BOUNCE WITH ME

DAY OF HEARTS

2007-02-14T10:10:00.000+08:00

As I was dressing up this morning, I was about to put on my favorite red shirt, but then, a voice in my head told me not to. Later, as I was saying goodbye to my folks, I realized it was Valentine's Day...good thing.

***

Valentine's Day has always had some signifiicance to me. It marks the anniversary of my worst date ever. I won't go into detail but trust me, it was bad. It was also Valentine's day when I started working at Lowe...and it was also exactly Feb.14 when I left it three years later. This day also marks the anniversary of my favorite Valentine's moment... the most amazing kiss I ever had.

I figure that it's safe to tell this story now...we were sworn to secrecy then but it's too good a story not to tell. It was valentine's day 2001. After a long day at work, the "single" creatives decided to go out for drinks at a nearby bar. It must have been fate because it ended up being four of us drinking - me, another guy and two girls - including Corina, the hottie, crush-ng-bayan art director. After a few rounds, the other guy tells us that since it's valentine's we should all have someone to kiss that night. He then got some paper then wrote his name and my name down. He then put the paper in a container and told the girls to pull out a name. Whoever they drew, they had to kiss that night. This would be revealed when we got back to the office.

After a few nervous giggles, the girls did draw lots and we headed back to Rufino tower. When we got there, the girls revealed who their partners were gonna be. Corina drew me.

We made our way to one of the CD's rooms and let the other couple go first. As I was standing outside waiting my turn, all I could hear were the girl's giggles and the guy frustratingly telling her to get it over with. Finally, they came out and we went in.

I admit that I had the biggest crush on Corina and I knew all the stories of guys who tried and failed to go after this beautiful woman. And here I was, about to lock lips with her. We leaned in and kissed fow a few seconds. It was one of those lingering kissses where she actually hung on to my lower lip as our heads slowly pulled away. My lower lip was literally quivering afterward. After the kissing, the rest of the night was spent lighting up doobies. Tee-hee.

Anyway, she ended up marrying this guy from the States a year later...they now have a little girl and they've settled abroad. She still sends me emails and pics from time to time. But still, it was one hell of a kiss.

UNINTERESTING

2007-02-12T11:19:00.000+08:00

Have you ever gotten that feeling? The one where you feel that your world has come to a complete, utter and grinding halt? That's how I feel right now...stalled...and I desperately need something to jumpstart me, quickly.

The last time I felt like this was in 2003 when I made the unfortunate decision to leave Lowe. I felt like I was stagnating then. That I wasn't contributing anything of worth to my team and the company. That's exactly how I feel now.

It just seems that my life is getting nowhere and I've settled into a routine. Which is what I have been fearing would happen since I started here at 141. I've gotten comfortable. I feel safe. It's not right.

God, I hope I snap out of this funk soon.

SLOW GOING

2007-01-09T16:52:00.000+08:00

Thanks to an earthquake in Taiwan, internet connections around Asia have slowed to a virtual crawl. In the Philippines, full internet capability in our office network has only recovered by 21%. Now, it takes so much longer just to open websites and check your Yahoo Mail - much more for us to open photo sites like Corbis or Getty Images so we can make our ads.

I've found myself also having a rough go at shaking off the holiday rust. I feel so lethargic and slow that the work seems to be impossible to finish. Must...for...coherent...thoughts...

Bought a new phone though. After much ribbing from my friends and officemates, I retired my 6170 and bought myself a Nokia N70. It has all the standard features one would expect, and for P16,000 I wouldn't expect any less.

Oh, and I talked to Bubbly last night. She said the strangest thing. She was tuned into CJ the Dj's show on Magic 89.9 last night and CJ announced that he was officially welcoming back Jay Bounce into the fold. Hmmm...Max hasn't told me anything yet...

Anyway, hope you guys can catch our new show. It's called Saturday Slam - the Nicest of the Nineties - every Saturday night from 6-9, replacing Nitelive. That's 3 hours of everything from Grunge to Boy Bands so I hope you children of the 90s do tune in and join us on our stroll down memory lane.

PARTY LIKE IT'S 2007

2007-01-02T11:34:00.000+08:00

Let's start the year off right with a new entry.

Actually, I didn't start the new year right. My curiosity was piqued by the news that there was a cellphone video of the Saddam execution circling the internet. First thing I did when I got to the office was go to youtube.com and search for it. It was pretty much the same as the one they showed on CNN, but of course, they showed the part where he was dropped through the trap door. The shot wasn;t spectacular if you ask me - he just dropped out of frame as the camera was jostled around and there was kind of a commotion. Then suddenly, out of the darkness, there he was, his neck tilted to the side, mouth slightly agape, eyes slightly open upward...dead from a broken neck. I watched it with morbid fascination for a few seconds then realized I just saw a man die. Not a good man, yes - but a man nonetheless.

But anyway, I did enjoy ringing in the new year. As is our family tradition of late, we headed to Eastwood to watch the fireworks show. Turns out, Magic 89.9 was hosting the street party so I headed down to the Centre Plaza and joined James Bang and Mighty Mike for the festivities. I got to go on the mic and do my thing with the audience, but the biggest thrill was standing at the top of the stage, with dancing girls all around and helping lead the countdown to 2007. Can't wait for 2008.

Anyway, here's to a great year ahead for all of us. Happy New Year everyone!

BITS AND PIECES

2006-12-05T14:19:00.000+08:00

A lot of my friends' posts in their blogs have been about moving in, moving on and moving up. This is kinda like that...only really abbreviated.

Moving in (out) - I'm in the process of looking for my own place. Something in the 8K - 10K range, somewhere near Makati.
Moving on - No more bubbly for me...applications and referrals are welcome.
Moving up - got offered twice this past November - one was for an ad agency, the other was for a new radio station

So how have you been?

BLAG!

2006-11-15T23:19:00.000+08:00

That's the sound of me kicking my own butt to get me to update this thing. It's not that I haven't had the time to write nor can I blame a lack of material. I just haven't had the patience to sit down, gather my thoughts and put them down in an article that makes any sense.

Enter music.

ANNOUNCER: We now return to "Bounce With Me". When we last left our intrepid hero, he and his lady love "Bubbly" had a falling out, leaving him bewildered and baffled. Since then, they resolved to put an abrupt end to their budding romance in order to save their friendship. At the same time, our hero was making his way through a mountain of work and emerged victorious, claiming a pitch victory along the way. He then retreated to his hideaway on the 27th floor of Ayala FGU and used the precious free time to recharge his batteries and gird himself for another battle.

In a cruel twist of fate, his former lady love "Bubbly" has returned to his life and is making it hard for him to "move on".

Where will the road lead our valiant warrior next? Stay tuned to find out!!!

Exeunt.

BURSTING MY BUBBLY

2006-10-23T01:53:00.000+08:00

Wow, two posts in one day. I must have a lot on my mind.

I finally got to go out with Bubbly last Friday. It seemed perfect...the traffic coperated with me and I got to her place right on time - although she wasn't ready and I had to wait an additional ten minutes. But when she came out...wow. Worth the wait.

We went to dinner at Paparazzi in Shangri-la Edsa Plaza. I always enjoyed eating there when I was younger and I thought she'd like it. And she did. She even said that the risotto was the best she ever had.

Afterwards, we went to Metrowalk to catch the Itchyworms play. After a good set, she got a text message from her best friend asking if they could meet up in Makati. She asks if I could make hatid and of course I obliged. I was kinda tired din at the time but she asked me if I wanted to hang with her first. So I did. Then, after an hour and a half, I yawned. She saw this and asked me if I wanted to go home. She told me that she would be okay and that I shouldn't worry about her. Of course, I didn't want to leave her alone in Makati at 2 in the morning so I volunteered to stay. She insisted and threatened that if I didn't go home, "Away tayo", in her own words.

I finished my cigarette, said my goodbyes then walked to the car as she went to the ATM. I told the driver to go ahead without me and went after Bubbly. Upon seeing me, she got irate. She stormed off in a huff and said something about being able to take care of herself.

I decided that it would be better for me to back off rather than argue my point so I made sure she was settled in at Starbucks and hailed a cab. As soon as I got home, I gave her a call. She answered coldly and I apologized. I asked her if she was still angry. Se said that "It will pass." And then said good night. I waited by my phone till 430 in the morning when she finally texted that she got home safe.

And that's the last I've hard from her since.

There's a reason I've been single all these years and this is it....

So why do I miss her so much? And why am I so affected that she's mad? And why is she so mad in the first place? We're just dating right? Right?

Argh. Women.

DAYS WITHOUT THE LORD

2006-10-23T01:43:00.000+08:00

It's 1:37 AM as I write this entry...and oh, by the way, I'm at work. The only thing different about this OT is that I have some Bukas Palad, Hangad and Days with the Lord songs playing in the background. Obviously, I missed mass again. My dad has been the most vocal about my absence and although I don't show it, I'm equally as frustrated. I really need to find someone to go to mass at Gesu with. I know it may sound bad but a this point where my spiritual energies are at an ebb, I need the inspiration and presence of God in the place where I feel most connected to Him.

It's an altogether different spiritual experience to sit in the Gesu, amidst the green fields and trees, with familiar faces and wonderful Jesuit music serving as a perfect backdrop.

Oh well...back to the salt mines. Pray for my soul everybody.

ME TIME

2006-10-19T11:34:00.000+08:00

Wow, I actually have time to blog.

And sleep.

And watch DVDs.

And have a massage.

We finally have a down period...there seems to be some major projects just waiting around the corner, but right now, at this moment, I can afford to take it a little easy.

In my industry, times like these come so few and far in between that you really have to appreciate them and make the most of it. I actually feel like writing about stuff other than work.

As I looked over the latest batch of DVDs I bought, my eyes were drawn to Adam Sandler's Click. Aside from the fact that it was a movie I saw with "Bubbly", I remember it for its one powerful scene. Although my friend and fellow blogger Jim will disagree, I really loved the "death" scene in the movie. It was so powerful and emotional that I actually cried the first time I saw it (of course, I only admitted crying when I saw Bubbly pull out some tissues to wipe the tears off her face). It also got me to think about other movies with similar powerful/memorable scenes. I bet you have your own list but allow me to indukge in my perosnal favorites.

BIG FISH
The scene when the son takes over his father's story and carries him from the car to the river stands out in my memory. As thy make their way to the riverbank, the path is lined up with characters from different parts of the movie. It really captures a feeling of immense joy and catharsis which I really enjoyed.

DEAD POETS SOCIETY
Who can forget scrawny Ethan Hawke climbing on top of his desk and voicing his support for his teacher, Robin Williams, by shouting "Oh captain, my captain!"? I was in high school at the time and as an outsider in the honors class, it really struck a chord in me at that impressionable age.

SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION
Another movie that I could relate to my own experiences. I saw it when I just got back to Ateneo after spending a year in Angelicum and I couldn't hlp but see myself in Tim Robbins' character's story. I loved the scene where he crawled through the shit and emerged on the other side of the river. As he tore off his prison suit and embraced the rain as the camera craned away...wow.

SCENT OF A WOMAN
The tango scene is my favorite part of the movie. It was graceful and the natural acting of Gabrielle Anwar was so charming. Besides, who doesn't love a tango?

I have a long list but these are the five scenes that really stood out for me. What's yours?

WHY WE DO IT

2006-10-16T14:48:00.000+08:00

I got a call from my brother Ganns the other day. I picked it up and instead of his usual bubbly, high-spirits (was gonna say high-pitched but decided against it - haha!) greeting, I got a cry for help. He just started at Agatep and Associates, one of the oldest PR firms in the country. In the weeks before he started, he was optimistic and hopeful. He just landed his dream job and was thanking his Lord and Savior for the blessings.

What a difference a few weeks can make. It looks like he was swamped the moment he set foot in the office. I remarked in his blog that this field really isn't for everybody. He has a loving family to come home to and that he adores greatly. The late nights and high-pressure to deliver can break even the strongest spirit.

I'm not saying that I'm stronger than Ganns. No-sir-ree. I've just been in this line of work for far too long. You could say I grew used to it - that I do love it, the way a moth can't stay away from the flame. Besides, there's no greater fulfillment for me than to see an ad I came up with come to life on print, radio or tv. There's a certain pride in that.

In the end, Ganns will live a long and happy life with his great-grandchildren.

I'll be dead at 40 and rotting in hell for putting people in debt and giving them lung cancer.

But as I said, you gotta love it. It took me two years away from this field to realize that.

I NEED A BEER

2006-10-08T10:59:00.000+08:00

I know I've sworn off drinking, but a beer sounds pretty good right about now. Actually, any kind of alcoholic succor would suffice. Saw my high school friends last Saturday and one of them wondered why I haven't updated my blog.

I wish I could still say that it's because I've been out with Bubbly a lot but that isn't true either. It's been nothing but work, work, work and more work since September. We won three new accounts and all of them are active. Not to mention the two accounts I'm already handling. And to top it all off, the only manpower we added was a freelancer from Indonesia who claims to have been a CD there but throws ideas that a grade schooler could think of. With the money he's being paid, we could actually hire two-three junior creatives who could be worlds better.

Sour graping. Sorry.

WAKE ME WHEN SEPTEMBER ENDS

2006-09-26T11:44:00.000+08:00

It's been 25 days since I turned 31. I remember that I was on top of the world...then the rest of the month happened. Deadline upon deadline upon deadline. Late nights on late nights. Right now, my energy is literally at a miniscule ebb. Thankfully, my boss granted my request for a leave on Thursday and Friday. I' m going to spend it lying in bed and watching the Ateneo game.

Hopefully, it will also get my mind off the fact that *Bubbly* (my new codename for **) is leaving the office. It's her last day today. I've been prepping myself for the fact that I won't be able to see her everyday. No more popping up behind her desk to bug her. No more lunches or rides to and from work. She really was the best part of going to work for me and not having her around to see her smile or hear her "kulit"ness is going to leave such a big void in my day...

WHEN IT RAINS...

