess). She captured the spirit of Jodi Benson (the original Ariel in the cartoons) and made the character her own.

Bravo, Shin! Bravo, Direk Bobby & Direk Chari! Bravo, Erik! Bravo, Atlantis Productions! Bravo, everyone! You so more than deserve the standing ovation that you got in every performance! :)

Congratulations, Shin Shin!

7 years of friendship, and watching & hearing you perform, 

you really outdid yourself.

Soo proud of you!

Love you! ♥

20 Years in Theatre

People come into our lives for a reason,

bringing something we must learn, 

and we are led to those who help us most to grow.. ♥

Today, as I celebrate my 20th year in theatre, I would like to say a BIG THANK YOU to the Almighty for giving the seeds to plant & nourish, and the passion to keep going; to my ever loving family who have always been supportive and super understanding through the years; to everyone whom I had the honor of sharing the stage with; to everyone who has never ceased to support the productions that I've been fortunate enough to be a part of, and most especially, to those people who unselfishly shared a part of themselves so I can be who and where I am today. I believe that I'm who I am today because I knew you.

Thank you for helping me grow, thank you for helping me change for good :)

RJ Rosales (1974 - 2011)

A very sad & shocking news I received tonight..

RJ Rosales, one of my Filipino theatre heroes and a truly amazing person, just passed away. So young, so full of life. He's only 6 years older than me, and I will always cherish the rare opportunity of sharing the stage with him once, a long time ago. He'll always be one of my most fave voices EVER!

Fly in the wings of the angels, Kuya RJ!

RIP Roseo José Rosales (+)

Built Champions, Discovered Friendship, Created a Family ♥

To my STC Champions,  CONGRATULATIONS and THANK YOU. My only regret in this experience is not having enough time to get to know each one of you personally. You are all such wonderful, beautiful persons and it's a great, great honor to have met you, and to have staged this event with you.

Wilma, we've known each other for 7 years and you never really cease to amaze me. Thank you for the trust & confidence, and for the neverending love & care. You know I'm always here come what may. Let's do more projects coz I'm really getting used to you driving me to work almost everday. Love you much!

Ruby, this was your show. You made it all happen. Thank you for being my alter ego, and for going the distance. You steered the ship safely through the storms, and I'm so proud to see you make it through the rain. Always and forever, I'm here if you need me, just a text away. More power and hope to do more projects with you soon! God bless you :)

Lorie, I so admire your amazing hardwork and dedication, and you don't only do things superbly, you also do it with great love & care. I hope we'll have the chance to do more projects soon. You're really amazing! God bless you :)

Nikka, Judalyn & the CSC, thank you for all your hardwork and dedication. Amazing jud kaayo mo to have staged something like this with oh-so limited time. Congratulations, and rest assured that you have my support and commitment for any projects that you'll have. God bless you :)

Bea, your talent, your leadership, your bright aura is very contagious. Thank you for making a positive difference in the lives of the performers, and everyone involved in the project. Stay as amazing as you are. God bless you :)

Trisha Rovin Gale, no, you don't have bad pictures and that is that! Haha. Bitaw, thank you for being you. You have touched my life without you knowing it. I will always and forever be here for you come what may. Yes, I mean that. God bless you :)

Malaya, is there anything that you can't do? Haha. You have it all, but more important than those skills and abilities is the passion that I see in you. May you continue to perform with that passion, and hope to share the stage with you soon. God bless you :)

Tara D., Chloe, and the rest of the 'Dream' dancers, the 'Challenges' dancers & the High School dancers, you are all such a joy to watch onstage. I've always believed that dance is a poem of which each movement is a word, and watching all of you - poetry in motion. My hats off to you. Continue sharing your talent to the world. God bless you :)

Cindee, so happy and proud to share the stage with you. You have so much to share to the world, don't hold it back. Thank you for the love, care, support and the really amazing pictures. God bless you :)

Tara M., the only thing that's more beautiful than your voice and face is your heart. You have touched my heart more than you know, and I am so much grateful to have shared the stage with you. Ato tong dayonon ang mga 'plans' because I'm very much excited to see your career and your life soar higher. God bless you :)

Maigi, I am so glad and proud to have shared the stage with you. I've seen how hard you've worked in perfecting your song, and it surely paid off. Hope that this will just be the start of your singing career. I'm a fan all the way. God bless you :)

Janiel & Bless, continue sharing your amazing talents to the world. It's really an honor to have shared the stage with you, and I hope and pray that I would be able to finally sing with you soon. God bless you :)

Nap & Audrey, you both have the confidence, and so much potential. Continue singing, but more importantly, open your ears and minds and absorb as much learnings as you can. As they say, the biggest room in the world is the room for improvement. I look forward to hearing you both sing again soon. God bless you :) 

Trisha Nichole, Magill, Robin, Glee Club & the rest of the singers, continue singing not because you have to, but because you love to. Continue touching the lives of many people through your music. Sing from your heart. I hope to have the honor of singing with you soon. God bless you :) 

Buhilaman, I am so happy to know that there are still people in the new generation who are passionate with theatre as we are. I look forward to your productions, and I will always be here if you need me. Keep the faith, you guys.. er.. girls, ROCK! God bless you :)

Deneb, thank you for making my job so much easier. I don't easily entrust the controls of the sounds to just anyone, but you gained my trust right away. Haha. Looking forward to doing more projects with you. God bless you :)

Sister Rosie and Ms. Sol, thank you for the trust and confidence. You are so blessed to have all these amazing women doing all of these for the school. I am so proud to be in their presence, and I will continue to be here if I'm needed. God bless you :)

Kitchie, thank you for sharing your beautiful music. An honor standing on the same ground (stage) as you. More power and more lives to touch. God bless you :)

I'm sorry if I wasn't able to mention each one of you by name. As long as you were a part of that special event, apil mo sa akong pasalamat, and I really hope & pray to get to know each one of you jud, be it another project *ahem, CSC* or just to hang out and bond.

