So Sick...

Hey there everyone! I realize I have not been blogging as fast as I should. The last blog I posted was last Tuesday; but I wrote it over the weekend. And what kills me is that some of my dear friends have or will celebrate their birthdays and I haven’t written my token blog (What kind of friend am I?!). I will just roll out those birthday greetings in one heart-melting blog one of these days (Promise!).

I have the perfect excuse. I was Ne-Yo this past week. So Sick.

This is my worst bout with sickness and I can’t believe I was already a few steps from the O.R. door! No, please, no! I’ve lasted thirty years without having been hospitalized, more so undergoing surgery (well except that rite-of-passage surgery that male tweens go through).

Monday, April 20

I woke up early Monday with the beginnings of a flu. But I ignored it coz we have a big product launch that day. During the launch, the microphone was not working well so we decided to ditch it and instead relied on our ever-capable loud voices. I was bellowing to be heard, especially during the fun and highly-charged game.






After the launch, I ran out of adrenaline and all the flu-ish symptoms came rushing back. I was also developing a sore throat from all the shouting.

Tuesday

I decided to take a sick leave so I can shake off the flu. Our business review presentation will be on Thursday so I have to regain my stamina for the next two days.

Wednesday

I had to work and finish the BR presentation. My body was a wonderland and cooperated with me. I thought I had kissed the flu goodbye. But turned out it can be like someone you know. A traitor.

Thursday (Business Review Day)

I hitched a ride so I won’t tire myself driving. I was there early and then I started having chills. It was only when room filled with people that the cold feeling dissipated. Good thing that my presentation just took several minutes. Maybe they pitied my sickly look and wobbly voice so they did not interrogate me as much.

But then things took a turn for the worse after that. I first had after a separate meeting with MB and KG to finalize a surprise for a couple of friends. A surprise that I will not be able to attend because of this sickness (please see invites I made below). Too bad.



I returned to the office and then it hit me and engulfed my entire body. I started having a very heavy feeling so I decided to just sit and maybe sleep if off for awhile. Yes, at the office. Maybe I am suffering from a “binat” (I wonder what the English word is for that?).

I was feeling so sick that I realize I couldn’t drive myself home that time. Later, my colleagues will find out that my hotness has reached a new level (and not the sexy kind) and they will panic over it. They gave me some cold compress and medicine until a few breaths later I was feeling well enough to drive.

Thanks to P, V, D and KE who played nurse at the height of my delirium. Pwede na kayong mag-asawa! Haha. Really, guys, thanks a bunch!

Friday – Sunday

I decided to go home to Bulacan for medical consultation and home care. I visited a throat doctor and he said I have an abscess on my throat. And the horrifying news is that I might need a surgery to remove it. Whatever, doctor! We decided to look for a second opinion and I was also given some antibiotic medicines in the hopes that it might still reverse THE thing.

Over the weekend I took the medicines and it seems to help. I can now eat, drink and talk almost normally. Too bad I cannot sing yet (gasp!). Whereas before even swallowing saliva hurts.

I was asked to stay away from coffee, chocolates, anything sweet and anything cold. Like they told me NOT to live. What am I without chocolates and coffee?!? They are like air and water to me.

Thanks to my dear friend, Dr. Jinx who was my doctoc-on-demand even if she was enjoying herself in Boracay.

Thanks also to friends and colleagues who have been sending well wishes for me to get well, along with reminders that I should take a breather.

What have I learned from this ordeal?

* That I should learn to drink water. And flat water at that (not cold, not warm).

* That I am not young anymore. My body is not as self-correcting or self-healing as before. So I really have to check with the doctor if something goes wrong and not try to weather it out as I normally do. Otherwise it will just get more complicated (I almost fainted at hearing the word operation).

* Your work will not take care of you (even if you have highly compassionate colleagues). So you have to give your body some R&R, a needed respite from all of the stress and rigors of the workweek.

* Being sick is v. boring! I can’t sleep but I also cannot read or watch TV either. And my iPod does not offer much comfort also. I drift in and out of sleep and had some really weird dreams in the process.

* There is life without coffee and chocolates.

I can’t wait to get back to LIFE. Hopefully I can get back to work on Wednesday.

Until laters!

Ogling and Googling The Next Sensation

First there was Charice Pempengco. Now there is Susan Boyle.

