musings and mumblings

It Doesn't End in Baguio...It Begins There (part 1)

2009-03-02T15:26:00.005+08:00

Up until February 26,2009 my life has been somewhat sitting on a standstill. Work has been less than fulfilling and more disappointing, some friends have been less than a friend and more of an emotional burden, and to top it all off, I have been feeling less worthy and more of a nuisance as I go about my everyday routine.

I was told by my brothers and sisters from the SFL (formerly Singles for Christ) late last year that 2009's World Singles Congress will be held at Baguio City and they've encouraged me to join. I, thinking that it would be a great time to spend with them in a vacation place like Baguio, immediately agreed and even assured them that I would be there, as money would be no problem to support for transportation and registration. I basically had an idea of what the Congress would be about, but little did I know that it would create a titanic impact on my life.

And so I went on with the daily grind that was called life. Weekdays was spent working at night, sleeping during the day, and the weekends out with friends or lazing the day away in front of my computer, mindlessly reading through short stories written by people from the other side of the world or if not, writing my own or browsing through the web for anything that might deem itself interesting. You see, it wasn't that I didn't have a life, it just felt like I've established a routine and I didn't dare venture out of it. I didn't realize if it was fear of some sort, all I know is that I had something to do, and I just kept on doing it.

Hours, days, weeks and months passed and 2009 slammed into my face. I swear it's totally different now than when I was younger that I would wish that time would move faster, and now that it does, I sort of wish for it to slow down a bit so that I would have to see what's going on. But as they say, life doesn't wait for anyone, so like everybody else, I tried my best to set new things for myself for the new year.

February rolled around without me realizing it. Vacation leaves have been approved, registration paid for and transportation was settled and so I just had to wait until the 26th came around. Days leading up to that, I was feeling a bit apprehensive of joining the trip at all for reasons I can't really point my finger to. It even came to a point where I almost did not begin packing up until three hours before we left. I was that unsure.

My parents took me to the church where we'd all meet up and wait for the vehicles that'll take us to Baguio. I was almost speechless when I got out of the car to greet the guys and girls. It felt like I didn't belong to their group, being away from so long and not even showing up in so much as a weekly household (prayer meeting). I paid my contribution to the transportation and pretty much tried to mingle as little as possible. I remember desperately wishing that Dhina, one of my childhood friends who invited me to join the SFC two years before, would show up already so that I'd have someone to talk to.

After sometime when everyone was already complete, we said a small group prayer before we left and the proceeded on to board the van that was to take us to Baguio. I got to ride with the girls and our Couple Head, Mommy Leah and most of the guys took the Fiera. I was still feeling apprehensive at this point, but I popped on my iPod and tried to listen to the music to block out those thoughts.

In less than six hours, we finally arrive at Teacher's Camp to a typical cold Baguio morning. We came in earlier than usual so we had to wait about three hours or so before we got to check in to our quarters.

We took a few hours' rest and then headed out for lunch at about an hour past lunch time. We shopped at Mines View before heading back to the Camp to take some rest before the evening's events began.

Pure Passion...Right Here in Manila!

2007-12-28T22:49:00.000+08:00

Pinoys got an ultimate Christmas treat when American Idol Season 5 grand champ Taylor Hicks decided to drop by and do a trio of shows at the Ayala Malls last December 18 to 20 at Greenbelt, Glorietta and Trinoma.
Geez, do I sound like a reporter! But anyways, it's the innate writer in me, but never mind. I wanted to put up my photos, but turns out all of them were blurry, so they will just be in my collection, who knows, if I get enough editing savvy, I'll have it up on my Photobucket site.
Anyways, I got to attend the TriNoma show last December 20, and Taylor made sure that he put out the last one with a bang, and just by watching, you can feel the energy he put in each song.

