Category Archives: Entertaining Angels

Entertaining Angels

Just the way you are

Jana told me about this song a few weeks ago, but I didn’t really pay attention to it, up until last Friday when my brother was dropping me off to the airport for my Cebu vacation. Jana liked the video first, but since I’m a lyrics person, I focused on the lyrics first. :) From that weekend until now, I couldn’t stop listening to the song.

Just look at the lyrics:

Just The Way You Are
Bruno Mars

Her eyes, her eyes
make the stars look like they’re not shining
Her hair, her hair
falls perfectly without her trying
She’s so beautiful
And I tell her everyday (yeahh)

I know, I know
When I compliment her she won’t believe me
And it’s so, it’s so
Sad to think that she don’t see what I see
But everytime she asks me “Do I look okay?”
I say

When I see your face
There’s not a thing that I would change
‘Cause you’re amazing
Just the way you are
And when you smile
The whole world stops and stares for a while
‘Cause girl you’re amazing
Just the way you are

Her lips, her lips
I could kiss them all day if she let me
Her laugh, her laugh
she hates but I think it’s so sexy
She’s so beautiful
And I tell her everyday

Oh you know, you know, you know
I’d never ask you to change
If perfects what you’re searching for
Then just stay the same
So don’t even bother asking if you look okay
‘Cause you know I’ll say

When I see your face
There’s not a thing that I would change
‘Cause you’re amazing
Just the way you are
And when you smile
The whole world stops and stares for a while
‘Cause girl you’re amazing
Just the way you are

The way you are
The way you are

So, so, sweet. And yes, the video is very cute, too, especially the girl (love her hair, her cheekbones, her smile, her top…can you say pretty?):

[youtube]LjhCEhWiKXk[/youtube]

I swear, this song brings on such a good vibe that I’ve made it my alarm in the morning, and I keep on listening to it every now and then all day — at home, while preparing for work, breakfast, drinking vitamins for women, while working, walking, and even later at the gym. :) My favorite line from the song would have to be this: Oh you know, you know, you know I’d never ask you to change /If perfects what you’re searching for / then just stay the same. Ah, talk about a self-esteem boost. :)

You know what would make this more awesome? If the video for the song doesn’t just display one pretty girl, but all kinds of girls. You know, girls regardless of skin color, height, weight, race, fashion sense,  etc. I mean, the song is a love song, but I think it’s also a song about confidence, and loving yourself because you are beautiful just the way you are. :)

Don’t you think so?

Dear Diary, Entertaining Angels

Brain Implosion

I watched Inception earlier with some friends earlier, and my reaction after the movie?

My brain just imploded.


Yes, brain implosion is actually possible, thanks to a movie that basically played with minds and dreams. I enjoyed it because it was almost literally mind blowing, except all I wanted to do after the movie was sit and mull over the entire thing. I want to try to make sense of it, but my brain was having a hard time keeping up.

I liked it. I think it was genius writing, and I wonder how Nolan developed his story.

Oh, and I especially liked the idea of the idea in Inception. Ideas are very powerful, and once an idea is planted in someone’s mind, it hardly goes away once it gains roots. Ideas can be good or bad, so sometimes, we have to guard our minds from the wrong ideas, and it’s just like how some of the characters learned how to guard their minds against extraction. In a way, we also have to guard our minds against the wrong ideas, or at least, pray for enough discernment to figure out which is wrong and which is right.

In a way, it’s almost like guarding your heart — you have to know which is right and wrong before they can root into your heart. If it’s right, and if it’s from God, your heart will grow. If not, then it won’t.

Okay, that’s just like me to connect this to heart stuff, right? :P

I think I should get to bed. Rest/last training day tomorrow using the fitness equipment at the gym, then race on Sunday! Happy Saturday, world. :)

Entertaining Angels

Eclipse…zzzz.

So last week, my brother, his girlfriend and I set off to watch Eclipse, after I invited them to when we dropped off our mom to the airport. I wasn’t particularly excited about it because I’ve long been disenchanted by the Twilight series. I could have chosen other movies to watch, yes, but I watched this for the following reasons:

  1. Shirtless Jacob/Taylor Lautner (I can’t deny it, he has fab abs)
  2. Everyone would be watching it

Yeah, abs and peer pressure. What a combination.

As expected, there were a lot of people in the cinema, and we managed to catch the last few seats in the cinema. For a last full show, the cinema was full, and I was wary on hearing squeals of delight all over the cinema if anything squeal-worthy comes on screen.

So was there anything squeal worthy?

NO.