Charice was a YouTube singing sensation who has graced such popular talk shows like Ellen and Oprah. Last I heard she will have a US album and will play a significant role in the sequel to Alvin and The Chipmunks. Filipinos everywhere are elated. Like this was the answer to poverty or corruption.

Now the world is fascinated at Susan Boyle. I already caught her name on Facebook postings and I wonder what the fuss was. Then I saw it on CNN. Turned out she is an unlikely Britain’s Got Talent (their version of American Idol) contestant. At first sight, she seems unbearably average (laughable even), but then she opened her mouth to sing and the rest is YouTube history.

I have nothing against these artists. They have indeed great talent and they deserve the recognition and attention. So for the record, I am not dissing them.

What I think is ironic in this equation is that they are regarded as novelty items. I am trying to be politically correct here... but they are “usual” people who posses unusual talent. Like a paraplegic who can paint with his feet. Or a 1-year old who can spell Czechoslovakia and Mississippi.

Case in point. Charice is not the best singer in this country. Sarah Geronimo can trump her any day of the week. But she became famous maybe because people are fascinated at how someone that little that young can have that voice. Same with Susan Boyle. Sarah Brightman and Charlotte Church achieved worldwide fame with the same voice, and with less of the media sensationalism. It's just that Susan Boyle looks like an "unlikely" singing superstar.

Plus, their star will only shine until the next online sensation is discovered, maybe in some remote Nepalese village (maybe someone with Susan Boyle’s voice but she can sing upside-down or while immersed in water). As much as we wished it for them, they will not be the next Mariah Carey or the next Justin Timberlake. Charice’s album has not even turned platinum here.

A reality check for Charice: Lea Salonga was a multi-awarded theatre actress and the voice behind popular Disney characters. But she never made it that big in the US, pop-wise. And Lea already has everything...the talent, the looks (she was named one of People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful at one time) and the hype.

In today’s world of YouTube and Google phenomenon, the proverbial 5 minutes of fame is within arm’s length of any one. But that’s just that... flashes in the pan. People might argue that this is better than nothing at all. And I respect that. To each, his own.

This is just a sincere call to enjoy it while it lasts. Like anything in life. Make the most out of it.

Fragments #5

Coming from the pleasantly nippy cold season, this summer is turning out to be quite a SCORCHER. Everyone's Facebook and Friendster shoutout is talking about the heat.

I sweat effortlessly and within seconds of stepping out of the shower. The heat also wakes me up at 4AM and since I can’t go back to sleep, I end up either reading or just listening to my iPod until my standard wake-up time comes.

But in a wry turn of the weather vane, it rained yesterday night (Saturday). And I am writing this blog while enjoying to cool, damp morning. Good thing the rains were quite hard; a light rain will just make the air unbearably humid.

April rains has been romanticized in prose and poetry. I just feel happy when it rains.

***



I am currently reading The House Of The Sand And Fog. I bought it because of the Oprah Book Club stamp. She really has some great choices. I discovered Anita Shreve through her Book Club endorsement also. This book was also a finalist for the National Book Award.

I am midway already in reading and it is quite riveting. It is basically an immigrant’s drama and the collision of three separate lives. If I am not mistaken, this book has been turned into a movie and Ben Kingsley was nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal of, I suspect, Colonel Behrani.

What enraged me in reading the books is its dire portrayal of Filipinos. I am on page 184 and I found three references already.

On page 23, this is a though train of Col. Behrani, the Iranian immigrant: When I step into the hallway and walk to the elevator, I pass a Filipino maid pushing her cart and I take notice that she smiles. And even bows her head.

On page 163, again a thought train of Col. Behrani: I recall the rude way she (the daughter) repeatedly apologized for the family’s present living condition by recalling our old life. How will she regard her mother, brother and me living in a cottage in a place such as San Bruno perhaps? Or Daly City, will all those Filipino people? Will she be too ashamed to visit?

On page 178, this is a recount of Sheriff Lester: Once, outside El Granada, I drove up to a 7-Eleven right before they closed. Some boy had just pulled a Stop and Rob, but I didn’t know it yet, and I was getting out of my cruiser just as he came out the front door, this real skinny Filipino kid, no older than sixteen or seventeen, holding a bunch of bills and a silver revolver.

