MY Favorite 2008 Albums

2008 for me is one of the worst years since the Great Depression. With the global financial crisis, it seems that rock music also experienced a slump with regards to album releases. Excellent bands such as Breaking Benjamin, Blue October, and Red Jumpsuit Apparatus will be releasing their new ones on 2009. I still have to hear if there's a Foo Fighters album in the works. No word on Incubus or Linkin Park.

Here are some of the few albums which made the crunch easier for me to take.



VIVA LA VIDA AND DEATH AND ALL HIS FRIENDS BY COLDPLAY

This is my only Coldplay album, ever. I like their songs, but I usually end up just borrowing friends' CDs. It was for the shallowest reasons I bought this album. I like the cover art. Songs such as Lost!, Viva La Vida, Violet Hill, and Lovers In Japan are also good enough excuses.



THE SCRIPT BY THE SCRIPT

This illustrates the slim pickings I had this year. Not exactly alternative or rock, The Scripts is borderline pop-rock. Coming from nowhere, the song The Man Who Can't Be Moved moved me to hysterics I had to buy the album. It wasn't a disappointment. Most of the songs are auditory friendly. The song lyrics are even more interesting, specially for those who had relationship fallouts - check the song Breakeven.



If there is one band out there who deserves to release a GREATEST HITS album, Stereophonics would be it. This is ear candy all the way. Although Movie Star is nowhere to be found, the new single You're My Star is a welcome bonus to the collection.



TWILIGHT SOUNDTRACK

It's inevitable. The saga of Bella and Edward took a life on its own and spawned a movie. Trust me, I love the book. I love the actors. But hell, what happened to the script!?! I have so many complaints about the movie starting from the make-up department to the direction, and wonder how Stephenie Meyer allowed this (well, it didn't stop me from watching it several times though). Thank God for the soundtrack. Like VICODIN it takes away the pain. With songs from bands such as Muse, Mutemath, The Black Ghosts, Collective Soul, Linkin Park, Blue Foundation, Iron & Wine, and of course Paramore, it's enough to prevent me from going berserk.



THE RED ALBUM BY WEEZER

A ray of sunshine in these dark times, trust Weezer to put a smile on those weary faces. Known for their self-deprecating humorous lyrics and catchy riffs, the band offers tunes such as Pork and Beans, Troublemaker, and The Greatest Man That Ever Lived making you want to post your own homemade videos on YouTube.



FOLIE A DEUX BY FALL OUT BOY

Known for their quirky song titles, FOB releases yet another good album. This is one of the bands out there who shouldn't stop EVER. Trust the song with a title that goes like Headfirst Slide Into Cooperstown On A Bad Bet (further explains Pete Wentz and Ashley Simpson's baby naming skills.)




A HUNDRED MILLION SUNS BY SNOW PATROL

One of those impulse buys. There's a new noun for beautiful and this album is it. If this were a guy I already married it, period. Check out Crack The Shutters and The Planets Bend Between Us. A must-have!!

The Perfect Christmas Gift

December 4th was a red-letter day for Potterheads anticipating the release of "Tales of Beedle The Bard," a collection of 5 fairy tales told to little children of wizarding families. For us Muggles, we became aware of this book in the last installment, Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows. These tales are a few of the important puzzles of that book. It came into the possession of Hermione Granger after the demise of Hogwarts Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. Translated from ancient runes, the stories include: The Wizard and the Hopping Pot, The Fountain of Fair Fortune, The Warlock's Hairy Heart, Babbitty Rabbity and Her Cackling Stump, and The Tale of The Three Brothers.

All tales give us an insight on the wizarding community's opinions (or beliefs) about love, muggles, and death. But more importantly, these are cautionary stories of use or misuse of magic. It also contains helpful (and often hilarious) commentaries by Albus Dumbledore himself.

With JK Rowling's knack of weaving the fantastic, this book is a wonderful side dish to the 7 already stowed in your shelf.

Another bonus is that the net sales of this book goes to the Children's High Level Group, a charity foundation co-founded by JK Rowling and Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne.

A wonderful Christmas gift for yourself, your family and friends, and of course to the children that will benefit from your patronage.

BITTEN: The Twilight Saga

Gist in a telegram: Young girl moves to new town. Falls in love. Gets married. Lives happily ever after.

What's so special?


It was one of those unusual days that I picked TWILIGHT on pure superficiality.

I know, I know, there's a saying don't judge a book by it's cover. But then I was feeling adventurous and the cover of the book showed promise ... a set of ghostly white hands holding a very red apple against a broodingly black background.

I didn't bother to read anything at the back. I wanted to surprise myself.

The cashier tips me on getting NEW MOON and ECLIPSE. "Copies are diminishing in an alarming rate and will certainly be sold out before BREAKING DAWN gets out," she says.

When the bartender gives you a free drink, chug it down.

Five cups of black coffee and six unholy hours later ... I wanted to kick myself. I should have listened.

After several trips to different bookstores and one online pre-order later, I'm hooked.

MY THOUGHTS IN A NUTSHELL: TWILIGHT itself is a gem. It stands out among the four and clearly my favorite. Love indeed holds no boundaries. NEW MOON for me single-handedly redefined the word broken in an entirely different level of comprehension. I love it. ECLIPSE made me see how terrible it is when one thinks "Can we all just get along?" because in reality, such is never the case. BREAKING DAWN ...inevitably inevitable. She warned us that the book is for cowards. In Meyer's defense, it's told in a totally different LIFE. Face it, we all grow up and it gets ugly sometimes. I thank her for the happy ending .... we all needed it. I cannot wait for MIDNIGHT SUN. Puleeeze, finish it soon.

The Romeo & Juliet plot has been rewritten, replotted, filmed, revived, sung, and twisted in so many ways that the thought of another rendition of it may make you barf. Well, leave room for one more. Take my assurance though, you won't be reaching for the bag. Even those with balance problems will scream for more vertigo and not puke. This series is just too damn good to be dismissed.


WHY?

I could enumerate so many reasons yet the words in my brain fail to compose something coherent I would sound like a gibbering chimp.

But then what's the use of writing about it? I might as well plod on.



THE VAGUEST REASONS WHY TO READ TWILIGHT:

1. The heroine is as plain as brown hair and brown eyes. Like the rest of the world.
2. (Vampire + Human) - Werewolf = Half-Vampire + Werewolf = Happily Ever After. Trust me, even I got lost on that one but hey, I'm not complaining.
3. One day you might want to live in Forks, Washington.
4. "It doesn't matter." & "You're my brand of heroin."
5. Only in death shall one be "perfect."
6. Love can literally kill you, but then you allow it almost always.
7. Sex actually and ONLY occurs after marriage.
8. .... and you will be spared of the pornographic details. Thank God.
9. Damn, I have to say it: Edward Cullen.
10. The movie will be shown on Dec. 12, 2008. Read the book and have the right to say if it sucks or not. Otherwise, shut up.