Not bad for a concert with just 2 weeks to prepare from scratch. I am so proud of EVERYONE because you did not only share your talents and time, more importantly, you gave your HEARTS and that made all the difference.

In the 2 weeks that we were together, we did not only build champions, we also discovered each other, built a friendship that became a family and created a bond that will hopefully last forever

Building Champions

I find it quite amusing that I am in mixed emotions as I'm doing sooo many things for so many people, yet I still consider my life boring. Makes sense?

I'll take about my disappointments next time because right now, with a lot of things to do in less than 4 days, I want to think that I don't have time to think sad thoughts. Yeah right. As if I have full command over my emotions.

Before I wander off, let me just promote the something big I mentioned in my last post. It's actually just a concert which I'm directing. It's Building Champions, a concert for a cause with the best and the brightest talents of Saint Theresa's College - Cebu. Special guest is Kitchie Nadal. Yes, it's THE Kitchie Nadal.

It will be on November 26, 2011 (this coming Saturday, actually) at the STC Auditorium. Your Php 150 (per ticket) will go a long way to help the STC foundation Program and STC Community Involvement Program in support of their scholarship programs granted to our fellow theresians and to our partner communities. 

Under the spell of ‘Little Mermaid’

by Lea Salonga

Philippine Daily Inquirer

I brought Nicole out for a mommy-daughter date to the theater last Friday, the opening night of Atlantis Productions’ mounting of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” at the Meralco Theater.

All of us in the family have seen the Disney film on which the stage version was based. But we haven’t seen the stage production, so I jumped at this opportunity.

From the moment the music played (under the excellent musical direction of Ceejay Javier), we were magically transported to this kingdom under the sea.

The plot is similar to that of the movie, besides moments that would have been impossible to stage (there is no shark chase here, nor is there a gigantic Ursula).

New songs by composer Alan Menken and lyricist Glenn Slater (the same team behind “Tangled and Sister Act: The Musical”) were added, which seemed to blend seamlessly enough with the original tunes from the film.

This stage version stars Rachelle Ann Go as Ariel, Erik Santos as Prince Eric, Jinky Llamanzares as Ursula, OJ Mariano as Sebastian, Calvin Millado as King Triton, Ikey Canoy as Scuttle, Felix Rivera as Flotsam, Jamie Barcelon as Jetsam and Raymond Concepcion as Grimsby.

Add to that a mix of Atlantis, Repertory Philippines and Trumpets/Stages regulars with a few fresh faces, and you have a very strong, principal-player quality ensemble.

The way the show was orchestrated, I swore you heard far more than the number of players who were actually in the pit. The sound was rich, bright and full. Kudos, too, for the sound design team. There was only one crackle the entire night, and even then it wasn’t disturbing.

Inventive

The sets and costumes were beautiful and inventive. I loved the “Kiss the Girl” scene—where fireflies, frogs and large birds came alive, creating a colorful and romantic atmosphere. “Under the Sea” was one big calypso party, with neon creatures and sea plants. The silhouette puppetry deserved praise as well.

I couldn’t ask for anything more from the performers. From ensemble to principal, each one was completely committed to creating this beautiful world. But of course I have my standouts.

Llamanzares rocked my world with her mind-blowing vocal skills as Ursula. Each time she opened her mouth to sing, I got so gigil at just how amazing she was, not to mention the bigness in her personality to actually make those humongous and unwieldy costumes come to life. Ang sarap kayang hagisan ng sapatos sa sobrang galing.

Millado was more than sufficiently regal as the ruler of the seas; Rivera and Barcelon were a lovely electric eel team (they were so clear that even my 5-year-old knew what kind of creatures they were supposed to be); Canoy was a really funny and endearing Scuttle (he was also great in “The Kitchen Musical,” now showing on Studio 23 and AXN); and Concepcion was a very dignified Grimsby.

Mariano was fantastic as Sebastian, although his Caribbean accent found itself in Ireland and Scotland once in a while. Kudos to the six princesses, too, each for being so unique whether they were on land, or in the ocean. To the male ensemble, you were all muy macho.

Improved diction

Now, for the two artists making their musical theater debuts. Santos has vastly improved in his English diction. It is clear that for “Mermaid,” he put in a lot of hard work, which was beautifully on display here, especially when he sang. There is still room for improvement, but he has made great strides in the right direction. And yes, he actually can act, too!

As for Go, I don’t know that the superlatives in my vocabulary could cover just how wonderful I thought she was. Bundles of charm oozed from her, as well as an easy sense of humor and adventure. Her voice was also a great mix of that clean and pristine Disney sound, plus a deep pop sensibility that made this score (and her Ariel) accessible to everyone.

She was a perfect Ariel, and her portrayal will only continue to deepen and improve. She blew me away on opening night. Whatever management outfit, studio or record label is currently handling her needs to realize, if they haven’t already, just how big a treasure they have on their hands. Go is incredibly talented.

