in retrospect: my suicidal schedule

I finally got to upload the photos from the digicam to Winston last night. Whew. Just thinking that all of this happened within the span of less than a month got me tired already. I thought it was just Christmas stress. With cramps kicking in and my left eye in a chronic spasm, I type away and present...the month (almost) that was (work and school aside).

Mishka Adams' Farewell Concert was the best concert I had attended all year. Maybe it was the intimacy of the venue (Music Museum) as compared with the mega-concerts at the Araneta. Somewhere between Tots Tolentino's mind-blowing saxophone solos and Cynthia Alexander's Moon River duet with Mishka, I found myself in audience rapture--and appreciating jazz even more. She really had excellent performers as guests, complementing her music perfectly. Her band, the Blue Echo was amazing too--it draws you in, the way they feel their music as they perform. It simply carries you away. After the concert, we stuck around and got our photo taken with Mishka. Bianca, on cloud nine, got her autograph.

Our organization's Christmas party was the night before. Dressed as gypsies, bohemians and retro kids, they partied while I snapped away. And won a rice cooker. Only to find out that my housemate, Angel won a complete kitchen showcase (rice cooker and ref included)! Wowie! When I got home, my dad happily presented what he won at their raffle--another rice cooker and a microwave oven. Puwedeng puwede na kaming mag rice party.

The Lantern Parade this year I found a bit somber. Not all colleges were required to participate, and those that did did so with minimal participation (e.g. carrying a banner and marching down the academic oval...where's the lantern?). Parang damang-dama mo ang austerity measures sa iilang mga lantern na pumarada. Fine Arts, being the only unit required to participate, delivered with their Earth, Wind, Fire and Water theme (where on earth did that come from?). I even saw Sir Mel Silvestre grading his students as they marched along with the parade. This year, lantern parade technology has evolved to include heavy use of rattan and japanese paper, aside from the usual use of materials such as sliced foam, and chicken wire and paper mache. This I would think, is Sir Mel's doing. That man is a genius (aside from being a really endearing college daddy-figure).

I had my first taste of suckao at the chocolate bar of 'that bald man' with Gay, Nowell and Bas.

The much-awaited second forum on art galleries sponsored by the Met Museum was some sort of a tragedy, with none of the expected speakers actually being there. That was more than made up for with a personal tour (c/o Dang), and quite a bit of ham photo-op moments with Gay, Nowell, Dang, Ajin, Matt and Irene.

Elvis Recharged was rained in, and plagued quite ironically, by brownouts. We left just when it was getting good. We did discover a really makulit band, FMD. The lead singer's stage antics, and the funny lyrics to their cover-spoofs made it worthwhile. Malate was the next stop that evening, with Reg singing the Indigo Girls' 'Galileo' with Cookie Chua and Color it Red at Unplugged.

Mom and Dad came home! And brought Winston a baby brother, Buboy. :-)

Caught Romulus d' Grayt at the PETA Theater with Dang and Dan. Sir Leo Abaya did the stage design. Save for miscalculated english captions, the humorous play on the fall of Rome was true to PETA form, with a dash of timely political innuendos.

Sir Joey Tanedo had an exhibit of photographs at the Oarhouse in Malate. Each photo a tale of his travels. I don't think I've ever laughed so hard in my life during the exhibit opening, with Herb, Marc and I listening to Chong's kakulitan, and to photojournalist Jay Directo's adventures and misadventures. Nabusog ako sa kakatawa. Tuloy, di ko naubos ang aking inorder na schnitzel.

More backtracked kuwentos to follow.