I think writer Andre Dubus III has a certain lack of fondness for us, Filipinos. But I can’t call him racist just yet. This is a novel that banks on realism; art imitating life. A realism that is so close to the truth, it hurts. We can’t deny that the scenarios he painted are impossible. After all, they have portrayed this in local OFW-inspired flicks like Caregiver and Milan.

It’s just unfortunate that of the many nationalities in the world, we will be singled out this way.

AI Top 7: Songs From The Silverscreen

This week, American Idol Season 8 goes to the movies with songs from the silver screen. This is an expected theme for the week. But the real surprise was the choice of Quentin Tarantino as the mentor. Tarantino is one of the ground-breaking influences in recent pop history (remember Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill?). For the small tube, I best remember him for directing a 2-part episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. I think it was called Grave Danger and involved CSI Nick Stokes being captured and buried alive. Tarantino’s macabre storytelling made it one of their best episodes ever (case in point: those episodes garnered multiple Emmy nominations). I think I watched it 327 times already.

Back to AI, Tarantino did give some sensible advice to the Top 7. I think he was rooting for Li’l Rounds and Adam Lambert.

The Three Bests



Kris Allen – He is inching up my list of top contenders. I think real artistry comes when a singer take a song and make the audience like it. This week, he chose Falling Slowly from Once; a rather obscure song choice. I have this Oscar-winning song from my iPod but I never paid much attention to it. But Kris sang it in a way that I understood what the song was saying. Forget that he sounds so close to the original for he does a good job at it. It’s now on repeat mode on my playlist.

Danny Gokey – Endless Love was a tough song choice. It is such a big ballad. But there is no denying the emotions that Danny injects in the songs, bringing it to a different level.


Anoop Desai – I never knew the day will come when I will write Anoop in my Top 3. But this past weeks, he has done a swell job and his song choices are now suited to his voice and personality. This week he sang Everything I Do (I Do It For You) and I was awe-struck at the control and restraint in his voice. Unlike his earlier weeks, he enslaved the song and not the other way around.

The Worst

Li’l Rounds has been drifting aimlessly to inevitable elimination in the past weeks. And this week was no different. She has chops but weighted against the other six, she does pale in comparison. I think what’s keeping her in the competition is his mother-of-three personal drama.

The Result

Like a Tarantino twist, the results came as a shocker. I expected either Anoop or Li’l who has been permanent fixtures in the Bottom Three. But no... it was Matt Giraud.

A big, fat HWAAAT!

It was not the best week for Matt. He did a passable job at Have You Really Loved A Woman?. The problem is that he started all soulful and then shifted to rock-tinged in the second part. It ultimately ruined the song. The judged has highlighted that he ambles pointlessly between these two genres. Like Anoop, he should find his comfort zone and shine in it.

But still, he was one of the best this season. So I was really hoping the judges will exercise their “saving grace” on him.

And they did. But with this development, two contestants will be taken out next week. So Matt is still in the chopping block.

Here’s my big statement. Honest to blog, just remove Li’l Rounds and Anoop Desai. Then I don’t care anymore who will win. Any of the remaining five deserves it.

That’s how awesome they are.

...Surreal

Last week I realized that I accidentally unchecked the Comments portion of my blog. For God knows how long ago.

Today, I read a fresh batch of online comments.

And sweet Jesus.

Somebody Famous has just read a blog entry and left a comment. And it is not a hoax because I traced it to his official website.

Please excuse the iota of egotism. It's not everyday that this happens. Not in my wildest dream.

Somewhere in my head...a song is eerily playing.

IT'S A SMALL WORLD AFTER ALL.

Requiem For Bash

I hate the good kind of goodbyes. I prefer the abrupt ones... the awkward ones... or the goodbyes that are tainted with hate or regrets. But not the good ones where you have time to dwell at the poignant memories and the agonizing knowledge that it would all end in that space in time. That nothing follows. That good things indeed do not last.

I never understood guy’s obsession with cars... until I had one. From the time I saw her lustrous moss-green beauty, I’ve wanted to spend my life around her.

Laugh and mock me all you want but this is my requiem for my old car.



Like any silly moron who treats his car as his best buddy, I gave her a name and changed it every time she undergoes an “overhaul.” I first called her Poknat, a reference to soap opera crush back then. But then she became true to her name and started attracting holes so I changed her name to Margarita. Then she met another misfortune last Christmas and needed another makeover. She was last called Bash. From a movie that struck a deep chord.