I read this blog and cannot make sense of it. Sorry, my head is still stuck in some meadow in the Olympian Peninsula.

Seriously Dark Knight

The Dark Knight raked in 150 million plus knocking out Spiderman 3 in best opening day/weekend in the US Box Office. Here in the PI, I've watched it 4 times since opening day on the same theatre with different people. I get the same question - "Don't you get sick of it?" - At the end of screening they need not wait for my answer.

I have to keep repeating myself that I am absolutely a Batman fan. That's why I can't truly express the praise I want to say to Christopher Nolan, cast and crew for this particular version of my favorite super hero.

Yes, there are explosions, car chases, probably digitally rendered scenes, and Bruce Wayne gadgets and cars that will leave the freaks out there drooling. But for the first time, those things stay were it should. A backdrop and several great props to a very well-written story. The SCRIPT will cure your attention deficit disorder.

Probably the most character-driven and best Batman version - EVER, The Dark Knight finally and truly meets his arch nemesis, The Joker.

Actually, Batman takes the backseat here. Other important characters receive their well-deserved screen time.

We see a lot of Bruce Wayne. We see the flaws that made Batman so interesting as a super hero. He is after all the only HUMAN super hero big enough to join the spandex club of Superman, X-men, Spiderman etc. (We can't be too serious here, c'mon.) Christian Bale cinched Bruce Wayne. He may not be the most sexiest man alive (attention George Clooney), but he played the arrogance yet troubled billionaire with an air of believability (I think I just made up that word?)

Another character worth mentioning (since I can't mention all of them - they all did a great job mind you) is Aaron Eckhart's Harvey Dent/Two-Face. Far from Tommy Lee Jones's hysterical version, Eckhart - just like Batman - was the kind of guy you would vote. And in the end, you'll actually feel sorry for the guy.

Another favorite is Gary Oldman's Commisioner Gordon. We all know how much of a heavy weight Oldman is in the acting division. His performance here won't make us question it. Riveting. His final scenes were very very well-acted.

And then there is The Joker. The late Heath Ledger's performance is causing a fury of praises that some even mentioned he could be up for an Oscar. He practically stole the show from our caped crusader. If the title was not Dark Knight, I would've believed this is THE JOKER instead. It would have kicked serious villain title ass (sorry Catwoman, your movie was terrible). But let's focus here, why is everybody talking about this? To put it quite simply, there is no Joker like this ever. The other Jokers are simply ... clowns. THIS ONE'S a psychopath. A killer. A terrorist. A real MANIACAL villain. And a perfect match to this Batman. Thinking that there is no more Heath Ledger to reprise the role causes a great degree of regret because he played it so damn, bloody well. He steals the throne from villains I placed up there in my crazy hall of fame - with Kevin Spacey's John Doe of Se7n and Kaiser Soze getting kicked out of it. (Personally speaking, I was looking for the Heath Ledger I know underneath that make up because I was too shocked and awed when I saw it the first time. He's there alright amidst the voice change and crazy "war paint." Sigh, what a waste.)

Other mentionables: Michael Caine's Alfred, Morgan Freeman's Lucius Fox, and Maggie Gyllenhaal's Rachel Dawes (I like her better than Katie Holmes).

So if you're just reading this, I suggest you march to your nearest theater and find out for yourself what I'm saying here.

Strange Taste in My Cerebrum

I've just finished reading two novels. Worlds apart by comparison, yet containing the same quark that reminds you of one of those tired insomniac nights.


HOSPITAL by TOBY LITT

In summary: Hospital is the last place you want to be when the world ends.

I don't know what's up with English writers and their penchance to give roll calls of names. The book is 500-plus pages. There's a thousand of things happening all at once and the Tolkien name ramblings of questionable signifance pop in your reading vision.

Okay, let me just break this down by giving the important places of happenings so that you will have an idea.

A&E: Starts here and ends here. This is where the main characters were introduced, and this is where they bowed out.

Chapel Area: Where all the Satanists congregated to celebrate Black Mass. (Don't look at me, I'm just conveying what I read).

Operating Room/Surgery Area: Where a love story of soap operatic proportions unfold.

Lower Floors/Maintenance Area: A voodoo ritual was held here.

ICU: "Adoration Chapel" of the Comatose One.

Pharmacy: Disneyland for two loose drug addicts.

CCTV screening area: Where the Virgin watches over them.

Roof Top: Landing area of the chopper that never came.

All over the place: A Rubber Nurse and a boy who swallowed an appleseed.


Toby Litt wrote this book probably after making a book report on Dante's Inferno. As the pages fly by, so will your sanity as events unfolding right before your eyes get darker, funnier, gross-er, and most of the time, sillier. When I finished the novel, I can't even understand how I feel about it. I don't know if I liked it or hated it. I can't recommend it entirely, but I can't even tell you to disregard it altogether. It's like watching a supposedly funny British flick. You hear the laugh, but it's not funny. Something's funny, yet you are the only one clapping and laughing.

One best adjective to describe this book: STRANGE.

Low Note: No booze or caffeine allowed while reading. Nothing to alter your mental status.

High Note: Highly hyperactive imagery/imaginations of the author - hopefully not LCD-induced. Munch something crunchy while reading.

THE PHILOSOPHER'S APPRENTICE by James Morrow

PLACE: Isla de Sangre. Where plants sigh, trees bear mixed fruits, and iguanas have wings.

YOU: Mason Ambrose. Crashed your PHD dissertation. Neo-Darwinist Atheist "philosopher." (Correct adjective would be failed, but I would not rub it in.)

YOUR JOB: Teach philosophy to a girl who grew up so fast she forgot her manners.

SALARY: $100,000.00/year.

RISK: Harasssment from weirdoes of test tube/petri dish/vat-like proportions.

SITUATION: Lona Sabacthani, your student, graduates from the Mason Ambrose school of philosophy and moves out of the island. You go back to the real world and open a bookshop. You forget everything that ever happened in that isalnd. Meanwhile, the rich and beautiful Lona becomes a celebrity of comic book sorts. Lona builds a city of Utopia called Themisopolis. She funds avant-garde medical research and became Mother Theresa for the underprivileged. Afterwards, your brilliant student kidnaps all the major key players in Wall Street and plans to rehabilitate them ... in the biblical Revelations's sense (WAR, FAMINE, PESTILENCE, DEATH).

So what's your move, Socrates?


MY SAY: I've always considered my college philosphy professors raving lunatics. I recalled memories of them while I was reading this book. Hands flailing in the air, excited expressions, and gibberish talks of TV static in my brain. What made me go back further was the topic of bioengineering (I was once a Science major in Microbiology - nothing beats the smell of warm agar fresh from the autoclave), which was the cause of it all.