2006-09-20T13:53:00.000+08:00

You all know the old saying. It's been a pretty depressing week so far. I went to the wake of my friend Nicole's dad last Sunday. He died from a heart attack. Then yesterday, my officemate's dad and my friend Ali Figueroa's mom both passed away. To top it all off, my brother just got confined in the hospital and it's suspected that he has dengue. What's next?

***

My biorhythm at work has been down as well. One client in particular has been acting up and hasn't been receptive to our ideas for the past few projects. Anything we present is either too witty, or even worse, something she can't understand or relate to. Of course, this same client doesn't know Rapunzel or Monopoly.

***

And on Tuesday, my romantic interest is leaving 141 Worldwide. She never got a fair deal and got stuck with a boss who would rather scold her than teach her, and Instead of transferring her to another account where she can learn the basics, they're just cutting her loose. A part of me is happy that she'll finally be free of the clutches of this boss, but of course, I'm not too happy with the possibility of not being able to see her everyday. Plus, I know that if given the chance, she'd have been great...

FINDING THE RIGHT WORDS

2006-09-12T10:36:00.000+08:00

I should have been a scriptwriter. Scenario: Jay and his lady friend emerge from Chili's after a nice dinner. After a smoke, she asks him to walk around a bit first.

GIRL: I like walking with you.
JAY: You just want me to exercise.
GIRL: True, but I also like talking to you when we walk.
JAY: Well...I wouldn't walk for anyone else but you.

Heeheeheehee.

SPENT

2006-09-04T12:10:00.000+08:00

Wednesday last week - worked till 3AM of Thursday. Still came in later that day for a recording.
Friday - had to attend the first Dunhill Perfectionists Party then went out with **. Got home at 4AM
Saturday - did my show and had my birthday party. Slept at 6AM
Sunday - had to go to work at 2PM. Went home at 130 AM this morning
Monday - Looking at an all-nighter for the Carlos I pitch

Oh my God. I am sooooooooooooooooooooo tired.

NUMBER 200

2006-08-30T10:30:00.000+08:00

Welcome to my 200th entry in this blog. I think there should have been more but I deleted a few *bleh* posts a few months back. Anyway, I write this, two days shy of my 31st birthday. Yup, I'm bidding adieu to the calendar. I'm going out with a bang though - throwing a little party at my place on Saturday, Sept.2 at 9pm. You're all invited of course. If you need directions, feel free to text or message me.

Also on that night, I'm inviting you to listen to Nitelive on Magic 89.9 from 6-8pm. I'll be leaving the show early - pangit naman if my guests arive at my party and wala pala ako right? Anyway, our special guest will be Lougee of Mojofly. She'll be sitting in the booth with us, making chika and joining in on our inane banter. Will she make it through the two hours without getting offended? Tune in to find out!!!

BAD DAY

2006-08-25T15:04:00.000+08:00

Daniel Powter may as well be sitting next to me right now and singing the familiar strains of his one hit song. Today has been one disaster after another. Why God, why?

Let me explain. After picking up ** this morning, we headed to work. With all the traffic on EDSA, we take an alternate route to Makati, turning off at Guadalupe towards JP Rizal. While waiting for the traffic light to turn green, my ever-brilliant driver seemingly dozes off and the car rolls into the vehicle idling in front of us. A quick survey of the damage revealed some minor dents and scratches but nothing too major. The owner of the other car offered that we pay him off then and there so as to avoid a messy dispute. I had to fork over a thousand bucks (good thing I was carrying some cash) which I hope my driver will pay back.

Anyway, got to work and found out that Nanette Diyco's write-up about our HSBC ads came out in today's BusinessWorld. Needless to say, I was thrilled. She discussed two ads and one of them was my idea. Lo and behold, my brilliant accounts team forgot to add my name to the credits and instead put the name of my namesake who left 141 on bad terms and wasn't even part of the conceptualization of the ad. Argh! My boss said he felt bad and that I shouldn't worry. The higher-ups are well-aware of my contributions and all that...but this was the moment I was gonna be recognized for an ad I was proud off and...ARRRGH!

I am so not in a good mood right now...

Here's the ad, in case any of you are curious:

OF MACS AND MEN

2006-08-18T02:04:00.001+08:00

It's 2AM and I'm still at work. We're all still here working on a big pitch for tomorrow. Been working till late everyday since Saturday. Yawn.

Anyway, at least I have a new toy to keep me company. My company finally replaced the 5 year old iBook I've been using the past few months with a spanking new MacBook!

It's great! Aside from the fact that it's tons faster and I can actually see what letters are on the keyboard, it has a ton of great features. Best of all is that it has a built-in webcam. Wait, lemee take a picture.

That's me at 2AM after a week of going home late. Anyway, I have yet to take this baby home and see what trouble I can get into with it.

FOR ERIN

2006-08-14T11:06:00.000+08:00

As I write this, my friend's 3 month old daughter is fighting for her life as she undergoes a very delicate surgery - one that's merely a stop gap and not even a real cure. She's suffering from Bilary Atresia - a condition where the bile ducts of the liver don't function, thus bile doesn't get removed from the body. They are doing this just to bypass the malfunctioning ducts and transport the bile to the small intestine. This will give Erin, the baby some temporary relief until a liver donor can be found...

I ask you all to please say a prayer for Erin Pasimio and her parents Sonny and Ria. I wish that I could do more, but for now, it's all we can do. God willing.

WALKING ON AIR

2006-08-07T14:36:00.000+08:00

Hmm...I just noticed that I left a string of stories about my life in radio hanging. I was supposed to say how I got a full-time gig as a jock...some of my most memorable moments...having to board on Christmas and New Year's Eve...an on-air proposal...indecent proposals...etc. Just been caught up in how my life has been going...been busy trying to balance work with my sudden office courtship. Much to the chagrin of my high school buds, I've been missing out on their new hobby (This board game whose name escapes me right now). But I'm sure they will understand. Pag-ibig muna right?

Eniwey, speaking of radio...I'm back on air. Yup, the bounce is back. I'm on every Saturday from 6-9 pm on Magic 89.9. It's not a paying gig but I'm doing it for the joy of it. I obviously missed it and this way, I can get my fix without having to give up my day job. Plus, I can start charging more when I do hosting gigs. Heehee.

So far, so good. Things are falling into place and I'm weeks away from celebrating my 31st birthday. I'm thinking that if I save enough, I can afford to pay for my big send-off as I exit the calendar years. Who's with me? I can start accepting gifts as early as today!

365 DAYS AT 141

2006-08-01T14:59:00.000+08:00

I'm looking out the window from my desk on the 27th floor of the Ayala FGU center on Ayala Avenue. The sky's is desolatedly gray and I'm feeling a little under the weather.

But, as the title of this piece goes, I'm celebrating my first year anniversary here at 141 Worldwide. The office is virtually empty. A lot of the people are either in a meeting with clients or are sick at home and it seems a tad colder than usual. Have two deadlines to meet but I just wanted to take some time to reflect on this past year. This was a firm that took a chance on a copywriter who had been out of advertising for nearly two years. They hired me even if I had never won an award. One year later, I felt like thanking the three guys I had to go through just to get this job. I went up to them last night and thanked each of them for giving me this chance.

And I have a lot to be thankful for. I'm thankful for the patience they showed me as I had to adjust back to life in advertising. I'm thankful that they appreciated some of my ideas enough to fight tooth and nail for them in front of client. I'm thankful that everyone accepted me fairly quickly. I'm thankfuly that they saw fit to reward my efforts by regularizing me in just three months. I'm thankful that they hired you-know-who (I must point out though that she's the one who mentioned that, not me!).

One year down...and in this industry where people change agencies almost every year, I think I'll stick around here a bit longer.

NEGLECTED

2006-07-28T14:46:00.000+08:00

My annoying "sister" called me out on the fact that I have been neglecting this blog. Truth is, I rarely have time for much nowadays. My life has turned on its head actually. I haven't even bought a new DVD in more than a month.

Let's just say that my days and nights have been occupied. No, work hasn't been rough. God's just decided to throw a little surprise my way. A little surprise in the form of a new romantic interest. My high school buds met her na and in a moment that is sooo not me, I threw my friends-first policy out the window and decided to let her know early on that I liked her. And in a moment that I am not accustomed to, she wanted to see where it goes.

So, I'm in completely new territory. I'm used to getting shot down that now, I have no idea what to do. I'm just gonna go along for the ride. A new day for a new Jay i say.

LIFE AND DEATH

2006-07-10T13:28:00.000+08:00

Had a hosting gig last Saturday...one that I actually got paid for. It's been a while. Anyway, it was a debut and they asked me to come in at 6 since the event was supposed to start at 7. Got to Manila Hotel at 5:40 so I decided to have an early supper at Cafe Ilang-Ilang. I never felt so grown up. I mean, I'm 30 years old but it was my first time to dine at Manila Hotel without my family in tow and I paid for my own meal.

The event started late (an hour and a half!) and it was kinda disorganized at first. Microphones weren't in place. Last second changes to the program. Needless to say, I was pissed and was cursing the organizers under my breath. It ended pretty well though and they were very happy with my hosting. They want to work with me again in the future. I'll see if I really need the money.

***

Got shocked when I opened my e-mail this morning. Turns out, another of our batchmates died last week. The memo from Ateneo didn't specify the cause of death but it's just another one too many for our batch. As for the one who passed away, he was someone I was acquainted with from Grade School. He was from the honors class and last I heard, he suffered a nervous breakdown from all the teasing and insults levied his way by his classmates. Mind you, I spent some time in the honors class and they could be mean if they wanted to. Rest in peace Ramon Salvosa.

SUPERMAN AND PACMAN

2006-07-03T12:13:00.000+08:00

SATURDAY
Went to Greenbelt to catch the 10:15pm showing of Superman Returns with the J-boys. I was geeking out from the get-go when the familiar opening strains of the overture started playing and the geeking out continued as Bryan Singer decided to pay homage to the Superman films of the Christopher Reeve era with references borrowed from its predecessors. Granted, the movie was dragging on at some points and the unexpected twist was sacreligious from a comic book fan's point of view, I enjoyed the movie. Superman is Superman and it was a good way to bring him back and reintroduce him to the movie-going public. Maybe the next movie will have him duking it out with an enemy where he can let loose with his super powers - Bizarro or Brainiac perhaps?

SUNDAY
Caught the replay of the Pacquiao match last night. I wasn't expecting much since, in the weeks leading up to the event, many boxing experts were predicting a win over Larios, who was reported to be damaged goods. We got the win we wanted but not in the way we were hoping for. Oddsmakers changed the betting line and instead of predicting the winner, people were laying wagers on which round Pacquiao would knock out Larios. Unfortunately for them, Larios went the distance despite being floored by Manny twice. He even got Manny on the ropes in the third.

But in the end, Manny Pacquiao made Oscar Larios into his punching bag, unleashing combinations and flurries for every one-two that Larios could get in. He was gracious in defeat and you have to give to the guy, he took every punch Manny had (even a no-look over(head?)hand left during a clench) and left on hiks own two feet (albeit he was battered and bloodied).

Oh, and despite my prejudices, I was glad that ABS-CBN did the broadcast. At least we didn't have to hear Quinito Henson sing Manny's praises to high heavens proclaiming him to be the hero of the Filipino people.

RADIO GA-GA II: Start of Something Big

2006-06-30T11:11:00.000+08:00

After my first taste of on-air bliss, a part of me wanted to be a DJ. Life took me down another road and I got into advertising after graduation. A few months later, my good buddy Ganns beat me to the punch and got his own show on-air with LA 105.9. Granted, it was a crappy station (sorry Ganns) in a crappy building (Philcomcen) but I was jealous as heck. He was living my dream. I used to visit him in the booth and wish that it was me.

Then one day, God saw fit to give me my chance.

I had just left advertising to recharge my batteries and see if I could make more money as a freelancer. It was a Friday night and I was on my way home from a wedding reception I attended in Makati. I tuned in to Magic 89.9 and caught their new wave weekend show. I then heard a familiar voice and remembered that one of my high school friends was a regular guest on the program. I called him up and he invited me over.

I entered the booth and my friend introduced me to Max Speed, the program director of Magic 89.9 and the host of the new wave weekend show. He put me on air and we chatted a little bit. I even got to introduce a song. Then, when the show ended, he asked me back.

That second guesting led to me becoming a regular on the show. I wasn't getting paid but I was getting to live my DJ dream, if only for 3 hours a week. This went on for months then my dream went kaput when the powers-that-be cancelled the show.

I asked if there was a way I could get a full-time slot with the station but Max told me that they already had two DJs-in-training lined up and that there was no place for me.

Or so I thought.

To be continued.

THE RED EYE

2006-06-29T11:11:00.000+08:00

It all started Monday. My eyes just started clouding over during our weekly status meeting. Then it started itching. Then my eyes turned bloodshot red. I went to Makati Med to have it confirmed and I had to report the news to my boss.

I had sore eyes.

Of course, he promptly sent me home. No sense in me infecting the entire agency.

I spent the next day in bed. No TV. No DVDs. No PS2. No human contact. The itching had subsided the next day so I went back to work. My boss thought otherwise and told me to take another day off.

Another day. No TV. No DVDs. No PS2. No human contact.

It's worse than prison, I tell ya.

RADIO GA-GA

2006-06-19T11:09:00.000+08:00

"Hi, what's your name and what are you wearing?"

That used to be my usual greeting whenever someone would call the station during my DJ days. I got to thinking about that stage in my life last Thursday, when I caught a cab to QC for a dinner appointment. The cabbie was listening to 99.5 RT (I know, I was surprised myself) and they had this show on about cars. They'd usually field questions from listeners and they had one particular caller who cracked me up.

The DJ put the listener on air and asked him for his question. The guy even asked if they wanted a long question or a short one. He was answered with "Any question will do," so he then starts asking what to do if a girl he liked didn't feel the same way back.
It was so hilarious, even the taxi driver was laughing his head off.

I guess you had to be there.

Anyway, it got me reminiscing about my days as Jay Bounce of Magic 89.9. It actually got me thinking what were my favorite radio moments. Thought I'd list them here for posterity's sake. Plus, my memory's not what it used to be.