As early as Thursday last week (12/13), I had already made arrangements with my cousin to go with me to TriNoma since this will be my first time to go there. Thank goodness I had enough money saved up to cover for expenses, you know, fare and food and all that. Thursday morning came and I was racing to get out of the office to get some sleep and prepare to see Taylor in the evening!

My cousin (really bless him for going with me!) and I arrived at around five p.m. at the TriNoma and I decided to scout up the place to see how the show will take place. The activity area was already set up with band equipment and seats for the audience, I gather it was around 300 seats set up. Having no seating stub in hand after trying to call the TriNoma concierge for days, I tried my luck to ask if they had anything left, unfortunately, the lady said there were only 350 tickets given out and they were all out (what the hell was I thinking, there would be any left?!). That was a bit of a letdown and I had to think quickly, I tried to scan my phone if there's anyone who might be able to help. I suddenly remembered Belle Marquez who just recently signed up for TOSP and tried to look for her number. I got her number from some Yaminoy (where we were both members) and tried calling her. By some stroke of luck, she was also there, with her folks and some friends. I can't recall how I had the guts to ask for an extra ticket, but one of her companions had one and was kind enough to give me one.

With ticket in hand, my cousin and I decided I get my place in line in case the guards allow early entrance. And they did allow people in as early as 5:30 p.m. I dashed to get a best possible seat for my photos and I scored one in the second row nearest the stage.
The band started past seven already and after a few seconds, Taylor emerged from the dressing in a black striped long sleeved polo and jeans. Man, he is truly gorgeous in person, and I can't believe I am seeing him live, performing in Pinoy shores. This was shaping up to be a great evening.

He first performed The Runaround and from the booming drums, I was in a trance, bopping my head, moving to the beat and just singing along, I was so into his performance that I think he noticed and acknowledged and just pointed at me and flashed that sweet southern smile. He then proceeded with Heart and Soul and the performance made me a fan of the song. Next up was Used Me Up then he slowed down to The Right Place. Here was the rest of the set that he performed:

1. The Maze

2. Just to Feel That Way

3. Takin' It to the Streets

4. Do I Make You Proud

5. Heaven Knows

6. White Christmas

I wish they switched up DIMYP with HK, since this is the song that most people know from him. That way, since DIMYP was the only single released in the Philippines, it would have made stronger impact and people would have a better recall of him. Generally, the show was fantastic, and I am totally and utterly convinced why people go in droves to see him perform live. When he's singing, you can tell he's feeling each song and you just want to join him in. I had to restrain myself from standing up and blocking everybody's view just to join him dance and sing along as well.

Though the Ayala Mall shows were last minute, there was a reasonable number of people still who came to see him live, after all, he is the first AI winner to come and visit the Philippines. I just hope that with this visit, it would have provided him a chance to have his music heard and be circulated on radio stations like Elliott, Katharine and Daughtry.

Sidebar: A small group started to organize on the Trinoma show and has plans of expanding Taylor's fanbase, starting from the grassroots, here in the Philippines. A Yahoo! group has been set up though I will be trying to have our own sub-thread here at TOSP as well, since it's kind of hard to maintain a Yahoo! group. If there are Pinoy Soul Patrollers reading this one, please do not hesitate to PM here or email me at: shina_marih@yahoo.com. Thanks!

Bringing Spice Back

2007-12-06T23:13:00.000+08:00

This is the latest blog I've written for theofficialsoulpatrol.com as one of their main contributors, I am republishing this here for those who can't access the site. As always, comments and reactions are very welcome.

Pop music saw its boom with acts from the late 90's such as the Backstreet Boys, N'Sync, Britney Spears and probably one of the most hyped up, talked about, the Spice Girls. No doubt they all gave birth to a new era in pop music. And though some have gone on their own ways, some has definitely gone back from their long hiatuses and recorded new music and are enjoying moderate to excellent success.

This brings me back to the newest comebacking pop group as of late.