So run, drive, and yes, swim to “The Little Mermaid.” They have three more weekends at the Meralco Theater. If the standing ovation on opening night is any indication, they are in for a stellar run. Congratulations to the entire cast and crew, including co-directors Bobby Garcia and Chari Arespacochaga and choreographer Cecile Martinez. Break fins until December 11!

Source: http://entertainment.inquirer.net/22015/under-the-spell-of-%E2%80%98little-mermaid%E2%80%99

As I start my 31st year..

What can one say to a dream come true?

What can one say to have sung for you?

All these years have been a blessing to me,

all of you included, not to mention my family.

And to the people whose faith took me to higher places,

too many names, but I will always remember the faces.

You are all in my heart, in my soul you belong

Wherever God puts me, you're in every song.

Chasing time is what I'm all about

"Time, don't chase me" is my prayer, my shout.

I thank you all for the 30 awesome years

Songs, smiles, laughters and tears.

I will make a promise for you all today

I will sing for you forever, can't stop me, no way.

I'm chasing time! Catch me if you can..

Will I make it or not? It's all up to the MAN! 

Something BIG

So many things to do, so little time.

What else is new, right? I haven't had much time to rest the past month because of so many things to do, and I'll be getting much busier in the coming weeks until the end of the year, especially because I have a very big project coming up. I consider it a blessing that it came to me, and though I'm kinda stressed thinking about it, I think it will be the biggest challenge for my almost non-existent musical career. A lot is at stake, and even more people are depending on me. Yes, I'm very excited. I just hope I won't screw up.

I will hopefully be able to give more details the next time I'll have the.. er.. time, to update my fortress of solitude.

Are you a Reason, a Season, or a Lifetime?

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.
When you figure out which one it is,
you will know what to do for each person.

When someone is in your life for a REASON,
it is usually to meet a need you have expressed.
They have come to assist you through a difficulty;
to provide you with guidance and support;
to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually.
They may seem like a godsend, and they are.
They are there for the reason you need them to be.

Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time,
this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.
Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away.
Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.
What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled; their work is done.
The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

Some people come into your life for a SEASON,
because your turn has come to share, grow or learn.
They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh.
They may teach you something you have never done.
They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy.
Believe it. It is real. But only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons;
things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation.
Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person,
and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life.
It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

~ Unknown

Spark of Inspiration

I'm sorry if I haven't been blogging for the longest time. I didn't even blog about our play which is quite unusual because the play was a huge, huge success, and I wanted so much to talk about it. It's just that I became uninspired to write or blog again. The mind and the body was willing, the spirit was just not there - or it's there, but not what is used to be.

Yes, I'm back blogging again, at least for this entry, because I got a sort of spark of inspiration last night from an unexpected person, in the most unexpected event. I never expected anything from attending a debut last night. It was one of the very rare times when I was just a "normal guest" - no singing, no hosting, no behind-the-scenes job. For the first time in a long time, I was just one of the guests and I loved it.

What I didn't expect was that during the debutante's speech, I was one of the people she thanked, and even stopped in the middle of her speech to ask if I'm around and said "Hi" when people told her I was. I was really touched. She was just "one of the kids" when we formed CTC 7 years ago, and through the years, we never really kept in touch that much. Yes, that small thing of looking for me and including me in her speech made my day, it made my week. 

Thank you, Lace, for the spark of inspiration to write again, to blog again - at least for this entry. I hope to continue this, a sort of rebirth for my fortress.

To My 1832 Family

For those of you who know me, you know this is going to be LONG. For those who don't know me that well yet, I apologize as this will be quite LONG. As what I always do after every production, I'll open my heart to you..

Now that the curtains are down and the lights are off, I can finally tell you a secret: 

I've been sick and in pain for quite a while now, from rehearsals until the playdates. I've tried my best not to show it to you, but there were times when it became unbearable and some of you noticed it. For a lot of you who see me as 'Superman', I didn't want to show you my human side as much as possible. A lot of you were already making extreme sacrifices for the play, so I tried my best not to add to your burden. Now I can ask for your forgiveness for the times that I was useless and the times when I seemed 'not myself', which was most of the time.

The reason why I made my own "dressing room" during the last day was because I wanted to have a place where I could be alone and talk to Him because my body almost gave up already. He's really good as He gave me the strength to last the day, and though my body gave up after the last show, He still gave me enough strength to arrive home safely.

Special thank's to Ate Gio, Dawn, Algen, MyAngel and Macoy for seeing through my "brave" facade and staying with me for as long as they could.

Now on to the lighter side of things..

Les Mis opened in London in 1985, Broadway in 1987 and was first staged in Cebu in 1996. It was my first production outside of school, and it was the reason why I fell in love with musical theatre when I was in high school. 

A lot of different groups have been presenting their own interpretations of Les Mis through the years after 1996 (most of them concerts), but none in recent times, and I really felt that it was high time to reintroduce it to society, as well as introduce it to the new generation because for me, it's one of the greatest novels of the 19th century, and probably of all time, and it's a story that continually speaks to people today, an epic tale with great characters that people can relate to with a beautiful heart-wrenching, heart-felt score.

I dreamed that dream to do Les Mis again in Cebu, this time making it more faithful to the Broadway and West End productions with the limited resources available. I dreamed the dream, but it was all that I had. I needed people to help fulfill that dream, people that share my passion for the performing arts, diverse people who complement each other. I found those people - YOU.

YOU made this all possible.

YOU dreamed the dream and then YOU made it a reality.