1. FIRST TIME ON AIR
The first time I went live on air was in college. I had an assignment for Ruey de Vera's Feature Writing class so I chose to do a day in the life of then RX Monster Jock Bruce Romano (Ferdie Verayo in real life). He was a teacher by day and a DJ by night and I felt that was a compelling topic. So, I headed off to Strata 1000 at 2 in the morning to sit in on Bruce's shift and pander him with questions. Finally, at about 5:12 AM, Bruce asked me if I wanted to go on air. I said yes and he introduced me to the audience. We chit-chatted a bit then he asked me to introduce a song. I asked him to play Tulog by South Border because that's what I was hoping to do right after. He played it and I closed it out with a "Keep it here on the first creative pop station, Monster Radio RX 93.1."

I was thrilled beyond belief and I was hooked. I knew someday, I would end up behind the mic. And I did and the rest is history.

A history I'll get into in a later chapter. This entry is long enough as it is.

HELL WEEK

2006-06-09T11:27:00.000+08:00

It was quite appropriate that the date 6/6/06 fell on this week, because me and the other creatives went through hell. Half the team had to come in on Sunday and they worked straight on till 4pm the next day. What followed were days filled with one-day wonders (briefing, brainstorming and execution all squeezed into one day) and nights that stretched way too long. I'm just glad that the three day weekend is coming up.

***

Missed another episode of My Name is Earl on JackTV. I'll probably catch the replay but with all the work we're doing, a little bit of the show's quirky humor would be a welcome reprieve.

The show revolves around Earl, a small-town criminal who won $100,000 and got hit by a car afterwards. He then realized that he needs to balance the scales of karma and make up for all the wrong things he had done in the past in order for good things to happen. The series stars Jason Lee, a regular in Kevin Smith's films (He appeared in Mallrats, Chasing Amy and Jay and Silent Bob strike back) as the karmically-challenged Earl. He plays white trash very well and his comic timing is impeccable. Other characters of note are Ethan Suplee as Earl's bumbling sidekick and Jamie Pressley as Earl's vindictive ex-wife.

Maybe I'll be able to catch the replay this weekend. You should too.

A BULLET WITH MY NAME ON IT

2006-06-05T15:14:00.000+08:00

Twice now. Twice that a gun has gone off while I was nearby.

The first incident happened as I was waiting for my flight back from Boracay. I stepped out of the airport for a smoke. I was standing by the exit which was right beside the place where the guards check your ticket and ID before entering. After some puffs, I decided to sit my ass down on a nearby row of seats. Good thing I did because a few minutes later, as another passenger was checking in his firearm with the guard, the gun went off and the bullet hit the place I had been standing in just a few minutes earlier.

Fast forward to a week later, I was heading back upstairs from a smoking break and just re-entered the building. I walked through the back entrance and saw a delivery man chatting it up with the building security. He seemed to be pretty chummy with them I remember thinking. As I turned the corner towards the elevators, a shot rang out and the sound just reverberated throughout the entire ground floor. I went running into a nearby elevator whose doors just opened. It seems that while the messenger was checking in his piece with the guards, it went off and struck the marble floor and ricocheted.

God must not want me to smoke.

----------------------------

Anyway, onto more pressing things, we are in need of Art Directors here in 141. Senior/ACD level. If you guys know anyone, could you ask your friends to send their resume over to jay.tan@141worldwide.com? Thanks!

TAGGED AGAIN

2006-05-24T19:02:00.000+08:00

I swear...Ganns, I'm gonna kill you!

Instructions: Remove the blog in the top spot from the following list and bump everyone up one place. Then add your blog to the bottom slot, like so.

1) Kiss My Mike
2) Micerridwen
3) Wifely Steps
4) Superblessed
5) Bounce With Me
Next select five people to tag:

1) Joey
2) Rhochie
3) Conci
4) Tina
5) Jim

And now the questions…

What were you doing 10 years ago?
I just got back to Ateneo, fresh from a year in another college.

What were you doing 1 year ago?
I was unhappily at my old job. Marvelling at new furniture and squeezing into a small cubicle

Five snacks you enjoy:
1) Arce Dairy Ice Cream
2) Chippy
3) McDo Apple Pie with Caramel sundae
4) Kowloon House Asado Siopao
5) Lay's Sour Cream or BBQ

Five songs to which you know all the lyrics:
1) Bad Day by Daniel Pewter
2) The Way You Look Tonight
3) Walking in Memphis
4) The GI Joe theme song
5) Love Moves in Mysterious Ways

Five things you would do if you were a millionaire:
1) Get my own place
2) Buy my own iBook
3) US Trip and visit all my friends who have fled for the states
4) Catch up on comic books
5) Invest

Five bad habits:
1) Smoking
2) Snide remarks
3) Ridiculing
4) I don't go to mass
5) PS2 till late at night

Five things you like doing:
1) Playing PS2
2) Adding to my massive DVD collection
3) Smoking
4) Writing songs
5) watching TV...lots of it

Five things you would never wear again:
1) The only thing I can think of is this shirt my aunt got for me in Ukay and it turns out to be a woman's blouse.

Five favorite toys:
1) PS2
2) GI Joe
3) Transformers
4) He Man
5) Mask

TAG I'M IT

2006-05-24T16:37:00.000+08:00

Damn you Ganns.

This one's titled Ten Simple Pleasures.

Instructions: Name ten of life’s simple pleasures that you like the most, then pick ten people to do the same. Try to be original and creative and not to use things that someone else has already used.

1) Sleeping in on Saturday morning
2) Making a baby smile
3) NBA 2K6 and Smackdown vs Raw on PS2
4) Watching the Simpsons.
5) A bacon and egg sandwich
6) Vegging out watching TV or a DVD
7) Texas Hold-em Poker
8) Cookie dough ice cream
9) Kowloon House Asado Siopao
10) Getting an approval from client on first pass

I am tagging...Joey, Rhochie, Conci, Jim, Sara, Tina, Niq, Joey's Identity Protected, Charo and Reg. Bwahaha!

BORA AND BAILEY'S

2006-05-23T13:07:00.000+08:00

Got back from our office outing to Bora. The gods were kind enough to let us enjoy beautiful weather all the days we were there. Flew in Thursday on Asian Spirit - was first to check in so I naturally asked for the seat nearest the front - they usually have more leg room and I don't have to walk all the way to the back of the plane. Imagine my surprise when I found that the door of the plane was at the back and I was seated facing the rest of the passengers.

The rest of the flight went ok. I landed safely in Caticlan so I guess the airline wasn't as bad as I expected it to be.

Of course, I was expecting to crash halfway there.

We stayed in the Boracay Terraces. I was lucky enough to be assigned to their best room - the Taj Suite A. The first day was tiring. We had come after the storm so the tides were unsually high and there was so much flotsam and jetsam washing up on the shores. We had to walk 15 minutes to get to a decent swimming spot.

What followed were days filled with endless buffets, booze, drugs, massages and more booze. Especially Bailey's - my drink of choice in my old age. I was also able to conquer my fear of deep water when I strapped on a lifejacket and floated around while my officmates were snorkeling.

Oh, did I mention that I have hot officemates? Hot officemates who like wearing bikinis? Too bad they're all taken.

Anyway, it was a real enjoyable trip. I ended up almost getting shot by a wayward bullet at the airport, but it's all good.

A LITTLE FALL OF RAIN

2006-05-12T16:37:00.000+08:00

I prayed to the gods, "When will this terrible, sweltering heat ever end?"

The heavens opened up and turned a shade of gray. Instead of being blasted to oblivion for my tactlessness, I was rewarded by the arrival of the rains.

Well that didn't really happen but am I gald that summer's over. I can sleep in my room again in relative comfort, with a soft drizzle and the smell that accompanies rainfall lulling my senses to sleep.

Of course, with the rains, we can expect floods and traffic jams galore. Plus, the office trip to Boracay could be washed-up by the rains.

But that's ok. No more sweaty nights.

MY ONE REGRET

2006-05-04T17:56:00.000+08:00

I had the strangest dream. I dreamt of the one night in my life I would have wanted to do all over again. Now, people who know me know that that word is not in my vocabulary. But then, there it was - almost perfect in every detail. I believe that the last time I thought about it was in 2003 when I was freelancing (sounds much better than jobless).

The night in question happened on the night of Blue Roast 1998. Back then, I made the first of many attempts to get the former love of my life out of my life. Earlier that morning, I dropped off a letter at the tutorial center where she worked to tell her that the only way I could get over her was to not to be around her. That presented quite a conundrum, seeing that our entire batch was getting together that night and I couldn't be with my barkada since she would also be there.

Fate played a a hand and I ran into SK. I knew SK since her freshman year - I was the tNt facilitator who welcomed her to Ateneo. Over the years, we'd run into each other in the corridor or the caf but it wasn't until the summer before senior year that we became close. We both had summer classes so we'd often hang out during breaks. When the schoolyear started, not a week went by where we didn't spend some time with each other.

One day, she asked me if I could accompany her to UP. She was going to apply for law school and she didn't want to go alone. We jumped in her car then headed towards the Diliman campus. After making note of the requirements, we stopped at the University mall to get some photocopies done then went to the post office to get some stamps. While we were waiting in line, she hugged me. This turned into a warm embrace that we only let go of when we finally got to the counter to purchase the stamps. When we got to the Law School building, she took my hand in hers and we stayed that way until we got back to Ateneo.

At that time, I was still madly smitten by the former love of my life so I didn;t know what to make of it. They were both cute, short chinitas, so there was something of a physical attraction I guess.

To make a long story short, SK and her best friend were my dates for the evening. We didn't stay too long though. My female friends in the barkada were giving me the evil eye and SK's friend had a curfew so we ditched the party and brought her home. She then invited me back to her house in Greenhills. We went to the living room and sat on the couch where we talked for hours. Me about the former love of my life and the events of the day. She of her non-existent lovelife. It ended up with her and me staring at each other with our faces just a few inches from each other.

Stupid me, I said that maybe we should head outside where it was cooler.

We sat by her pool and we talked some more. There was a blue moon out and she loked so beautiful in its light. This of course I told her as we held hands again. Then something hit me. There I was in one of the most idyllic, romantic settings I could ever imagine myself in. I could have leaned in for a kiss. It could have gone somewhere beyond the friend zone.

But I had just let go of the greatest love of my life earlier that morning. I was unsure. I felt that it wasn't fair to SK. So I made an excuse that the driver had to go home.

We embraced one last time and I told her that I didn't know what was happening and where this was going. I asked her to give me some time to sort this through then I kissed her on the forehead.

Then I left.

She did enter law school and we both got very busy. Needless to say, I never got another chance to revisit the magic of that night. And apparently, I still wonder about it to this day. Could she have been my happy ever after?

Did I blow my fairy-tale ending?

And what made me dream about it last night?

141 THINGS HAPPENING. 141 THINGS TO DO.

2006-05-02T13:49:00.000+08:00

During the time I was away attending to my late grandfather, I found myself missing work. When my lolo passed, a bulk of the early messages of condolence came from my officemates and my boss was one of the first visitors to the wake. With him came a gigantic flower arrangement from the office. They were so understanding that when I came in the Monday after my gramps died, they quickly sent me home to be with my family. Aside from that, the finance director told me that she will try and use all the overtime I've done to compensate for the absences - so as not to subtract from my leaves.

Is this a great place to work or what?

When I came back though, things were kinda different. Turns out, one of our senior art directors had been mulling about resigning - frustrated for both personal and professional reasons I guess. My only beef with him is that when he did resign, he started to leave the rest of us hanging. He'd come in at 4 or 5 pm. He'd produce slipshod work. In short, we were the ones who were getting the shaft. It's almost 2pm right now and he's still not here. I wonder if he knows the meaning of the word "professionalism". That's probably why he didn;t get promoted. Forgive the potshot.

So now, there's tons of work to do. One art director is AWOL. One is home sick. Our ECD is on sabbatical leave. We have a pitch next week. Not to mention all our other projects.

Forgive the rant. I'm dead tired and the week's just starting.

HOLY (CRAP) WEEK

2006-04-25T19:17:00.000+08:00

I was really looking forward to holy week. You could have seen it in my eyes and my body language. Every sinew of my being was begging for a break. My weary brain needed the rest. My DVD collection was begging to be watched. My PS2 was waiting for me to push its buttons. I was longing for some time to rest.

Then my grandpa had to go and ruin it all by going to the ICU and dying. He was in the hospital and was all set to go home on Holy Tuesday. Unfortunately, he was rushed back to the ICU Monday night. Intubated, sedated and wored up to one contraption or the other.

There were good moments. He couldn't speak but he was winking, nodding, clasping your hand and writing stuff down. In the bad moments, his skin would turn ashen black and he:d be unconscious. He was like that for days until he chose to leave us on Black Saturday. He was 87, six days shy of his birthday and he chose to die on the 63rd anniversary of his marriage to my grandma.

The day he died was extremely hard. Had a row with my holier-than-thou uncle. Was the only one watching as he got embalmed and dressed. Had to pick up his son who flew in from the States and tell him that his dad died while he was in mid-flight.

It was hard to grieve when the next days were filled with high drama. Petty family arguments. Finger-pointing. Fights. The stuff telenovelas are made of. Vandolph could have played me.

Still, we survived each other long enough to lay my grandfather to rest. His final wish was for his fractured family to come together and forgive and forget. I unfortunately cannot guarantee that it will ever happen.

*****

I'd like to thank 141 worldwide, the company I work for for letting me have time to grieve. I apologize to everyone who had to take up the slack while I was away.

I'd also like to thank all those who came and sent their prayers and support to myself and my family.

I'm also sorry for the lack of updates. I guess you understand why It has been quiet.

WICKEDPEDIA

2006-04-10T16:40:00.000+08:00

Got this from Banzai Cat's blog. All you have to do is go to the wikipedia site, type in your birthday (minus the year) and do a search of it. Then, you have to list down three unique events, two births and one death that occurred on that date.

September 1
Events
5509 BC - The world was created, according to the Byzantine Empire.
1939 - World War II: Nazi Germany attacks Poland, beginning the war. (See Polish September Campaign.)
1969 - A coup in Libya brings Col. Moammar Qaddafi to power, ousting King Idris I.