Put two different chemicals of the opposite sides of the periodic table, bang! You get - NOTHING NEW.

Now get genes from A, and mix it with genes of B in a tube, nourish it in a growth chamber, PCR it, teach it how to speed read, and throw the Bible in it while you're at it. What do you get in this stew? A truly monstrous idea.

That, in a nutshell, is how I feel about this book. It's either a mutated notebook of Plato/Kant/Nietze/What is Logic?/Banananess of the Banana, or my laboratory manual missing several pages. Either way it's the modern day Frankenstein with B-movie written all over it.

I love the hilarity of the story, but hated the lame psychoticness of both the philosopher and the apprentice -- My professors were more endearing in their bipolar ways. I was a diligent student in my paranoid ideations.

Best words to describe the book: STRANGELY ABSURD

Low Points: Mason Ambrose, Lona Sabacthani, Coral Idolatry, Themisopolis, the Valkyries, and Titanic Redux.

High Points: Mumquat juice, Quetzie, Donya Sabacthani, Pieces of Mind, John & Jane Snows storming Themisopolis - gahd, I wished they killed them all.

One Weird Neighborhood of Characters (Part Two)

BRIDA by Paulo Coelhio (THE WEIRD CHICK)

This is the story of Brida.  A young Irish girl who wants to become a witch.  She meets a Master trained in the Ways of The Sun.  He teaches her to overcome fear ... and introduces to her the concept of soulmates.  He then refers her to a Witch learned in the Ways of the Moon.  Brida enters the world Wicca and its customs.  Unconsciously, Brida starts of a journey of self discovery and personal destiny.

Paulo Coelhio weaves magical stories. Like "The Alchemist," this book follows the Coelhian philosophy of finding your destiny.  It is light reading, quite interesting, BUT for a book about witchcraft ... a little lacking in the magic department (I have learned more spells from Harry Potter. Unfortunately, they are useless in real life). It is rich on stuff about soulmates though.  Compared to "The Alchemist," this is lukewarm. But then it's still a readable book. Collection-wise, it's better that you just borrow one from your Coelhio-fan friend.


THE THIRTEENTH TALE by Diane Setterfield (THE GEEK AND THE ADDAMS FAMILY)

Margaret Lea is a librarian who also happens to write biographies of dead people. Her family owns a bookstore, hence her vocation to literary pursuits.  Vida Winter, who happens to be the best-selling LIVING author of her time, contacts Margaret Lea into writing her biography.  Aware of Vida Winter's reputation of not telling the true story of her life (Numerous interviews were given. All stories were false of course.).  Curiosity piqued, Margaret Lea suspiciously accepted the job.  She unfolds the extraordinary life of the author, and unravels family secrets filled with suspense, incest, sadism, and the other daily twisted apothecary pills of weirdness.  

The first effort of Ms. Setterfield ... and a damn good one.  This is the kind of book that makes me say "I wish I wrote this."  If I did and were not aware of it, I would have 50% of my ideas in this book. The story is so twisted until the near end, I was smiling silly when I put the book down. Must-have in the book coffers.


THE BOOK OF NAMES by Jill Gregory & Karen Tintori (THE TEACHER AND THE DOOMSDAY CREW)

David Shepherd is a professor of politics haunted by visions of names stemming from a childhood accident.  The names took on a life on itself after 25 years of conscious suppression.  He meets a rabbi who explains to him the importance of those names in the balance of life events on earth. The list happened to be the Book of Names, originating from the ancient texts of the biblical Adam. And by Kabbalistic beliefs, it contains the names of the thirty-six righteous souls of each generation - the so-called Hidden Ones.  He is then pursued by a mysterious group, who seeks out the names in his visions. The so-called Gnoseos vows to eliminate the people who own these names to purge the earth and usher a new one. Aided by an Israeli texts expert, he gets into danger after danger, trying to decipher the names, save the world, and rescue his abducted step-daughter (who also happens to be a Hidden One).

Talk a about one really bad day.  When you just thought you were just going insane, the next thing you know you have to save earth from Armageddon. By summary, it sounds far-fetched and crazy at the least. It's pretty entertaining.  I can imagine some of the action films plus the Da Vinci Code while reading this.  For those who are into suspense, mystery, and puzzle-solving, you can add this to your collection.  I hope though they don't make this into a movie, I can feel a B-Movie coming ... as some of the stuff here can be done tastelessly.  Just retain the book of its charm please.

One Weird Neighborhood of Characters (Part One)

Imagine having the characters of all these tales in one neighborhood. It would be interesting to witness all the crazy happenings, or just exchange gossips over the fence.

LOVE IN THE TIME OF CHOLERA by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (THE OLD FOLKS'S LOVESTRUCK TRIANGLE)

In their youth, Florentino Ariza and Fermina Daza fell in love. One day however, Fermina decides to end their relationship, and went on to marry Dr. Juvenal Urbino - a good-looking doctor from a wealthy family. Florentino Ariza, an illegitimate child of a merchant, could not match this. He vowed to improve himself to claim the love of his life. As a bachelor, he had affairs that spanned half a century while waiting for the day. And when indeed Dr. Urbino died and Fermina became a widow, he planned his way into winning her back again.

The book has wonderful lyrical quality to it and is a big hit to most of "The Bridges of Madison County" fans. I, on the other hand, found the sentimentality nauseating sometimes. This is the ultimate love story for those who stash romance novels in their library. For people who believe that there is just one person out there for them. For some who are of different tastes (which includes me), this is the dreaded chick flick (take note I'm a girl and I can't stand it). Just like the main theme of this book - PATIENCE - I had to summon a lot of will to finish reading this (it took me year). However, it is not badly written. It's the overabuse of the word "love" and anything related to it, which repelled me. It drained too much of my estrogen stores and made me stony.


THE VIRGIN SUICIDES by Jeffrey Eugenides (THE GIRLS NEXT DOOR AND THE BOYS WHO WATCH THEM)


The Lisbon girls were fascinating creatures. They were beautiful girls. But one day Cecilia, the youngest, commits suicide. This was the turning point of their story as it ushered a series of self-annihilation of the other four sisters: Lux, Therese, Bonnie, and Mary. A group of boys who obsessed them, tells their story as witnesses to the events of highs, lows, and the ultimate doom of their lives.


For people suffering insomnia, I recommend you to read this book to fill in those hours of sleeplessness. You won't waste a minute reading this as the story is interesting, funny, and wistful (finished it in one night and paid for it at work the next day, tsk tsk tsk). A very good read, if I must say. I am still looking for a DVD copy of the movie and am quite curious on how Sophia Copolla adapted the book to the movie.

