The BWS Experience

And so it happened...

Finally, I was able to attend a Byeon Woo-seok fanmeet!

Last year was such a letdown because I failed to secure tickets, but yes, this year sumakses tayo ;) I think Dunkin' announced the fanmeet around May. I knew I had to get tix, by hook or by crook. This ahjumma,  who used to dismiss fanmeets as a waste of money (because it costs as much as a concert and would last only for an hour or so), was willing to spend 7500 for SVIP tickets. Well, that was when I thought there was a meet & greet/hi-bye session. When I found out that there was none of that, okay na ako sa VIP or Patron. 

There were three of us planning to watch- me, my friend AS and cousin M. Feeling ko napilitan lang si AS to watch para samahan ako, to which I am very thankful. When I told M about the fanmeet, super game naman siya. When the mechanics on how to get tickets came out, M and I planned on going to the venue early so we'll be able to surely secure tickets. Ticket selling starts at 6am on July 5. We planned on being there at 5am. Feeling ko pa na ang aga-aga ko na niyan... but, boy, was I wrong. 

A week before ticket selling, I was invited to AS's niece's birthday party. She asked me what my plans were and I told her that M and I were planning to going at 5am on the day itself. Sabi niya sa akin, "Ano ka ba? Wala ka nang maabutan niyan! Yung iba nagca-camp na." Natulala ako bigla. Nag-iisip na kung gagawin ko ba 'yun? GAGAWIN KO BA 'YUN??? (Oo, ginawa ko)

AS said she'll accompany me to "camp" so we could secure tickets. Plan was I will "overnight" in their house and we will be at Dunkin' Sheridan at 12 midnight. With AS's sleuthing powers, she found GCs that were talking about their plans on camping for the ticket selling. Original venue we wanted to go to was their Sheridan branch because it's the newest and biggest and I assume maganda at malinis ang CR. May mga ganun pa akong considerations, diba? So anyway, as early as July 3 in the afternoon, there were people already there. In the GC, para walang dayaan in the unofficial queueing, you had to send your photo in the store with a timestamp of the time and location every three hours. EVERY. THREE. HOURS. Which means that if you don't live nearby, you had to stay there. Around July 4 PM, less than 5 pa naman sila so no need to worry pa. Dumadami na sila by nighttime and at around July 5 around noon, there were already 50 of them.

I left home at around 230pm July 4. Planned to pass by Dunkin' Pasig (our back-up branch in case masyado nang maraming tao sa Sheridan), then pass by the Sheridan branch just to see what's the ganap, then to AS's house where we would be killing time before leaving at 12mn. 

Arrived at Dunkin' Pasig at around 3:30pm. The volunteer fan was sitting at the first table. I asked about the queue and she gave me two numbers. Their queueing system in Pasig was, aside from your number, you had to post a selfie in the store every three hours. So makakaalis pa ba ako? That was when, my friends, I decided to stay there. I mean, andun na ako plus I really wanted these tickets, diba? But, still I couldn't believe what I was doing at that time. Napapailing talaga ako. OMG Byeon Woo-seok, look what you made me do? LOL. 

AS arrived at 9pm. I think the official queue started at around 11pm. So we spent the night sitting on monobloc chairs, on the sidewalk of Pasig, under a tent. Buti na lang hindi umulan. Overnight, I think I only got around 45 mins of sleep. Ang sakit ng katawan ko. 

The process was slow cos they started making people write on that paper na hindi ko naman alam kung anong silbi dahil marami pa rin namang scalpers ang nakakuha ng tickets and wala namang nag-check ng ID upon entry (kasi ano naman iche-check nila?) at 6am. They could have done that earlier para at 6 sharp, puede na pumasok yung una. Well, we were done naman na by 7:30am. We got lower box tickets. I wanted Patron sana, but oh well wala na so ano gagawin ko? Still, I was happy that we were able to secure tickets already. Pasok na sa banga, in other words ;) 

official queue numbers

the loot

After two weeks of wait, it's D-DAY. At may bagyo, bow. M and I agreed to meet in Gateway at 3pm. Sabi niya hindi ba masyadong maaga? I said, I will be there at 3pm. She can meet me later when she arrives. Punta na lang din daw siya nang maaga :) You see, I live in a flood-prone area and since it has been raining incessantly, I had to leave before the area gets flooded. At this point, I don't care if I won't be able to come home after after the event. What's important is that I get to the event. Crazy, diba? LOL. I mean, I can sleep at my cousin's house or I can always book a room somewhere in Araneta. Mapupunta sa wala yung pinila ko overnight? Sorry, NO. 