Births
1875 - Edgar Rice Burroughs, American writer (d. 1950)
1946 - Barry Gibb,English singer (Bee Gees)
1950 - Dr. Phil, American television talk show host
1955 - Billy Blanks, American martial artist
1968 - Mohammed Atta, 9/11 terrorist (d. 2001)

Deaths
1715 - King Louis XIV of France (b. 1638)
Wow, I share a birthday with Mohammed Atta & Billy Blanks. How not cool is that? Dr.Phil? Barry Gibb? I think Princess Diana also died on my birthday.

Suddenly I'm depressed.

FANBOY! FANBOY!

2006-04-05T13:49:00.000+08:00

The irony in this is that I end up a character from Marvel. At least Green Lantern was a close second. I always wanted to be Green Lantern.
Your results:
You are Spider-Man

Spider-Man		85%
Green Lantern		80%
Superman		75%
Supergirl		63%
Iron Man		60%
Hulk		60%
Wonder Woman		58%
Catwoman		50%
Robin		45%
The Flash		40%
Batman		35%

You are intelligent, witty,
a bit geeky and have great
power and responsibility.

Click here to take the "Which Superhero am I?" quiz...

WORKING IT

2006-03-30T16:55:00.000+08:00

I apologize for my conspicuous lack of posts. It just seems that nothing really out of the ordinary has been happening. There's work - and I didn't feel like writing about my new boss - especially after considering she left us after just 4 days. Still playing poker on weekends. Still collecting DVDs. Still spending hours in front of the PS2. Still watch Amazing Race and American Idol. Still working late.

Not to worry though. I'm perfectly happy.

I even turned down an interview with FCB. They came a calling, but I respectfully declined. Pretty happy with the way my career is going here - despite all the hassles of my client. I figured, it's the sme anywhere anyway. Show me an agency that has perfect clients and no overtime, and I'll be out of here in a flash. Till then, I'm settling down here in my foxhole in 141.

MARCH MADNESS

2006-03-17T11:43:00.001+08:00

Sorry. This entry has nothing to do with the US NCAA Men's Basketball tournament. Just that the past few weeks have been crazy! CRAZY! It didn't help that my boss was out with fever the past two days and all our projects started to run. A quick look at my timesheets will show that I worked on 7 projects just yesterday.

It all paid off in the end. I came off smelling like a rose, taking the slack (and the lead) for a lot of them. Got all of the stuff approved. And managed to squeeze in a credentials presentation for a possible client for our office - which could be very lucrative for me if we do end up getting the account.

All that and having Kevin Covais still in American Idol have made for an interesting March.

THE BIASED MEDIA

2006-03-09T10:26:00.000+08:00

My driver was absent today so I had to grab a cab to get to work. Unfortunately, he was tuned into the morning program of Korina Sanchez and Ted Failon. Over the past few years, mt take on the show is that it's a two-hour long "okray" session. Not once have I heard a shred of positive news from these two. It's always been "What went wrong" and "Who's to blame".

I was interested in their take on the ULTRA stampede and their basic message was that ABS-CBN feels for the victims - and that if there was any finger pointing to be done, they were glad to do it. As far as these two were concerned, the blame should really go to the local officials and police. Bullshit.

Of course, their favorite topic has always been GMA (no, not the rival station, but of course, the President of our country). If you choose to believe Ted and Korina, Gloria can't seem to do anything right. Forget that the peso went up despite all the rallies and unrest. GMA is bad because she's putting the heat on their station by readying charges of negligence against 20 of their people. Gee, I'm sure that the 70+ dead and their families are so mad at Gloria for wanting some retribution done.

This morning was nothing different. Rant here. Rave there. I swear I could hear them frothing at the mouth. They were interviewing a police general about a spate of arrests yesterday of several high-profile militants (including the congresswoman-sister of one of their own newsteam). Ted cited that yesterday was a celebration of women's day and that rallies were being held all over the world. He questioned why we were stopping rallies here in our neck of the woods.

I would have answered with a question: "What were they fighting for?"

Was it equality for women? Were they fighting for feminine rights? From my window here in Ayala, the flags and banners were as clear as day: Oust Gloria!

Hahahahahaha!

The shame of using Women's day to push your political agendas. Shame on you militant groups. Other countries were bemoaning the plight of women and here you were trying to bring down a female president. Oh, the irony.

Oh, and when one listener texted in asking Ted to stop being "Viased", Ted's logical and intelligent reply was to correct the guy's spelling.

LENT LESS

2006-03-07T16:58:00.000+08:00

I'm not a holy man. Not in the least.

What I am today is really a far cry from my younger self.

I actually considered priesthood. I was a DWTL rector. I memorized all the lines the priest says during mass.

Since then, the closest I've ever come is giving the homily during my parents' 25th anniversary.

I write this, fresh from another weekend where I missed mass. It's been so long since I've gone, I can't remember when I started skipping on it. I could of course, look back on my time sheets and pinpoint when things just started getting so busy at work, that I'd rather just sleep in on weekends. But that shouldn't be an excuse.

I'm at a spiritual ebb. It doesn't help that we stopped going to mass at the Church of the Gesu in Ateneo. My family's football school schedule puts going to mass there out of question. So, our family settles for mass in San Beda. Well and good for my dad and my brother - since they graduated from there.

But as for me, I want to go to the Ateneo mass. I NEED to go to the Ateneo mass. Is it wrong for me to want that? It's where I feel closest to God. Where I feel like my spirituality is at a peak - figuratively and literally.

I need some time to reconnect to God.

I know just where to do it.

Forgive the ramblings of a man set adrift.

10 DAYS

2006-03-01T22:03:00.000+08:00

I've been working 10 straight days.

And I'm not counting the overnight session we had from Sunday to Monday. Nor the one we are about to have tonight.

Just needed a break from all the thinking. One can only squeeze their brain so much.

As far as I know, in the outside world, the GMA government continues to stand. Despite some arrests, the people still enjoy their liberties. The press continues to sensationalize everything. The opposition still have their ten-second soundbyte.

I was most jolted by the Time Magazine account of what went down in peping Cojuangco's house involving Boy Saycon and Cory.

Well, if you can't trust Time Magazine...

Oh and an earthquake happened. 7 on the Richter scale at the epicenter.

Stupid quake ruined by nap.

LET THEM HAVE CAKE

2006-02-24T11:18:00.000+08:00

My recollection of the original EDSA revolution is limited at best. I remember not having classes, so this speaking contest I was entered in didn't happen. I remember sitting home playing Lego because the only thing on TV were news blurbs and repeated episodes of Candy Candy on Channel 4. I remember my parents taking all of us to EDSA and watching the helicopters that defected land in Aguinaldo. I remember the joy and fervor my parents felt as we went driving through the streets when Marcos fled. I didn't fully understand the significance of EDSA till I grew up and had my own version of EDSA in 2001.

Now I just feel indifferent. Cory Aquino is just another voice in the rabble. Her voice used to be calm and reassuring. Now it is grating and it just annoys me. A coup was thwarted, and the masses are gathering at the EDSA shrine. They're probably going to camp out there and hope for a repeat performance of 20 years ago.

I'm not holding my breath. The beauty of the first two EDSAs was the spontaneous combustions that sparked both revolts. Nowadays we see movements - organized groups plotting rallies and mobilizing forces. Where's the drama in that?

"OK, let's set a rally at EDSA on the 24th at 3 pm. Everyone OK with that?"

"I have nothing better to do."
"I have a lunch in Tagaytay but I can squeeze it in."
"Oh, I have a dentist's appointment. Can we reschedule?"

"OK, How bout the 25th?"

SEQUELS - BATMAN AND X3

2006-02-22T14:07:00.000+08:00

Heard some interesting news over the radio today. It seems that they are already lining up actors to play Bat-villains in the sequel to Batman Begins. It was reported that Hugh Jackman (of X-Men fame) is being considered for the role of Harvey Dent/Two-Face, while Paul Bettany (most recently of Firewall) is a strong contender for the Joker. Jackman as Two-Face? Jury's still out on that one but I totally agree that Paul Bettany could play the Joker and come of as both chilling and charming.

X-Men III: The Last Stand will of course revolve around the Dark Phoenix saga as Jean Grey is resurrected and poses a threat to mutantkind. The regular cast of characters is back (although James Marsden/Cyclops is so way down the billing, you think the producers were getting back at him for going with Bryan Singer to make Superman Returns) and a whole new slew of familiar X-faces are coming in. It's well known that Kelsey Grammer (TV's Frasier) will be playing the lovable Dr. McCoy - but did you know that we'll also be seeing characters like the Angel, Moira McTaggert, Leech, Juggernaut (Vinnie Jones will play him), Madrox, Callisto, Bolivar Trask, Jubilee and Psylocke (played by Filipina Mei Melancon)? Ever since Singer went up, up and away to do the Man of Steel, expectations are low for this film.

DVD REPORT

2006-02-21T18:10:00.000+08:00

Went to Makati Cinema Square today and splurged on DVDs and PS2 games. Made a good haul:
* Rent
* Walk the Line
* Whole Nine Yards (Been looking for this one forever)
* Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
* Good Evening and Good Night.

It's awards season again so when buying pirated DVDs, be sure that you're not getting a promo copy. I recommend that you check out IMDB.com to see what the newest DVD releases are. If it came out in the states already, you can be sure that the stuff you get from your suki is really the DVD copy.

NEW TOYS

2006-02-20T12:45:00.000+08:00

I started last week with a bum stomach.

I ended it with some new toys.

First off, my request for an iBook was granted by our IT department. It's already gone through two owners but I'm not complaining. Now, I can work away from my desk (yay!) and even take work home (I can't believe I'm actually happy about this). Besides, it looks cool - so there!

Then over the weekend, I decided to buy my cousin's Playstation 2, complete with 2 controllers, a memory card and some games. In my excitement, I rushed out and bought a copy of Raw vs Smackdown 2006 and NBA Live 2006. Had my first go at it last night and played up to 3 in the morning, The woke up and played a little more. And to think I barely get enough sleep because of work!

I HAD SOMETHING IN MY STOMACH AND THEY SURELY WEREN'T BUTTERFLIES

2006-02-15T14:05:00.000+08:00

Ahhh...Feb.14 has come and gone. Mine passed by quickly and without fanfare. Wish I could say the same for myself.

My troubles began Saturday night. As I was raking in the dough in our latest poker game, I started feeling a rumble in my belly. Which later became a full-blown attack of LBM.

Come Sunday, I was doing number two every 15 minutes. And I had to be at work after lunch. When I got to the office, our admin assistant Anne was there too and she advised me to take Immodium.

Big mistake. Apparently, Immodium does stop the flow of diarrhea, but it also keeps toxins inside your body. Come 2:00 AM of Monday, I was feeling pain in my stomach and had a slight fever. Over the course of the next two days, I was doubled up in bed. Not being able to do the deed until late last night.

WOW, WHAT A WEEKEND

2006-02-06T14:49:00.000+08:00

Friday:
- took the day off after spending 32 hours straight at work from Wednesday to Thursday
- saw the premiere episode of Survivor Exile Island
- slept, ate, slept, ate, smoked in between

Saturday
- was glued to the TV watching news about the stampede at ULTRA. Felt sorry for the dead and wounded but was amazed at the lengths some of these people went through just to win a cash prize. They lined up since Wednesday night, peed and shat while standing in line for fear of losing their place and had no money to buy food or even pay for the ride home. 15,000 people gathered, 79 died and countless were injured for what BBC News identified as prizes amounting to 19,000 dollars all in all.
- was even more amazed that the 9,000 who did make it inside actually hoped that the show would go on despite the high price paid in terms of human life and blood.
- felt bad for Willie Revillame. He actually is a nice guy. During one event, he sought me out to praise the job I was doing as a VO announcer. If I were him, I wouldn't return to that show even if they paid me a million bucks per episode.
- got my own poker set. Conci was at Fully Booked and texted me that they had one available for only P1,000. I told her to snatch it up. Poker anyone? Seems safer than gambling your lives for a one-in-10,000 chance to win a million bucks.

Sunday
- missed mass and slept in.
- saw the first episode of Pinoy Big Brother. I was afraid of another stampede. One of the hosts even asked the crowd to stop pushing from the back. Imagine the lousy luck of ABS-CBN if that happened. Part of me wishes that they postponed the launch another week, but I guess with all the money the company has to spend on funeral and medical expenses, they needed the advertising revenue badly.
- worried for Bianca Gonzales and Roxanne Barcelo. If the stories that my friend Miko told me about the Big Brother control room are true, then we can expect to see scandal pictures or videos of these two in the shower. My friend says that the camera sees everything.
- rooting for Budoy from Junior Kilat. First caught him at the NU rock awards where his band won song of the year for M-16. He seems playful and was totally hilarious. I'd watch this show just for him. Looks like he has the visayan vote all wrapped up. Part of me thinks he'll win.

AND SO IT BEGINS...

2006-01-23T14:13:00.000+08:00

Monday, 2:30 PM. Instead of sleeping this weekend, I, like the gazillion other Filipinos, watched Manny Pacquiao knock out Erik Morales. Now, I'm a little sleepy, and have just realized how busy the next few days are going to be.

Three of our storyboards were approved by client and we're gonna have to figure out how to produce all of them with just a P5 Million budget.

Have presentations set for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Two are for a cigarette brand and the other is for Cancer Awareness month. Talk about playing both sides.

Was perusing the blogs of some of the current SPEED members. I watched these kids grow up a lot over the years. Knew a lot of them since their freshman days. Now, they're about to graduate. Sigh.

Anyway, haven't touched my bonus yet. That's a good thing.

WINDFALL

2006-01-20T17:36:00.000+08:00

Received my 14th month pay last night (finally). It's interesting because it was performance-based and how much you actually got of it depended on how good your evaluation was. Considering that my 14th was gonna be pro-rated anyway, I wasn't expecting much.

You know what they say about lowered expectations, they lead to pleasant suprises.