The Spice Girls swept the world by storm in 1996 with their monster of a hit, Wannabe, with the girls asking what guys really, really want. (had to put it in there...) Theirs was an in-your-face attitude, screaming and emphasizing what girl power was all about. It was all about female empowerment, an equality of the sexes type of encouragement for all women, old and young. Ginger (Geri Halliwell), Scary (Melanie B.), Baby (Emma Bunton), Sporty (Melanie C.) and Posh (Victoria Adams-Beckham) became the voice and inspiration of all women around the world, as each girl embodies a different personality that everyone can relate to.

The Girls had a string of number ones in a span of about 3 to 4 years, and in this short amount of time, they became one of the biggest selling girl group of the 90's, moving in with the ranks of the Beatles, Elvis Presley and Madonna in terms of records sold. Indeed, in that short span of time, the girls have established themselves as one of the most influential groups in pop music.

But like in all groups, problems and issues are bound to arise. For the girls, it began when they fired their manager, Simon Fuller and the girls had to manage themselves. Of course, personalities clashed, ultimately leading to Geri Halliwell leaving the group eventually. The girls forged on, finishing a big world tour as a foursome, an album followed but the same spark that ignited the world in 1996 was slowly dying out.

Fast forward to late 2007. The girls announce that they will return to perform in a multi-continental world tour marked as "The Return of The Spice Girls". Fans, including yours truly, cannot hide surmounting excitement, as evidenced by lightning fast ticket sales, selling out in mere minutes, with fans scrambling for it like crazy. To further build up anticipation, the Girls release a new track, called Headlines (Friendship Never Ends).

I have never been so engrossed in a pop act like I have with the Spice Girls, as I feel they were the reflection of my teenage years. Cheeky, impulsive and inspired. The girls, cliche as it may sound, made me want to be a more assertive and confident person, and those two traits has brought me to where I am now. I'm very glad that they decided to reunite this time and show another generation of young girls what the 90's was about and what Girl Power is.

I just hope I can score tickets to see them here when the tour stops at Asia. Gosh, I'd pee my pants if that were to happen.

The Return of the Spice Girls

Tags: Music, Pop, Bubblegum Pop

12 Thoughts From Life (part 1)

2007-10-07T22:25:00.000+08:00

I orginally intended for this to be a 2 part 24 piece series, but I decided to do two-12 item article. I just would wanna share a bit of what has been going on with my life for the past twenty four years.

1. I realized, "Taho" and Ques-O we're the only two foods that have remained a staple in my diet my whole life.

2. Everything has a time of their own, everything fades, but they somehow manage to surface back and make you happy again. (like the Spice Girls)

3. I can be as bad or as good as I wanna be, it's just a matter of choice.

4. Contrary to what people think, I love to talk to people.

5. Though it may be a cliche, First impressions NEVER lasts.

6. Friends, no matter how close you may become, will still find a way to say bad things behind your back.

7. I still have trouble balancing what I should give to my friends and family and keeping something for myself.

8. Most of the things that you want will not come to you, you have to do something to get it and keep it yours.

9. My smarts have kept me afloat in some sticky situations, but it doesn't hurt to actually prepare something; a draft or an outline to help me out.

10. I still can't change my habit of being a bitch even at the silliest situations.

11. Though they may say bad things about you, there are still friends who will stick by you at the toughest times in your life.

12. At the end of the day, your family will STILL be the ones who will NEVER leave you behind. No matter what.

Another year, another beginning...my 24th birthday

2007-10-01T14:25:00.000+08:00

I had so much fun during my birthday last Saturday, September 29, 2007, I just thought I'd like for all y'all to see the photos to see the action that transpired. Enjoy! More thoughts coming later...

picture show 1:

The Elliott Experience

2007-09-28T22:06:00.000+08:00

Once I heard on the Yaminoys Yahoogroup that Elliott Yamin is coming to the Philippines for a 10-day tour, I hardly could contain my excitement in knowing that one of the best AI contestants ever to come off the show is visiting my country!!