Movie Seats with Keanu Reeves, a Super Hero, and a Couple from Vegas

I've been spending lots of time in the mall during the "in-between" hours of the day and was able to catch several movies that I think is worth writing about.






STREET KINGS


Tom Ludlum (Keanu Reeves) is an LAPD vice cop working on high profile cases.  An ex-partner disapproves of his outside-the-rule book operations. According to his captain (Forrest Whitaker), he is being investigated by the police chief (Hugh Laurie) and his ex-partner was snitching on him.  This angers Ludlum and stakes out his ex-partner to exact revenge. He to witnesses his ex-partner's death instead.  Ludlum searches out for the killers with the help of a young police detective (Chris Evans) and unravels tales of frame-ups, corruption, and abuse of power within the police department along the way.  He now questions himself on his allegiance to their little group or to just being a good cop.


The movie has LA Confidential written all over it because one of the screen writers happens to be James Elroy.  This modern version of corruption and crime is filled with action, surprises, and some predictable twists. Keanu Reeves is very good playing roles of troubled characters. In this one, he is also a grieving alcoholic widower.  Hugh Laurie matches his House MD character quips and one-liners against the formiddable Forrest Whitaker.  And Laurie still wins by funny. One of the better films to be shown, I watched this movie twice as it is that good.

IRON MAN

Tony Stark is an heir to an arms-manufacturing company.  Aside from this, he is also a genius.  When his old man passed away, he took the helm and went on to conquer the world, in terms of celebrity and infamy. One routine arms demonstration changes all that. Tony was kidnapped by Afghan terrorists and was forced to make the same new weapon he was selling to the military.  In the cave, Tony invents a suit of impregnable armor and armed it enough for him to escape.  Back at home, he fine-tune his invention and uses it in clandestine activities to save the world from the weapons that he created.


The latest super hero to be adapted into a movie, Marvel must be raking huge sums of moola not just for comic books these days.  Unlike some adaptations, this actually a very good one.  Robert Downy Jr. plays Tony Stark excellently. Though his character is such a lothario at most times, he can be as lovable as well (ask Pepper Potts, in eternal servitude of Mr. Stark's).  There are parts in the movie that can be a bit dragging at times specially at the beginning. But it catches up.  The soundtrack is pretty interesting. Hard rocking tunes can be heard all throughout the movie, specially Black Sabbath's - Iron Man.  This movie is not to be missed, eventhough you are the type who hates the hype.


WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS 
Joy (Cameron Diaz) just got dumped in front of her friends in a surprise party she threw for her fiancee.  Jack (Ashton Kutcher) was fired by his own father.  Solution? Vegas of course! Joy drags her bar tender bff Tipper (Lake Bell) for a weekend of fun, while Jack tags his lawyer/friend Hater (Cowdry) for endless partying and debauchery in the desert.  Fate intervenes. Jack and Hater met Joy and Tipper when they were accidentally assigned in the same hotel room. To remedy the situation, the group gets penthouse suites and VIP access to all the clubs.  They partied and drank hard the night away. When Jack and Joy wake up the next day - they were MARRIED to to each other. As they were having a "marital spat" on the slots, Jack wins 3 million with Joy's quarter. 

The battle for the big bucks begins.

The judge instructs them to live together as a married couple and attend marriage counselling for six months.  After door/toilet seat-removings, staged girl parties, alleged physical abuse antics, and just racing to the marriage counselor to prevent contempt of court, Jack and Joy discover that there is more to their marriage than just one accidental "I DO" in Vegas. 


The movie is hilarious.  This movie does not require your neurons to work, but it will tickle them.  It's a romance-comedy for this generation's of Vegas culture.  Watch this if you're feeling down, as the hilarity of the movie will lift your mood up.

NAM Part 1

I spent the Holy Week with two of my friends (let's hide them under Addictus and Road-Rage) in Ho Chi Minh City.

Why on earth we ended on that side of the planet boiled down to the following reasons:

1.  Bangkok was too hot and fully booked on a short notice.
2.  Macau was fully booked on a short notice.
3.  We are the the type of people who book vacations on a short notice.

Several weeks before, another friend (let's hide her under the name, Hobbitus) went MIA on us.  When Hobbitus came back, she revealed to us that she went to Vietnam ALONE and recommended that we should check it out.

Ho Chi Minh City (or SAIGON) is a 2-hour trip from Manila.  The sweltering climate welcomed us, including a sight that is familiar yet strange.  The place reminded me of some cities in the Philippines.  What made it different were the Viet characters on the billboard, the Viet sounds (language included), a million motorcycles on the streets, and CLEAN AIR.

Saigon Streets

Hotel View

We sought refuge from the afternoon heat in our airconditioned hotel and came out of hiding when the sun came down.  We headed down Ben Thanh market for the evening street food fare which was not bad and considerably cheap. (During that time 1 USD = 15.5 VND more or less ... 5 bucks or less fed us to choking already.) Vietnamese food is not limited to Pho Hoa as we have discovered.  Yet if you have a hankering for Pho there's like a 24-hour resto of it in the city. If you are into the healthy stuff, Viet food is for you as their diet contains a lot of veggies. There are dishes that can be hot and spicy, but you can request a milder version if they have one. One gastronomic word of advice though is to bring or buy bottled water. I'm not saying that water is not clean, but if you have guts that are a wee bit picky like mine, take my advice. Saves you trips to the john.

Ben Thanh Night Market

Ben Thanh Market is open from 6AM to 6PM. After 6PM, the vicinity around the market becomes the night market which cater food and stuff like bags, clothes, shoes, lacquerware products, etcetera.

The night ended with a 5-minute walk back to the hotel and into snoreville.

Are You IN? - Incubus Light Grenades Pacific Rim Tour '08 (Manila)

The night of March 9th turned out to be amazing.

Those who were in Araneta Coliseum soaking up the Incubus experience left some in a daze and some still with a grin (especially the ladies).

Though some were disappointed because songs like DIG and LOVE HURTS were not sung, the repertoire of songs and the band's superb performance was enough to enthrall the 22,000 fans rocking to the tunes.



The show was opened by UP DHARMA DOWN, who were also amazing in their own right. Actually, it was a good move for these guys to open the concert as their styles (I just found out) was a little similar (they were also into sound mixing and experimental sounds). I was impressed.

The crowd was screaming for awhile since the in-between was a little too long for all of us to wait (hehehe).

Then, DJ Kilmore starts mixing and we hear Boyd's FANTASTIC voice (excuse me but his voice is *&%@in' good LIVE) droning in QUICKSAND which drove the crowd into frenzy. It was then followed by the rocking KISS TO SEND US OFF ... and from there I forgot the progression of tracks as I was immensely enjoying myself listening to Brandon Boyd's voice, Mike Einziger's killer guitar riffs, and DJ Kilmore's mixes.