Now, I get to pay off the balance of my phone (bought a Nokia 6170 over the holidays) and still have enough to open a new account.

*****
I'm experiencing a paradigm shift with my spending ways lately. Used to be that the bulk of my cash would go into sustaining my DVD fixation. Now, it seems that other things are begging to be bought. New clothes, shoes, and of course a Playstation 2. Won't target a PS3 just yet.

NOT (JUST) ANOTHER TEEN MOVIE

2006-01-11T10:14:00.000+08:00

Made my pilgrimage to Makati Cinema Square yesterday and came out with a pretty decent haul. The most charming surprise of the lot was the fourth installment of the American Pie series. In my research, it was released direct to video so my expectations weren't too high. Imagine my surprise when it was actually very well done. It had the usual overtones of those coming-of-age teen movies (nudity, crude jokes, romance, moral lesson) but it stayed true to the first three Pie flicks. So true that it was refreshing to see how much detail was put into the production design and casting of the movie.

First of all, we had some characters from the first few films reprising their roles. Eugene Levy was back in his role as Jim's dad, this time sitting in as a counselor at Band Camp. Chris Owen returned to the Pie series as the Sherminator - a few years older and now a vengeful guidance counselor. Tad Hilgenbrink played the main character, Matt Stifler, the younger brother of Seann William Scott's character. He played it to a tee. Stifmeister jr.

I also loved how elements from the past films were recreated. They used the same school. The same burger place. The same band camp. The director really paid enough attention to detail to ensure that this movie would seamlessly fit into the series.

Oh, and I have to mention that the love interest in the story is H.O.T. Her name is Arielle Kebbel. She played this wholesome girl all throughout the movie but I was surprised to learn that she has already graced the pages of Maxim. Lovely.

Oh yeah, for all those 80s porn freaks out there (Ahem, Rhochie, Ahem). Ginger Lynn Allen plays the camp nurse in this movie.

My recommendation: If you're a fan of the American Pie films, or if you are in need of something that can keep your mind off your troubles for two hours, I suggest you pick up American Pie Band Camp.

16 DAYS

2006-01-06T11:40:00.000+08:00

I'm sitting at my desk in a pair of jeans that I've been wearing for the past four days now. Flew in from Cebu this morning. Went straight to work from the airport. It's my first day back since December 21st.

Still trying to work up some energy for work. Went out Tuesday night- Dinner at Cafe Ysabel with Ching, Joey and Mia then headed with Ching to the new Eurostar carnival in the Fort to meet up with R-Jay and Leslie. Even before alighting from Ching's car, we had decided which rides we were going to avoid. R-Jay thought it was dumb that we went to a carnival and didn't want to ride the rides. He threw up on the first ride. He threw up nine times. I made the wise choice.

Jetted to Cebu early the next morning. Didn't sleep at all until about 2 in the p.m. Woke up and dressed for my godsister's beachfront wedding at Shangri-la Mactan. Met some interesting folk from the U.S. and I had a blast. Oh and a ton of food too. Cebu lechon baby!!!

So I came to work on a Friday. Everybody else came in on Tuesday. I was afraid that they were gonna give my desk away.

And the weekend beckons...

JOHNNY DAMON LEAVES BEANTOWN

2005-12-21T14:22:00.000+08:00

I'm a Red Sox fan. I've always been a Red Sox fan and like many other members of the Red Sox Nation around the world, I look back fondly on the winter of 2004 when the "idiots" that formed the BoSox lineup of that year brought down the mighty Yankees and brought the world championship to Boston after 85 years.

Now, I am saddened by the departure of one of the cornerstones of that '04 squad. I'm even more distraught by the news that he's moving to the Yankees.

Johnny Damon is trading in his red socks for pinstripes. The latest addition to (supposedly) the best team money can buy.

I'm sure Boston fans will be asking "Why Johnny? Why?"

Money talks, that's for sure.

Grumble, grumble. Whine.

YEAR IN REVIEW

2005-12-16T12:53:00.000+08:00

Got this from bloghopping. Wanted to give it a try:

Take the first sentence (or two) from the first post of each month of 2005. That's your year in review.

JANUARY
My mom has had our school for the past twenty two years now. At the start of this schoolyear, it faced one of its biggest crises when several parents left and put up their own school.

FEBRUARY
While riding to work with my brother and a jeepney decides to stop in the middle of the street to pick up a solitary passenger.

My brother: "Mga Pinoy talaga! La na yatang pag-asa!"

MARCH
I originally planned for this to be my Valentine's day blog entry, but the mood to write it didn't hit me then. Of course, I didn't know then what I know now.

APRIL
I woke up late today.

As in major late. As in I couldn't pull myself out of bed or even open my eyes.

MAY
I'm in the mood for change.

My longtime friends will most definitely be surprised by that statement.

JUNE
Had an eventful weekend. Started well by watching Sin City with the J-Boys at Greenbelt 3 last Friday. Topped off the night with good conversation and a delicious helping of Chicken Nibblers at Max Brenner's.

JULY
It's 9:47 on this Monday morning, and I'm feeling all the effects of my whirlwind trip to Iloilo this past weekend. A little sleepy, a little sluggish and a whole lot of feeling bloated.

AUGUST
Settling in.

I'm typing this from my new friend, the iMac G4. Kinda different from what I'm used to, but nothing I can't handle.

SEPTEMBER
About two weeks ago, I was having the toughest time since I made my return to the world of advertising. We were working on an ad (technically, I was the only one doing it) where the placement held a lot of creative opportunities but the message I was supposed to incorporate in it had greatly overworn its welcome.

OCTOBER
Last Saturday, I attended the baptism of the daughter of one of my 4J friends. After the ceremony and a little salu-salo, we headed for nearby Pearl drive for a few drinks.

NOVEMBER
Back. Fresh from a four-day jaunt up north in Baguio. Didn't see much of Baguio except from the window of an SUV. Saw a lot of bathroom interiors though.

DECEMBER
Last night, I went home at around 1130 pm from a long day of brainstorming (yes, I went to work on a Sunday). After two days of intense hammering and hewing, we were able to narrow down our concepts to three winners (supposedly).

AWAKE

2005-12-15T13:50:00.000+08:00

I woke up Tuesday morning at 8:00 AM (give or take a few minutes). I finally got to sleep at 1:00 PM yesterday. Woke up at 10 last night then slept again at 2 AM. Finally woke up at 11 this morning then headed out to work. After the last few long days at work, I wanted to focus on more pleasant things, like:

The Linzes won the Amazing Race! The siblings from Ohio ran a great race and beat out the Bransens (cutees) and the Weavers (A team that constantly proclaimed their goodness and Christianity while their behavior and obnoxious comments spoke otherwise). Congratulations to a deserving team.

The Late Show with David Letterman is coming back to Philippine television! Starting December 26, JackTV will be airing this show opposite Jay Leno's Tonight Show. I for one am glad I don't have to watch Jay's big-chinned mug,

WWE will be returning to our shores in February. I read on the jimmyvan.com website that the RAW brand will be holding shows in the Philippines on the 24th and 25th! I gotta get tickets to this one.

AGAIN AGAIN AGAIN

2005-12-13T13:07:00.000+08:00

This is my umpteenth time to try and update my blog in the past two weeks. Kinda reminds me of my MENTAL BLOGS entry a few months back. There's so much happening but somehow, it doesn;t seem interesting enough to merit a whole entry about. Not even a mention.

Been kinda busy at work. We're trying to lay the groundwork for a 2006 major campaign for the Client and the operative word there is "trying". We've been wracking our brains since two Fridays ago and the process continues as of this writing. The problem being is that there's nothing compelling to wrap a story around. Maybe it's because all my creative juices for this project were all squeezed out since early last week.

***

Anyway, just some quick shout-outs.

- to Sonny Pasimio: congratulations on your wedding man! Sorry I couldn't get off work to attend.
- to Jim Arroyo: congrats din on the baptism of your second child. Sarap ng pagkain sa reception! I will return to Savarin soon.
- to Vanessa Barrameda: congrats on your wedding din! Words can;t express the joy all of us felt when we saw you and James together.
- to Philip Pichay and Roald Yap: your nuptials are coming up. You still have time to change your minds. For the sake of your betrothed ones.

GO GO GO...STOP!

2005-12-05T22:21:00.000+08:00

Last night, I went home at around 1130 pm from a long day of brainstorming (yes, I went to work on a Sunday). After two days of intense hammering and hewing, we were able to narrow down our concepts to three winners (supposedly). I went home, hopeful and positive that by today, we'd have everything done with time to spare.

The signs seemed to point towards it. The stop signs that is. After taking my shortcut and coming out near the Nagtahan flyover, it became a non-stop trip home. Every stoplight from Nagtahan to Banawe kept flashing green and we never came to a full stop until I had reached the gate of my house.

I foresaw that today would have been like last night. Go, go, go all the way. We left the office to execute our storyboards and came back with confidence brimming. We were literally chewing at the bit before internals.

Unfortunately, we hit a brick wall in the form of our ECD. And at the speed we were going, it sent us into a total crash. My teammates and I lost the air in our tires. The wind in our sails. And we were left to pick through the wreckage to see what we could salvage. The worst part was that we had burnt out all our resources during the first ride.

Oh my God, I'm doing a metaphor overload. I need to move to the slow lane.

But a deadline is catching up...

GROWING FAST

2005-11-30T20:00:00.000+08:00

I wrote an entry a while back about how much an org I put up back in college has grown. I didn't realize how big it was until I saw this.

Wow. I mean, wow. This is The Ateneo Special Education Society (SPEED) batch '05-'06.

Wow.

CLOSE ENCOUNTER

2005-11-29T11:15:00.000+08:00

Got together with the J-boys last Friday, and made plans for Philip's wedding and our upcoming Christmas party. I got home at around 4 am and planned to watch a little TV in bed before I slept. In the middle of Discovery's "The New Detectives", I heard a funky sound come from outside. Something like R2D2 on steroids.

Mind you, the next part will make you think I'm crazy. But read on if you dare.

I looked out my window and saw the brightest star. After a while though, it seemed that it wasn't a star at all. The bright speck suddenly became a row of little light dots in a tinge of green and red. Then, the "star" suddenly started moving in a circular fashion. I myself couldn;t believe it.

At this point, you might think that I was hallucinating but I swear that I didn't have a drop of alcohol in me. I didn't hit the wacky weed either.

I then called my aunt's friend who was staying with us on her cellphone. She sent one of my brother's friends and he saw the same thing. The same blinking. The same movements. We even exclaimed that we saw it moving to the right at the same time. Soon, my aunt's friend came over and she too saw what we did. After a while, the light seemed to move upwards till it dissappeared from sight.

I wonder who'll pay for this kind of story.

SOMEONE NEW

2005-11-17T14:19:00.000+08:00

This week, I met the most enchanting woman. It was at a friend's birthday party and we got to talking. Me with my wine, she with her scotch - at least I think it was scotch.

My friend had told me about her before. She's also from advertising and she likes funny guys who make her laugh.

I can do funny.

Anyway, she was great - funny, intelligent, and she had the most amazing eyes and smile.

I got her number and we got to texting each other a little when we both got home.

Now comes the hard part - how do I ask her out? Haven't done this in a while.

JESSICA ALBA OVER AND OVER AGAIN

2005-11-17T11:28:00.000+08:00

I felt like changing the wallpaper on my computer today, so I got on the net and tried to find pictures of the new Hollywood "It" girl, Jessica Alba. As I found one that caught my fancy, I found out that this sultry star will be appearing in at least two sequels in the coming years.

First up, Jessica will reprise her role as Nancy the stripper in the sequel to Sin City. This time, the movie will feature all-new stories concocted by Frank Miller, just for the screenplay. It was reported that Jessica's character will embark on a mission to kill the remaining members of the family that killed her beloved Hartigan (played by Bruce Willis). It was said to feature her with more use of the lasso and even less clothing. Thank you Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez.

Then, slated for a 2007 release, is the sequel to the Fantastic Four, which earned over 150 million dollars, despite being pegged as a bomb by the critics. The movie was a smash hit, and Jessica Alba only had to flash her underwear for five seconds. Can't wait to see her (clothes) dissappear as she reprises her Invisible Woman role.

Here's to you Jess. Keep 'em coming.

EDDIE GUERRERO 1967-2005

2005-11-15T15:49:00.001+08:00

Here's to WWE wrestler Eddie Guerrero who passed away yesterday. The world of wrestling lost one of its brightest stars.

It's kinda hard to believe that he died. I made the rounds of the internet sites, hoping that it was a hoax. His wrestling persona was well known for the tricks he would play just to get ahead. Unfortunately, the news was true. If you aren't a fan of professional wrestling, I suggest you find some of his matches. You'll quickly change your mind.

***

I just realized that so many wrestlers I grew up watching have passed on. God has so many of them, he could have a WrestleMania in heaven - he just got himself a main-eventer.

Let's run down the names of some of those who have gone up to that great big wrestling ring in the sky:
Owen Hart, Yokozuna, Rick Rude, Mr.Perfect, Andre the Giant, Road Warrior Hawk, The British Bulldog, Hercules Hernandez, Dino Bravo, Big John Studd, Junkyard Dog, Gorilla Monsoon, Big Boss Man. Even Miss Elizabeth.

I wonder why so many wrestlers die so young.

NEW NEWS

2005-11-14T11:28:00.000+08:00

As of last Friday, my bosses at 141 Worldwide have seen fit to make me a regular employee of the company. Overall, it was a positive evaluation and pretty much dead-on. They recognized my strengths and I acknowledge all their suggested areas of improvement. Next step for me is to push myself creatively and assert myself more.

Coming back from a two-year absence wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I admit that I took the back seat in a lot of things - just so I could acclimate myself and fit into my new surroundings. Now, I need to take a lead role...something that I hesitated doing since I didn;t want to rock the boat too much.

Now, they're asking me to do it. Who am I to say no?

GOING TO TEXAS

2005-11-09T11:12:00.000+08:00

Saw an interesting message in Friendster today. Seems that the Texas Hold 'Em craze is spreading and there will be a major tournament on the 19th of November. I don't know about you guys but I'm signing up. Who's with me?

