Tag Archives: backstreet boys

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

Dear Diary, Entertaining Angels

First Quarter Pauper

Hi, I’m not so sick anymore. *cue cheers here* I even managed to get a work out today, hurray!

So today, while I was taking a shower, I was thinking of getting a new MacBook Pro. Why? Because…well, it’s comparably cheaper than it was a few years ago — heck, the 13″ in MacBook Pro is even cheaper now than when I bought my black MacBook back in 2007. So I was thinking of selling my MacBook and buying a new one (still naming it Aslan because I love that name) and…that’s it. Why? Well, just because. I know, I know, not so smart; it’s just a want, not a need.

But after much thinking, I realized that I don’t think I’ll be able to afford it this year. Okay, I may be able to afford it, but it’s just not prudent to do so this year (did I use the word correctly?). There are all these other expenses that I need to attend to first, like getting new clothes (yes, it’s a need now), paying off debts, sponsoring another child, trips with friends, and there’s my brother’s wedding this year too, where I promised to pay for the flowers. So…it’s really not wise to buy something that expensive when the one I have right now can serve me just as well as a new one can. Plus…okay, I don’t really need it anyway. I use it only for my stories other personal stuff, and I have Teo to use while I am at work — laptops provided by companies that provides IT Jobs are pretty powerful too, if you ask me.

I decided then to put it off one more year and just get it for myself on my 25th birthday in 2011 (gasp!), if I still feel like getting one. Things could change, you know.

Then I thought of what’s one thing we need at home? Aha! A PRINTER! The old printer we have at home is not really working anymore, plus I hate that when one of the cartridges runs out of ink the printer won’t print anymore — EPSON, why so? I don’t really do much printing at home, but my mom does, especially when my dad sends stuff. Plus it would be nice to print the right stuff correctly at home and not anywhere else, if you get what I mean.

Oh and I’d like to print my novel too, when I get it done. And put it in a binder and have an actual printed copy I can go through and edit after.

So how much are HP printers nowadays? I like HP because the draft setting of their printers doesn’t look like draft at all, but like normal print. I know, HP cartridges can be very expensive, but then their inks last a long time, right?

But you know what, that isn’t really the point of this post. Heh, got you there. I just felt like rambling.

After thinking of all those want-to-buys and fueling my gadget thirst this early in the year…I realized I need to focus on the immediate things first, which are the things I have decided to splurge on in the next two months. I have to stress the “splurge” because it’s not a need…or wait, it can be a need, since it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. I mean…well, it’s hard to justify, but it really is a once in a lifetime thing and I don’t want to miss these.

First off:

BACKSTREET BOYS IN MANILA IN FEBRUARY 27.

Backstreet Boys

If you don’t know these guys, it means I’m getting old. Or you’re just young. But anyway, it’s Backstreet Boys! They’re the first band I really liked, Nick Carter was my first biggest celebrity crush, and I wrote stories about these guys. The last time they were here (still with Kevin), I missed the concert because I had a  YFC planning that night and I didn’t have the money. I can’t miss this now.

Of course, tickets are expensive:

  • Patron VIP (Reserved Seating) P4,760
  • Patron (Reserved Seating) P4,280
  • Lower Box (Reserved Seating) P3,810
  • Upper Box A (Reserved Seating) P2,860
  • Upper Box B P960
  • Gen. Admission P480

But it’s not like I need to see them up close. Okay, maybe I want to, but I’ve grown up from the last time I fangirled over them, and honestly, Upper B is okay, just like when I watched Lifehouse in Manila two years ago.

Fine, laugh all you want. It’s the Backstreet Boys, and 90’s music is not the same without them!

I justified this expense for myself by the way: it’s my post-Valentine’s Day gift for myself. Yay. Grace, Jana, lessgooooow!

And next.

PARAMORE IN MANILA ON MARCH 9.

Look how cute they are here There is no way I can miss this one. How many times have I just listened to Paramore songs all day? When I work out? When I’m feeling angry? When I’m feeling emo and melancholic? Sometimes when I’m even cheerful? Heck, I was listening to Paramore’s Brand New Eyes when we were cleaning the house after Ondoy!