I’ve had her for three years and in that brief span of time, she had shared miles and miles of memories with me, both good and bad. The long and winding road. Defining moments I want to preserve on my mind. Like those time out with my family. Or time alone where I want to be with my lonesome self and sing my heart out to smithereens with the sad songs churning from its MP3 player. And of course, those dark, forgettable moments that I had retired to a drawer called “painful life experiences” and “lessons learned.”

I remember the first time I brought her home and the friend who helped me with her. I lost contact (again) with that friend since then.

I remember driving her at a snail’s pace, Basil Valdez’ melancholic voice providing the apt background, as we brought my father to his final resting place.

And who can forget my first accident during those highly-strung SAP times; a nerve-racking accident that damaged her front fender and gave birth to my panicky fear at the sight of an approaching ambulance.

I know my regular passengers will miss the smell of it. A smell, which they say, has become my trademark (I take it as a compliment). I remember when I changed car perfume and people noticed it so I returned to the signature smell.

She never let me down. She conked out on me on only three instances and she made sure I was not compromised. The first time I was at my apartment and she needed her battery changed. Second time, I just delivered the keys to our boss’ house and I had a friend tailgating me. Battery problem again. She was safe there so I left her and friend brought me home. The third and the last time, I was at a friend’s house and she needed a maintenance check at the casa. She never gave up on me while I was on the road or in a treacherous situation (one of my worst fears...like stalling while enroute to a BR). Like family, she made sure I was ok before she succumbed to what was bothering her.

Last Saturday, as I took her to our office to turn her over and get the new one, I gave her a heartfelt thank-you speech. Of how she has been a big part of my last three years and how I will treasure that forever. Of how she has been very good to me and that I hate leaving her. That this is a Good bye.

The new car is a lot nicer in many ways. I instantly appreciated it. But we have yet to have those revered memories that render my old car priceless. I call the new car Ash because of her color, and somehow as a salute and tribute to Bash. That though I have replaced her, a part of her will always be with me.

Bash will just be around and I know I will see her often. I know I will honk happily in greeting, not for the new owner but for her. And I will smile at the joy of seeing an old and true friend.

Sorry, I really got carried away. I know it’s just a car. But...

The Other Side Of Christmas

Today, the whole country pauses to observe Good Friday.

Back when I was still spiritual, I have been solemnly scared of the Holy Week. It was so sobering for all the devout Catholics. Until now I see it as an exact opposite of Christmas, like the yin and the yang of the Christian calendar.

Christmas is about joys and the sharing of it. It is also about make-believe happiness, festivities and latent materialism. Everything in excess.

Holy Week is about sorrow and sacrifices. It is about pain and submission to pain. About silence through which we rediscover the foundations of faith. An act of giving up (as opposed to being in excess).

But both Holy Week and Christmas encourage the faithful to look beyond and within themselves. I think it’s called selflessness.

Something this world badly needs.

Law and Physics

Before the dawn of Good Friday, I have devoured two books. Which is a record for me. With my hectic schedule, it usually takes me at least weeks to finish a paperback novel.

The first one is The Summons by John Grisham, which has resided on my bag for weeks now.



In The Summons, Grisham relives a small town law drama. The revered Judge Atlee is on his last breath and he has summoned his prodigal sons for the final verdict. But Ray finds his father dead and with three million in cold cash stacked in his cabinets. And so with the heavy guilt of disappointing his father came the heavier burden of finding where the money came from and what he will do with it.

Then came the cat-and-mouse chase that Grisham has perfected. Someone knew about the money and is after Ray. The reader is led to a screening of the personalities in Judge Altee’s life and their possible connection with this ill wealth. The build-up to an unexpected ending that will question our own judgement about certain things.

The book meanders lazily in places and truth to tell, this is third time I have picked it up from my reading stack. Since the story is basically a personal law-related dilemma, it lacked the satisfying tension of courtroom spectacles that we came to expect from Grisham. But Grisham absolves himself when he meticulously pulls together the story in the end. Like a slow brew that came to a rousing boil in the end.

(Spoiler Alert. Please skip the next paragraph if you plan to read the book.)