JG Poker Tour Dead Money Bounty
Message: The first-ever JG Poker Tour Dead Money Bounty
Tournament

Date: November 19, 2005

Venue: Penthouse. Legrand Condominium. Valero
St., Makati City.

Game: No-Limit Texas Hold 'Em - No Rebuys

Maximum Players: 70

Registration time: 230pm

First Deal: 330pm

Places Paid: no. of tables plus two

Payouts: Guaranteed 45% of the pot for the 1st,
20% for the 2nd, all other places to be announced
during the tourney

Buy-in: 1,200 + 300 + 100 (If you're wondering what
the 50 is for, we'll explain later).

Finally, a tournament hosted by the members of the
sole poker group that is proud to admit that all its
members are dead money. In an embarrassing
display of pure bravado, JG poker tour is inviting
the best players in town to pit their skills against
their own somewhat mediocre poker-playing
abilities.

In this amazingly lopsided tournament that can
possibly seat 70 contenders, manilas greatest
poker players will play against themselves (and JG
Poker Tours somewhat confident beginners) where
people will be eliminated one by one until only a
sole survivor remains to claim victory.

Bounty Hunter Twist

Two players will be chosen randomly and he/she
will have a bounty on his/her head. The bounty
hunters who take the two players out will
half the total bounty...BUT... if the person with a
bounty is able to make it to the final 2 tables,
he/she gets the winnings to himself/herself.

Pre-register today and avoid the pains of a waitlist.
Contact Jardine at 0918-9072729 or check out our
friendster site by searching user:
jgpokertour@yahoo.com

THE AIR UP THERE

2005-11-08T17:59:00.000+08:00

Back. Fresh from a four-day jaunt up north in Baguio. Didn't see much of Baguio except from the window of an SUV. Saw a lot of bathroom interiors though.

Blame the great food and the cold weather.

Stuffed myself silly trying out something new at places like Volante's (A cozy Pizza and Pasta place on Session Road), Forest House (delightful little cafe - big sizes, Manila prices), Cafe by the Ruins (Lived up to expectations, food was ok lang), Rito's (600 bucks for 2 large bowls of Bulalo, Lechon Kawali, Ginisang Munggo, Seven plates of rice and assorted drinks - sulit ever!) and Little John's (Kinda cheap pero bitin yung food) - thus many a visit to sit on my throne.

Stayed at Ching's condo. Had to climb three flights to get to the unit then an additional flight to get to the bedrooms. I coined the phrase, "The air is thin and I am not" as I wheezed every time we had to climb.

Met some cool new friends. They hosted our drinking on the second night. We toasted them on the third. Nothing like a few mental games mixed with a lot of alcohol.

Got to enjoy the amazing view from the top of Mt. Sto. Tomas. Made me realize that the universe is so much bigger than me.

Baguio in a word: cool.

LA SALLE SCANDAL

2005-10-27T14:06:00.000+08:00

Wrong La Salle Scandal. I'm not talking about the one being peddled as a VCD or DVD (Although, I would like a new copy. My brother lost mine). I'm speaking of the story that has been hogging the headlines of the different sports sections of the daily newspapers.

For those of you who aren't in the know, this La Salle scandal involves two of their players who were found to have faked their high school certification tests. Meaning, they weren't able to graduate high school from any insitution and had to take an eligibility exam instead so that they could enroll in college.

A few weeks ago, after FEU took home the UAAP basketball crown, La Salle issued a statement that they had uncovered that one of their players had submitted spurious documents upon entry. What followed were announcements of an internal probe as well as a whole slew of whitewash press releases - notably from prominent "journalist" and La Salle alum Quinito Henson.

If you ever read Mr. Henson's diatribes in the Philippine Star, they were merely echoes of what La Salle spokespeople were mouthing off to the press. What's more, they were mostly one-sided, not really delving into the issue and constantly trumpeting praise for La Salle's search for truth all the while distancing the school from any involvement in the scandal. Mr.Henson conveniently failed to mention that La Salle got word of the false papers as early as September and only started to give it attention when the UAAP season was over. He sang daily praises for la Salle offering to forfeit their games and return their 2004 championship, and wouldn't talk about repercussions like a possible one-year ban imposed on La Salle, similar to what was handed down to Adamson in the 90s.

The STAR's editors must have caught on and the La Salle-centric stories were being handled instead by other writers like Abac Cordero, who presented both sides and weren't afraid to include insinuations of the University's involvement. Now, La Salle has concluded their investigation and concluded that two players indeed cheated (Mark Benitez and Tim Gatchalian) and two officials had a hand in the matter.

I'd applaud La Salle, if only the officials involved weren't "expendable" ones. Found guilty were Manny Salgado, who was recently banned from the UAAP and another person who served as the team's scorer - who by the way, was a contractual worker. No one in La Salle's higher-ups was supposedly involved. No one else in the alumni. No one on the coaching staff. Their scapegoats were two officials you couldn't really care less about - or would really have the power to do what they did.

In hindsight, I was wondering when the whistle was gonna be blown on La Salle. I mean, the school is well known for its breed of students and here was a basketball team where the players either looked like they were part of F4, a street gang in the U.S. or mga kargador sa pier. Something smelled fishy and it wasn't Carlo Sharma's underarm.

Now, the UAAP is going to do their own probe. Not just on La Salle but on all member schools. Supposedly, other schools with players with fake documents are UE and Adamson. I know that many alumni feel that they should win at all costs.

What cost victory indeed?

BOYS WILL BE BOYS

2005-10-26T16:44:00.000+08:00

Last Saturday marked the second annual 4J Halloween celebration. Dating all the way back to last year, it gives an excuse to run around like idiots in costumes at least once a year (or in the case of our classmate R-Jay, an excuse to prance around in a skin-tight outfit). I guess the real charm is that it's something we all enjoy doing now, and something our kids can join in when they're older.

Makes me realize how special this bunch of weirdos really is. Last Saturday made me realize I will grow old with this eclectic cast of characters, without necessarily having to grow up. I can be both 30 and 13, talking like adults or pre-pubescent teens over a cold bottle of Cerveza Negra or a glass of red wine.

I'm sharing a picture of us all together giving the Justice League a run for its money. For other pics, you may check out the 4J blogsite at http://4j93.blogspot.com.

K.O.

2005-10-25T16:54:00.000+08:00

I have the sniffles again. Could be a cold but it could also be an allergy. I'm also feeling a little itchy - and others in my family are sharing the same symptoms. Whatever it is, I'm back to doping up on Decolgen. Took one last night and I was out like a light by 9:30.

LIKE A VIRGIN?

2005-10-17T13:44:00.000+08:00

Not much to write about. Just wanted to share this tidbit of what happened last weekend at Tazza when I met up with Ganns, Danny and Michelle.

(while ordering)
GANNS: Ah! Miss, may Virgin pala kayo!
WAITRESS: Opo, may Virgin po kami.
ME: (to the waitress) You dirty, dirty girl!
WAITRESS: Ay, di po! Virgin pa rin ako.

For want of a cola...

LAST LEGS

2005-10-14T17:36:00.000+08:00

Flashback to 2001. Was having merienda with my former boss Adele Estrada at LKG tower. We chanced upon a booth selling pirated DVDs. Adele tells me how great they are so I actually force myself to buy 2 discs: "My Best Friend's Wedding" and "You've Got Mail".

Little was I to know that that was to be the start of an obsession to collect DVD copies of movies that I've enjoyed over the years. I started with a list of about 250 films and set about collecting them along with whatever new films came out in the market.

Fast forward to today. Almost 800 movies later, my quest is almost over. I'll still be going after all the new releases but the list I started with in 2001 has been whittled down to this:
1. Waiting for Guffman ( Christopher Guest)
2. Indian Summer (Elizabeth Perkins, Bill Paxton)
3. He Said, She Said ( Kevin bacon, Elizabeth Perkins)
4. Bye Bye Love ( Paul Reiner, Matthew Modine)
5. Noises Off ( Michael Caine, Christopher Reeve)
6. Barefoot in the Park (Robert Redford, Jane Fonda)
7. Soap Dish (Kevin Kline, Whoopi Goldberg)
8. New Best Friend ( Mia Kirshner, Dominique Swain)
9. Wayne’s World
10. Clerks

My contact is lining up Clerks and Wayne's World for me and that would leave me with eight more films until I can say that my collection is complete. Wow.

I could have made a downpayment on a car with all the money I spent on DVDs over the years...

STRAPPED

2005-10-10T18:22:00.000+08:00

We have a weird salary scheme here at 141 Worldwide. Our salary comes in on the 10th and 20th of each month - or so I thought. Getting the money on the 10th is great...you feel like you have so much money to burn. You only start feeling the pinch after the 20th because you have to stretch your sweldo for almost 20 days.

And boy I really felt the pinch today. Moreso than any other day. I started with about 100+ in my pocket and I hopped in a cab with the intent of passing by an ATM and making a quick withdrawal from the salary which I expected to be there...seeing that it was supposed to be payday. Much to my dismay/chagrin/surprise/displeasure/horror, lo and behold, there was nothing in my account...well nothing withdrawable.

I hurriedly scrambled to the cab and directed it to the place where I kinda thought there was an FX terminal. Cab ride cost me P55 and a pack of yosi set me back another P26.50. When I found the terminal, I was down to P36 and the fare would cost me P35!

Thankfully, the kindess of one of my officemates (thanks Duday!) ensured that I wouldn't have just corn flakes for lunch. She lent me P70 and I ended up spending P38 for my meal. So now, I am facing the spectre of commuting home with only P33 in my pocket. This leads me to all kinds of Amazing Race-esque scenarios. If I took the MRT, it would cost me about P10 for the bus ride to the station, P17 for the train ride, P5 for a jeepney and P4 for the tricycle. Over budget,

An FX ride home would wipe me out completely and I would only get to Espana. There's the PVP bus which only costs P20 with the rest going to jeepney and tricycle fare.

Or I could wait till midnight for my salary to kick in...

*****

Speaking of being hard-up, the dad of the former love of my life came-a-calling today. He called me up just as I was heading to a presentation so we hurriedly agreed to meet at my office at 4. He got there at 4 on the dot and he was trying to sell me his prized collection of comics for about a hundred bucks a pop. Mind you, these are titles from the 80s like Batman and Teen Titans which would still fetch a handsome amount if they were being sold in the States. Unfortunately, here in the Philippines, wise buyers are offering to purchase every comic in his collection at a measly P15 per piece.

I, unfortunately gave up on comics years ago but wouldn't mind getting my hands on titles like Batman Year One or A Death in the Family. If anyone (calling Ryan Watkins!) is interested in buying the guy's stuff, you could email me privately.

DEJA VU-HU-HU

2005-10-05T16:48:00.000+08:00

My thoughts take me to three years ago. I was still with Harrison Communications and I was heading home after a grueling brainstorming session for Globe. It was near midnight and my Mom's birthday was minutes away. With my schedule, I never really get time to do any shopping so you can imagine my gratefulness that Dangwa is on the way home from Makati. I got her a fabulous bouquet of flowers then got home past midnight. When I peeked into my parents' room, they were both soundly asleep but they don't mind waking up for me to tell them that I was home. As I kissed my Mom hello, I also whispered "Happy birthday!" and handed her the flowers. She sleepily thanked me for my thoughtfulness and I laid the flowers on a nearby desktop.

Fast forward to last Monday. Exact same story. OT, flowers, kiss hello, give bouquet. This time around though, I didn't get to go home last night to celebrate with her and the family. In fact, as I'm writing this, I haven't been home since 8:15 a.m. yesterday.

For what it's worth, Happy Birthday again Mom!!!

DO I STILL HAVE THE MAGIC?

2005-10-03T18:37:00.000+08:00

Last Saturday, I attended the baptism of the daughter of one of my 4J friends. After the ceremony and a little salu-salo, we headed for nearby Pearl drive for a few drinks. During the course of the evening, I suggested to Tini that since we were in the neighborhood, we should swing by Magic 89.9 to say hi to our buddy Max Speed.

Max was the one who took me under his wing when I went on my quest to enter the world of radio. He gave me my big break and everything that I became as a DJ, I owe it to/blame it on him.

We dropped by the station and caught him just as his weekly show was ending. We wne out for drinks and it was then that I broached the idea of doing a weekend show for Magic. He then invited me to join him for his Nightlive show, which airs every Saturday from 6-8 in the evening.

I won't get paid but it gives me a chance to do what I love for fun. I just wonder if I've still got it. I woudn't want to let my former groupies down. Not to mention my future groupies!

AMAZED

2005-09-29T13:21:00.000+08:00

"The world is waiting for you. Travel safe. Good luck...GO!"

The latest installment of the Amazing Race got underway yesterday. This time, instead of teams of two, each is made up of a family of four - and kids are eligible to join. As the race approached, I met it with much skepticism but in the end, I became a believer of this dynamic. We have teams of siblings, parents and kids and even one with a man and his sons-in-law.

Right now, the teams are just travelling within the United States and there are no clear favorites to win. Last night's show showed teams falling behind only to make it into the top tier at the end of the leg. And while there are no clear favorites, some teams do stand out.

First, there's the Gaghans. They are well traveled and their kids are adorable. I thought that they were going to be pushovers but that was before I found out that the nine year old daughter can run a seven-minute mile. Impressive. They came in second last night.

Another team are the Weavers a mother and her three kids who loined the race in tribute to the Dad who passed away in a freak racing accident. They find strength in each other and have a strong faith in their savior Jesus Christ. I find that admirable but every time they're onscreen, all they do is invoke Jesus. It does get tiresome and makes them very one-dimensional.

And as always, I root for teams that I can relate to. There's the Linzes made up of three brothers and their youngest sister. I like them because of the way they act and relate to each other. If I were on the race, I'd probably act like one of them. And then there's the Rodgers family - with 22 year old Britney - who has to be the cutest girl in the game. Note the picture above.

