We'll Fight, Not Out of Spite; But Someone Must Stand Up For What's Right

6 Days ago... Was the last time I blogged. A lot's happened since. Let me try to recount:

First Friday Unplugged (Of the Century): This was undoubtedly one of the best FFU’s we’ve ever had. And I’ve been to all of them, mind you. There was a lot of raw talent in this one, some even rather honed, but everyone (well, almost) did really well.

We had a total of nine acts.

Let me try to remember them. There was C.O. (that’s his nickname) with “Tears in Heaven” by Eric Clapton. Carlo Chong sang “Here Without You” by 3 Doors Down (I personally really dislike this song). Some H1 band with Enzo (forgot his last name, but I used to play badminton with him when I was younger) as their lead singer sang some song that sounded quite positive, but with very little skill. Then BARDO (!!!!) came and sang “Can’t Cry Hard Enough” by Bellefire, although Bardo was singing an earlier version, and scampered off before I could congratulate him. Next was Mr. Bumatayo with “Do I Make You Proud” by Taylor Hicks (yeah, the American Idol guy) (Hello, Alexis.). It was quite touching, as it was about his dad, God rest. Then came Mr. Pinlac singing some Bamboo song (I think its name was “Flowers”), Mrs. Ocampo with a medley of Barbra Streisand, The Carpenters and The Beatles, Mr. Asis with “100 Years” by Five for Fighting (with these disturbing but mondo-cool falsetto sounds that you just didn’t expect from him), and, the final act, Wesley, with I’ll Be by Edwin McCain. I only didn’t like Carlo’s and the H1 Band’s, and Mr. Bumatayo’s song could’ve been done better.

Moving on . . .

Editing Xtreme Makeover with Mr. Asis: on Saturday, I went to help Mr. Asis with the Xtreme Makeover crap. When I got there, Mr. Asis hadn’t arrived yet, so after bugging/making-epal (that sounds so bad)/cam-ho’ing with TJ Quidilla (who I will henceforth refer to as TJQ) and Lawrence, I ran around the school grounds aimlessly. Sometime later, Mr. Asis comes out of the workroom with McDonalds and his laptop. We retrieve the research documents (forwarded by Stanly via email) and find that it amounts to a not-so-grand total of five. Yes, five. Including mine. Well actually, Kyle’s was a proposal for the fair. So four.

Damn. I spent the next hour and a half just typing away at his computer and brainstorming about ideas. We decide that he will go to the mall and take pictures of products and improve everything, and I go home.

XSH3ICAH2 Interaction: At about 3:30, I leave for the Clubhouse at Greenhills West to attend the Interaction. But it’s a bit too early, because it’s supposed to start at four thirty, and I got there at about 3:40. Walter and I go to Starbucks. As he scavenges for his wallet, I meet up with Martin and Walter and I talk.

We go back some time later and arrive back at the place, signing up and getting our I.D.’s. Now, I seemed to be the only person who knew how to tie them together (Mom taught me way back when I was 6 years old, and I never used it since then. Muscle Memory is grand, isn’t it?) so I did so for Kenn, Walt, etc..., eventually wasting time until we were admitted in.

The actual thing was just plain boring (but everyone who asked me how it went got the answer “It was okay.”). It was the bands that were absolutely … hmm, how do I describe this? Well, let’s just say I didn’t really mind the fact that it was boring—I was busy picking my jaw up from the floor, which was hurting from dropping so often.

Ralph sang in Red Shift. That was just… amazing. The song, Dance Inside by All American Rejects, was BEAUTIFUL. Amazing song. Amazing performance. And no one expected Ralph to have such skill. Wow.

Aldo actually sang well this time. The other times… well, usually, hehe, when he sings, Banshees sounds like professionals. But this time… wow. He got all the notes right, sang just loud enough, raised his voice just high enough. Very nice.

Then we had Disco (sorry, decapitalize that in your minds), where our DJ just SUCKED. He kept killing the song at all the good parts, then we’d just stand and wait for it to come back. That was sucky.
Then at some point, everyone started yelling “Sexy Back! Sexy Back!” It IS a nice song, after all.

Went to Ash Creek with Walter afterwards, drank me some water. See his friend’s mom wanted to “請” cnia me to some food. I told her I was full. She persisted. I told her I had diabetes. We chatted some more.

So we chatter away as Walter takes a panning video of himself, and I focus on his mom and his mom’s friend’s conversation, which consisted of Fukien, some Mandarin read out from paper, and lots of Cantonese-y code switching. It was pure bliss.

And when they spoke Hokkien, it wasn’t like my parents, which had English and Filipino squirming their way into the language. It was STRAIGHT Hokkien. I had to pick my jaw up from the floor again.

Dad picked me up and we went home.

Monday and Tuesday: Are a blur. But in Soc Sci, we’ve been studying The French Revolution. Can I just say? I think French is SEXYHOT!!! Hear a native French person say “Marie Antoinette”. Gods…

Oh, and my camera broke. So henceforth, no pictures. Yep. On the ONE MOST IMPORTANT DAY, I won’t get any pictures.