The Summons rises above other Grisham novels with its underlying argument on personal morals and ethics. As the story is narrowed to a showdown between the two brothers, the reader will be twisted in this battle for integrity and questions on what is earnest and righteous. I closed the book torn between the brothers. Who was good...who was bad? Who was the victim...who was the tormentor? Like that infamous symbol of justice, Grisham placed the stringent rules of law on one end of the scale; and on the other he placed a crude law called personal judgement. Hence, a tough balancing act.

The book explores greed in different places. Greed in the corporate law setting. Greed on a personal level. And how greed can skew our judgment and principles. Fairly human, I know. But that doesn’t give it any rhyme or reason.

***

For some Holy Week reading, I chose a book that seemed “spiritual.” I bought this book ages because of the standout reference to Nicolas Sparks, from the overdramatic plot down to the personal praise from Sparks.

The book is Falling Bodies from Andrew Mark.



The plot is typical Sparks as it presents human loss and despair and the eventual renewal and re-discovery (of oneself) after overtaking such tragedy.

Jackson is a Physics professor whose life is governed by the rigid laws of science. Yet he cannot grasp the logic of how his family was suddenly taken from him in a terrible accident. He is haunted by the memories of their absence and his guilt. In search for the rationale in his increasingly senseless world, he embarked on a journey (more of an escape). There, his path crossed with Livvy’s, a strong woman whose resolve is also tested as she sees her husband through Alzheimer’s disease. And so came the story of two souls suffering silent pains and discovering healing in each other.

This is a debut novel but it fails to give a promise for this fledging writer. First, while the plot is inspiring and sincere, it pales in comparison to the works of Nicolas Sparks in terms of poignancy. What I am saying is the narration lacks “heart.” We never cared as much for Jackson and Livvy despite of their wrenching predicament. And this lack of poignancy is connected to another flaw.

Since the hero is a Physics professor and the story explores Science vis-à-vis Real Life, Mark tries very hard to incorporate facts and comparisons to scientific elements. It was an overkill (and this is coming from a cool geek like me) so much so that I will wince every time the writer will resort to this... at every other page! For instance, he would compare the agony of waiting to “seconds , hours and light years!” Or a frozen slice of time to "a moon suspended on its orbit by gravity." It was way too much that I lost the characters in all this scientific gobbledygook that Mark is passing for literary brilliance. To borrow from Simon Cowells’s wise words, this book was indulgent in its scientific references that I don’t know if Andrew Mark is a science whiz trying to write or a writer trying to be a genius.

And with that, I compare this book to a black hole. It sucks you in with its almost powerful story. Yet you end up with nothing but the void that you started with.

(Sidebar: The editor in me also caught two typo errors in this book. On one page, the writer was describing Jackson’s dream but he referred to it as “her” dream. In another page, he wrote about “too eyes” (obviously two eyes). Tsk, tsk…bad editing!)

Captured

Some people capture the world through a camera’s lens. I capture the world through my own eye and let the written text do the talking. Trails of ink on parchment is my art of choice.

But lately, I always have on-hand a tool that makes capturing images rather easy. On the light of day at least. I am no photography amateur and I am not ready to explore that. But here are some of the things I’ve captured thorough my iPhone’s lenses.

This is a photo I took at the venue of a friend’s wedding.



This is a cute item I clicked at last Christmas.



These are taken in the midst of all the New Year revelry.





This is during a dragon dance last Chinese New Year. Darn difficult to capture these overexcited dragons. While covering your ears from all the firecracker explosions.



This is taken while driving. It was raining. Can you read the handwritten bumper slogan? Manong Driver must have frequented the drive-thru at McDo.



But Lancy prefers Jollibee. Don’t look there! You will see what mascots are made of.




These are some of my treasured possessions.

AI Top 8: Songs As Old As Time

Theme: Music From The Year You (Contestant) Was Born

The Three Bests:

Allison Iraheta – with I Can’t Make You Love Me (a personal favourite song). She managed to tackle an adult song with her personal juvenile flavor.

Adam Lambert – doing a mad version of Mad World (another personal favourite song). Very consistent. Got a standing ovation from the 4 judges. That says it all.

Matt Giraud – Did a wise move and returned to his falsetto R&B style with Part-Time Lover. And achieving it without being a Timberlake 2nd rate copycat.