The highlight of last night's show though was the appearance of Kevin and Drew from the first season. I related a lot to them back then and they are one of the most popular teams in the show's history. To see them appear last night and listen to their playful banter (Upon seeing a team of a father and his three blonde beautiful daughters: "I'd like to be on that team!") was a great touch to the show and I wouldn't mind seeing them compete again - All Star Amazing Race - paging Jerry Bruckheimer!

HOLD 'EM

2005-09-28T17:07:00.000+08:00

Back in the day, my buddies Bill and Danny would come to my house and we'd end up playing tong-its (A card game kinda like Gin Rummy) until the break of dawn. Since Bill left for the States and Danny got stationed in Laguna, my forays into gambling have been limited to the occassional pusoy-dos with my brother and his friends.

Then came Celebrity Poker Showdown.

It's a show that airs on RPN9 and Sports Plus here in Manila that pits celebrities against each other in a game of Texas Hold 'em Poker. The basic rules of poker apply except each player gets only two cards. The dealer then puts five cards down on the table and players can form winning poker hands based on the cards in their hand along with the cards on the table.

I make it a point to watch it every week and I even resurrected my Vegas Games for PS1 and played it there. Now, I'm hankering for the real thing. I'm putting out a call for possible players to join me for a good old fashioned night of poker.

Oh, and I'm also looking for a set of Poker chips. If someone could lend them to me, I'd be much obliged. I'd even be glad to purchase them from you. That's how bad I want to play.

BURNED

2005-09-27T15:02:00.000+08:00

Last Sunday, I was asked by some of my officemates to donate my voice and my time to one of our projects, the Calories for a Cause event of the Coca-Cola Foundation. They said I'd get free drinkage out of it as a token of appreciation, but I'd have done it for free anyway.

So I headed to Market! Market! and got there by 8:20, way before the actual start of the event as well as ahead of my usual wake-up time on weekends. I got briefed then hung out a bit with the event hosts Vince Hizon and Jackie Lou Blanco - which was actually pretty cool. And if Jackie Lou was a chinita, I'd have really gotten the hots for her (is she still with Ricky Davao?).

What followed were eight hours of me getting on the mic to introduce the hosts then thank the participants after every exercise - where the total calories burned would be converted into pesos for charity. All-in-all, we raised almost a million bucks for a lot of lucky beneficiaries.

I went home really worn out and with a raspy voice, but it was ok. How often do you get to take part in something so worthwhile? Besides, I got to hobnob with some celebrities like Regine Tolentino, Ryza and LJ from StarStruck and Vince's wife Shaan Bermudez who is a lovely person, and not just physically.

-----

I have to recommend MGE Taxi Service. In these times when cab drivers charge you an extra 20-30 bucks just to take you home, here's a company that you can call to arrange a ride and they'll pick you up and take you home without any added charge to the meter. It's efficient and the drivers have been friendly and knowledgable of traffic and the roads.

THAT'S DOPE

2005-09-22T18:21:00.000+08:00

I succumbed to the sniffles yesterday. After fighting off a bad cold since last Friday, my body finally took matters into its own hands and prevented me from working. Stuffed-up sinuses and a really bad headache were the order of the day.

So I laid in bed all day, all doped-up on Decolgen. A tablet every four hours. Knockout city.

In between drug-induced naps, I remember watching a little Eat Bulaga...a little Elimidate...and Rockstar INXS. Too bad that the Pinoy Mig lost but I knew it was coming. Maybe if they do a Rockstar:Queen...

Ended the day with a burrito from Tia Maria's. Yum.

BLACK AND BLUE

2005-09-15T20:26:00.000+08:00

Our office lost its cable a few days ago. Some problem with the collection. Of course, some of the us at the office were scrambling to find a way to watch the big game between ateneo and la salle. If I only knew the outcome, I wouldn't have bothered to rig a makeshift antenna with cable wire and a fork.

So there I sat while my boss (a Lasallite) gave a running commentary of how they were kicking our asses. Before the game started, we were brainstorming like crazy. Once the final buzzer sounded, it's like the wind was knocked out of my sails and I was listless the rest of the way.

Maybe the day finally caught up with me. It was terribly hard to wake up this morning. After negotiating my way out of bed, I stumbled through my morning rituals then crawled into the car. As soon as I got into the office, the lethargy dissapated and I was a dynamo, cranking out idea after idea. La Salle's killer defense and timely shots finally took the fight out of me.

Time to head home.

DIBIDIBIDOO

2005-09-13T10:03:00.000+08:00

Haven't done this in a while. I got a whole slew of DVDs (both from Makati Square and from my special supplier) and added to my vast collection.

Among the notables are
The best of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog (Hilarious)
The Longest Yard (finally gonna see it)
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (ditto)
Napoleon Dynamite (Yay! A version that doesn't turn black and white)
and Fever Pitch (titled "Perfect Catch" here)

I watched Fever Pitch last night and I liked it. I'm afraid though that if you're not familiar with the Red Sox or even Major League Baseball, you'll be clueless when you watch the movie.

Me, being a part of the Red Sox Nation, totally got into the references of the curse of the bambino, the pennant chase, the wildcard match, the greatest comeback in sports history and especially the emotional world series triumph last season.

If you didn't understand a word in that last sentence, I really suggest you skip this movie.

RECONNECTING

2005-09-12T17:28:00.000+08:00

The fates are a funny thing. I had some happy accidents the past few days that have reintroduced some old friends into my life.

Last week, I had a terrible time trying to get a cab after work. After waiting by the curb for almost 20 minutes, I decided to return to the office and wait out the traffic. As I was walking back towards my building, I noticed this guy standing in the driveway and he was looking at me funny. As I got nearer, he gestured, pointed and broke out into a big smile. I thought, what the fuck does this guy find so funny about me? But before I bum-rushed him, I realized that it was an old friend from my tNt days in Ateneo. Last I saw of him was when I was waiting for a presentation at Unilever years back. We smoked a bit, exchanged numbers and I found out that he's been going to this school in the building where I work.

Fast forward to today. I got off the car and decided to grab breakfast from the 8th floor instead of going straight up to my office. Once I got my doughnuts, I got into the elevator and pressed my floor. As I did so, a voice called out my name and I saw an old classmate from high school, whom I haven't seen in years. He was one of the good eggs from my stint in the honors class (and we share the same birthday). Turns out, he's been working at Pfizer, so we exchanged pleasantries, numbers and belated birthday greetings. We're gonna meet up for lunch to play catch up one of these days.

I wonder who's next? I hope that it's this hot girl I had the hots for back in college...

WHAT A WEEK.

2005-09-09T19:56:00.000+08:00

What a week. Whew! Glad its done. Why is it that whenever a long vacation is coming up, the days seem to slow to a crawl...even if they do go by really fast when you're busy trying to meet a deadline?

What a week. What a week.

Had my party last weekend. Had tons of fun. Everyone raved about the food and I got a little drunk from all the wine. It was just too bad that there were a lot of people who couldn't join in. Guys like my friends situated abroad like Bill in NY, Lyra in South Carolina, Ces in Washington and Mic in Bicol (hey, it takes a shorter time to go to HongKong!), and guys who told me they were going but no-showed. Kidding. I'm not bitter. I understand that it rained really hard and all. We just had to eat the party leftovers for two days!!!

At work, the load got heavier and heavier as the the week ended. It culminated in a brainstorming till midnight last night and a race against the clock today. In the end, the job got done and I earned my pay.

We brainstormed BTW at Jack's in the Fort. They serve an All-Day breakfast! I had Nicole's Choice - 2 pancakes, 2 strips of bacon, 2 eggs, a hashbrow, toast and 2 sausage links - best breakfast I've had at night! And I've had a few!

Anyway, I'm excited. My first ads for HSBC are set to come out enxt week. These signify that I have officially returned to advertising. I'm proud of these ads but after all the tweaking and hirits of the clients, they're a far cry from what I envisioned them to be. At the end of the day, they're my work and I thought I'd share part of it with all of you.

Here's my radio ad:
WORDS 30s

FVO: What three words do we women love to hear?

BOBBY: I love you…?

You complete me…?

You’re not fat…?

FVO: Actually, it’s “Free credit card”…

”Free shopping credit”…

And “A diamond ring”… which you could win with a RED MasterCard from HSBC.

Which also leads to three words we love to say…

“Just charge it."

FVO: Love yourself.
With Red MasterCard from HSBC, the World’s Local Bank.

GETTING THE GROOVE BACK

2005-09-06T13:51:00.000+08:00

About two weeks ago, I was having the toughest time since I made my return to the world of advertising. We were working on an ad (technically, I was the only one doing it) where the placement held a lot of creative opportunities but the message I was supposed to incorporate in it had greatly overworn its welcome. And since the other guys on the team were too busy to give much thought to brainstorming for concepts, I was pretty much the only one making them. The sad part is that every one I came up with was pathetically wanting. I didn't even want to show them but since I was the only one doing it, I had no choice but to shoot them out to my boss.

Of course, he had a hard time thinking of concepts for it as well but it made me feel inadequate and I started questioning why I came back. During one of our forays downstairs to have a smoke, I asked this junior AE who was with me, "Why did I leave a cushy job for this again?"

In a wisdom beyond his years, he remarked, "Because you missed it".

I realized that in the advertising world, I sometimes tend to take a backseat to the greatness of others. I'm 30 years old and I've never won a single award. I look at my peers here and I wonder if I measure up to them.

Something I do on a constant basis.

Then one friday night, my boss got really drunk and gave me an impromptu evaluation. He actually loved my work. My dedication. my passion. He just wished that it came out more. My passion that is.

He may have forgotten everything he told me that night but those words stuck to me. These people hired me for a reason. And if you can't take the drunken words of someone to heart, whose then?

Fast forward to today. I'm back in the groove. Confidence is high. Questioning strat. Demanding unique propositions. Defending my work.

I feel like me again.

INXS: Ganns came over last night and we worked on some material for our soon-to-be-launched music careers. I brought out some songs that I've had for the longest time and we jammed for about an hour and a half. We sounded great and I now have three songs ready for recording. I've never been this close to achieving this dream before. Will keep you posted if ever we come out with a single. Hey, I can dream right?

XXX

2005-08-31T13:44:00.000+08:00

Turning 30 in a matter of hours.

Can't complain. Compared to a year ago, my life is awesomely great.

Got a smile on my face and the sun on my shoulder.

I finally have a window seat at work.

Life is good. Thanks for sharing it with me.

CATCHING UP

2005-08-22T23:44:00.000+08:00

Last weekend I caught

...up on sleep.
...a cold.
...kim possible the movie (ron and kim...i knew it would happen)
...the episode of Lost that I missed last Thursday (damn hanging endings)
...the episode of Ed where Carol finally shows Ed how she really feels.
...myself looking at my DVD collection and wondering what the hell to watch when there were about 50 films there begging for my attention.
... my cute puppy stinky gnawing every slipper that she could get her paws on
...the health bug and shopped for bran cereal and corn flakes
...several people being assholes and gave them a piece of my mind.

Hehe. Yep, it happened again. I once wrote an entry about how I was pissed one day then took it out on unsuspecting assholes. Whoops. I did it again. Firstly, we had lunch last Sunday at Hot Rocks and were only able to get a table for 6 (we were 12). We were waiting inside by the entrance for the waitress to clear off this other table when this guy walked past us, whispered something to the waitress and started calling over his family, including his geriatric mom and dad (with matching canes/walkers). Unfortunately for him, he skipped ahead of me and my equally-hotblooded family. I laid into him first, graciously telling him that we were ahead of him. He had the gall to say that he was first. I then pointed out that we already had a table and had ordered before he arrived. He went on about his business and ushered his dad to a seat. Amazingly in straight tagalog (albeit with a bit of a twang), I raised my voice and said, "Sir, nauna kami. Kung wala ka lang kasamang matanda papatulan na kita!" My cousin chimed in, then my uncles, and before my dad could join in the fray, the guy started apologizing profusely. I told him to talk to my hand.

Afterwards, I went to the nearby Shopwise to buy my cereal rations for the week. As me and my mom were walking the aisles, this lady was coming right towards us with her shopping cart and she instead of looking where she was going, she was texting! We deftly sidestepped and I stuck my head in front of her face and "suggested" that next time, she shouldn't be texting while she's pushing a damn grocery cart.

Hehe. Don't make me angry, you won't like me when I'm angry.

GRIP...SLIPPING...MUST HANG ON...

2005-08-20T22:59:00.000+08:00

Saturday night. At work again. No surprise.

Much to my family's consternation, I love it. Been noticing that my dad's been getting a little testy at me. We rarely speak now coz I go home late and the times we're early, I talk about nothing but work and he talks about nothing but his new football school. Yeah, areal meeting of the minds. Sometimes it pisses me of that when my cousin from Cebu was staying with us, he'd jump right out of bed and sit with my cousing while he ate, no matter how late he arrived.

I get home and he spazzes when I kiss him hello.

And it's only been 3 weeks.

My mom understands. I gotta go where I'm happy and I have.

They're gonna be changing our seating arrangement. As it is, All the other creatives are sitting near each other while my cubicle is near the accounts section. Being the talkative type that I am, I can't help but indulge them in conversation. Who cares if all of them were born in 1983 right?

We get along great actually. I'm like a big old teddy bear to them. When have I not been?

I'd like to stress the word "old" though. I feel like an old fart with the music they play or the way they speak. And that's something I never thought would ever happen.

Ah well. Must be feeling my age.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

2005-08-16T10:36:00.000+08:00

I, as well as some of the regular visitors to this blog, have noiced that the beautiful template that has been my blog's design for a couple of months now has begun to have some bugs in it. I kept it that way since I loved the design so much, but as the title goes, enough is enough.

Took a look at several blog designs and settled for this one (in the meantime). I will find some fantastical new design soon enough. But till then...this will suffice.

CHANGE OF PACE

2005-08-15T17:34:00.000+08:00

For the first time, I might actually be going home early. Having said that, I'm expecting a dozen job orders to plop down on my desk anytime now...all with deadlines for tomorrow.

Five minutes have passed and not a single J.O. My luck is holding.

***

I apologize if all my recent blog entries have all been about work. Seems that nothing else has been occupying my time as much.

