tignan mo nga naman...

nung sabado nagpunta si annie sa hk, after more than a year! kasama nya si val, ung college friend nya from la salle. gusto lang nilang gumimik at magshopping. o di ba sosyal? gigimik lang gagastos pa ng $350 para sa ferry. at talagang full attire sila. nagtinginan talaga kame ni b nung makita namin ang mga sapatos nila.

syempre punta kame ng cavern. may cover charge sya na mahal pero ok lang.

and guess what we saw when we entered the bar?!

a screen that says 'welcome to cavern mig ayesa'. tang ina! tang ina talaga! fucker kung fucker! andun sya!!! waahhh!!! at dahil may we will rock you hang over pa kame, nagtatanong tanong kame kung andun ba talaga sya. di maconfirm ng mga bar people. di daw nila kilala kung sino un.

dahil cheapos kame, cheapest ticket ang binili namin sa we will rock you musical. as in para na talaga silang langgam nung pinapanood namen. buti na lang electrifying ang bawat number, at feeling sulit pa din ang $350 namin. nag-iisip pa kame kung hihintayin namin sila paglabas pero umuwi na lang kame.

luckily, ung band na magpeperform sa cavern, is the same band na nagperform sa conrad. so medyo close na kame. they confirmed that he is indeed performing. two songs! waaaahhhh!!!

you wouldn't believe how excited we were.


pag talaga kailangan mo syang makausap, magkakaroon talaga ng chance na makausap mo sya. may libreng picture pa! at libreng beso at pisil ng kamay!!! waaaahhh!!! sosyal na ako! international star na ang nakakadaupang palad ko!


itong boypren ko ay isang certified mig ayesa fan. feeling rocker talaga sya. kakabili nya lang ng fender guitar at di nya na ko masyadong pinapansin ngayon. not that it's relevant.


dagdag pics lang. mga pics na di masyadong mukhang nagmamanas ang itsura ko.


with the girls

el 22 del junio del 2008

thursday, june 19 (happy birthday dr. rizal!)

kuya jong called me, asking if jason abalos is good enough to be brought to hk for the tfc event. since gma and smart did their event the previous sunday, their mortal enemies abs-cbn and globe would give them a run for their money. i refused the idea. so he gave a list of the possible stars whom i feel good about. grabe no, nasa aking kamay ang kanilang tadhana. who are they? jason abalos, aj dee, chad peralta, joross gamboa, matt evans. sasabihin ko pa lang na iba iba kase sila ng forte. ung isa sa sayaw, ung isa kanta, ung isa magpapahulog lang talaga ng panty. he called me again and hastened me to give my decision. humirit ako, pwede bang si jake cuenca? o kahit si derek ramsey! mukha silang masarap! pero di daw sila pwede. haayyy...

he commissioned me to become a vip coordinator - do the same things as in when randy santiago came over. as usual taga-harang sa mga excited na mga ale pag nakakita ng gwapo. anyway, sino ang pinili ko?


si pedro penduko! laking gulat ko ng makita kong di na afro style buhok nya. eto secreto lang natin: di naman daw sya naturally afro. normal lang ang buhok nya. ginawa lang ganun para medyo stand out sya.


sorry sobrang nanlilimahid ako jan. 40 degrees ata nun.. at tanghaling tapat! walang hangin dahil sa taas ng buildings. pag nakaplastic slippers ka, matutunaw talaga. sunburn galore!



di sya masyadong kilala ng mga tao. pero syempre gwapo. ayun pinagkaguluhan pa din. normal na bata lang. nagkukwento kung pano sila magbabad sa psp nina maja at oyo. or ung time na pinagkamalan syang epi quizon. at minsan pinagkamalan syang anak ni rudy fernandez.

ang mga guests ng globe?

first is the comedian chocoleit. grabe ang skin nya. knock on wood.


then the singing miracle, anton diva. magaling talaga sya kumanta. napanood ko pa dati ung life story nya. sa mkm ata un.



and it's just getting started! who's the next guest? who's the next guest?

ang lalaking di tumatanda. francis magalona! grabe mukha syang teenager! ang kinis. ang gwapo. maappeal! to think na may anak syang graduate na ng college!


i never liked his rapping. pero iba pag napanood mo sya live. magugustuhan mo bigla. ang saya ng mga kababayan, cold summer nights, kaleidescope world!


at dahil kapansin pansin na merong maliit na batang babae na kuha ng kuha ng pictures. nagkindatan pa kame. nagpose sya for me tapos labas ako ng dila. ayun, kindat naman sya. no, i didn't go to the stage. nanlilimahid talaga ako nakakahiya naman.


sino ang susunod? sino ang susunod?

concert queen, pops fernandez. i never liked her. i still don't understand how she got her title because i don't see her singing special any way you look at it.