So there is really no way that I’m missing Paramore’s first concert in Manila. I’m even willing to splurge more for this. Look at these ticket prices:

  • GOLD: Php 3,950.00
  • SILVER: Php 1,550.00
  • BRONZE: Php550.00

I’ve been to MOA’s concert grounds during the Katy Perry/Mae concert, and it’s free standing, so to get the really best place there, you really have to be early. Even early enough to hear their sound check, right Happs? ;) There’s no way I’m settling for less with this concert — Gold all the way! :)

Oh, and there are VIP tickets available for this concert…but I don’t think it’s worth it for the price.

Two other things about this concert: (1) it’s on a Tuesday night and (2) How many Twilight fans do you think will watch this concert all because of Decode?

Hm.

Oh and justification for this concert? My early birthday gift to myself. :)

So see, the first quarter of 2010 is kind of making me a pauper already, just thinking about it. Not to mention there’s the Century Tuna Run on February, Avenue Q on March…and what else? Ah see. I think I’m going to start bringing lunches to work, and stop riding cabs. And stop impulse buying on books when I don’t really need them (yeah right).

Sigh. I’m happy though, because it means I can afford these things and it means I’m being provided for, and it means I’m blessed enough to be single (yes!) and have the finances to pay for these things…and enjoy life. Jehovah-jireh, right?

You know what, I should get back to work. :P

Entertaining Angels

"Now and forever…until the time is through…"

So it’s a not-so ordinary day at the office, and suddenly, my teammate plays a very familiar song.

I’d go anywhere for you,
Anywhere you want me to,
I’d do anything for you,
Anything you ask me to…

Ah yes, Backstreet Boys. How I miss thee.

So, on another boyband whim, we started playing and singing random boyband songs from her iPod. There was Westlife, 98 degrees and 5ive. Haha, talk about memory lane. I remember I went on a boyband mode a couple of weeks back and I could not stop listening to BB Mak’s album and LFO’s Girl on TV, and I spent like half the night looking at Youtube videos of those two bands as well as Code Red. Wohoo, teenybopper mode! (And just to add to the loserness, I have 98 Degrees’ Because of You on repeat right now. How about that.)

Anyway, so onto Youtube, I started looking for videos of the songs we sang to, and I found this:

[youtube]2SEmykLFjEI[/youtube]

This is probably the only 5ive song I really, really liked, and the only one in my iPod. This songs brings a lot of high school memories, even if it’s not really something I could relate to.

But the point of this entry is really not the song but what the music video meant. If you watch the entire video, it starts with two girls gossiping by the stairs about Rich (sp?) and this girl and another boy and how Rich must be “gutted”. Rich is the guy who first sings in the song, the one who’s watching so emo-like out the window while everyone else was enjoying. Then there was a shot of this other guy (is it Scott or Sean?), who seems to be flirting with this girl and then looking around the place until he spots Rich outside on the stairs. The shot goes to the other band members who seem to be having fun at the party, and then back to the two guys with Scott/Sean making funny faces at Rich and then finally going in to join the others.

I never really paid much attention to the video then because I was more focused on the song (plus any video that is not a Backstreet Boys video is really nothing to me hahahaha), but today I actually found the time to appreciate the video. I figured the real story of the video goes like this: Rich and his girlfriend broke up, and then the girl shows up at the party with another guy, which devastates Rich so he goes off on his own and does not enjoy the party. Now Scott/Sean, notices he’s gone so he talks to one of the girls (but why do they look like they’re flirting? I kind of thought he was the rival there…and that girl is so thin, she must be on diet pills) and then goes off to look for him. He sees all his other friends busy with other stuff until he finally sees him outside and tries to cheer him up, and so Rich decides to move on (I think) and joins his friends and they have fun.

Or wait, maybe the girl Scott/Sean talked to was Rich’s ex?