The Worst

I have written off Anoop Desai but surprisingly, he did well with True Colors. He should stick with these types of songs. But I still think he within striking distance of an inevitable elimination. Unless a slumdog magic is in the works. Jai Ho!

I am not a fan but I am amazed at what Scott MacIntyre has achieved, considering her visual impairment. But looking beyond this predicament, he chose a bad and tired song and sang it badly. It was a risqué move for him to stray from the piano and it didn’t pay off. It was awkward to see him on guitars (unlike Kris Allen). He tried but failed to reach the high notes. And so his song came true...The Search Is Over for Scott.

The judges were pressured but did not use their “saving” grace on Scott. Which is OK in my books. This is a vocal competition. Not a special Olympics. So it was really time for Scott to go. But I’m sure he saw and got more out of this than we can ever imagine.

Sign of The Times

There comes a point in our lives when we accept that we are older (not old...OLDER...to put it in perspective). While I can exude childish preppiness and playful immaturity (ayowkoh!) at the drop of a hat, I can be the mature Kuya (or Lolo, as my younger colleagues playfully call me) figure as well. And experience is something you cannot downplay. Unless you are someone who, in vernacular...lumaki nang walang pinagkatandaan.

This creeps into our conversation one fine lunchtime. We are talking vacations. And us Thirty-Somethings acknowledges that time off for us means being away from the places that are literally crawling with people. Yes, malls and beaches. They can give me a headache. I will go to these places but during off-peaks. Never in the heat of things.

How can you relax in that environment?! You line up for hours to get your food or to go to the CR. A couple is bickering a few miles away from you. A high school clique is having too much fun, thoughtless of the people around them. Someone is playing jologs music from a loudspeaker. Or worse, performing a public videoke spectacle. Then you bump into someone you don’t wanna see. Polite conversation. Poker face (Mmmmm…mamama).

No surprise as I am a self-annointed Anti-Social. Although my work has greatly enhanced my social networking skills, I will still choose the quiet of seclusion over the revelry of any social gathering. And if ever I will attend such get-togethers, I’d prefer an intimate circle with few solid friends. Thank you but no Tupperware parties for me. I’ve thrown peer pressure to the winds when I reached 27.

D says she doesn’t go out often coz she has nothing to talk about when she hangs out with friends. Same here. My life is moving but at the same time stationary. And I like it that way.

Here I am in a secluded coffeeshop. The smell of caffeine is intoxicating. An apple-oat loaf on the side, a new favorite. Blogging my heart away. An earmarked novel in my messenger bag. I’m waiting for a dear friend for some intelligent conversation.

Ahh...the life!

Flipping The Pages of TV

I’ve grown tired of reality shows. What I dig now are the magazine shows.

I’ve been an avid viewer of Executive Class on ANC. And Sony Style on AXN (this would have been part of my Year-end 2008 Best Of List but it was off-air when I wrote that list so I conveniently forgot about it).

Lately, there is a resurgence.



Sony Style is back in its third season (an answered prayer). This is a perfect mix of lifestyle and tech-y show. It shows interesting places and people around Asia. Of course, since it was sponsored by Sony, it showcases the latest offers of Sony. The tech-whore in me salivates at all the new gadgets. Lust list material (Dear Santa...I’ve been a good boy…please give me that new small Viao or those noise-cancelling earphones). Host Oli Pettigrew (I didn’t know this surname existed outside Harry Potter’s world) is chirpy, animated and fun to watch. Although sometimes his Brit heritage is evident as he turns too Mr. Bean-y.



AXN unveiled a new lifestyle show targeted to us SNAGs (sensitive new-age guys). The Duke is a talk/magazine show that presents what’s hot this side of the world (and I don’t mean the summer heat) and hosted by Eunice Olsen and TARA2 Famous Duo Marc Nelson and Rovilson Fernandez. As always, the duo brings forth their smart histrionics and unique humor and personality. Eunice balances them out and pulls the reins when the two becomes too outlandish. Just a shoutout to the producers, though: be careful with the pacing. It seems like the show wants to be too many things at once. The talk show part, while informative and gives a refreshing view of the male psyche, seems to be harried and half-hearted.

Watch these shows and live the life.