I immediately checked out the schedules and luckily enough, I found out that he was doing one at the Alabang Town Center on the 29th of September. I was so stoked to find out that it had fallen on my birthday, I already thought to myself, what a fabulous birthday present to meet Elliott on my special day!

There had been some minor changes in the show date at the ATC, but thankfully it was moved just a day back so I just thought, well, I'm just destined to see this guy sing live!

Counting the days to September 28 was hard, especially when I read of the fabulous preparations being done by the Yaminoys. There were days when my heart literally just wants to pop out with excitement because Elliott is only the second 3rd place finisher from AI (as far as I know, aside from Jasmine Trias-AI3) to come and visit the Philippines. Plus, he was one of those guys who's voice you just have to love, so pure and mellow, the kind that you wouldn't get tired listening to.

So anyhow, then came September 28, I got off work, as fast as I could (of course, I had to endure first a meeting) to head out to ATC to get seating stubs. I was with my officemate who likes E as well, so we made a dash once the mall opened at 11 and were lucky enough to score tickets because I seriously thought we weren't gonna get one because of the long line. After getting the tickets, my friend and I roamed around a bit to see if there's still anything we can find like a possible M&G pass or something else that can let us meet E in person. Finally after about 15-20 minutes we come back to the stage area, and we find a mini-booth set up by Odyssey. Seeing an Elliott poster, we approach it and find that it sells E's CD. I asked if they were the ones issuing M&G passes and told us that the passes just went out. Turns out they gave it after the seating stubs were handed out, that by the time my friend and I came to them, the last M&G pass was already given out. I was like, dang it, we shouldn't have gone right after the stubs were given out.

We then decided to head back to get some Z's to prepare for the show later on. I suddenly remember that I wasn't able to bring my camera to take pictures and videos and so that let me down a bit. Anyhow, I tried to sleep so that I can have energy to shout for E come show time, but I guess out of excitement, I only got three hours of sleep, and I was awake every hour.

Finally decided to wake up and prepare for the show. The excitement was building up since it finally hit me in the face: I WAS GONNA BE WATCHING ELLIOTT YAMIN, it seemed so surreal to me even when we finally got to the seating area at the ATC. On the side, I was also excited because I'll be getting to match the faces with the Yaminoys, with whom until the previous night, were all just a bunch of names to me exchanging emails about Elliott's show. But I don't know what took over me, the only ones I was able to know were Yam and Patrick. I got too shy to approach all of them because they all seemed so close already.

Then after an hour or so of waiting, E's band finally came out, all of them looked great, and you can tell that they were excited to play for Elliott as we are all excited to see and hear him sing for the last time before he heads back home. ATC was his last stop and so it was natural that the venue was packed with fans and admirers. After a few seconds, E steps out and we all went crazy, never mind if I lost my voice in screaming out for him, I was just so psyched up to see him, in my country, and that I am watching him sing LIVE.

The hour went by in a blur, and the only thing I remember during the set was when he sang his first single, Wait for You. I know the lyrics by heart of the song, but somehow, when Elliott was singing it, stripped down, guitar and piano accompaniment only, I got tongue tied and found myself at times gaping at how good his voice sounded to my ears. I suddenly realized why he went so far on American Idol; aside from that voice, he sings purely from his heart, and he pours all of it into each and every note, word and line so that you can feel the emotion of the song as well without sounding dragged. With him, it was all so natural, relaxed and pure.

After Wait for You, I believe they got down the stage. Then everybody went and chanted his name for a good 5 minutes and before we knew it, he was back with Joonie (pianist) and he was giving us an intro to the last song he's singing. He did sing A Song For You, the song that really pushed him into the final three on Idol, and everybody just went wild, including yours truly. (I don't think I was ever calm that evening)

And then he left again, and by that time I couldn't move for a while, I was just, like I told my friends, truly, truly mesmerized by him. I thought he sounded great on TV, but I was thrown for a loop because he sounded excellent live. Thank God He gave Elliott that precious talent and I just pray that he continues to make use of it really well, and continue to mesmerize more people in the process as well.