So I was there. Had very early dinner and coffee. Got our banners. Walang nakuha na freebies from other fans :( Went inside and got our tote bags, etc. And come 7pm...

Araneta was packed

in fair, hindi naman siya ga-langgam kalaki from
where we were

Sunjaeyaaaaa!

for a big dude, he looks so adorable

adorable

super adorable!

but of course, the highlight-
BWS singing

He sang three songs all from Lovely Runner's OST! And super happy that I Think I Did was included ☺

Three days after, I am still basking in the euphoric experience of seeing (albeit from afar) and hearing him sing live. Estoy feliz. Y agradecida. I hope there's a next time. 

P.S. I liked how the emcee hosted the show. I have nothing against Kring Kim (I actually watch her podcasts) but I didn't like how she hosted BWS's fanmeet last year. 

oh danny boy

that was frickin' awesome.

the thrifted comic books en español.
the caramel macchiato with additional caramel drizzle.
the glazed krispy kreme donut c/o ycel.
the concert.
man, especially the concert.

but the concert would have been more awesome had i come prepared. i'm a fan alright but i only know the words to my favorite songs and usually i prepare before i go to concerts but this time around i was busy and my sister's hogging the my internet connection. excuses, excuses. i know, i am not proud of this. i felt like a fake just swaying lamely and screaming my lungs out. when all else fails, just scream your lungs out. and now it feels like i wasted an opportunity. oh well.

source: @thescript twitter page

but still that was frickin' fantastic! the script was awesome and i think they genuinely enjoyed the crowd. the energy was consistent and their live performances sound so much like their studio-recorded ones. i like the band for their songs and lyrics and i never really got into the personalities in the band but tonight, man, danny was hot in that striped shirt. loose, by the way. who else would look hot in loose, striped shirt and mc hammer-ish pants but him. okay, i might be biased but still... ¡ay papi! at nambola pa. they said manila crowd (at least those who were in front) was the best-looking audience they had. yeah right. if i know they say that in all of their concerts.


still nursing a thescript hangover. can't sleep yet.
thanks lola for the upgrade and most especially, the company ;)

Finally

To be without some of the things you want is an indispensable part of happiness., originally uploaded by i.anton.

...some peace and quiet.

My aunt and her kids stayed here for a little over a month. I am not complaining since I kinda enjoyed tormenting Tooki aka Tuks aka Tukling. However, I missed the solitude and the quietness of every morning... like RIGHT NOW.

T-party 2008

Christmas season is also the season for having reunion with friends. Reconciling dates with friends on when to meet is challenging. Almost everyone has a reunion or christmas party to attend.

Last Saturday, I met with Aissa, Juno and Christmas. Wala ang haciendera, wala si Jo. Binibilang ang pera niya sa Masbate. And Ycel had her company xmas party. It was T-party all over again. Spending time with the girls was fun and I really wish I could do it more often than once a year. Well, we do meet but it was like we were never complete.

So what was last Saturday's T-party like? Very much the same. Although I still can't decide whether we're harsher or nicer. Over lunch (or merienda) at A Veneto, topics jumped from T-partying to Gossip Girl to college professors... just about everything under the sun. We dissect things. Analyze movies and tv series. Justify our shared enmity towards certain people and non-people. That was one, looooooong lunch. Buti na lang we ordered bottomless drinks, nasulit. Haha.

After lunch, Aissa treated us to coffee to celebrate her birthday and for passing the bar exams. [It still is hard to believe that my friend IS a lawyer. And I'm glad that fact hasn't gone to her head, unlike other people I know. And Juno will also be one, soon! ] In our search for the lesser-populated Starbucks, we were distracted by the big Office Warehouse sign. We went in and got sucked into the office supplies vortex. I thought I was the only one addicted to ballpens, punchers, scissors and office supplies. As it turns out, all my friends are addicted to office supplies as well. I like that. We were like office-supplies-geeks. Anyway, is it weird or is it weird that even if there were 3 Starbucks in Trinoma, it was still difficult to get a seat? We ended up sipping our coffee de pie. After coffee, we decided to call it a day and head home, ahead of the rest of the population in the mall.

