Pagod. Plangak. Plakda.
(Wednesday, January 28, 2009)
Tired. Writer envy. Weird. Incoherent. Bed. Sleep. Dream.
Post haste
(Friday, November 21, 2008)
I'm waiting. For what? I don't know yet. But I'm waiting.
***
"I like talking to a brick wall, it's the only thing in the world that never contradicts me." - Oscar Wilde
“Twenty-freaking-three!”
(Monday, September 08, 2008)
I was waiting for today the whole year. That's how boring I am. I badly wanted a day when I'm justified to feel good without questions asked. Now, I'm "a 23 on the verge of spontaneous combustion." Let's see how I'll pull through this time. :)
Thank God for lending me another year. Thanks to my awesome parents for having me. Thanks to my family for their never-ending sweetness. Thanks to my friends for the greetings, gifts, and the happy
picnic. I love you all!
I still have a few hours 'till my day ends, so I think I'm gonna spend it wisely by watching TV with my mom. Haha. Later skater. :)
I dare myself to move
(Wednesday, May 21, 2008)
"Dare You to Move" - Switchfoot
... Welcome to the falloutWelcome to resistanceThe tension is hereTension is hereBetween who you are and who you could beBetween how it is and how it should beI dare you to moveI dare you to moveI dare you to lift yourself up off the floorI dare you to moveI dare you to moveLike today never happenedToday never happened before***Konti na lang. Nararamdaman ko na talaga. Konti na lang.
Not now.
(Wednesday, May 07, 2008)
I don't need this right now. This is all so confusing. I think I'm saying no. Sorry.
Affected
(Monday, February 18, 2008)
I'm Mrs. McEyebags and I hate it. :-[
Another music loop moment. Today, it’s assorted Incubus and
Maps by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. :) Why didn’t I become a musician instead? I need the night job. I need the secret life.
Hamlet + guyliner = Shakespearean Emo
(Sunday, February 10, 2008)
Theater time!
Erase whatever high school English Literature memory you have of Hamlet, because Repertory Philippines first ever take on Shakespeare's tragedy will shock you. As if a storyline of murder, madness, treachery, incest, and vengeance isn't unnerving enough, REP—now in its 71st season—gives the audience something darker, more violent, and raw.
In this retelling of William Shakespeare's tragedy, Prince Hamlet (played by Niccolo Manahan) attempts to seek revenge on his Uncle Claudius (Joel Trinidad) for poisoning his father, King of Denmark (Pom Docena), and ascending to the throne.
"Everyone knows Hamlet and it's been done, so I need to retell it in a different way and also in a way that will get the younger audience," said director Ana Abad Santos-Bitong on her stage directorial debut. "Excited, I thought of a primal Hamlet set in a land ravaged by war. No tights, no lavish sets, no British accents. Just a nameless world stripped its core and a son crying for revenge."
And strip they did. The stage itself is a story, thanks to set designer Denis Lagdameo. It is otherworldly with real dirt, suspended smoke, and lighting that half hides everyone in sinister-like shadow. Denis is also responsible for the very real weapons from huge machetes to katar dagger made of blunted steel that weighs as heavy as it sounds during the fight scenes. The cast donned in elaborate Faust Peneyra's costume of leather and faux fur was so beautifully anti-Shakespeare that you would think it's a TV fantaserye.
Ana was actually inspired by the ‘80s action film Mad Max which explains other characters Mohawk hair and the nightmarish feel of the set. "It started off from there, then it just grew with my creative team. Everyone shared my vision. We were able to sort of make our own world," she pointed out. Add to that the haunting original score of Jethro Joaquin and a powerhouse cast—it's a production unlike any other.
The audience will love the maddened Prince Hamlet in dark eyeliner played by Niccolo Manahan. He nailed Hamlet's angst-filled soliloquies and spouting the famous line, "To be or not to be: that is the question." But he remains charming in his melancholy. The wonderfully choreographed fight between Hamlet and the ass-kicking Laertes (Jamie Wilson) with realistic albeit blunted weapons left the audience in awe. Joel Trinidad's robust performance as the new king of Denmark, Claudius, commanded attention. "I did Hamlet in the early ‘90s. I played Laertes and even then, I loved the role of Claudius because he's so evil and so hateful," Joel recalled.
The only ladies on stage, Frances Makil-Ignacio and Cris Villonco, were strong as they were seductive. Frances transformed the weak Gertrude to an attention-hungry and conniving queen, while Cris portrayed a balisong-slinging and passionate Ophelia. It was both amusing and heartbreaking to see Ophelia's downward spiral to madness. "Ana didn't want me running all over the stage. But definitely, you know that something is going on with her head, you know there's been a drastic change," Cris said of Ophelia's "crazy stillness."
Completing the eclectic and talented cast are Bodjie Pascua as Polonius; Randy Villarama as Horatio; Red Concepcion as Rosencrantz; Felix Rivera as Guildenstern; Jejie Esguerra as Osric; Jerald Napoles as Marcellus; Hans Eckstein as Barnardo; Francis Mathue as Francisco; and Pom Docena as the creepy ghost of Hamlet's father.
Although the formal and tedious Shakespearean language is used for the dialogue, audience can very well relate and keep up with the fast-paced story. After all, there's no replacement for striking lines such as, "Frailty, thy name is woman!" or "I will speak daggers to her, but use none."
Catch the madness of Hamlet until February 17 at Onstage Greenbelt 1, Makati City. For inquiries and ticket information log on to
http://www.repertory-philippines.com/ or
http://www.ticketworld.com.ph/. Interested buyers may also contact Lorna Lopez at 09179256505.
IHU
(Thursday, January 10, 2008)
I feel terrible and I want to hit something, or maybe someone. I can't control these emotions, you know. But I feel very guilty about them.