Immaculate - The best decision I've EVER made with regards to CTC was to ask for your help, and you never even hesitated or stopped to think, you said YES right away. You're simply amazing. You are truly a real-life Supergirl. You have the biggest heart I know and your capacity to care and to love is just, wow! You are our ate, but you're also our mama because that's what you are. You give without expecting anything in return, you see through us even with our 'happy' faces, and you feel everything that we feel, sometimes even double the pain that we're experiencing. You are our light and our biggest pillar. I love you, Immaculate, so much! God bless you.

Dave - You remind me so much of myself, but a much, much improved version in all aspects. Haha. Thank you for being a little brother who can quickly transform into my kuya when the need arises. You will become 24601 - not 24607 - soon, I will be with you every step of the way. I love you bro! God bless you.

Radiana - From the cute girl that Rubi brought to the house, you've bloomed so beautifully into the multi-talented seasoned performer and director that you are now. I can never thank you enough for EVERYTHING. Thank you for fighting for and with me. Thank you for all your sacrifices, and for opening up your heart and letting us all in. Thank you for bringing out the best in everyone. I love you, Radiana, and as I will fight for you as you have for me. God bless you.

Rubi - Thank you for sticking with CTC and for staying by my side all these 6 years. Thank you for the sacrifices and the 'sosyal' touches that you did just to make our productions bongga. Haha. I hope CTC will still be here if and when you come back from the land of the long white cloud. Never ever forget to keep your feet on the ground wherever you go. Keep the faith, and keep the fire burning. God bless you.

Allan - Master, I can never thank you enough for sharing yourself to everyone. Our learnings from you we will never forget because you did not only teach our minds, you taught our hearts. Thank you for sharing your amazing talents as well. It is an extreme honor to have shared the character with you. Bow jud ko basta ikaw. God bless you.

Andrew - Your passion is contagious, thank you for rubbing it off to everyone. Thank you also for joining our crusade and for sharing yourself. On and off-stage, you're one amazing person I truly admire. God bless you.

Junrey - Thank you for the support, for the extra push and for sharing yourself to me, and to everyone. You've always been an amazing performer, and now you're on your way to become an amazing director. Continue sharing your God-given abilities. God bless you.

Tingge - More than a decade of friendship, a lot of wala'y klaro duets & recordings, we've finally performed on-stage the song we've practiced years ago outside the Yellow House. Haha. Thank you for sharing your beautiful heart. It's truly a blessing making beautiful music with you through the years. Love you, Tingge! God bless you.

Nicole - Thank you for sharing your talent and your heart. Thank you also for helping others develop their potentials. Keep up the excellent work, and looking forward to making more beautiful music with you. God bless you.

Mikko - Thank you for joining our crusade, and continue sharing your gifts. Take good care of your voice, and since you're already becoming in-demand, choose your gigs wisely. Remember that as much as you'd like to, you just can't say yes to everything. Thank you for the love and care, bro! God bless you.

Pot2x - Thank you for joining our journey, and for staying. Continue developing and sharing your talents. With your talent and your kind heart, you will surely go a long way in whatever field you'll want to pursue. Keep the faith. God bless you.

Peter - You are such an amazingly talented person. Continue sharing your gifts, and continue keeping your feet planted firmly on the ground. I hope that your parents see the happiness that you bring to others with your gift of music. Thank 

you for staying. God bless you.

Justine - Thank you for bringing out the best in me, and thank you for our heart-to-heart talks and texts. Looking forward to more bonding time with you soon. Continue sharing your talent to the world. Love you, Justine! God bless you.

TePau - Thank you for the never-ending inspiration and friendship. You have a lot of God-given gifts, never ever waste it. Continue performing not because you have to, but because you love to. The passion I saw in you in KH is still there in 1832. Keep the fire burning, and stay happy. I'll always be here come what may, a fan and a friend. Love you, TePau! God bless you.

Baby Insik - Is there anything that you can't do? Haha. Thank you for the smiles and laughters that you've given me, and thank you for your beautiful heart which you've shared with me. I'm always here as always. Love you, Insik! God bless you.

JJ - Thank you for sharing your most beautiful gifts of music and friendship to us, to me. Thank you also for the cathartic heart-to-heart talks, looking forward to more. I will be with you every step of the way until you fulfill that "dream" of yours that we talked about. I'm so proud and blessed to be a part of your life and to have shared the stage with you. I'll always be a fan and a friend. Love you, Joanna Jane! God bless you.

Fitz - It's an honor sharing the stage with you 2 years in a row. Thank you for sharing yourself and your talents, and for joining the crusade. I've always believed in you. God bless you.

Fritz & Warren - I never regret passing on that very special character to you because you did not only give it justice, you brought Thenardier to a whole different level. Thank you for taking care of that role. It's yours until we find someone else worthy to share it to. Thank you for the love and friendship. You guys are just amazing! God bless you.

Stella & RyZa - You pulled off one of the most difficult female roles in Les Mis in effortless fashion. You were so effective that you can alternately enter in one scene and the audience wouldn't even notice you're 2 different actors. Thank you for staying and for helping. God bless you.

Veralyn & Adi - You girls almost always make me cry every time I watch you perform. It is such a joy seeing your love for the performing arts at such an early age. Keep developing and sharing your talents, you both have the world to conquer. If you'll need me to guide you, I'll just be here always. I love you both! God bless you.

