We've Reached A Milestone

This post marks 101 entries in canadianautumn. I think it should be special.

And special it is.

Recorded here will be one of the oldest griefs and most contemporary joys of this era in my life.

7:40 - 8:55 am

Mathematics, proctored by Ms. Priscilla Chang

Failed. This math test was evil. I was right--yesterday's Soc Sci test was some kind of macabre foreshadowing of today's events. I feel like I had the life force sucked out of me, then shoved down my throat, and extracted through my stomach. Paaaaiiiiinnnn...

But afterwards, things were quite light.

I dragged Lawrence over to Laoshi's so we could chat, and found Kenn already there.

We chatted a bit, then afterwards, Kenn had to leave and we chatted some more. Eventually, I decided that Lawrence had to start speaking, so we devised a way to make him speak. That is, have him pick one of two topics （很難忘的一件事 or 最喜歡的一個人) and discuss about it for five minutes. What he doesn't know, we correct. It felt good to see everything we'd been planning the entire fourth quarter come to fruition--but it's a pity that we only thought of it on the last day. In fact, Lawrence even said, "Why didn't we think of it before?"

Then he said... before he got to know me, his impression of me was someone very "mataray" (except when I smile). That took me by surprise. I've never thought of myself as mataray. I mean, jeez, I've exerted every effort to be as accomodating as I can, and it turns out that the first thing people think of me is as of some saucy, unapproachable, holier-than-thou skank that couldn't tell kind from cruel. Just great.

So elsewhere...

Lawrence and I go find Ms. Natonton and stress over Lawrence's little dilemma. Honestly, not a single human being alive has ever heard of the color "grayish brown". It was quite funny, really, but it seemed half of the Xaverian Teacher population were nakikiramay sa kanya. After exchanging vows of love (don't ask), we went upstairs to look for Mr. Santos and asked for help regarding the said color crisis. On the way, we bumped into (well, not really) (and this is gonna be really interesting and undertone-y for some Xaverians I know) Ms. Pusta and Mr. Perez sitting on the stairs together. Upon Ms. Natonton's query of whether or not they would be free "later", they replied, in unison, "No, not really, no." (UNDERTONEYNESS!!!!). Ms. Natonton declares that she doesn't love them, and we get to Mr. Santos' actual office. Here, I start up with the camwhoring again. It was just so nice. And then Ms. Natonton went all Nazi on the photos and deleted the ones she deemed "ugly". Right.

So we chased each other around a table and she eventually gave up and declared she hated me. Then I started taking more pictures, and eventually a video.

When we leave, we all go downstairs, decide where to meet (who knew? six hours later, I wouldn't be able to make it) and leave for lunch. We eat with Michael (Ilagan) and I leave again for the auditions.

*schwing*

After a quick sandwich lunch, I ran over to the football field so as to practice the song(s) and the piece in peace. I walked over to that long pathway thing and sang Way Back Into Love (yes, that Music & Lyrics theme song; the Hugh-Haley version) and Something More (Sugarland, people. Alexis will be so proud :p).

When I went over to the Lecture Hall though, Jherald (Gotauco, who has blue eyes, which I assume are contact lenses. I swear, the two of us had a conversation about it before, but for the life of me, I can't remember what the explanation for the gray-blue eyes are!) tells me to choose the song I'm more comfortable with (thus, Something More automatically wins). There was basically a division of phases, namely The Orientation, and the Audition Proper. The Orientation was... entertaining, what with all the yelling at someone named Jaime, who Mr. Legaspi branded as "common property", and Charles (Yee) obsessively drawing on the PowerPoint (yes, we had a powerpoint) (with completely laughable content (I mean who puts "makapal ang mukha" as a requirement for membership???), but somehow so very, very honest-to-good/badness).

The Audition was tough. They even bugged me about what club I wanted to join and things. I think the Jackie Approach to this problem was indeed the best (I'd picked up a few things from her over the years. Haha!)--say something honest but just completely solid that it renders them absolutely speechless. WHAHAHA!

We were also tasked to learn the Dance steps, which were just the dance moves to the chorus of the song they used in Duwa, those few weeks ago.

The monologue I prepared was Hamlet. Considering in the form, we were asked to prepare dramatic monologues, and this one was more sarcastic than anything (it was the "To be or not to be" part), I wasn't sure if it would be enough to get them through. Oh, and a little sidenote, I was the only present-year H3 that tried out. That's ridiculous! Jesus. Let me simmer for a while.

Anyhow, when I began my monologue, I did it fairly flawlessly until I got to "To sleep, perchance to dream." The succeeding words were, "Ay, there's the rub" but I blanked. Luckily for me, "To sleep, perchance to dream" sounded like ending words, and I was able to get away without too much scathing. But the interview before the monologue was also noteworthy. I think Charles was the one that asked me that if I was opening a club, why wouldn't I join it. I had to explain that I wasn't opening the club, I was pushing to have it opened (i.e. someone else would open it). Then he asked, "Isn't that hypocritical? I mean, where's the commitment.", to which I replied, "That's only because I don't think I can handle both FX and that club at the same time." which really answered all the questions.

If in the monologue, I was third, in the singing, I was second. I started singing Something More, when Ms. Lampa, bless her, interrupts and says, "Allen, could you sing a little louder? We really can't hear anything from here at the back. Good luck." And I sang (half of) my heart out. Pity though--I hadn't even gotten to a very good part in the song that involved hefty vocals when they called the next person.

Then we did the dance, to which I got somewhat lost, but on the third repetition for the chorus, was so into it that I was smiling while I was dancing. Now I know why that Raynard guy is always smiling when he dances. It's really... a different mode of expression. Something about the rhythm and the movement... I dunno.

Anyhow, we were asked to step outside while they deliberated, and I rediscovered Gate 3. Can I just say that the sunlight in that area is AMAZING at 3:45-ish in the afternoon? I started thinking of... things. Eventually, we were called back. Just before I entered the Lecture Hall, I saw Mr. Legaspi exit, yelling "Ikaw na bahala, a, Carlo." When we got in, I closed the door, and we began the eliminations.

We were informed that only 7 out of the 9 got accepted. So the first three people to my right get accepted, then one guy in red, i think his name was Vim or Vin, got rejected. And then the next two people on the far left got accepted. So then it was just the remaining three in the center. Then the guy to my immediate left gets accepted, so it's just me and this other guy whose name is Darrell or Darryl. I was kind of already expecting that I was the one who got rejected, and I had already been imagining what I would be doing next year now that I had been rejected. I mean, c'mon, bottom two, hello.

It was the biggest, most pleasant surprise when Carlo (I think that was his name, right?) said, "And the last person we accepted was... Allen. I'm sorry Darrell/Darryl." Major expulsion of pent-up breath there. He also said that "There were lots of other clubs out there."

I had to contest that statement. While there are heaps of other clubs, there is no other club like Stage FX.

Also, I heard Jherald, and even Mr. Legaspi during the orientation, ranting about people lacking commitment. I would also like to say, as proof to all and my self, that I am and will be committed to Stage FX. I am committed to the incessant meetings, the late nights--all the works. I am committed.

Just watch.