but she's undeniably sexy. you wouldn't think she gave birth to two giant boys courtesy of martin nievera


of course you have to save the best for last. so sino ang finale? sinooo??? sige clue:


ano ba... SIDE A!!! oo buhay pa sila! naalala ko dati nanood pa kame ng concert nila sa expo sa clark. we bought the cheapest ticket but we managed to go down unscathed - as in below the stage getting wild.

meet the boys of this band





grabe di pa din sila kumukupas. they really brought the house down! lahat talaga sumasayaw! magaling talaga! magaling! you'll fall in love when you hear them sing forevermore!



the last member of the band that i specially saved for last?

sam milby? hehe?

if i heard it right, his name is ivo. crush ko sya! grabe ang boses nya! kinanta nya ang always be my baby david cook version at ang pinay ni florante! gusto ko syang iuwi.

flickr night

this pales in comparison with the flickr event last year. it's actually a sin to compare them. this year is so bleh. no interaction amongst guests. bleh food. no raffle. but it's another polaroid galore. yey!

what's the best thing about hosting the ball?

IT'S GETTING THE BEST ACCESS TO THE CONCERT IN CENTRAL THE FOLLOWING DAY! since i hosted the ball pro bono, what better way to repay me but to give me backstage pass, together with all the peeps i could bring?

and by 'best access', i meant having the liberty to photograph the guests from manila as much as i want without getting intimidated by the security ladies.

who were the guests who came over and did some performances?

oh you wouldn't believe what a day it had been!

first guest: arnel ignacio. he's a real good comedian. his punchlines are really hilarious.



next guest: the little playboy janno gibbs. he's a good singer. finally i heard 'pinakamagandang lalaki' and 'ipagpatawad mo' once again


last one: jericho rosales. takte, crush ko na sya kahit nung mr pogi days nya pa lang. pinilit ko pa sa jologs quiz show dati na si charlie sheen ang ginagaya nya. then came the psy days. pati ang sana'y wala ng wakas. buti na lang break na sila ni heart. nung lumabas sya ng stage, grabe, mawiwindang ka talaga. para talagang gusto mong pilipitin ang hita mo sa sobrang kilig! he asked the audience kung sino ang may bf. di talaga ako nagtaas ng kamay kahit katabi ko si b! ganun talaga ang magnetic powers nya! hypnosis to the nth level! he doesn't have a flawless complexion but there's something about his smile that will draw you into him and you'll be weak to resist.


now the three of them:


hephep, di pa tapos ang kwento! hindi ko palamlampasin ang pagkakataong ito para lang pakawalan sya ng ganun. grade school pa lang ako pinapantasya ko na sya. ngayong ilang dipa na lang ang layo namin, saka pa ko uurong? nawala na lahat ng hiya ko after ng charity ball. kung the night before nahihiya ako magpapicture kay alfred vargas... aba, nung kumakanta si jericho ng paglisan at umupo sa stage. at biglang sabing: mas maganda siguro kung may katabi ako dito. ang lola mo, akyat agad! wala akong pakialam kung bumaba ang mataas na tingin sakin ng board of directors sa audience. si jericho ang pinag-uusapan at hindi ko ipagpapalit ang tingin nila sa akin para dun. exagg!!! nagulat na lang talaga ako sa ginawa ko. pag-akyat ko, biglang ang daming photographers na lumapit at kinuhanan kame. may sampu siguro un. kasama si b. at itong syota ko, talagang sabi ng 'hoy, girlfriend ko yan!'.. pasensya pero itutuloy ko na talaga. binulungan ko si echo ng 'pabayaan mo sya, break na kame... ngayon lang.' hahaha! in fairness. upo lang talaga ako dun at ngiti.. nahilo ako sa halu halong excitement, kaba, takot, at wish na sana di na un matapos. at ito talagang si echo, akbay pa e! at eto matindi, nagpahalik pa ang damuhong sa pisngi! yeba! pagbaba ko may mga katulong na bumabati sa akin.. biglang sabi ng 'ineng, ok ang ginawa mo ha.'... hehe...

echo, let me be your heart! hehe...

ayaw mo maniwala? o eto ang prueba!

THE event

then came the big night. i had to do my make up because i didn't want to spend for a salon. they were asking for $250 for hair and make up. a competitive price based on hk standards. but i just couldn't take the fact that i am using make up that has been used by others. can you imagine the sponge being used for other people's pores to be used on you? that's just disgusting. anyway, i decided to go for the 'simple' look. well, who am i kidding? of course i cannot go any simpler! i don't even have a lipstick! i only use face powder and lipgloss!

when i opened the doors of the function hall, i was like: woooh! fuck, it is that grand! everything was just first class to the slightest details. im so not for this. anyway, i had no choice but to go ahead. pota, si batman na ang bahala.