MyAnGel -  Thank you for always being there most especially during my down times, even when you were in down time yourself. Thank you for all our bonding moments and looking forward to more. I'll always be here for you as you are for me. Love you much! God bless you.

Atchick - You're one of the most helpful, respectful and friendliest person I know. Keep it up. You are very talented at such a young age. Never waste your God-given gifts, and continue developing it and sharing it to the world. Your family is lucky to have someone as caring and loving as you. God bless you.

Algen & Rina - Thank you for joining our crusade and for staying. I am happy to see your passion for performing, and how much you've matured as a performer from the auditions to our playdates. Keep it up. God bless you.

Manuel & Sly - Thank you for finding time to join our crusade even with your super hectic sked. It's really an honor sharing the stage with you for the 2nd time in 2 years. Thank you most especially for the care and for your big heart. God bless you.

Dawn - Thank you for the love, care and support. You're like a not-so-little brother to me and you remind a lot of myself. Keep the faith and continue the passion burning inside you. You have a heart full of love, follow it. God bless you.

Mariel, Anther, Mona & Adeth - The super teachers! Thank you so much for joining our crusade and for always finding time to insert 1832 into your busy lives. It's such a joy seeing your passion to perform and getting to share the stage with you. God bless you.

Gio - From officemate to friend, to a theatre colleague, it has been a real pleasure sharing my life with you. Thank you for all your help and thank you for finally joining CTC and 1832. Thank you for being a great ate not just to the group, but also to me. Haha. God bless you.

Macoy - It's such an honor to be graced by your mere presence, much more by your amazing assistance. Never thought I could meet someone who's more a Les Mis freak than I am. Haha. Looking forward to finally sharing the stage with you soon. God bless you.

Miming - I can't thank you enough for your invaluable support, much more for your very big heart. I'm hoping that you won't leave us, but I know it's for your own future so go, go with our memories tucked safely in your heart as you will always be in ours. I feel so blessed to have a friend like you, and though I may not say it, I love you very much, Miming! God bless you.

Gerald & Rio - Thank you both for your invaluable assistance. I hope to get to know you both more soon, say like, next production? ;) God bless you.

Franz - Thank you for all your assistance, and for being ever so supportive of Justine. God bless you.

Danj - Thank you for your amazing assistance. For the first time in my theatre life, I wouldn't have to worry about hand props because I know you've got it covered. Perfect match jud mo. Ayeee. Haha. God bless you.

Ami, Flor & Donna -  Thank you for coming in and saving us behind the scenes. Your experience and expertise has helped and has taught us a lot. God bless you.

Topher - Thank you for your sacrifices and for being so fast to pass on my instructions. Congrats on your newly-grown muscles. Haha. God bless you.

Katherine, Rica, Marky, Rian & Enzo - Thank you for finding time to help even with your hectic schedules. I really appreciate everything that you've done. God bless you.

Jaja & Frankie - Thank you so much for finding time despite your busy schedules. The shows wouldn't have been that smooth had not been for your assistance. God bless you.

Sir Rainier and the ANS CMC - You're one of the biggest reasons why the shows were successful. Thank you for adopting us into your humble room when we had nowhere to go to, and thank you for accepting us into your family. God bless you.

Special thank's to Wilma and Mikhz, pioneer CTC family members who've given their amazing support to the new family members and the new production. Love you both, Elizabeth and Mikhael! God bless you.

To those whom I failed to mention here, and to everyone else, my journey to 1832 became a memorable and worthwhile adventure because of you - THANK YOU!

When Gayle and I formed CTC in 2004, we wanted a theatre group that will be the closest thing to a family, and ever since the first batch (Anastasia) until the present batch (1832), I'm so proud that we've achieved that level. You guys have proven yourselves more than worthy, and I'm confident that even if I'll be gone right now, CTC will live on because of you.

I LOVE YOU SOOO MUCH, GUYS & I OWE YOU A LOT! :)

The laughters and the tears were all worth it because I got you all as BLESSINGS.

Si Papa God nalang bahala ug balos ninyo sa inyong tanan nga na-share diri kanako ug sa usa'g usa.

*hugz*

*lights off - - close curtain*

Bad and Very Bad News

It has been a while and I've been uber busy with the play coming very soon. And yes, the past week has been eventful, to say the least.

To cut the long story short, a close friend had her necklace snatched from her and I wasn't able to do anything but hug her only because I didn't want to leave her, and I thought (I still think) that she's way more important than any material thing, and it was in the middle of an unsafe trip at almost midnight. Yes, I think she's blaming me (even if she says she's not) but what can I do, she's just more important than a silver necklace.

Second event this week is the death of a cast mate's father. Her father had been bedridden already for a year since he got a stroke, so even if it's so sad, the family was somewhat already prepared for the inevitable. As the eldest (she just turned 18), I truly admire her strength.

Now on a lighter and happier note, we were able to perform publicly for the first time last weekend as a promotion for our musical, and we were also featured on TV with my short interview. It was somewhat impromptu, and I didn't think it will come out okay, but it did thank's much to the amazing Rachelle Dangin of ABS-CBN Cebu.

Two weeks more before our play, and I am not at all pressured production-wise because I know we're all gonna be doing our best. What I'm kinda worried about is the marketing. Now everyone has been doing a superb job with the marketing and all, it's just that the Cebuanos are really not that educated yet with things like these. It's sad but I'm not losing hope. We will continue doing our best, and with all the bad and very bad news the past weeks, I'm sure a ray of light, a bunch good news are coming our way soon.