Let's see, what else is there to blog about? A friend of mine recently had her first threesome but I don't think she'll appreciate my sharing her story here. I'll just say, "Welcome to the club."

***

Last time I checked, I'm just 16 days shy of my 30th birthday. I feel a introspective coming on but I'll save that for a different entry.

All my friends are invited to share in my celebration though. I'll be throwing a bash at my place on September 3, 2005. If you haven't received an invite yet, I apologize. Either you changed your number or I really don't have a way of contacting you. For the slighted ones, please do email me or leave a comment on this blog so that I could rectify my oversight.

COMFY BLANKET

2005-08-12T14:15:00.000+08:00

The blanket I meant was the blanket of rain that seems to have covered all of Manila. It makes for perfect bed weather, the problem being that I'm nowhere near my bed...not counting the beanbag that has served as my bed during our overnight OT sessions.

Despite that thought, it's actually a good backdrop to end this long week. And what a week it's been. Now, the hectic pace has decided to finally take a break and the curtain of rain outside the window has that nice comfortable feeling. It's like I'm going into this weekend knowing that I'll get to relax a little and enjoy life at a nice leisurely pace.

Got to have lunch with my friend Nines. She moved out of her old place so she's been pretty hard to contact. Now I find out that she's looking for a place in Makati. Somewhere in Salcedo Village.

What do you know? So am I.

A few years back, we were playing with the idea of getting a place together. After lunch today, we just might. A "Will and Grace" type of thing. Best friends living together. Only, I'm not gay and she has bigger boobs.

Comforting thought indeed. Not about the boobs - I know what most of you think about me. Haha! Have a happy weekend all of you!

PHOTO FINISH

2005-08-11T02:58:00.000+08:00

I'll say this for 141, they're consistent.

Mind you, I'm not complaining, but I find it interesting that I've not gotten more than a day's lead time on any project that's been sent my way so far.

Thus, I've not gotten a good night's sleep thrice now in the past two weeks. My first all-nighter was last Wednesday and we had to conceptualize ads for two different campaigns in one night. Done. I finished two campaign studies for a certain promo and both were approved with radio AND print.

Monday night, we were working on a pitch. Which we were briefed on the past Friday. Another night, another day.

And here we are again. Two campaigns and we're making concepts for them off the seats of our pants. Brief. Brainstorm. Execute. We have a presentation for one of them at 10:00 am (It's just after three am right now) and we haven't even really started.

I'll be forty even before I reach my 30th birthday.

And how have you all been?

LIFESTYLE CHECK

2005-08-08T14:32:00.000+08:00

I've been away from advertising too long. No, I'm not having a hard time adjusting or anything. Far from it. It's just that my family isn't used to my crazy schedule anymore. Case in point: When I spent the night at the office last Wednesday, my dad texted me about 4-5 times asking if I was OK or when I was coming home.

I appreciate the concern and I do understand it. I'm no spring chicken anymore and the schedule here can only get more brutal. Thus, I have made the supreme sacrifice and decided to live a little healthier. Note: just a little.

Like, instead of getting double cheeseburgers at McDo for lunch today, I turned to Delifrance and picked up a Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad.

Yep, I used "I" and "salad" in a sentence other than "I hate salad."

Am going to stock up on oatmeal and other high-fiber foods.

And I will shop for salad ingredients on payday so that I can make my own salads from home and bring them to work.

And just to show you that it still is Jay Tan writing this blog, I will not let go of my nasty smoking habits.

Hey, I told you I was gonna live a LITTLE healthier.

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR

2005-08-04T04:52:00.000+08:00

When I was being interviewed for this job t 141, one of the CDs asked me, "Why do you want to go back to advertising?"

Being so pompous and sure of myself, I replied, "I miss it. I miss the late nights. I miss those sessions where we just bounce ideas off each other and build on them."

The CD marked down "Mentally disturbed" on his interview form.

To which I added, "Don't forget to put masochistic and glutton for punishment".

It seemed funny then, but they were also famous last words.

As it is, it is almost 5 in the morning and I've been in the office for almost 20 straight hours now.

I still have some copy to write for some presentations due later, but I have to admit that it's exactly what I asked for.

Case in point, at around 11 last night, we had some coffee after dinner at Sigafredo in Salcedo Village. Afterwards, we found ourselves sitting on the steps of the building, tossing ideas around and trying to form a cohesive thought. All this in the middle of the night.

Be careful what you wish for indeed.

"I wish for a hot, naked chinita right now!"

Hey, it could happen.

FIRST DAY

2005-08-01T17:35:00.000+08:00

Settling in.

I'm typing this from my new friend, the iMac G4. Kinda different from what I'm used to, but nothing I can't handle.

Not bad. First day pa lang, 3 Job Orders were thrown my way. Nothing too fancy. Revise this. Adjust that. My partner got the lion's share of the work.

Pleasant surprises - found several ex-officemates from Lowe and a former schoolmate among the people here so they made me feel right at home. The folks here are pretty nice...some even register as certified cuties.

That's that for now. Gotta get back to work.

AT LAST

2005-07-29T17:52:00.000+08:00

As I glance at the time, I see that I have 22 minutes left as an employee of Zimplizity. The kind folks here threw me a small "salu-salo" as a send-off. I had my bad times with this company, but the happy memories do outweigh the negative ones and I'm leaving behind some really great people.

Now, a new chapter awaits. I'm going home. I'm really psyched up for this and it just took me two years and two jobs to realize where I belong.

Now, I'm moving away from the cozy confines of Legaspi Village (and the nearby Makati Square - boo hoo!) and moving across Ayala.

Anyway, to the guys from Zimplizity who read this, thanks again and good luck. Remember, Ganns is coming...

ONE DAY MORE

2005-07-28T11:11:00.000+08:00

Ever since I handed in my resignation, I've noticed a trend in the songs that just pop out of my mouth during different times of the day. Predictably, they seem to center around the words "goodbye" and "last". Obviously, my latest career move has been hanging on my mind - a lot.

Just to fill you all in, I had an exit interview with Emiliano this past Tuesday. He took me out to lunch at this Japanese place in Greenbelt 3 and we discussed my leaving. He asked me for my thoughts about the company and some of the people I am leaving behind, and, as is my nature, I was completely and brutally honest. After I gave my two cents, he told me that similar news has been reaching him from other parties regarding the less-than-stellar performance of some high-ranking people in the office. I just hope that they take the feedback "professionally" (especially after hearing them say those exact words to me on some occassions).

Hopefully, they hire my friend Ganns so that they won't be left in a lurch. He's that damn good.

Met with Paschal, the French Managing Director of 141 last night. He told me it wasn't an interview and he just wanted to meet me before he left for a trip abroad. So far, I like what I've been seeing and I have a really good feeling about 141.

So, after today, I'll just have one day more here in Zimplizity. Been fun but it's time for me to come home.

THE RETURN OF THE SHIT

2005-07-19T09:15:00.000+08:00

Lock your doors and hide your women.

Jay Tan is back in advertising.

As of 7:00 p.m. last night, I accepted an offer to join 141 Worldwide.

I like it. It's regional and the founder's motto is J-F-D-I: Just Fucking Do It!

Sound the bell. School's back in session.

The big boss of creatives there told me that they've been trying to fill this position for about 2-3 months but they couldn't find the right fit. He thinks that I'm a perfect fit.

I replied, "*Sob* I've never fit perfectly into anything before..."

Long hours. Late nights.

I love it.

BOMBS AWAY

2005-07-08T13:18:00.000+08:00

The bombing attacks that took place in London appear minscule compared to the ticking time bomb waiting to explode here in the Philippines. For months now, we have been treated to an endless barrage of scandals that have rocked the presidency of Gloria Arroyo.

The first salvo was the allegations that the President's husband and son were receiving payouts from the illegal gambling trade. This of course ran its course and Gloria was left standing but a little scathed.

A second round of explosive news was then lobbed at the administration and tapes started appearing everywhere that caught GMA chatting it up with an official of the Comelec. I was one of many who thought that the situation had been diffused. The opposition cried foul, alleging that she cheated in the last elections, padding her votes with the help of the electoral body.

This led to an inquiry by congress and the entire Philippines stood transfixed to every available TV or radio, listening to a tapeful of wiretapped conversations.

I was either playing NBA Live or watching a DVD.

I really just wasn't worried. With several people power revolutions under my belt, I could see that there wouldn't be a sequel to the EDSA saga. The players on the opposition side just didn't play the game right.

First of all, the best time for the people to take to the streets and scream righteous indignation would have been if the pro-Gloria congressmen tried to squelch the tape, similar to the senators who wouldn't open the envelope during the Estrada impeachment. The administration senators said, "Fine, let's hear the damn things. We have nothing to hide".

Scratch that idea.

Another golden opportunity arose when they played the tape. In olden times, offended Filipinos whould have walked out of their houses then and there and amassed at EDSA.

Nothing.

And whenever there was a mass demonstration, it couldn't be sustained. The organizers probably didn't have enough food or the crowd simply thought that what they were getting wasn't worth getting sick over from standing in the rain.

(On a side note, I really question the foresight of the anti-GMA factions. Planning rallies and the like during rainy season just doesn't cut it. As the commercial goes, "Sa panahon ngayon, bawal magkasakit.")

So, the past few days, I went to bed at night, comfortably thinking that the situation had been diffused. That the lesser evil lived to see another day. That spontaneous indignation beats organized efforts any day. My entire view came crashing down as I got back from lunch.

I saw several of GMA's former cabinet members (she called for their mass resignation) voicing support for her in these times of crisis. It was then that I found out that another group of cabinet members resigned and called for her to step down as well. Among their ranks were people like Butch Abad, Teresita Deles and even Dinky Soliman. If they were disillusioned, what hope do the rest of us have?

Now, the seconds are ticking away and the fuse is almost spent. Something might happen this weekend and unlike the days of yore, I will just play silent witness instead of taking to the streets. After all, in a battle between evils, it's better to stay on the side of good and stay out of the crossfire.

Hope our country is still standing on Monday.

SARAP DIRI

2005-07-04T09:45:00.000+08:00

It's 9:47 on this Monday morning, and I'm feeling all the effects of my whirlwind trip to Iloilo this past weekend. A little sleepy, a little sluggish and a whole lot of feeling bloated. I wanted to take the day off today, but seeing that I was also out last Friday, I decided against it and crawled out of bed.

Man, the food was mind-blowing! And did I mention the food? Aligue rice! Grilled prawns in butter! Lechon Cebu! Fat crabs! This fish that melts in your mouth! My waistline! My God!

OhandthepartytocelebratemyGrandaunt's80thbirthdaywasfunandwell-attendedandIgottomeetso
manyofmyrelatives.

Oh, and I found out I have hot cousins. I've never had hot cousins before. (Cue soundtrack of Taboo).

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

2005-06-29T14:13:00.000+08:00

I'm a creature of bad habits. I love spicy food. I smoke Winston Lights. I enjoy the occassional porn movie. Oh, and I watch the Man Show on Jack TV.

I also tend to call people by different names. I refer to my barkada, known to the world as Bill, Mic, Dan and Ganns, as "B", "Boodle, "D-man" and "G-Spot" respectively. I give my other friends names like "Doc", "Bobby-Jo", "Chips", "Komiks", "Whitebread", "Jimbo", "Chingchingbaching", "Miamee" and "Oach" (4J Boys out there, feel free to guess who has what name).

A question crossed my mind today: "Why in God's name can't I call anyone by their regular names? ". Then it hit me. I've been called many things in my life as well.

I grew up being called JayJay by everyone. I got the name from the initials of my real name, John Julian. I then went through that stage in Grade school when first names disappear and we're all called by our last names. I was "Tan" for two years - in addition to some of my teachers calling me Jules or Julius once in a while.

When I got to high school, first names seemed to be resurrected. Seeing that we were getting older, I chose to reinvent myself and dropped one of the "Jays" and simply became "Jay Tan".

Then fourth year happened and I went to a class full of Jays. To tell us apart, one was called Jay A., the other was Jay D. and I became...

Budoy.

It was meant to be an insult at first but it soon became a term of endearment and even up to this day, my 4J friends still call me "Buds" (pronounced "boods") or "Budoy".

With college came another change. I became the "Bounce". I've been asked several times how I got the name. The truth is that it was a necessity. Several of us were chosen to be newsreaders for a pseudo-raio show that we broadcast over the P.A. system. Since we did the show at an ungodly hour, we risked the ire of people who were badly woken up by our voices blaring through the speakers at 730 in the morning. So, we decided to use "on-air" names. Some really wanted to be known so they used their real names. Me? I became the "Bounce" because it reflected my bouncy personality (plus I was as round as a watermelon).

So, I guess my incessant need to christen people with new names is something I do on my part, not as payback, but really because I discovered the joys of having different names. It means that you've actually endeared yourself to someone.

Or in my case, it was an insult before it became an endearment. At least, they cared enough to think up a new name for you.

EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN

2005-06-27T10:31:00.000+08:00

I got to work today and the new furniture came in. Before, we had desks that were like an "O" in the middle of a big room, with us lining both the inner and outer circles. Now, we have four rows of compact (read: annoyingly snug) cubicles lined up in a way that we look like a call center.

I kinda like the facelift but the new setup puts me away from my artists and in the "quiet" section. It doesn't make much sense from a practical perspective (I now have to communicate with my artist through YM instead of just looing up and talking to him) and I feel this cosmetic change doesn't do much to cover up the ugly parts of the company.

Remember, a few months ago, I had a little trouble in the office when they were going to put me through this "improvement plan" on the whim of the boss after a client complained and he didn't even bother to confirm if this was true.

Now, I found out that my regularization was put on hold, pending an effort on my part to be more "responsive" and less "reactive". I tend to complain a lot and react so much that I don't "encourage feedback".

Harhar.

Maybe it's my advertising background that makes me defend my work a lot, but I think that if they (management) stuck to one message or direction, without shifting or changing their mind, I wouldn't have to defend my work so much. The work that was borne out of their first set of directions.

Anyway, hope the weekend treated you all well. Hope the week will be even better.