Other songs I remembered that were played were: DRIVE, WISH YOU WERE HERE, ANNA MOLLY, OIL AND WATER, MEGALOMANIAC, PISTOLA, NICE TO KNOW YOU, STELLAR, UNDER MY UMBRELLA, CIRCLES, AQUEOUS TRANSMISSION, TALK SHOWS ON MUTE, 11 AM. But the biggest surprise for me, and I guess for the crowd, was they sang "THE WARMTH." I had goosebumps listening to it. I love that song and the funny thing was when I was listening to it I FORGOT the title but I was singing along to it. (Age is getting to me ... huhuhu).

In closing, the concert was GREAT (eventhough it was obvious they were in a hurry - they have a show next day in HK). The boys DELIVERED an amazing performance .... Brandon Boyd, you have a lovely voice (aside from having a very nice body - I think the very very front row peeps got a GREAT view of it, I am so envious!!!!) I hope they come back and I hope they'll stay longer.

Wishing I Was "Jumping"

If you have itchy feet (not the fungus) like me, the movie "Jumper" would made you think of the endless possibilities of teleportation. Imagine: No dragging that bag at the check-in counter, no customs, no travel tax, heck ... no travel fees at all.

I haven't realized the coolness of the power of teleportation until this movie. The only teleporting superhero I know is Nightcrawler of the X-Men. He has a devil's appearance and can be a member of the Blue Man group. No wonder I never thought about it.




From the director of the Jason Bourne series (Bourne Identity, Bourne Supremacy, Bourne Ultimatum) and the "infamous" "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," Doug Liman takes you to a world wherein you can be in Cairo and then in Tokyo in a heartbeat.

David Rice (Hayden Christensen) was a geeky teenager hopelessly in love with Millie (Rachel Bilson), a popular girl in school. After an incident involving Millie and a bully, David discovered that he can teleport when he fell under thin ice and landed accidentally in the school library. Since then, he never looked back. He robbed a bank and lived the high life. Today in London, the next day surfing in some tropical island. Life was easy.

David's world turned upside down when Roland (Samuel L. Jackson) and the a secret group called the Paladin appears in his flat. Roland had discovered that David was behind an unsolved bank heist and hunted him down. David eluded him, but Roland vowed to kill him.

David soon discovers the price to pay for his "gift," the existence of fellow Jumpers, and the truth about his mother's disappearance. He also finds a chance to revisit his relationship with Millie, the girl he'd always wanted.

The movie as a whole is good. I'll look beyond Hayden Christen (still has remnants of the Anakin Skywalker acting) or the fact that Rachel Bilson was put there to attract the guys. The bottom line is the story is very very cool. There's the sets ... Pyramids of Egypt, Big Ben in London, Streets of Tokyo, Ayer's Rock in Australia ... amazing.

I believe there will be a second movie as the end is sort of hanging. It's begging for a sequel, which I will look out for.

Under Southern Lights

Under Southern Lights is the fourth album of Urbandub, a Filipino band hailing from Cebu.

I will admit my ignorance about this band. I came to know about them when I heard "Frailty" from their 2005 album "Embrace." Though, I have heard rumours about them for quite sometime as being one of the best out there.




The album contains 10 songs which are:

1. An Invitation
2. Anthem
3. The Fight Is Over
4. Guillotine
5. Cebuana
6. Life Is Easy
7. Evidence
8. A Method To Chaos
9. Inside the Mind of a Killer
10. She Keeps Me Warm

I daresay it is one of the best OPM rock albums released this year. "Guillotine," which is receiving a lot of airplay (radio and video) is just the icing of the cake. Songs like "Invitation" and "Anthem" have the edgy guitar riffs that Urbandub is known for. I like the overall sound of "The Fight is Over." One of my favorites is "Inside The Mind of A Killer." A brooding anti-love song featuring the angelic voice of Kat Agarrado. There are also other songs that have a certain weird charm on its own ... that kind that grows on you as you listen to it more (e.g. Life Is Easy - naggingly a hybrid of an Incubus/311 song).

Most songs are about relationships ... the bad kind or obsessive kind of ones. So this album is pretty good listening if you're in or just out of of those.

Personally, the CD will probably remain in my car stereo for quite sometime.

Kudos to the group for a job well done .... specially to Lalay Lim, you rock girl! Excellent bass work.

To the rest of the world, you have to buy this album!

"Killing The Cockroach"

"S" Marks The Spot is the latest offering of Sandwich. The Philippines's answer to the "super-group" collaboration (i.e. Mr. Big, Audioslave, etc.), the band is a twist of fate condensation of talent consisting of Raimund Marasigan (Eraserheads), Diego Castillo, Myrene Academia (Imago), Mike Dizon (Teeth), and Mong Alcaraz (Chicosci). Incidentally, most of the members are also former band mates of The Aga Muhlach Experience. This album coincides with the band's ten years of existence in the ever-changing Filipino rock scene.



If you buy the album there's a bonus cd of remixes of their past hits. The album itself contains 17 songs:

1. The Procrastinator
2. Ang Pagbabalik
3. Greenpick
4. Betamax
5. Line Drawings
6. Manila
7. Partner In Crime
8. Two Lovers
9. Text In the City
10. Her Favorite Band
11. Selos
12. Youth and Vitality
13. Rambol
14. Primera
15. Fluxxe
16. Candelaria
17. Public Offender

Just launched last February 12, the first single "The Procrastinator" created a huge buzz with its catchy guitar riffs, witty lyrics, a sound reminiscent of "Brit-rock" , and more importantly, a music video directed by none other than Mr. Quark Henares (if you don't know Quark ... you live in a cave.)

In totality the video is so simple yet ingeniously thought of (and edited). Against a white background, the band performs with extra intermingling clips of people throwing frisbees, skateboarding, or making graffiti. There's also the Tarantino-esque "cutaway" shots of the performance. Making it more entertaining, is the titles of "rock moves" with simple directions on how to do it.




Starting with the "Babe Ruth" wherein Marasigan handles the microphone like a baseball bat. Theres also the "Death March," "The Rooster," "Nail In Your Coffin," "The Archer," "Punch Drunk Love" and my favorite "Killing The Cockroach" - with a jump like that, that's one dead roach. There are several more moves one can follow to one's enjoyment.

The Sandwich & Quark Henares experiment is indeed a visual entertainment.

As for the album, aside from "The Procrastinator," my fave tunes are "Betamax," "Text in The City," "Ang Pagbabalik" and "Her Favorite Band." "The Procrastinator" is actually the "different" song from this album since most songs tend to be more whimsical and light (but don't get me wrong, it still rocks) and definitely not Brit-sounding.

If it's worth the money? Yes, it's worth it. So don't try downloading it on Limewire, cheapskate!