the theme is GLITZ AND GLAMOUR. the funtion hall is located at the lower ground floor. the staircase is full of rose petals plus a red carpet. they commissioned a gentleman who shall ask arriving guests what are they wearing. but i mean, who the hell cares? i bought mine in mongkong stall number ss122. hehe... and then they built 2 x 7 or 8 foot oscar award statues. it isn't 'the event' for nothing. i look underdressed, as expected. some of them looked like they were competing for a beauty pageant's long gown competition. as in ung sumasayad talaga sa sahig, at may korona pa! taob kung taob! haha! in the cocktail area there will be a photo taking where a flock of photographers shall take your pictures. paparazzi drama at its fullest.

i may be simple and look like a teenager celebrating her sweet sixteen, but i had the grandest entrance amongst all of them. the two guy hosts went to the stage first and after some punchlines, they said that it would be awkward if they don't have a female companion for the night. thus my walk of fame from the back - with matching spotlight and jazzy music. tunaw ang corona ng iba! haha!

there were some booboos like i called the sponsor of the event as phil alumni of hk instead of phil assoc of hk. and the very messy raffle draw. but overall i think i did a good job. the directors were thanking us for a job well done - and yes, even ms o. sa susunod kase ms o, wag manlait ng harap harapan, lalo na pag di mo kilala ung tao.

highlights of the night:
1. butuin escalante's performance. world class. individuals like her make you just proud to be a filipino
2. i won a gc! body glow scrub from a hk spa! yeba!
3. appearance of nanette inventor and janno gibbs
4. surprise visit of alfred vargas, paolo contis, angelica de la cruz, iwa moto, ehra madrigal
5. the fact that it's over and that i conquered my stage fright

sige na nga, pictures!

this is how i look like during the event. simple but not bad, eh? thank you to me for my make up


the stars of the night: b&b


no, scrap that. we're prom king and queen!


with the voice image production peeps



while goofing around the dancefloor


beside my bf


with my fellow hosts mel and jay


this time with jay only


hosting in action

the next chapter

so we were given 5 days to prepare - basically to do our speeches, hunt outfits and calm our nerves.

day 1 i was introduced to my fellow emcees. from what i gathered, the original hosts were two gentlemen who have their own radio shows. but it seemed a bit awkward if the female species were not represented. so they got me. how convenient? oh, and don't forget that we got our respective demanding full time jobs!

i was able to meet the bosses of prime credit, pal, and jollibee. we even had our rehearsals and brainstorming sessions. everything was sorted out. the pal boss shall lend me her filipiniana dress. then two days before the event we were informed that filipiniana is not the way to go. even though it is an independence day ball, the theme of the event is GLITZ AND GLAMOUR. how patriotic, huh?!

so what to do now??? i don't have the dinero to spend for a $3k dress!

kuya jong said that we can meet the following day and shop in mong kok for a gown - during my lunch time! you know how strict my company is regarding lunch breaks. getting to mong kok takes about 20 minutes when i run throught the subway. and i was meeting a dutch customer before that. i relayed the story to my manager and she said it's ok for me to leave early. anyway, luckily we got something for a good price. he paid for it. now i just have to take care of the shoes, accessories and make-up. it seems that he got me and b as a package. while i was doing the showbiz part, b is doing the production stuff. he's one of the official photographers and preparing the props. don't we just make a good team? hehe...

for the next two nights we were running all throughout hk until midnight - don't forget that b needs to be presentable as well! we had to shop for his entire business attire. and don't forget strobe lights! or mock up cameras!

...next: 'the event'

the saga continues...

so there... i was ingnoring their calls. i never dared answer unknown numbers because i have this inability to refuse other people's requests. anyway, when they called me the previous day, i said they have a deadline. they need to confirm with me before saturday because i needed to prepare - ie, buy a dress and a pair of shoes, look for make up, etc. i successfully ignored phone calls until late in the evening of friday.

kuya jong called and of course i had to answer. he's the director of the pinoy events here in hk. i owed to him my sarah geronimo experience and the randy santiago gig. he said that he came from the meeting with the phil assoc of hk's board of directors and they mentioned that they are having a hard time getting back to me. he volunteered that he'd do it. he claimed to be a good friend of mine so it shouldn't be hard.

bottomline is -- i agreed. I AM HOSTING THE EVENT. shet! it's a mortal sin to refuse kuya jong after all the good things he had done. damn gratitude.

now i picture o's face seeing me up on stage. huh?! i still got in bitch! who gets the last laugh now?!

after i put the phone down, it suddenly struck me that i am a complete novice on this. the last time i spoke in public for more than one minute was when i gave my speech during grade school graduation. fucker, that's half a lifetime ago! it didn't turn out well so i've had stage fright ever since. but now there's no excuse for me to mess up. how can i become an expat if i am not even good at speaking? i stutter. my mind goes blank and i speak an unknown language. but expats are known for their borderless charms, aren't they? they should be good at adapting to different situations in front of different people of various races, shouldn't they?

shet.. shet..



next chapter to follow.