Today is Wednesday: I first went to the mass at six thirty (or was it six forty five?) in the morning, which Fr. Guy presided over. In the Homily, he mentioned how last quarter, he taught a class that he had to leave at the end of the quarter *swells with pride*. He asked how they had been lately, and one of them said that they were struggling. Fr. Guy said he was saddened, and very sorry to hear that. He was quite surprised when the student replied, “You should be. You left us.”

I stopped short at that point. Who, among our classmates, would dare to say that to Fr. Guy?

"Stanly" was the first thing that popped into my head, but I had to make sure. Also, it is at this point that I would like to tell my class: YOU SUCK. Seriously, the one time that Fr. Guy mentions our class, you guys are absent. There were about 4 of us in the entire mass!

God.

Anyway. I head on over to the canteen and check out my ACP sched, and I am in the classes that I signed up for—Flying Solo and Law & Order.

Thing is, right under the name “Flying Solo” on the piece of paper posted at the canteen, there’s this clause that says, “Bring a minus one or accompaniment (guitar or keyboards) for your piece.” Or something to that effect.

Crap. Not only do I not have one, but I don’t have the skill to play one anyway.

And so we head on over to the MPC for the Career in Business talk with Mr. Rudolfo Ang, who Mr. Asis said was rather cranky. He was everything but, actually. Very nice, easy-going, professional (and you KNOW how much I value this trait), knowledgeable and accommodating. It was all in all, a great talk. Then we waste time for an extra thirty something minutes while Gian attempts to draw me. We then have recess and I eagerly await my doom.

Then out of nowhere, Ms. Magallona appears near the Media Ed., where Flying Solo was supposed to be held. I asked what she was doing, and she said she was the assigned moderator and would be with us throughout.

I was almost expecting this evil, hard-edged, old hack for our guest speaker, but I guess I should do my digging next time. This guy was 29 years old, and he was already a seasoned performer. Yes, his old band Smokey Mountain was a part of his childhood. As in, pre-teen. As in, 12 years old.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you, Jeffrey Hidalgo.


http://www.yehey.com/lifestyle/culture.aspx?artid=1306
http://www.abante.com.ph/issue/mar1805/showbiz_bb.htm
http://www.titikpilipino.com/album/reviews.php?albumid=499
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ceb/2005/08/26/life/jeffrey.and.raki.in.once.on.this.island.tomorrow!.html
http://www.titikpilipino.com/news/?aid=430

He’s even got this (now defunct) website at www.jeffreyhidalgo.com

This guy, my friends, is Mr. Asis’ friend. Yes, Mr. Asis has connections.

And my God, can he sing. But he doesn’t look like how he does in the pictures anymore. The hair is grown longer.

So anyway, most of us are asked to sing a song each. C.O. sang The Way You Look Tonight, which had Mr. Hidalgo showering him with praises. Wesley sang I Will Be Here and Mr. Hidalgo was willing to work with him on it to help him. The rest were just kind of… comments and criticism. But that was his job after all. Mav also sang this song that I can’t remember right now (the O2 Jam playing in the background is clouding my thoughts), but it was really good.

Yeah, and that wasn’t the most disappointing part. I usually don’t run out of breath, especially on She Called Me Kansas. I ran out of breath. God. Crap. His review of my (crappy) singing did raise my respect for him by several tens of degrees though—he was able to identify a country song immediately. And his description was quite apt, too—“Na-iimagine ko siya.”

And I had to do acapella, which was just the death of me.

So I have lunch, read that story that Raphie was given for his Fantasy class, which was mostly about Santa and Old Winter Death. Yeah, it was weird and noir-ish but cool and saddening.

Martin tells me of his experience taking pictures of two female models. On the spot. With SLR’s. In photography class. Oh, envy. Envy.

So anyway.

He and I go straight to Law & Order, which is a two parter of sorts given by Atty. Henry Co, a Xaverian alumnus, and Atty. Cherrie Cruz, who is apparently the attorney of Mr. Gringo Honasan… That’s two V.V.V.I.P.’s today.

To say that the talks they gave on Law were interesting would be like saying watching Aaron Lines live in concert is breakfast fodder.

MY GOD I’M IN LOVE WITH LAW.

The radio announced it today. No school tomorrow! Which means no notecards and debate! Which means a five day weekend! ORGASM!!!!!!

Here're the shots of Bro. Haw (All new and improved, sleek, shiny and glossy), all courtesy of Alfonso Solano.

She Called Me Kansas by Aaron Lines

We sat and watched the sun come up
With a blanket wrapped around us
We spent all night out on that beach
Couldn't hold her close enough to me
That was love I won't forget
And I still remember what she said

She called me Kansas
She said that I reminded her of home
She called me Kansas
And I know I've never been there
But it's a place I’d love to go

The April air, the crescent moon
Two wild hearts with nothing to lose
That weekend was all we had
But what I'd give for two more days like that
She looked at me and said goodbye
And kissed my lips one last time

She called me Kansas
She said that I reminded her of home
She called me Kansas
And I know I've never been there
But it's a place I’d love to go

Kansas, I'll always remember
Kansas, I hear your name and I am with her