Dilemma

Finally I understood the feeling of two-timing.

The dilemma of choosing which one. The comparing. The rationalizing. The computing - yup, even that too.

Last Tuesday, I had to run an errand at the Cubao area. I passed by Araneta Coliseum and saw a poster of Incubus - Live in Manila, March 9. I said to myself "Perfect!" I've always wanted to catch Brandon Boyd on stage and drag two of my audiophile friends along. So I was thinking, okay I'll reserve a tickets when I go online. My two friends I decided to pay for - no matter how much it would cost. Since I owe one a Christmas gift, and the other I will have to give a birthday gift. So this is perfect.

When I got into my car, I received a text message from one of those said audiophile friends informing me that Maroon 5 will be performing in Manila on March 5. And I suddenly remembered that when I passed by Araneta Coliseum, Maroon 5 songs were blaring on the speakers. I suspected that they will be playing on that same stadium.

Great. Now what?! I can't miss out watching Maroon 5.

So I started pitting Adam Levine against Brandon Boyd. And I couldn't choose. So I asked Mr. Birthday Boy which he would like to watch. He says any would do - "But surely Maroon 5 will be fun because their songs are danceable. However, I also like Incubus. So whatever you choose, you're not gonna lose."

WE-hell, that's what you think!

So, I consulted the other friend. She informs me that the patron seats of Maroon 5 costs like 10,000 - ouch! I had to go online and check out Incubus prices. Almost 4,000 for a patron seat - reasonable. And yet .... Adam Levine!!! This LOve! Sunday Morning! Won't Go Home Without You! Makes Me Wonder! She Will Be Looooooved!!!

Aaargh.

What to do, what to do.

I was staring at the online reservations of Ticketnet (two pop-ups on the screen). I closed my eyes and let the mouse show me the way.

Dilemma solved.

Brandon, I'll see you on March 9.

R.I.P. Heath Ledger

I had the shock of my life when I woke up and received a text message from a friend asking me if Heath Ledger died. I was like "What?!"

Fortunately, Globe Innove finally decided to install my DSL after almost two months since my transfer - shesh. (The customer service people will finally have some peace and quiet after all my follow-up calls).

As soon as the installers exited the door, I went online to check the piece of information I got. I need not to do a search. My Yahoo page flashed in front of me with a headline announcing the death of the Aussie actor.

I was quiet for at least 5 minutes, letting the news sink into my gray matter. My favorite "10 Things I Hate About You" scene wherein Patrick Verona serenades Katherina played in my head. Heath was singing "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" and starts prancing around the stadium. It was hilarious.

That movie is my guilty pleasure. When I feel blue, I watch that movie and automatically whatever's bothering me evaporates for awhile.

I know Mr. Ledger had better flicks- A Knight's Tale, Brothers Grimm, The Patriot, and the very much anticipated The Dark Knight wherein he plays the iconic Joker - but 10 Things I Hate About You, was the first time I've met Heath Ledger.

Before I left for work, I watched the movie again ... but the feeling was different. It was remote ... maybe because of the knowledge that he already passed on.

It's saddening that such a fine, young, and highly talented actor met an untimely death.

Thank you Mr. Ledger for the entertainment. And God bless your soul.

Living in High Street

If you're tired of the usual fare, I suggest that you weary and stressed-out city folk to visit Bonifacio High Street. It's in the area of the very posh Serendra condominiums at The Fort.

It's the equivalent of a mall, but it's not. The place is borderline Zen garden with its landscaping and rock-water sculptures, and modern Greek shopping plaza. Series of upscale shops and restaurants line both sides of the open-aired center garden/park area. The area is quite huge but it's walkable - it's good for your heart, you know. If you don't have the dough to shop, you can sit and watch the people because there are interesting things going on usually. If you love dogs, you'll see a lot of them milling around along with their owners. Usually, the owners themselves are loveable - your eye strain from the facing the computer all day will magically be cured.

If people and dogs are not your thing, then you might as well pick any side of the square and start exploring.

Highly suggested discovery areas are:

1. Fully-Booked - It's 4 or 5 floors of a Bookworm's dream, plus - It has its own Starbucks. Now how convenient is that? Geeks can stay in one place and keep themselves busy devouring all those graphic novels, CDs & DVDs, and of course, books while shooting up on caffeine.

2. Time Zone - If you had a really bad day, I suggest you march in here and blow off steam. Pick any of the arcade games available. Who cares if you're surrounded with kids, it's fun and de-stressing. What makes this Time Zone different is it is in The Fort. Not in a mall. There's a prevailing ambiance of snootiness.

3. New Orleans Steaks and Oysters - There are a lot of munching places to try in High Street, but this happens to be my favorite because it's different. I've always been fascinated with the New Orleans style of cooking and this place offers it. Trust me, the oysters alone is an experience worth risking (I'm allergic to it). After downing several preventive meds, I dive into the oysters and the several styles they have prepared it. On recent count me and my friends have tried Oysters Amatriciana, Rockefeller, and Americana - all absolutely yummy. Then there's the appetizer of 6-layer chicken Nachos. For main course, try the Jessica Alba Lobster - I have no idea why it is named like that, and Killer Lobster - yes, if the heavenly taste doesn't kill you, I think the cholesterol will. Also try the seafood jambalaya - excellent! They also offer steaks and other cajun delights. I'm pretty sure they will taste good. This place haven't let me down yet.

4. Cupcakes by Sonja - Yeah, yeah ... it's too Sex In The City. Hanging out in a cupcake shop while letting time pass by as you gossip in your little table in the corner. Erase the image and just peer in the shop and pick ANY cupcake. If you're diabetic, then that's too bad. This place serves the sweet tooth. And they serve them well. With different toppings to choose from, it's almost an adventure itself on what flavor you're going to pick next.

5. Krispy Kreme - Very bad for your body, but hell those glazed donuts are hard to resist! Doh!

6. I-Studio - If you dream of a Mac, want a Mac, will buy a Mac, or don't know what a Mac is, go here. You're gonna be throwing your Windows-based PC afterwards. But before you do, check the price and your sanity won't leave you. Wipe the drool off your face though.

7. Mo's Designs - An ad goes "If you can't find furniture that will fit your living room, don't blame us." Okay, with that clear, go explore the place. You'll discover that if you indeed suddenly have the moola to have your interiors decorated in the tasteful modern style... you have to take their word for it. They've warned you already.

8. Crocs - They have bad rep for alleged hazards, but those things are cute. Add the jibbits to cover up those holes, it turns into a project. Hey if you fill them all up it won't get stuck in the escalator anyway. This place serves up all the Crocs you want. Even the colors you dare not imagine.