A beautiful montage from KMF member a3boymom

2007-03-24T14:26:00.000+08:00

I just wanted to share this very heartwarming video done with "Ordinary World" by Katharine McPhee. It's dedicated for all the troops still out there in Iraq and to all our other brothers who are still there because of the ongoing disturbances. I hope you like it...

Video Tribute to our Troops-Katharine McPhee "Ordinary World"

What the hell happened last night?!?

2007-02-22T10:33:00.000+08:00

Was it just me? Or did the boys of the top 24 really sucked last night? I was shell-shocked that I have difficulty remembering if that was the actual real show or I just had a really bad nightmare.

The girls are on tonight. Oh dear Lord, let them be better than the boys. Please.

My full recap of last night's show is at my blog on The Official Soul Patrol website. Please take the time to read it and leave comments if you must. Thanks!!

Album Review: Katharine McPhee

2007-02-13T10:50:00.000+08:00

Katharine McPhee made sure she had a say in her eponymous debut, and with the tracks in the album-an eclectic mix of Pop, R&B, and a even, a little swig of soul; it’s enough to say that she has indeed, delivered. With trademark, formulaic dance anthems such as Open Toes and Dangerous, vocally induced ballads such as Ordinary World, Better Off Alone and Home, Katharine McPhee proves a sure fire hit with fans and music lovers alike. Here’s my track by track review of the whole album, arranged from my most favorite to the least.

1. Ordinary World – Here is where Katharine’s voice shines the best. Her voice best works with simple instruments and letting it all do the work. Whoever said she doesn’t bring emotion to the song; OW is heartfelt and sincere. Though it may sound like it’s lifted off a soap opera, Kat lets us know that she has an impeccable vocal style, quite unmistakably her own.

2. Open Toes – When I first heard the Promosquad sample of this track, I had to admit I was a bit disappointed. I immediately dismissed the song like a Paris Hilton headline. But boy was I so wrong! OT is catchy, danceable and most importantly, right on the money. At times Katharine’s voice sounds like it was edited to sound like a robot, but I suppose it was intended to capture the spirit of the track itself; funky, playful and free. My jaw dropped to the floor especially after hearing the end hook. My girl can jam!

3. Neglected – Like Greg from KMF said, the lyrics of this particular track is a great example of pop lyric writing. It doesn’t hurt that Katharine can hit both the high and low registers of the track without sounding throaty or breathy. The melody, especially during the first and last part is haunting, too perfect to whomever the song is written for.

4. Better off Alone – What I like about this song is that it works, regardless whether it’s a male or a female singing it. However, much as I love Austin’s spin on the song, Katharine’s voice just makes it right. This is one track reminiscent of her top 24 night debut performance of Since I Fell For You, jazzy and easy on the ears.

5. Over It – The fans may be realizing just now that this might be a weak track to be the lead single, but the slow, rhythmic beat, the lyrics and Kat’s vocal stylings make this a perfect track to showcase the rest of the album. Like OT, it has mass appeal and it sticks to your head like your mom’s nagging voice.

6. Home – Another powerhouse vocal performance that will give you goosebumps and a reminder that Katharine can belt it out with the best of them. “Beautiful” it is not, but pit Katharine and Christina any day, and she can give the pop diva a run for her money with this one.

7. Everywhere I Go – Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds still has got game, as evidenced by the sound and whole feel of the track, but to me it sounds really formulaic and common. I can’t pinpoint any specific reason, but it reminds me of “Everytime I Close My Eyes”.

8. Dangerous – I can’t quite make out Kat’s voice in here. Too many layers, too synthesized, too much of everything. But it can be another great female anthem, just like Open Toes.

9. Love Story – Nice throwback with the “whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo”, but for me, the track sounds so scattered. Seems to me that the only quite audible words are “love” and “story”. Another victim of “too much of everything”.