AI Week 9: Popular Doesn't Mean Great

Here are my token remarks on last week’s American Idol. The theme was Popular iTunes download, which is almost like saying the contestants can choose any song they want. It was a blessing and a curse for some. Because as the judges pointed out...that you like the song doesn’t mean that it suits you or you can sing it well.

My top 3 for this week are:

Kris Allen
Adam Lambert
Danny Gokey

I didn’t notice Kris until now. He didn’t have the best performance of the night but it was the most enjoyable. He sang Ain’t No Sunshine and made the song his own with that refreshing arrangement. I was also surprised that he knew how to work the piano. And his laid-back, casual demeanour works as well. He looks like Chris Evans on a diet. He just has to watch his facial nuances coz he sometimes looks like a chimpanzee when he sings.

The best performance belonged, for the nth time, to Adam Lambert. Onstage, this guy is magnificent. For the first time in AI history, a contestant does not look like one...everything in him screams “superstar.” I winced when Ryan said he will sing Play That Funky Music (go to any retro concert or party and this will surely be played, together with Buttercup and Just Got Lucky). But he gave this tired song his own twist.

Danny Gokey performed one of my favourite songs ever: Rascal Flatt’s What Hurts The Most (my personal theme song last 2007). One point already for that. Although he remained true to the song, his emotive voice overflows throughout.

But what really hurts the most is Megan Joy (who was rightfully booted out). It was very painful to watch her take on Bob Marley’s Turn Your Lights Down Low. And almost stealing the horrid spotlight from Meagan is again Anoop Desai. He sang Usher’s Caught Up. His voice was not bad, it’s just that he chooses songs that needed energy but his stage presence is deadpan.

Matt Giraud, Scott MacIntyre and Allison Iraheta also gave commendable performances. The judges lambasted Matt but I did enjoy his take on the very contemporary You Found Me (The Fray). On second thought...yeah, it did look too copycat. He could have injected his signature falsetto. Or sang OneRepublic.

Fragments #4

In one of those random spontaneous moments, we went ahead with a long-time plan. A trip to the movies on a Friday night. I was at first nonchalant about it. I won’t be a victim of their “Best In Drawing” acts. My philosophy: Ok if we go, alright if we don’t. And of course “Kung gusto may paraan, kung ayaw may dahilan.”

But low and behold, we were at the mall as soon as we wrapped up some last-minute work. We deserve this after all. We didn’t have some time off last weekend because of some VIP guest from abroad. We prepared damn hard for it...short of rolling a red carpet and hanging garlands on their necks. I know. Very GMA Supershow. (Shish, this so dates me. I’m sure the kids of today have no idea what I’m talking about).

We got LFS tickets to Knowing. They said it was a horror flick but when I read the posted summary at the ticket counter, apparently it was an apocalyptic suspense-thriller. For the record, I don’t like Nicolas Cage. He is so over-rated. I remain dumbfounded at how he managed to snag an Oscar with Leaving Las Vegas. But I did enjoy the two instalments of National Treasure. I remember watching the second part on the loooong flight to Spain last year.

But I digress. As we wait for the last full show schedule, we went to H&E to wolf down a full meal complete with a free dessert courtesy of the tons of coupons from V. Lately, I decided to turn semi-vegetarian again so I tried their vegetarian omelette. It was so good that you don’t realize you are eating bell peppers and zucchini. Five spoons for that. But the sourdough bread was so ordinary. Half spoon for that.

At 10:30, we entered Cinema 7 of Trinoma.

I will not post a full review yet of Knowing. I know majority have yet to watch it. But to sum it up, it was an enjoyable movie. The suspense was unbearably effective that I would lower myself on my seat to prepare myself for the moment (I think I lowered the seat too much it stuck). There was a time when I had to close my eyes. V would smother my arm every time the whispering people would appear. And AD would scream that she can’t take it anymore and is ready to run out anytime. Only P seems unaffected. Either she was far from me that I didn’t notice or she can’t see clearly. LOL, peace!

The catastrophe/disaster scenes remained frozen in my mind. They seem shockingly real. My tooth reacted at the sound of metal ripping against metal (Sensodyne, please!). I just didn’t like how the story ended. But the message it puts across is earnest and honorable. Expect a full review soon.