Haha I know, I just wasted some time on that. But it’s nice to be reminded of the good old 90’s. And to think of something not so serious, you know? How would you interpret the video?

And for your viewing pressure, I’ve got some more boyband/teenybopper/90’s music videos under the cut. See what you’re familiar with. :P

Continue reading "Now and forever…until the time is through…" →

Entertaining Angels

Let The Music Heal Your Soul

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Okay, let’s back down memory lane a bit. I confessed my love for the Backstreet Boys a couple of months back, and here I am with another confession (which I kind of mentioned before as well): I am a fan of The Moffatts. Yeah, yeah, I admit that I cried when a friend told me they really died shortly after their If Life is So Short video came out, and yes, I still feel sad that Dave Moffatt (my favorite one) is gay…but the entire “I love The Moffatts” thing is for another post. Anyway, I got back to this particular band because a friend posted a video of them from when God knows when…and it made me search for old mp3s and videos of them which brought me to this video:

[youtube]ttjOoBcqcq4[/youtube]

Well, that was a long segue. Memories, anyone? In case you don’t know (GASP!), this is a video of Let the Music Heal Your Soul by Bravo All Stars. I remember squealing with delight when I first saw this video since it has both Backstreet Boys and The Moffatts. Then there’s me buying a tape of this compilation and singing the song with the instrumental version backup for Music class back in freshmen high school year. Ahh, memories!

Despite its cheesiness and its teenybopperishness, this is a pretty heartwarming song. :P And you just have to love how Brian (B-Rok) belts out his lines, and how Aaron Carter looks so totoy and how there’s this shot of him looking at a frame of his older brother Nick. I can’t get over the fact that the guys in the video move so much, with all the arm waving and such. I can’t pinpoint who the other artists were though, except for Gil Ofarim, The Moffatts and Justin Timberlake (where are the rest of the N Sync?).

Who can help me identify who’s who in the video? And what do you think of the song? Come on, let your teenybopper selves out now. ;)

Updates

Writer's Block

Oh yeah, update! I updated some of the content of the RefineMe.org. :) Look up there at the menu under the header graphic. :) I’m not yet done writing the About section, but the Faith and Writings are already done. I still have some more additions in the Writings sections that I have yet to add, plus I need to figure out a hack that would let excerpts show in the link. Haha. Anyway, I’d really appreciate comments any of the stories I posted. :)

I believe in the power of positive prophecy. And because of that, I will write it down here for anyone who cares enough to read this to know: Sometime in the near future, I will write and publish a book.

Amen.

Sweet Valley Kids (image courtesy of readingwell.com)The first writer I got introduced to is Elizabeth Wakefield. Yes, Elizabeth Wakefield of Sweet Valley fame. I know she’s not a real writer, but reading so much about her during my childhood years influenced me to want to be a writer. I loved their stories so much and I was so amused that Elizabeth could already write stories when she was seven that I thought, I could do that too.

And I tried to do it. I think I started writing stories when I was in Grade 3. I can’t remember what my first story was about exactly, but most of my stories then were about a group of friends who got into different adventures and mis-adventures — I thank Francine Pascal and Sweet Valley for that. :p The first real series I made was about a group of friends named Sarah Springfield, Carmella Churnichan, Jericho Villa, Patrick Grange, Veronica and Ericka, I think. I can’t remember the names of the rest. They were a group of friends who all live in Ireland and formed some kind of club and whatnot. They have this awesome clubhouse that my friends and I can only dream about, as well as love teams: Jericho and Sarah (my favorite) and Carmella and Patrick. I knew that their group got bigger and there were even French twins where one of them was psychic and the last solid story I remembered about them was that they were investigating in a haunted house (against the warnings of their group’s resident psychic) in their town where a vampire was supposed to live. Sarah got hypnotized by the vampire and eventually became one, and Jericho had to do something about it or else Sarah would be gone from him forever. He ends up killing Sarah the vampire and then he wakes up, realizing it was only a dream.

Boring huh.

Continue reading Writer's Block →