10. Not Ur Girl – In this track, we see an assertive, no-nonsense Katharine. The vocals are okay. Not the most impressive, but the track may just work when circulated on radio stations.

11. Each Other – The track sort of sounds like Over It, the beat, the intro, seems like the melody was patterned to it. I can’t imagine it being played on radio.

12. Do What You Do – Katharine is sexy and hot, no question, but if she was intending to translate her hotness into this particular track, she only did it about 50 to 60% successfully. It again succumbed to “too much of everything”.

I rated these tracks according to how it sounds as a whole, the melody and the lyrics. There is no doubt from Katharine’s voice, as Simon Cowell described it, it’s “a very special talent”. And she has been very lucky to have worked with some of the hottest and best in the biz, resulting in an impressive debut, unarguably one of the best albums to come out of “Idol” alumni in years. I can even daresay that this is better than Kelly Clarkson’s “Breakaway”. This is one album that is going to be in my CD player for quite some time.

Just checking in...

2007-02-03T18:12:00.000+08:00

It's been a while since I posted here. Updates, updates!

Worklife-Medyo bawas-bawas ang oras ko online kasi my boss recommended me for a salary raise. Need to step up para naman makita ng company na worth it naman if they give me the raise. I miss my online friends over at the Taylor and Kat sites. Nagpaalam naman ako and they all wish me luck on the raise.

Lovelife-Well, since it's February already, umm..well, that part of my life is still non-existent, so yeah, nothing to update here. Moving on...

Others-I'm still maintaining my blog for TOSP, so you could also check that out, I was told that reading the blogs will get interesting and pretty rewarding for the members. As for KMF, I am checking in once in a while, every weekend starting this weekend, just so I can always be updated on the latest happenings on Kat.

That's it for now, I hope to post another one tomorrow or on Monday. Depends on my inspiration really. :)

I feel like I belong!

2007-01-25T15:58:00.000+08:00

I'm so happy, I've been chosen to blog for the biggest Taylor Hicks fansite, and one recognized Taylor by himself. Please check out my blog over there at the site and feel free to leave your comments, they're all welcome.

When I first joined the site on July, almost a month after Taylor won, I never thought that I'd grow close to the people there. Now I'm friends with almost everyone, sharing jokes, confronting Taylor haters, sharing life's troubles and happy moments and I can say now that I truly belong. Never in my wildest I'd be asked to blog for the site. And Taylor will get the chance to read my blogs! I'm so excited at this new gig, even if it's not a paying one. Just writing about the things I love is enough to make me happy. :)

American Idol 2007..Pure Talent or High Ratings? (Part 1)

2007-01-22T15:57:00.000+08:00

I've been kicking myself for a couple of days now to comment on the season premiere of everybody's favorite TV show, American Idol last week. I know, I know, the blog has been mostly teen-age like musings about Taylor and Katharine, now I think it's apt that I write something about the show that made them new music superstars.

Like what happened to Kelly, Ruben, Fantasia, Carrie and Taylor, AI's ultimate goal is to find the next big music superstar. And found them they did. Not only do the winners reap success as recording artists, but so do the runners-up. The most prominent one being Season 3's Jennifer Hudson, having won Best Supporting Actress for Motion Picture Comedy/Musical for her role as Effie in the movie loosely based from the Supremes, Dreamgirls. Season 3 runner up Diana de Garmo is also enjoying success starring as Penny Pingleton in the Broadway musical Hairspray. Kellie Pickler and Chris Daughtry from Season 5 has released albums late last year with Kellie topping the country charts with her debut single, "Red High Heels" while Chris' sales reaching the platinum mark just recently. The most successful still, by eons, is still Kelly Clarkson, the inaugural 'Idol", having sold more than 10 million records worldwide, winning various awards, notably her two Grammies for her sophomore effort, Breakaway. Coming in close at her heels is Season 4's Carrie Underwood in which I have learned that her solo effort, Some Hearts has been certified quintuple (5x) platinum in the US alone. Carrie has firmly established her place in the country music scene and is expected to get a nod from the Grammy Academy as one of the nominees for Best New Artist.