I came out of the cinema two hours later thinking that it was probably the most boring movie I ever watched. I can’t say it was absolutely bad, but it was totally bland. Not even the shirtless Jacob moments gave me a reason to like it. I hate to be so judgmental of something, but I didn’t get any excited with any scene, and I didn’t know they could get worse in acting. To think Eclipse was the book I liked the most. And other people were saying Eclipse was a better movie than New Moon. It was? But why did I feel like sleeping or doing something else  while I was in the cinema?

Maybe I’ve really just outgrown the series. Maybe it’s because I’m not a fan, and most of the time, I shudder whenever I hear anything about the saga. True, I read The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner for a review, but that didn’t enhance my movie watching experience.

Maybe it’s really just not for me anymore. *shrug*

I hear Breaking Dawn will be split into two movies. I don’t think I’ll troop to the cinemas to watch it, though — I disliked Breaking Dawn, and I don’t think it will be any better on screen. :| I’d rather click here, choose another movie, or wait for the DVD. Or skip it all together. Whichever. Even if Taylor Lautner is there.

On the other hand, I sure wish they don’t murder the Flipped movie.

No offense to Twilight/Eclipse fans, just blogging my reaction (or lack thereof) to the movie. What did you think of Eclipse, though? Share in the comments. :)

Entertaining Angels

Omigod, you guys! – Legally Blonde Review

Legally Blonde Manila

Last Friday, my mom got us tickets to the opening night of Atlantis Productions‘ Legally Blonde in Meralco Theater. Since my theater buddies were either busy or out of the country, I tagged along with my mom so she can also watch before she goes to Saipan.

Now, I liked the movie very much and a few weeks before I watched the Manila version, I watched the original Broadway musical on video and I was blown away. It’s a fun musical, and all songs were catchy and the story didn’t stray much from the movie version. In fact, I think the musical was better because we get to know more of Elle and Emmet, and it’s just more fun when there’s singing.

Legally Blonde in Manila is a fun show, too. :) Nikki Gil plays Elle Woods in all her pink-ness and blonde-ness, Guji Lorenzana as Warner, Nyoy Volante as Emmet, Jet Pangan as Dr. Callahan and Geneva Cruz as Brooke Wyndham. I’d rather not summarize anything and result to an easier review, so let’s go to bullets!

  • Like I said, it’s a fun show. I love all the songs and the cast was equally energetic, and I think everyone had fun with that and the dances, too. Favorite performances: There, Right There!, Bend and Snap and Take it Like a Man.
  • Favorite cast member: Jet Pangan as Dr. Callahan. I swear, he got the role down pat. Coming close is the woman who played Paulette — I’m sorry, I didn’t get her name. :-s
  • I think Nikki did a good job with being Elle Woods, especially with the songs. I think the only reason I wasn’t too keen on her on that because from what I know about Nikki (like what everyone knows about her since she’s a showbiz personality and all), she’s not like Elle at all. I couldn’t shake off that impression of her as she played the blonde moments in the play, so it kind of felt off, at least for me. But she’s a great performer, that I can say.
  • Nyoy and the original onstage Emmet had a lot of similarities, and I like his voice! But I think I’d have to agree with Anton of Our Awesome Planet — I wasn’t sure about the chemistry between Nyoy and Nikki. Maybe it is the height factor?
  • Whipped Into Shape! I am in awe of Geneva Cruz’s abs. I kind of wished there were more people in that performance, though.
  • I liked how they did the set — with all the books. It’s easy to connect to the show, and all the pink-ness didn’t matter, at least for me. :) I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a pink mattress there somewhere.
  • The supporting cast were awesome, and again, I would have to sing praises to Felix Rivera. He had multiple roles, but his best yet is the pool boy. There, Right There! got me laughing all the way, just like it did on the Broadway version. Gay or European win!
  • I found the Legally Blonde scene especially heartbreaking, just like when I watched the video. Nikki shone on that scene, and for a moment there I thought there were sparks between her and Nyoy…I think that’s the only scene where I caught the spark with their characters.
  • I think the only gripe I had with the entire show was the sound system — the mics kept on dying through the show. :( It especially sucked when the mic died for Carlos during the revelation in the Gay and European scene. That was my favorite, and the mic just had to die, then. I’d have to hand it to the cast, though, they kept on going even if the mics were dying around them. The show must go on!

Overall, Legally Blonde is a fun show that will tickle not your funny bones but your heart. Don’t let the pink-ness bother you, and let Elle make her way into your hearts like she did in Harvard. Because omigod, this show is just too fun to skip. :)

Legally Blonde is showing in the Meralco Theater until July 18. For more information, visit Atlantis Productions.