Love is never blind ♥

There was a blind girl who was filled with animosity and despised the world. She didn't have many friends, just a boyfriend who loved her deeply, like no one else. She always used to say that she'd marry him if she could see him.

One day, someone donated her a pair of eyes.

And that's when she finally saw her boyfriend. She was astonished to see that her boyfriend was blind. He told her, "You can see me now, can we get married?" She replied, "And do what? We'd never be happy. I have my eye sight now, but you're still blind. It won't work out, I'm sorry."

With a tear in his eye and a smile on his face, he meekly said, "I understand. I just want you to always be happy. Take care of yourself, and my eyes."

I'm Back.. I Think :)

After almost 2 months of sorta ignoring this blog, I'm back. Well, kinda. Haha. I lost the last challenge I started and I haven't been around here for ages because I became so busy preparing for our play. Yes, you heard (or read) it right: We will finally have our play next month.

I still have a lot to say but I'm sick and sleepy here at the office so I will reserve it for another time. It's nice to be back though.

Day 17: A photo that makes you want to cry.

This is not a photo but a video that makes me cry every time I watch it.

Day 16: A photo that makes you smile.

Day 15: What you would if you were pregnant or got someone pregnant.

I already answered this in a previous post around 3 months ago, and since then, I don't have another answer. I'm still sticking with what I said the last time. ;)

Day 14: Something you love about yourself.

Something I love about myself is that when I love someone or something, I really give my all. Through the years, I've become more frank and brutally honest, sometimes bordering on being fearless, so I've come to a point where I can really give my all without thinking of anything else. Careless? Maybe, yes.

Day 13: Your least favorite female group.

I don't really hate them, or least like them, but since this is a challenge, I got to say Atomic Kitten. And that's just from top of my head. I'm sure there are a lot worst groups out there as there are really a LOT of them, but listening to one of Atomic Kitten's songs earlier, I'm choosing them as my least favorite female group, at least for now.

And no, I'm not going to post any song here. Haha! 

Day 12: Your favorite female group.

My all-time favorite female group is The Spice Girls. They remind me of my college life, but more importantly, they've got very beautiful songs.

Day 11: A letter to one of your exes.

Dear Ex,

I'm sorry it didn't work out, and thank you for everything - the good and the bad. I wouldn't be as happy as I am now if not for you, and I assume that you won't be as happy as you are now if not for me. We grew up because of each other, and that's one good thing that came out from our past.

Stay happy.

Your friend,

Kal

Day 9: Your definition of love.

This is not my own definition, but this is a definition I read somewhere, a long time ago, and perfectly summarizes what I've always believed about love..

Love can see more and it's willing to see less ♥

Day 8: Something you hate about yourself.

I already blogged about this in a previous challenge, and yes, until now I still hate myself for being undisciplined, and yes, I'm still too lazy to do anything about being obese.

*sigh*

Day 7: Your crush.

Crush is too shallow. Haha! Joke!

I do have girls in mind who I find beautiful inside-out. The physical beauty is the one that makes me look at a girl more than once, but it's the inside that will really attract me to someone. That goes to say that the attitude and the outlook of a girl is far more fascinating to me than external beauty.

One girl that fits that description is someone I met in theatre. She came as a last minute replacement of a dancer who quit less than a week before the big night. The new girl came in 5 days before the show and perfected all the dances in no time. Yes, she was that good! But what fascinated me with her was that she'so humble, down to earth and cheerful. And I discovered recently that she also has a very beautiful voice. Physically, she's very beautiful and sexy too.

 You can say that she's perfect, someone that any guy would be attracted to.

Day 6: A song that makes you cry.

I answered this with a previous challenge last year, and I still have the same answer today. It's still Crystal Shawanda's 'You Can Let Go'. Just beautiful and heartbreaking.

Day 5: A photo of something you really hate.

I got this photo from Google (which got it from Tumblr), something I really hate. And since we're talking about drugs, let me just say that I just can't understand why a lot of people take it. Okay, I'm just going to leave it at that. *sigh*

Day 4: About your family.

My family is far from perfect, and a lot of times we disagree on a lot of thing, but at the end of the day, when all is said and done, we can only depend and trust our lives on and with each other. My parents didn't have an easy life, but they did all they can to make sure I won't experience the difficulties that they've encountered. I am very much thankful for that, and I'm now trying my best to make sure my daughter will have a better life than what I had, and here's hoping that she'll never have to experience the hurts that I went through. That's wishful thinking but I will protect her as long as I can.

Day 3: About your friends.

What about my friends?

I consider myself a friend to everyone, but I'm really close to a selected few. And just because I don't really understand the topic because it's too broad, I'm just going to post a beautiful song about friendship by Michael W. Smith. I was introduced to the song a long time ago when I was one of the critics of the play, Friends Forever.

This song is dedicated to everyone who considers me a friend.

Day 2: The meaning behind your name.

Which name?

My real name is also my father's name that's why mine has a II at the end. My parents said they chose II since Jr. is more common.

My father said that they chose my nickname as such because although it's common, it's also quite unique. He said he also likes that name because according to him, it's what most Americans address their sons. You see, my parents, most especially my father, have had this American dream forever.

Day 1: 5 interesting facts about yourself.

First day of the new challenge, and I'm already challenged. This is a difficult topic. I've never considered myself interesting, so I have to think really hard about this and put my modesty aside, at least just for this topic. :)

Okay, these will just be random facts since I haven't really thought about this at all.