Dining out lutong-bahay style
(Sunday, January 06, 2008)
Pinoy "comfort food with a twist" at
PenPen. The hole-in-the wall restaurant in Tomas Morato is owned by Chupsie Medina, mom of indie cinema pin-up boy Ping Medina who describes PenPen food as a "quick and affordable fix na mas masarap 'yong pagkaluto than the usual."
Ping was kind enough to let me interview him for an article and feed me, so here are some pictures and a gracious plug. :) PenPen is at 105 Unit C Scout Castor Street, QC. They're open from Monday to Saturday, 11 a.m to 10 p.m.
The simple but delicious chicken nugget
Cordon Bleu and their very famous
Crispiest Liempo (the best ito!). Sarap din 'yong swak sa anghang nilang
Bicol Express.
And this is me fangirling. Why not. Hahaha. :D
Because I like taking pictures of food
(Saturday, January 05, 2008)
Testing, testing. Massive calories on the way.
So for my first attempt at foodie posting, here's
Burgoo's Mudslide cake. Well, I think that's what it's called. I forgot the proper name or how much it is. The important thing is, it's delish, but I had to hurry eating because the ice-cream was melting fast. This was taken during my Tia Rosie's birthday treat in Gateway, Cubao. :)
I wanna stop wasting Internet space
(Friday, January 04, 2008)
This year, I'm thinking of converting this blog dumpsite into a foodie shrine. I have tons of food/pigging out photos in storage, so might as well put them to good use, even though they're not hi-res or perfectly styled like those in foodblogs I often visit. But food is food, right?
Oh, and happy new year, everyone! God bless! :)
OMFG-moment
(Monday, December 17, 2007)
Just a false alarm panic. Thank God. Please, I don't need added stress right now. Pleaaassseee.
Aguy!
(Friday, December 14, 2007)
Ang sakit sakit ng likod ko! :( Para akong matandang nirarayuma na hindi maintindihan. Naiiyak na ko. Halp.
Into the Woods and back
(Thursday, December 13, 2007)
A comedic medley of fairy telltales and happily never afters—New Voice Company's production of the Broadway musical Into the Woods is all that and more. Based on James Lapine's book of the same title, Into the Woods is a hodgepodge of familiar Brothers Grimm characters that all come colliding, well, in the woods.
The first act is centered on the basic storybook premise as each character sets out to find their happily ever after. A somewhat confused Cinderella (Cathy Azanza) goes to the ball and meets her prince (Jamie Wilson). Simple-minded Jack (Joaqui Valdes) trades his cow for magical beans and climbs the stalk. Bad-ass Red Riding Hood (Julia Abueva) survives a wolf-attack. A needy Rapunzel (Angela Padilla) gets rescued from the tower by her prince (John Mulhall).
All the while, the childless Baker (Michael Williams) and his wife (Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo) chase after them, hoping to lift the Witch's (Lynn Sherman) curse by gathering ingredients for her potion: a cow as white as milk, a cape as red as blood, hair as yellow as corn, and slipper as pure as gold.
It's fun watching the different characters stumble through the forest and bump into each other. There's a certain controlled chaos on stage with everyone in constant motion, a cow being dragged/carried everywhere, and the recurring appearance of the Mysterious Man (Tommy Abuel). But if the play lacks visual appeal, the cast members make up for it with their dance and song numbers. The key is to really pay attention to the songs.
Kudos to Ceejay Javier's wonderful live musical direction and Stephen Sondheim's powerful lyrics bordering from hilarious to dramatic. The standout performances are the overall singing and acting of the Baker's Wife; the princely brothers duet on "Agony," where they lament about their ladyloves; and the ugly Witch rapping about her vegetables: "But I'm tellling you the same / I tell kings and queens / Don't ever never ever / Mess around with my greens! / Especially the beans."
After all the merriment in the lengthy first act, the second half takes a rather dark turn. A threat of gigantic proportions appears and each character—all the while dealing with personal dilemmas—must work together to fight it off. The sudden death of some characters, unlikely coupling, and downbeat songs constantly surprise the audience.
The "Agony" gets a beautiful reprise as the "charming but not sincere" princes are apparently smitten with other fairy-tale beauties singing "What unbearable bliss / Agony / That can cut like a knife! / Ah, well, back to my wife." But the highlight is the long-winded number "Your Fault" as remaining characters play the blame game on who's at fault that a near-sighted she-giant is destroying their land and killing them one by one. The finale "Children Will Listen" sums up the themes of family relationships and embracing responsibilities in life.
Everything is not what it seems in the woods, which makes watching this fairytale musical entertaining for kids and adults alike.
Wishlist repost!
(Wednesday, December 12, 2007)
Dear Boring Friend, because I have seen the error of my splurging ways, I just want something practical and useful this Christmas. So for our annual exchange gift brouhaha, here's my [revised] list (this also applies to anyone who's thinking of getting me something. Haha.):
* Neutrogena Deep Clean Facial Cleanser 150 ml bottle (please make this your priority one, haha)
* Fibrella folding umbrella
* Socks and handkerchiefs
* Lots of Stresstabs
* Globe prepaid card or Frequency Internet card
* Black medium-sized wallet
* Faber-Castell colored pencils
* Mouse wrist rest (please save me from carpal tunnel syndrome)
* Glue gun (throw in some glue sticks too if you can) or a stapler
* Alarm clock
Thanks, yo! And many happy returns! :)
The simple but delicious chicken nugget Cordon Bleu and their very famous Crispiest Liempo (the best ito!). Sarap din 'yong swak sa anghang nilang Bicol Express.
And this is me fangirling. Why not. Hahaha. :D