Dear Diary, Entertaining Angels

Beaches and Awesome Music Videos

So yeah, I’ve been busy. A little too busy than normal, and I’m really sorry for not being able to post. I wanted to, but there were always other things I had to work on, like a surprise party for one of my closest friends and a beach trip over the weekend. I don’t know why I ended up organizing all those in the span of two weekends, but I did, and truth be told, I can’t wait for May.

But that’s always the case for me, so I really should stop complaining and wishing for other things when I can be satisfied with what I have now, right?

Right.

So anyway, yes, I am off to the beach this weekend, because we’ve all been itching to go to the beach. I’m glad we won’t be spending so much there, and I’m just really psyched to go somewhere out of Manila and enjoy the heat of the sun in the best place — right beside the ocean. I can’t wait to go snorkeling again (because that’s a really effective way to lose the unwanted fats, even better than the best diet pills for women), and just feel the sand and water on my feet.

Yes, yes, I can’t wait for the beach.

And speaking of the beach, here’s Dave Barnes on the beach, with his music video of God Gave Me You, which premiered yesterday. Awesome video to an awesome song, and I fell in love with him all over again. ♥ His wife is at the end of the video, too, watch out for her! :)

[youtube]h7M7cJ4DydQ[/youtube]

Entertaining Angels

Courage and Honor

day twenty-three.

So yesterday, I finished watching The Blind Side before my shift ended (oh yes, I multitask), and at the end of the movie, I understood why my friends were all raving about the movie: because it’s good. Really good. I thought it would make me cry, like Hachiko did, but it tugged at my heart strings, and it made me feel really good after the end of the movie.

I think I just found my new feel-good movie. :)

Anyway, I think the thing with The Blind Side is it shows a side of humanity that we all wish to see more often. Here’s a big guy, who has been cheated out of a family, a good home and basically a good life, and there’s this woman who has all three and more, and yet sees beyond herself. She didn’t do anything too extraordinary — she just loved in a way that she knows. She loved unconditionally. She loved like Jesus did.

And I think that kind of kindness is what we are all looking and hoping for, and ultimately, what we’re all wishing to be able to do ourselves.

I know I do.

The movie reminded me of those days when I would spend every weekend in our Gawad Kalinga site. Back in college, YFC (Youth for Christ) was almost half my life, and being in YFC also meant I was quite active in Gawad Kalinga, since we handle that. I was almost a mainstay of our GK site in Baseco, and the best days of my summer were spent at a GK site too. I can talk about GK all day long, and I used to dream of the day when everyone I know would be involved in it as well.

It’s been so long since I have last been to any GK activity, much less to a GK site. I guess, when I graduated, I just didn’t find make enough time to continue volunteering. I know there’s no one else to blame but me, because I let life overwhelm me…and it’s kind of sad. I see old friends who’s made GK a part of their lifestyle, and I wonder…what could have happened if I also did the same thing? What if my life was more involved in volunteerism and outreach? What if I spent more time in GK sites than thinking about buying stuff?

That’s why I connected with The Blind Side so much, because…well,I want to do something like what Leigh Anne did. Do something to change someone’s life, and have a chance for someone to change my life as well.

A friend once told me that a Christian soon learns to hold not only a Bible but a newspaper as well — it tells us that a Christian does not only read God’s word and believes in it, but a Christian also reads the newspaper to know what’s going on and to do something about it. It doesn’t have to be something big or earth shattering. Sometimes a simple act of kindness to another person is already a big thing.

So now that I’ve written about this…do I have the courage to actually set out and do things and reach out? What am I going to do about it now?

Dear Diary, Entertaining Angels

For Now

day thirteen.

My friends and I caught Avenue Q again yesterday at the Carlos P. Romulo theater. Wait, let me correct that: I watched it again, while my friends watched it for the first time. We were late, so we missed the first two songs, but the show was fun as usual. I’d skip the review because I already reviewed it before, but I realized a few more things while watching the musical, especially when I heard the songs all over again (which, I realized that I memorized most of it).

There’s a fine, fine line. Fine Line has been one of my favorite songs in the musical, with its really sad lyrics that I used as my anthem last year when I was really down. I mean, who wouldn’t be sad with a line like this: There’s a fine, fine line between love and a waste of time. </3 But there is truth in this song, I guess. After hearing a lot of sad love stories and struggling relationships lately, I was reminded of how quick people can change, how some people can just give up, and relationships can go up and down in an instant. I don’t have any first hand experience, of course, but I’ve heard a lot…and I just pray my heart is strong enough if/when something similar happens to me.