1. I was once an athlete. I may look like a contestant from The Biggest Loser, but I was not always like this. I once flew high on the basketball court.

2. I don't drink beer, wine, liquor, even Cali. The closest drink to alcohol that I like is Rootbeer. It's a personal decision, just like not smoking.

3. Martin Nievera is my greatest musical influence.

4. My greatest dream role is the Beast in Beauty and the Beast.

5. I was a member of our school's dance group, even before I started singing solo.

New 30-Day Challenge

Since I will be going back to the morning shift starting tomorrow, might as well as start another 30-day challenge. I feel that I would be able to do a lot of things in a busy shift rather than a boring shift so yeah, hope to finish the next 30 posts in 30 days.

New 30-Day Challenge

Day 1: 5 interesting facts about yourself.

Day 2: The meaning behind your name.

Day 3: About your friends.

Day 4: About your family.

Day 5: A photo of something you really hate.

Day 6: A song that makes you cry.

Day 7: Your crush.

Day 8: Something you hate about yourself.

Day 9: Your definition of love.

Day 10: Your best friend.

Day 11: A letter to one of your exes.

Day 12: Your favorite female group.

Day 13: Your least favorite female group.

Day 14: Something you love about yourself.

Day 15: What you would if you were pregnant or got someone pregnant.

Day 16: A photo that makes you smile.

Day 17: A photo that makes you want to cry.

Day 18: A letter to someone you miss.

Day 19: A habit you wish you didn’t have.

Day 20: A letter to your parents.

Day 21: Short goals you wish to fulfill by the end of the month.

Day 22: Your nicknames & why you have them.

Day 23: What you would find in your bag.

Day 24: A song that makes you smile.

Day 25: How you found out about blogger & why you made one.

Day 26: First 10 songs to play on shuffle on your iPod.

Day 27: Your fashion style.

Day 28: What attracts you to someone.

Day 29: Future plans/goals.

Day 30: Who are you?

Shaq Retires

Thank you, Big Diesel, for an amazing 19 years in the NBA. You truly redefined the definition of BIG in basketball. One of the greatest players of all-time, a class act on and off the court.

Stupidity

Taking stupidity to a whole new level

To Go (Back) or Not To Go?

I have started to take the first steps in hopefully going back to the academe. I've always been an educator, even when I'm already in the BPO industry, I've always considered myself as such. There is a possibility though that if I can go back to the academe soon, it will not be in the city where I am now, but somewhere in the nearby cities and/or towns. If that happens, I'll just be going home during weekends, which is difficult for me. One, our production is coming soon, and we'll be having the 3x a week rehearsals, and second and the most important reason is that I am so not used to being away from my daughter. I know I'm busy a lot of times, and once classes start, she'll also be busy, but at least we'll be reading, studying and do a lot of things together, under the same roof.

Sacrifices will have to be made if I really want to go back to the academe, but as long as the timing is right, I am willing to make those sacrifices.

Tumblr or Blogger?

It hasn't been too long since I tried Tumblr and I enjoyed it a lot for a week. Now I'm thinking of deleting my Tumblr account. I know a lot of people using it, and I enjoyed it the first time I tried it. I had the same realization as Dan, I just realized recently that Tumblr is not really built for what I am trying to do (create content vs. redistribute it).

I'm more comfortable letting out my feelings through my blog, and Blogspot (yeah, I know it's Blogger now) is just right for me, nothing fancy, just allowing me to express myself. Tumblr is more of a social networking site than a blog site. 

Don't get me wrong, I still like Tumblr, it's just not right for me, what I need, and what I want to do. Right now, I'm still contemplating if I'll delete my Tumblr account, or just leave it alone with all my posts.

Lebron & the Heat Torches the Bulls

So much has been said about the Miami Heat, but they've proved wrong all haters and doubters by coming from behind and defeating the Chicago Bulls earlier. The Bulls were still ahead by 12 points with 3 minutes left in the game, and while a lot of people thought it was over, my idols King James and D-Wade took over. I wasn't able to control my tears when the Heat finally tied and took the lead courtesy of King James. I'm glad I stuck with Lebron when a lot of people said he was overrated and couldn't even carry his team in the clutch. Now if you followed the playoffs this year, you know that those haters are now eating their words.

The Heat will face Dallas in the NBA Finals starting Wednesday, June 1, 2011 (Philippine time).

And do you know what Chicago Bulls legend Scottie Pippen said about Lebron James after personally witnessing all 5 games of the recently-concluded Eastern Conference Finals?

"Michael Jordan is probably the greatest scorer to play the game, but I may go as far as to say LeBron James may be the greatest player to ever play the game because he is so potent offensively that not only can he score at will but he keeps everybody involved. You have to be on your Ps and Qs on defense. No guy on the basketball court is not a threat to score with LeBron James out there. Not only will LeBron dominate from the offensive end as well, but he’s also doing it on the defensive end which really makes him the complete package. He’s able to get in those passing lanes, shoot those gaps and create transition opportunities where he is pretty much unstoppable."

Many people will definitely react to that, but hey, he's entitled to his own opinion, and I'm entitled to agree to his opinion. Besides, he played with MJ and he's just witnessed how LBJ shut down the Bulls MVP this year, D-Rose, so Pip definitely knows what he's talking about.

Disappointed Daughter

My cousin and his girlfriend posted an invitation on my daughter's Facebook wall inviting her to their child's first birthday party. My daughter was so excited that she marked our calendar. 