Aside from the effy traffic on my way to IC in the morning, it was an absobloodylutely perfect day!

bbg is happy

...because I have a scanner, finally. As a Christmas gift given in advance by my mother. At first, I hesitated since Christmas is still 60+ days away and I would have to share it with her internet café. But then I remembered that my mother doesn't really give us Christmas presents... so I took advantage of the opportunity since I've wanted a scanner since 2006. So here I am, a magazine-scanning junkie. I might need therapy for this.

Sawasdee Ka

I originally wanted to write a lengthy, blow-by-blow account of my Thailand trip but I am super lazy to do so. I enjoyed the trip but every time I try to put the experience into words, tinatamad na ako. Maybe because the memories aren't as fresh anymore. It's been a week since we arrived from Bangkok. I miss Bangkok. I miss tom yum.

Bangkok is actually very similar to Manila. Only, Bangkok has way better infrastructures. They have an efficient BTS and they're constructing an MTR which will go all the way to their HUMONGOUS airport. They have wide streets and wide sidewalks. Almost everywhere you go, you could feel the presence of their king and queen as their pictures are everywhere and I mean EVERYWHERE. Well, if your king and queen do everything to make things better for their country, why not? Dao, our guide, even said, "Before, Thailand used to study how to produce rice from the Philippines, now the Philippines buy rice from us." Tagos sa laman. Parang napag-iiwanan na ang Pilipinas. Huwag naman sana.

I loved everything about Thailand! The hotel where we stayed in (PJ Watergate) is very near the Pratunam tiangge. Shopping's great although it is actually a bit depressing for fatty girls like me. Most clothes come in one size- "free size"- that doesn't actually freely fit everyone. And since almost everyone in Thailand seems anorexic-thin, it was hard to find stuff that comes in my size. There's this one word that we kept hearing over and over during our entire trip that we have incorporated it in our daily lives as well and that word is kenat. Also known as cannot. Every time my sister asks they have a specific style in my size, the answer is "kenat." When asked if we can fit the clothes. Kenat. When asked if we buy "many- many," will they give us discount? Kenat. We're going to buy a dozen of bags, will they help us bring the stuff to the taxi bay? Kenat. Eh, ano na lang puede?

Malls in Bangkok are HUMONGOUS. Almost all the malls I've been to are as big as Megamall. Even high-end malls are big. This made my sister and I assume that there are a lot of rich people in Thailand. Despite the gargantuan sizes of their malls, I still prefer our malls here in Manila. And if the price of stuff are cheap in the Pratunam area, inside the malls they cost ten times that. In the malls, the average price of clothes (a simple t-shirt) is 1,000baht. Mahal. Babalik na lang ako sa Pratunam. And that was one thing I oh so regret. While in Pratunam, I was too stingy and refused to buy anything above 200baht. I came across this very, very nice blouse that costs 500baht, but since it is twice my allotted budget per article of clothing, I decided to think it over. But due to time constraints, we weren't able to go back to the area and now I know that I really, really like it. Sayang. And I had a lot of moments just like that. I was able to buy only 3 shirts for myself. But I just would like the share that I was able to buy 3 Wacoal bras for 1,000baht. What a steal! And even just for those 3 bras, I'm already happy.

My most favorite (most na nga, favorite pa... sobrang gusto ko nga ito) bit of Bangkok is the... FOOD. Ever since my sisters brought back those spicy dilis, sampaloc and instant tom yum noodles a few years back, I knew I had to go to Thailand. My sister and I were trying to figure out how to order bagoong fried rice but gave up since we don't know what bagoong is in Thai. I had tom yum soup almost every meal. Except breakfast, since breakfast's served in our hotel and paradoxically, they served American breakfast.

Aside from the fact that Thai cuisine is scrumptious, it is also cheap. An order of (authentic!) tom yum soup, which serves 4 persons, only costs 80baht. A value meal only costs 40baht. Large pa ang drink sa lagay na yan ;) And amazingly, in a country where delicious food is EVERYWHERE, the people have remained super slim. All I can say is Thailand is food trip heaven!

This was a first for me: first time to travel to another country and I bloody loved it! This way, I could see how other societies live and compare it to how we Filipinos live. Being able to visit Thailand was a great experience for me although it also made me feel how much left behind we are. I hope that there would be already that someone who would make a change and help the country get out from its comatose. If given another opportunity to visit Thailand, I would go in a heartbeat. I have yet to see the Floating Market and The Elephant Show (but did see a real, live elephant roaming the streets of Pratunam). And I would love to try more of their cuisine.

under the sea

Family day for two consecutive days.