Sidebar: About a month ago, I had no choice but to watch a movie at The Block. This will mark the last time that I will watch at any SM Cinemas (except perhaps, MOA). Their cinemas suck. I didn’t know the Balcony-Orchestra partition still existed. The seats are hard, the floors are sticky. The viewing crowd was rowdy and inconsiderate, to say the least.

This memory whizzes back as I was enjoying the movie at Trinoma. To compare, Trinoma Cinemas has plush seats and nice CRs. The THX sound was so fantastic that there were times when I really had to look sidewards and backwards because the sounds seem to be coming from there. And the crowd was well-behaved.


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I am writing this blog in darkness. Earth Hour began 19 minutes ago.

I am only using the screen light. And there were some light streaming from the street lamps (shame on our municipals heads for not observing this advocacy). Kinda hurtful in the eyes but that’s only a small price to pay for helping the Earth.

I’m really glad that media and social networking (even texts and blogs) was very active in promoting this Earth Hour. This may be a small act on our part but if a million of us will do this, the collective effect will be immense.

Update: I heard news this morning that Philippines was the #1 participant in this global Earth Hour (according to Worldwide Wildlife Fund). Finally, something we can all be truly proud of! We even beat Australia (the proprietor of the Earth Hour). It shows we are a nation that cares.


***

I’ve always rooted for the underdogs. Those who are always flying under the radar and refuses to succumb to the trappings of superstardom.

Ever since she offered us Candy, I’ve been smitten.

This is her latest work and last week they released the track list and cover.



The cover is a bit too mature and seems incompatible to her folksy new music. It looks like her music is standard or traditional (think Michael Buble). Regardless, I am still mesmerized at her beauty.

Her new album is already on pre-order at iTunes. I’d order it if they allow it here in the Philippines. But I already have the lead single (I Could Break Your Heart Any Day Of The Week). It’s a fun, tongue-in-cheek, mildy sarcastic, folksy song reminiscent of Sheryl Crow’s Soak Up The Sun. I don’t know why local radio still doesn’t have it. Oh well, the downside of being indie (Moore is on an indie label, released through a major label. Yeah, it’s complicated).

Her official website also sports a new look in preparation for the new album release. She is also a blogger and these are excerpts from her blog. I have to say that we have the same “writing voice,” if you know what I mean. Check out for yourself.

“I'm fully aware that when some people hear my name in a musical context, it's not often equated to anything earth-shattering. Yet, in many ways, this new record finds itself in a similar vein to the previous one, "Wild Hope." While “Amanda Leigh” was recorded in a much more concise period of time, both albums just feel like a real body of work, more connected to each other – both personally and musically.

When starting to really brainstorm about where the next musical venture should live, I decided to reach out to a few favorite artists of mine to see if they'd be interested in collaborating. I met Mike Viola. I quickly realized that Mike and I shared a love of so much of the same music and he innately understood the direction my music was taking me and where I wanted to take the music.

Suffice it to say, our common admiration (or perhaps, obsession) for the likes of Todd Rundgren, Joni Mitchell, CSNY and Nilsson, among many others, ran amok throughout the writing and eventual recording experience together.

From my perspective, the process of co-writing is rather vulnerable and can often be fairly hit or miss. It really takes the right partnership to allow honesty and comfort to reign. What worked so well with Mike and I was that we obviously brought different things to the table but worked from the same place.... we had one common interest in mind. We pushed one another and never thought twice about fearlessly stepping up to the plate with any and all ideas.

Sure, it was a deviation from the way I've recorded music in the past, but it felt like the only way to go about working on this record."

From www.mandymoore.com.

How many pop stars do you know who can use the words inanely, concise, suffice it to say like they were everyday words ? And this is not from a ghost blogger writing for Moore. I’ve watched countless interviews of Moore and she really speaks this way.

I always gravitate towards the smart girls. I hate shallow people. Sorry, Ms. Spears.

***

I’ve re-mastered the art of indifference lately. After all the trauma and the drama, I have treaded a path that is perpendicular or sometimes parallel to my self-proclaimed Dementors . I am in a different plane. You do the math.

Cold blood is a shock to my veins but I welcome it. My caustic venom level has resurged.

***

The ink is running toward the page, it's chasing off the days
Look back at your feet and that winding knee
I missed your skin when you were east
You clicked your heels and wished for me

I know the world's a broken bone
But melt your headaches, call it home