Fast forward to the day, my daughter and her mom went to the venue only to find it deserted. The only person who was there said my cousin wasn't home, period. There was no notice if the party was cancelled or transferred. It was raining hard so disappointed, they walked home. My daughter cried so hard because rarely does she attend parties, and this was one party she was so looking forward to. My heart was in pieces. As my tita once said, "Their hurts are a thousandfold to us.."

I was so disappointed and mad. Then a couple of hours ago, the girlfriend of my cousin posted on Facebook that the party just ended, and told me that the venue was changed and that they sent me a text message supposedly informing me about that. Nice try. Lame excuse. In this age of technology, there's just no reason NOT to be able to contact anyone. If they did text me (which I doubt if they remembered me over all their more important friends), I didn't receive it. My 3 phones are on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I am also online on Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo Messenger, Google Talk and MSN Messenger for at least 12 hours a day.

If only I could shield my daughter from the harshness of the world forever. 

*sigh*

If only.

Time to pay respect to James, Wade and Bosh

This is so well-written that I was in tears reading this so I just had to repost it. Shaun Powell is just an amazing writer.

MIAMI -- An NBA championship was not won last night. It only felt like it, looked like it and seemed like it at American Airlines Arena, where there was a changing of the guard. And the small forward.

It was too much Dwyane Wade at the start against the Celtics, and definitely too much LeBron James at the finish, and a whole lot of emotion when the Heat assured that the East will send a new face to the NBA Finals next month.

LeBron, in particular, was misty-eyed moments after he brought the Celtics to tears, scoring the final 10 points of Game 5 in a blizzard of 3-point shots, a steal and a driving layup. This was his series, because  he crumbled against these very same Celtics a year ago as a member of the Cavaliers, and watched his brand collapse as well. And this was his game, seized by the finest three minutes of his basketball life.

So he closed his eyes and knelt at midcourt, overcome by a beating heart and a lumpy throat. Then he took a hug from Celtics coach Doc Rivers and finally, a tight embrace from Wade, who had to be fished out from the crowd, where he was swallowed up after chasing a loose ball at the buzzer.

What was churning inside LeBron's headband?

"Everything," he said. "Everything that happened this summer, the decision to come down to this team. All the backlash I got from it. It is not about the individual. I am happy we got through it as a team. It was just very emotional at that point."

How emotional? Enough for LeBron to give a "my bad" -- officially, regretfully and dare we say, honestly -- for arriving here, to this point, in the manner in which he did.

"I apologize for the way it happened. (Pause.) But I knew this opportunity was once in a lifetime, in order for me to move on in my career, to be able to come down here to this organization."

Well. That may not be enough for Cleveland to re-raise the "Witness" billboard. But strictly from a basketball standpoint, we did witness a new beginning for LeBron (endearing, maybe?) and the team he helped make. Respect must be paid, even if grudgingly so by the haters, for the way LeBron, Wade and Chris Bosh have figured it out, seven months later. They opened the season by losing to the Celtics, sputtered to a 9-8 start, endured constant abuse and scorn, and now just erased the Celtics in five to become a real threat to keep ticking folks off.

"Those three guys are tough," said Rivers. "Those two guys are monsters. When they're making their jump shots, they're tough to beat."

Some perspective here: Miami is only halfway through the LeBron Buffet -- the Sixers were breakfast, the Celtics lunch -- but for a few moments last night, the belly was full because it contained the corpse of the Celtics. Yes, it's true Boston winged it with a one-armed Rajon Rondo. And the Celtics had only three starters on the floor in the final, crucial moments.

But beating the dominant team in the East of the last three years was symbolic, if nothing else. It was an important and necessary step for the Heat, to earn this gold star, to get confirmation that they are worthy of representing the East in the NBA Finals. Even if nobody outside of Miami seems to want them to.

All you had to see was Wade scoring 23 points in the first half and LeBron going bananas after an 87-all tie. There were 34 points and 10 rebounds from Wade, 33 points from LeBron. The Celtics were tagged by the finest tag-team going, and these two players will most assuredly make the Heat the favorite to grab the trophy here in a new NBA world where the Celtics, Lakers and Spurs, the proud old guard, no longer reside.

Wade: "The things we went through over the summer, the summer of LeBron, the Boston Celtics were on our minds."

LeBron: "That was the team I wanted to get over the hump against."

So it's Miami to the East finals, the team formed with the purpose of winning a championship, now with a chance to win one -- or at least the conference title. Although, given their star power, would you rule against the Heat winning the whole shebang at this point, despite their obvious flaws (center, point guard, depth)?

The Heat may never be the people's champion, but even their perceived hatred can and should only go so far. They're the most intriguing team alive, if not the most closely followed. We turn the floor over to Rivers, who couldn't have said it better:

"I've never seen a team more criticized in my life, and a guy, LeBron, criticized for doing what was legal," Rivers said. "He didn't break a law, and he didn't do anything wrong. The preseason parade may have been a little much, but other than that?

"I just told him good luck and keep going. He was very emotional, and good for him. I don't think you can play this sport and be a winner without emotion. For me, it was good to see.

"I didn't like (the criticism) because I thought it helped them. They got booed for everything. I said it all year that I wished (the media) would leave them alone, because it allowed them to go through something and prepare for the playoffs."

And here they are. So deal with it. Because the Heat certainly have.

By Shaun Powell

http://www.nba.com/2011/news/features/shaun_powell/05/12/celtics-heat-game-5/index.html