For Saturday, we went to the Manor Hotel to attend my uncle's Thanksgiving mass for the success of their fundraising concert. Originally, the plan was to have the mass at 4pm. So I made plans for myself while I wait until 4pm since my class ends at 12pm. My plan was to eat lunch then watch Mamma Mia! to kill time. But my uncle wanted to see the Oceanarium so we had to meet at 1pm instead.

The line at the Oceanarium was loooong. Considering that there was only one ticket booth... talagang aabutin ka ng siyam-siyam. We waited for like eons just to get the ticket. After securing the tickets, we decided to go back to the Manor first, have the mass then go back to the Oceanarium so we won't have to rush and waste P400 just like that. And did I mention that it was free?
We had so much fun. We took pictures like there was no tomorrow! Actually, sayang kasi hindi na-charge yung camera ni Becky Balyus (BB). We had to settle with our 3MP camphone and ancient digicam. AB had her 8MP digicam but surprisingly, our humble 3MP cameras took better pictures. BB said we had to go back so we could take pictures with her big cam. I said I would go only if she'll treat me :P

Nyarks!

I was actually hesitant to take a video of the sharks for fear that I might drop my yet-unpaid phone into the water or I might fall in the shark-infested pool. Well, yeah, I must be really stupid to do both but I tend to imagine the worst-case scenario.

Pagi...

The tunnel was amazing. But I think it was mommy who enjoyed it so much. I just wish that the tunnel was longer. And I hope that there were more fishes.

It was quite an experience but I don't know if I'll go back for a second time. Maybe, maybe not. I just noticed the Oceanarium isn't well-maintained. Some aquariums didn't contain the kind of fish that was described and pictured on the description. There were aquariums already showing signs of non-maintenance due to the presence of lumot (moss). I just wish that the people in-charge of this will take good (actually dapat BEST) care of the fishes there. For the amount they're charging per person, they don't have any excuse to neglect the place. Plus, they should keep it nice, clean and in tip-top condition so people would want to come back.

As we reached the huge aquarium full of pampano... we imagined what would be the scenario had daddy came with us...
Kami: Wow! Ang ganda! Ang lalaki ng isda!
Daddy: Wow! Ulam!
Hahahahaha!

Sunday, mommy had her extension blessed my uncle. Then we had lunch at Han Pao. Supposedly, it was turn to treat everyone for lunch but since we had visitors and mommy had her "blessing," trade kami. Nyahaha! Next week pa ako.

What do you do with a BA in English?

Well, more of a BS in Legal Management...


Five years after, the answer is.... I still don't frickin' know. But that is not what I'm here to write about. The civil service exam results were strategically released just before the last two days of Avenue Q's farewell run. Translation: AC took me to see the musical cum puppet show. And I LOVED IT! The Filipino cast was great!

A few months ago, I was totally clueless as to what Avenue Q was. I also remember AB asking me whether I would like to watch but I passed up since I don't what it was exactly. The soundtrack was in AD's laptop but I didn't bother to listen since, again, I don't know what it was. One day I was scanning AD's playlist and I came across this song I Wish I Could Go Back to College. And I thought, "perfect song to describe what I was feeling that day (and today)." So I listened to all the other songs from the musical and found out that it was about issues that twenty-somethings, fresh out of college kids deal with. Well, I'm not exactly fresh out of college... but I could relate. A LOT.

Avenue Q- It sucks to be me


Avenue Q- I wish I could go back to college


Two songs from the musical that hits the spot. Yup, it sucks to be me and I really wanna go back to college. But here is the song that made me feel better...

Avenue Q- For Now

Everything's only for now.

And it's never too late for anything.

348263695

I passed the civil service exams!
yehey!!!

I am so so so happy! It was as if I won an award... siempre, I thank God for this very wonderful news. Imagine, I had almost no preparations for this exam. Two days before, I just answered some college entrance and civil service practice tests and after doing so, I was still so so so clueless as to what the test would be like. I am this happy because the exam was hard. I never thought it would be that hard... but it was, hence the doubt as to whether I would pass. But I did! Yayyyyyyyyyyy!!! It felt great. Sobra! Ano pa kaya kung sa bar/board ka pumasa?