I like hanging out here because the setting is different. There is a prevailing air of unhectic,lazy Sundays here. Lovely in the evening with the lights on. Certainly, the place will cool your nerves a bit while just lounging around on the park and watching time pass by for awhile.

... When You're Still Hung Over

For someone who is not used to the British alternative sound without mistaking it as new wave, picking up a Bloc Party album based on reviews is quite tricky.

I heard a great deal of raves for "A Weekend in the City," so I decided to check it out myself.

The album contains 11 songs:

1. Song for Clay (Disappear Here)
2. Hunting For Witches
3. Waiting For the 7:18
4. The Prayer
5. Uniform
6. ON
7. Where is Home?
8. Kreuzberg
9. I Still Remember
10. Sunday
11. SRXT



Aside from "The Prayer" and "I Still Remember," the album offers a couple more songs to the list of likeables. "Hunting For Witches" is one entertaining song to listen to. There's some mixing at the start and end of the song, and the unmistakeable Bloc Party guitar sound. But the song I love in the album is "Sunday." It's sort of a light song with an odd lyric line going, "....I love you in the morning, when you're still hung over." Hahaha. These English boys are daft.

As a whole, if you want to experience something different yet still remain in the alternative realm, this album will take you out of the rut. Kele Okereke has a fantastic voice, you're not going to get weary of it. However, some songs do need some getting used to. Maybe the mixing and arrangement of those songs are a bit "off" from the usual.

But then that's what I said to myself about The Stone Roses, and here I am totally nuts about their sound.

Cheer Up, Boys (Your Make Up Is Running)

The Foo Fighters' latest offering is Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace.




Very much alive and still kicking butts since 1995, Dave Grohl and the boys dish out that familiar post-grunge music and oh, what a wonderful sound it is.

The album features 12 songs namely:

1. The Pretender
2. Let It Die
3. Erase/Replace
4. Long Road to Ruin
5. Come Alive
6. Stranger Things Have Happened
7. Cheer Up, Boys (Your Make Up Is Running)
8. Summer's End
9. Ballad of the Beaconsfield Miners
10. Statues
11. But, Honestly
12. Home

Starting with the screaming "The Pretender," it also happens to be the first song released off the album. The Foos make their rage felt with a video to match. Dave growls with gusto as the sound blasts the eardrums of those who dare to interrupt. "Let It Die," another possible hit, begins slowly only to rock your socks off in the end. Current favorite "Long Road to Ruin," enjoys a good deal of airplay in alternative radio stations, and might end up topping the charts with the vibrant and upbeat rock sound. "Come Alive," my personal favorite, is beautifully arranged with a subdued sound (but still rockin') to match. Nice to listen to when you're in one of those moods. "Stranger Things Have Happened" has an atmospheric sound to it, taking you someplace ... like in a smoky pub with beer-soaked bikers with the band playing in the background. Lovely. Another title I love due to the hilarity of it "Cheer Up, Boys (Your Make Up Is Running)," calls the attention of emo rockers to cheer up .... and grow up.

On the whole, this album has Foo Fighters stamped all over it. Hard-rockin', progressive, and yes GROWN UP. Certainly an album to listen to if you're tired of the wailing around you.

Extremely, highly, most definitely, recommended for hard rockers anywhere. Great driving music too.

Sink Your Teeth Into Something New

Everytime I see the serene Taal volcano, there is a nagging voice in my head reminding me that I should buy a lot and build my house in Tagaytay. And why not? Fantastic view, cool weather, an hour or two's drive from the city, an hour and two's drive to the nearest beach, but most of all EXCELLENT food choices.

Tagaytay is a popular international tourist destination for the wonder that is Taal Volcano. But for Manila's weary city dwellers (like me), it's an escape. Actually, the NEAREST escape from the smog, traffic, and stress.

As the city offers a lot of de-stressers such as small hotels, retreat houses, and spas, it also has a lot of quaint coffee shops and restaurants that you can "escape to" for awhile.

Everytime I come up here, I always eat at a different place everytime.

I had the (mis)fortune to spend three days in Tagaytay for reasons I'd rather not say. But then, I also decided to make the most of my stay to finally try the whole eating experience I've always wanted.

TAJ, is the first Indian restaurant I've tried - ever. I've always wondered what Indian food tastes like because it looks pretty interesting on TV. The Brits can't seem to get enough of it - and if they find it great, I'm sure I will to0. So, one night my stomach wanted to be a bit adventurous and with a friend, we ordered Beef Shawarma, Beef Kebabs, Chicken Vindalu and some type of Indian rice - which was spicily fragrant. The food was HOT! But, it was really good. It didn't do wonders to my worsening gastritis, but then I didn't mind having the taste of it (and not to mention the taste of my burp) in my mouth.

Along the road, we stopped by Bag of Beans. I buy pies and bread in this coffee shop when I'm up here, but I never got to sit in the cafe itself. It's a garden setting with a lot of tables in several areas scattered throughout the place. There are birds in cages and it's a lovely place at night for a date. We had the local brewed coffee and a blueberry cheesecake and had a nice time. Note to myself: bring a date here next time.

Rosso is one of the newest restaurant in the stretch of Aguinaldo Road. When we came in there, it was still their soft opening, so the menu was pretty limited. I ended up ordering a set menu with Baby Back Ribs as entree. The salad with berry sauce was good, mushroom soup was excellent - not from the can, ribs was delicious, and the dessert, which was like an ice cream sushi was okay. We came there dinner time, so we were not able to see the view of the volcano. I'm guessing it must've been spectacular as this place is perched near the edge of the cliff and is facing the volcano. The place is not bad itself. It's one of those date places you'd love to go. A little training on the staff though. Need to polish up on the waitressing style - out of place for the place.

My favorite food trip was Buon Giorno. Ooo, I love this place. We came in, dinner as usual, and was fortunate enough to get a table. It was New Year's eve and the tables were reserved 'til the closing hours. We ordered a very sumptuous pumpkin soup (yum, yum, yum - my stomach is getting excited with the thought of it), a salmon & asparagus risotto, and a deli platter which I nearly forgot to mention. All my taste buds can remember is the wonderful risotto. Excellent, excellent! Makes me want to seriously read all my cookbooks with risotto recipes. This is a place I will come back to when I go up again. It's excellent Italian fare with a reasonable price tag. Plus, a view and ambience to match. On busy days, you have to fight for parking though. My suggestion would park it somewhere else safe, and walk there. Trust me, it's worth it.

OTHER MENTIONABLES (restos I've tried in the past):

Antonio's - If you want to try something more different than the usual Filipino breakfast (they still have it though), try their pancakes and omelettes. And again, they have the view of Volcano, so it's a nice backdrop while sipping your morning coffee.