I wish I could go back to college. How many times have I said that? I miss, miss, miss college. I miss how simple life was then, how all I worried was about then was grades (seemed like a pretty big worry then of course). I find myself missing college every now and then, but again, there is truth in the song, especially at the last part: But if I were to go back to college, think what a loser I’d be…I’d walk through the quad, and think, “Oh my God…these kids are so much younger than me.”

No matter how much I wish, no matter how much I miss college, I know that I can never go back to the exact same days. I guess I should just be happy that college was a really good memory for me. :)

Everything in life is only for now. One of my favorite songs in the musical is the finale, For Now. Just like Fine Line, this song was one of those songs that I held onto during one of my down times. There’s wisdom and comfort in the song that reminds us that things are just for now, and we shouldn’t stress about it too much. Life may be scary, but it’s only temporary. It also reminds me that our life is really for now, and there’s an eternity that we need to look forward to and think more of, because are just passing by in this life.

It was a fun show, and the cast was great as usual. I kind of missed Carla Guevara as Kate Monster, though. But I’m glad I watched Avenue Q again. :)

And now, I have to take a quick nap. Slept at 3am and it isn’t fun to try to stay awake. Have a great week ahead, everyone. :)

Dear Diary, Entertaining Angels

That’s what you get when you let your heart win

day nine.

I’m very picky about my music. I don’t listen to the radio a lot because I don’t like mainstream music, and I have no idea what’s the biggest song out there and all that. I listen to a select list of artists, and more often than not, other people don’t know about them. Yeah, I can be a music snob if I want to.

I heard about Paramore from Happy, when we were planning about the next concert we want to organize. I think it was after Switchfoot or Hillsong, when Happy said she wanted to bring Paramore here. I didn’t know about them until I asked to listen to a song on our way home from the Cebu trip two years ago. Happy made me listen to That’s What You Get, and I was won over.

It took a while for me to digest all their songs, but after some time, Paramore became a staple. I don’t really care about how good they sound — I cared more about their lyrics. Paramore was there to get me through a lot, especially in late 2008 and early 2009. Most of the time, their songs find a way to describe exactly what I was feeling, and you know how when you find something that describes you so much that it sometimes kind of hurts? Yeah, that kind of thing. And Paramore’s brand new eyes album was also the same album that I kept on listening to during Ondoy, so it’s really memorable.

The point of those previous paragraphs: I couldn’t miss their concert in Manila.

I was supposed to go with Happy,  but she had to go to Hong Kong with her family as a graduation gift, so I didn’t have anyone to go to the concert with in the Gold section. Luckily, I saw a couple of SFC friends who posted their tickets online and I asked if I could tag along, so I downgraded from Gold to Silver, thinking company is more than view.

It was actually a good thing I joined them because I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much if I had watched the concert alone. You know?

Anyway, I’ve got a lot of observations during the concert, so let’s go bullet mode and list them down. :)

OH AND DISCLAIMER: All of the things below are just my opinions about the event, and I don’t mean to offend anyone. I used to be a part of a team that organizes and produces concerts, so I guess I kind of know what I’m talking about, so I’m letting out my observations coming from someone who knows about concert production (a bit), and from an audience. If you’re a part of the organizing team, I hope you’d take whatever I say constructively. :)  *bow*

  • First and foremost: Paramore was awesome. Hayley’s energy could reach all the way back, and the band was awesome, and all their performances were flawless, as far as I’m concerned.  Hayley even had a shirt just for Manila — it said “Para-thrilla in Manila.” How cute. :) They were very engaging, and they obviously made the entire wait and show worth it.
    Continue reading That’s what you get when you let your heart win →
Dear Diary, Entertaining Angels

What You Want, What You Get

day five.

I meant to blog this last night but I was too lazy to bring out Teo, plus it was late and I needed to sleep.

So I was browsing through Twitter last night and this tweet got my attention:

Of course that cheered me up. I didn’t realize it’s only a month till Dave’s new album comes out. To say I’m very excited is an understatement — we all know how much I love Dave, and how awesome his single from this album is, right? Right?

Then about half an hour or so later, I saw this tweet:

Guess who scrambled to get her computer out and pre-ordered the album? :P You don’t need high-end video cards to get that, I think. :P

So before I slept last night this morning, I had a brand new legit album in Macy, and I couldn’t be any more giddier. See?

Ah. Sometimes what you want is what you get. ;) I can’t wait to get my hands on the actual CD.

What are you waiting for? Go get Dave Barnes‘ new album, now!

Dear Diary, Entertaining Angels

The Fulfillment of my Teenybopper Dreams

The thing with enjoying my time by myself is that it can only go so far. Sure, I’m having a lot of fun going to places on my own, doing things by myself and even watching movies by my lonesome (it’s not as sad as it sounds), but there are certain things that I just can’t do alone without looking and feeling like a total loser.