At long last, I did it! I took and passed the civil service exams. Masaya na daddy ko niyan. And he would also stop "reminding" me to take the civil service, with matching drama. Hehehe. At least menos na itong issue na 'to... among others. :P

Oh Yeah, Baby!

Well, well, well... lookie what we have here,


I am going to see the Pussycat Dolls concert later at the Araneta. Woohoo! My sister and I were really planning on going even if we didn't these two lovely tickets. But since I won these, we'll be watching for free, baby!

I won these tickets on the radio. You could say beginner's luck as it was my first time to join anything on the radio. So here's what happened:

I was waiting in line for an FX. Usually, I listen to my music and not to the radio when I am on my way home. But during this particular Tuesday night, I opted to listen to the radio. And instead of tuning into RX, which is the station I listen to more often, I tuned into Magic.

I was near our house when they announced that they're giving away tickets for the PCD concert. I thought I'd give it a shot. Who knows, right? So I typed the needed information according to the format given and when I was about to send it, I forgot the number to send it to. I was able to text in my entry some 10 minutes later and obviously, I can't be the 35th texter. I even hesitated for awhile since I know I won't make it as the 35th texter. Then I though what the heck and sent it anyway. I hoped for the best but at the same time, I didn't keep my hopes high. I went up, turned on the PC but kept on listening to the radio.

After a few minutes, they tried calling the 35th texter (no, it wasn't me). On the first try, someone asnwered but put it down immediately. They tried calling her twice but nobody was picking up. That was when they decided to pick another one instead. And then I heard our phone ring. I didn't pick up cos I was surfing the net and ironing my hair straight at the same time. Manang Bebot answered the phone then put it down. It rang again. She answered it then put it down again. Then the third time it rang. I put on my earphones (which I removed for they were getting in the way of me straightening my hair) and heard Manang's voice on the radio. Upon realizing that it was I who they were calling, I ran as fast as I can downstairs while yelling, "Manang, akin yan!" The rest, as they say, is history.

Heaps of thanks to CJ and Faith, the DJs who picked my number from the sea of text messages received that night.

1998

Lately, I've been missing my sophomore year in high school so bad. That year was just plain perfect. Everyone in class got along. Breaks consist of playing chinese garter, 10...20, jackstone and magic box. The beginning of what was to become my 5-year Savage Garden fixation. The highs and the lows. And almost making a "darren" tattoo on my left forearm with a rusty blade.

1998 was the year of good music. Third Eye Blind, Jewel, Matchbox 20, Barenaked Ladies, The Wallflowers, All Saints, The Corrs just to name a few. I was obsessed with Dave Matthew's Band's Crash Into Me. And my Savage Garden (SG) obsession.

When I think about it, my SG fixation was freaky. My daddy called it idolatry. I had this organizer/planner wherein I would write down the time when I saw their music video on tv or heard their song on the radio. I traded other bands' posters for SG's. I remember calling my bestfriend and crying upon finding out that the Philippines was not included in their Asian Tour. I memorized all of Darren's acceptance speeches at the ARIAs and Channel [V] Awards. I wrote to their fan club in Australia and almost shelled out AUS$25 for membership. It was crazy back then. My dad thought that I was too obsessed over the shit that he told me that he would burn all my posters if I didn't stop the nonsense. By the way, I still keep my SG collection. I can't part with it just yet. I refuse to let go. And I still believe that Darren Hayes is not gay... unless he says so.


It was also the year of Titanic. And Leonardo di Caprio was god. I thought the movie was overrated though. When my sister narrated the story to me, I cried. But when I watched the movie, I didn't cry. The movie's OST included Celine Dion's My Heart Will Go On and remember so well that there was a proliferation of bazillion versions. Cheesy, right? But my classmates and I recorded every version there was. So sino mas cheesy? Yung cheesy o yung mga pumatol sa cheesy? Ha.

It was also the year when boybands reigned supreme. The Backstreet Boys was the shizz and N'sync was just their rip-off. Justin Timberlake was still platinum blonde and and ugly. Boyzone was pretty popular, too. Ronan Keating was my bestfriend's ultimate crush. Boyzone's downfall started when Stephen Gately came out of the closet. Why was I not surprised?I also remember "stalking" Code Red cos it was my birthday that time. My sister, who was the one into Code Red, wanted to watch their performance in Megamall. After the performance, we followed them to their hotel and pathetically waited for them to grace us with their presence. Anyway, I know there were more but I can't remember them anymore.

The best year of my high school life.
Good times...