Gourmet Cafe - I went here once when I was still in medical school. It was an escape from the books and I was with a crazy friend of mine. We heard of this place in Manila a lot so we tried it. And we were not sorry. Different salads and pastas to choose from. Too bad we were not able to tour the farm. That is why I vow to come back there - if I can find it, again.

"The Greek Restaurant" - It's the only Greek restaurant in Tagaytay. The name eludes me that's why I put the name in quotes. Must try: Baclava. It's sweet and nutty. Lots of cinnamon and tastes good. I forgot name the potato-ish meat pie or pasta pie I ordered, but it was also okay. But the Baclava, I will not forget. Consume right away though, it goes bad after a day.

Tagaytay offers a lot for everyone. I suggest everytime one comes up there to sink their teeth into something new everytime, try everything. You'll get addicted coming up there ... or maybe think of living there for the rest of your life (sigh - AMEN to that.)

Potter to the Classics

It's quite a shocker that I, a Harry Potter fan, finished HP and the Deathly Hallows just before New Year.

But let me explain myself. It was not my intention to do so. My dear brother had this "generous" idea to give the book as a birthday present. Unfortunately, my birthday does not occur in July. It's in December. I soo love my sibling's sense of humor.

Someone should give me some credit for exercising my EQ - never even attempted to know what happened in the end when most of the people I had conversations with "offered" to slip in some juicy details.

Most of the world knew, who lived and who died. Among the lucky ones who lived is the scarred boy himself. I find the other deaths in the book a bit unnecessary. I think Rowling wanted to inject some sense of reality. Though, I could not see what this will achieve considering it is a FANTASY book - last I checked.

But then I could be just a tad bit bitter, as I like happy endings which include nobody dying.

Diving to the book itself, I got transported back to Harry's magical world - though a bit glummer and scarier this time. With Voldemort back and pushing his weight around, our heroes went on the run as to complete the "mission" Dumbledore entrusted to them. As they bumble around -it's not easy looking for Horcruxes you know, specially if your instructions are in riddles - they come across the story of the Deathly Hallows. This knowledge further complicates Harry's already too preocuppied mind. To choose which path to pursue - Horcrux-hunting or Fairy Tale chasing? - Harry Potter is one lucky boy indeed, as there are allies out there when he least expected it. He refocuses himself and ends everything were it started - in Hogwarts of course. Voldemort always wanted a homecoming king party - unfortunately like all of those parties, it never goes well. And there Harry Potter and Tom Riddle dueled 'til the death. And the whole world knows who won.

HP and the Deathly Hallows is not just the end of the series. It ties all the loose ends which the other six books left dangling in the air. Sometimes, I wonder if JK Rowling planned all of this all along, since the connections of data which seem innocent and unnecessary in the other books became vital data in the end.

I am re-reading the whole series again (just like what I did in LOTR). Harry Potter's story is one heck of a trip, though it's a bit sad that it had to end. One best word to best describe it: MAGICAL (to the nth degree). Kudos to the very brilliant (and very rich) mind of JK Rowling. Her books are classics that every bookcase should have.

Vertical Horizon in Retrospect

My brother was dying in envy when he learned I had tickets for the Vertical Horizon concert in Manila. My ticket was a birthday gift from a friend, Chloe.

The concert was held at Araneta Coliseum last December 7.

For someone used to see this coliseum filled up to the rafters every UAAP game, it was not a surprise as I always knew their brand of music is not for the masses. In fact, their songs are only played in radio stations with a certain niche market. But then it was not a disappointment as the night turned out to be a happy birthday gift indeed.

We came in late as Rivermaya was already performing on stage. Though the new vocalist and new members were good, and though I am not a Rico Blanco fan, I certainly miss the old Rivermaya band. I was explaining to Chloe that the sound of Rivermaya matured as they grew older, and it was already great, then all of a sudden it regressed or went back to the teen stage again. It's like watching someone going through a midlife crisis, or worse - second childhood stage - I just hope they get over the punk-emo, "oh-I'm so in like Fall Out Boy/My Chemical Romance" stage antics. It's getting a bit old. I mean c'mon, you've got a cache of old great songs, don't ruin it please. Even if it's not the same without Rico, you don't go killing what you have. It worked well when Bamboo left. It can work well without Mr. Blanco.

After Rivermaya, came in Jamie Kennedy. For people who were not used to Jamie Kennedy's brand of brash stand-up comedy humor, it was a little too much when he was dishing out his sex jokes on stage. Those with wider thinking, enjoyed the show laughing out loud at his antics. I, on the other hand, thought he could've done better. His material needed more material. You got to hand it to the man though, as he tried his best to speak in the vernacular - joke wise.

At last, after the long wait, Matt Scannell and the rest of the band came to the stage. I could not recall what their first song was but I remember everyone getting up and singing along.

With a background history as a Christian music band, Vertical Horizon, is very popular in the alternative music circles. To the whole world, they are known as the band that gave you hits like "Everything You Want" and "You're a God." But for alternative music lovers, there are certainly more songs in their albums. Enjoying a good deal of airplay in local stations such as Jam 88.3, 99.5 RT, NU 107.5 and the former 103.5 K-Lite (which I certainly miss - specially the era of The Blade), songs like "Best I've Ever Had," "Send It Up," "Finding Me," and "Forever," were in the top ten list of requested songs.

I don't know if the band had this knowledge on how popular their songs are (or to the audience who are in the coliseum). By concert standards, it was a pretty sedate crowd. But from what I gathered from the band's reaction to the crowd singing along MOST to their songs - it's something priceless. I'm guessing that they never thought an ocean and several flyer miles would make them popular here. Well, I'm happy to say, as much as I had fun singing along I think they had some fun themselves for stopping over Manila.

It's one of the best concerts I've watched (Matt Scannell's voice did not change live, it's the same, and they sounded great)... and I certainly hope it won't be the rare ones.

Now I'm wishing Dave Matthews Band will come here too.

Starting from Negative One

The year 2007 was not a really bad year to me. I had fun most of the year - career wise, and a slump as usual in the social department. However, no matter how great things were, life suddenly throws you a curve ball. The biggest blow in my life happened in the 15th of November when my father died. I was expecting Christmas to be exceptionally happy this year, but unfortunately, this was not the case. New Year was bittersweet too. I was planning to go on a trip with my family, I ended up spending New Year in a nice place missing the people I want beside me.

But then I'm not really sad, with the bad came the good. My brother came home from Canada (because of what happened), and it was good seeing him (though I wish it was in a happier circumstance).

I get to move out of the house and finally got my own. I love the "independent thing." And with what's happened, nobody questioned my immediate decision to leave the coop.

I made sure my schedule has room to visit my dad in his "new home." He visits me in my dreams when I don't - never argue with the dead.

2008: New year, new life, new house, new business, new people and places to discover! Though I'm starting from negative one in the scale, I'm actually looking forward to a better year. Anything can happen.