Like watching concerts, for example.

I know I said I was determined to watch Backstreet Boys in concert this year, but I kept on putting off buying tickets because my original companions weren’t so sure if they want to watch either. It came to a point that I finally decided not to watch, partly because of my dwindling funds (the Upper A to Patron tickets are kind of too expensive — leveling up to the price of treatment for hemorrhoids, I think), and partly because I have no one to watch it yet. I could watch it alone…but it’s just not fun belting out songs you know since you’re 10/11 years old alone.

So I was set to just skip the concert and instead, spend time with great friends by watching the newest John Lloyd movie and good conversations. It’s okay, the boys may still come back.

Then one of my officemates tweeted last Thursday that she’ll be watching the Backstreet boys concert with another colleague. A couple of tweets later, and an update of schedule, I decided: I’m watching the Backstreet boys concert.

Once I decided, I felt the familiar thrill that I get whenever I’m excited for something. I told myself not to be too excited because I don’t have the ticket in my hands yet — but still! The fact of hearing them live and seeing them (even if they’re really small and faraway) in person gave me flutters in my stomach. They were the first band I ever really liked, and I did have the most humongous crush on Nick Carter back then.

Funny thing was, I almost didn’t get to watch the concert! I meant to get my ticket on Friday at Eastwood Mall, but their Ticketnet station seemed to be from the 90’s — it runs on Windows 98 and is connected through dial-up that disconnected on us thrice and then finally crashed on us before I could see how many tickets are still there for Upper B. I didn’t panic yet — I figured that Upper B tickets couldn’t possibly be sold out yet. Are they still that popular?

Well apparently, they were. I got to Podium the next day to get my ticket, but behold — no more Upper B tickets! :( Oh no!

However, having organized concerts before, I know that tickets aren’t always out until they’re really out. Okay, that may not make sense, but I know that Ticketnet may release Standing Room Only (SRO) tickets before the show starts. I called, but they told me there’s no guarantee that they would release SRO tickets…but I can hope, right?

If not, I wondered if I can sneak into Upper B by having General Admission tickets. (I thought it was possible, turns out it was harder than I thought — GenAd tickets enter from a separate gate).

So I watched Miss You Like Crazy with some friends, and after the movie, I called Ticketnet again. And praise God, there were SRO tickets! I flew to Cubao — ignoring the MRT because there were so many people there, and instead getting a cab to bring me to Araneta. I must get a ticket — I can’t miss this show, I just can’t!

And then…tadaaaaa:

WOHOO!

YES, I MADE IT. When Anj and Catz arrived, we went in, found seats and told tales of our teenybopper days (ranging from our Backstreet love, to other boybands, to writing fanfiction, to Sweet Valley!) while we waited for the show to start. Because once the show started, so did our screaming.

And how was the concert? It was awesome. I can’t describe each and every bit of it, but my heart was pumping at every song, and we can’t stop screaming! How long have I waited to catch them in concert? How many times have I played their tapes (yes, tapes!) over and over again? How many hours did I spend trying to catch their music videos on MTV? How many stories did I write with them in it? The boys were a HUGE part of my teen years, and watching them live is like, the fulfillment of ALL my eleven-year-old, teenybopper dreams. ♥

I kind of wished there were widescreens in the concert, like the ones in Lifehouse, so we could’ve seen the boys “closer”, even if it’s just on the screen. But it’s okay. The boys still looked hot even if I was all the way up in Upper B. :P It’s amazing to see all the fans there too — most, if not all are from my generation. Go 90’s!

I took a lot of videos that night, but this one is the clearest one I can get — well, at least before I uploaded it. Plus it’s also my favorite performance of all, because of Nick and Brian’s antics (classic Frick and Frack :p). Oh, and excuse the background singing.

[youtube]DccY89Gpavs[/youtube]

It’s too small, I know, but for your reference: Nick and Brian are the ones in black sando. OMG NICK CARTER IS IN A SANDO. *faints* I don’t care if you’re thirty already, you’re still hot!

It was an awesome night, and you can bet I’ll be listening to all their albums for the next week. I dug up my old 1997 concert VCD and played it earlier just to relive a concert experience somehow — but the real thing is still better. It was super worth it, even if Kevin wasn’t there anymore.

I’m really, really glad I went, and I’m glad to have awesome friends who loved the boys as much as I do. Wohoo. The Backstreet pride is alive, alright. :P

Up next: Paramore! Time for my adult music dreams (one of them, anyway) to come true. :D