Well, that was a mouthful. But that just proves the talent that has come from the show. Most definitely, the ones that get into the top 24 down to the top 12 finalists are the "creme de la creme" of the current season. What bothers me is the way that these kids are being narrowed down. Most people I know from Internet fan message boards watch the show to see those who "try to get their 15 minutes of fame" by turning up at auditions in outrageous costumes and their unabashed notion that they are actually good singers and most definitely will be the next American Idol. Of course there are those with talent who makes it to the Judges' audition. But it seems that as each season passes by, producers of the show tend to be more fixated on the "quack" singers to generate audience viewership.

I never really minded these and enjoyed it actually last season. But for some reason, this season, I was irked when Simon compared an auditioner to a "jungle creature" because of his big, popped out eyes. Sure, the guy may have looked funny, but that wasn't reason for a judge to tell that to someone ON LIVE TV. Poor guy had himself believing he was as good as Justin Timberlake then to be told something like that, in front of millions of viewers, must be extremely heartbreaking and humiliating.

**Part 2 will follow in a couple of days.

I heard Kat on the radio!!!

2007-01-16T14:47:00.000+08:00

OMG, I am still giddy with excitement writing this one..I just heard Kat about half an hour ago on a local radio station, KLite 103.5 FM. I believe this is the first station to play Kat in the Philippines. I'm just so happy that the McPheever is slowly getting to the Pinoys. I hope she also becomes successful here just as Kelly Clarkson and Bo Bice was.

Now it'll really make me happy if I can hear "Just to Feel That Way" by Taylor in a local radio station. Hey, dreams do come true right?

Kat and Taylor's debut singles are out now!!

2007-01-11T09:48:00.000+08:00

I made this playlist at MyFlashFetish.com.
Check out this MySpace MP3 Player!

Just got back from the Holidays part 2!!

2007-01-04T13:08:00.000+08:00

Like I said in the previous post, I had a lot of fun during the New Year's. I even forgot for a while that my left foot was hurting; I was dancing around and jumping and admiring all the magnificent fireworks display in the sky. It was a magical night, December 31 that was.

December 30 – This day was a holiday, so I slept in really late (again..hehe) because I have no work!!! We were supposed to go to Tagaytay that morning, but I forgot to tell my friends that I didn't have work that day, so we weren't able to meet that night to push through with the plans. Anyway, I did what I usually do when I've got no work, I lazed around a bit, helped prepare food, fixed my room a bit (it was a real mess) and lazed around a bit more. Later that night, we went to a mall to buy some last-minute New year stuff. Much more later, I hung around with friends, drinking some beer and staying late into the wee hours of the morning.

December 31 – I slept at around 4 a.m., and woke up really early at around 7 because I had to attend mass at 8. The next few hours of the morning was a bit of a struggle, with the booze still in my system. Much of the day was a blur, so fast forward to the evening, where I went to a birthday party of my friend's nephew. The food was good, but we had to leave early to attend the midnight mass to celebrate the New Year. After the mass we went straight home and started to prepare some food for the Media Noche. By this time, there were already some fireworks to be seen. Then the countdown to 2007 began. Man, the sky was lit up with so many fireworks, it was just amazing. I was dancing around with my bestfriend on the street, jumping, laughing, it was fun. After that, my friends and I gathered to have our own celebration. We went home at 5:30 in the morning.

January 1 – Most of the day I was asleep. My cousins came, but they hardly noticed me. Guess that's always gonna be the case with them. I didn't do anything that day, mainly because I really had a bad hangover from drinking until the wee hours of the morning. But it was all good, I really missed hanging out with my friends, so what the heck.

That was my Holiday wrap up, can't wait for the next one to come up...

Just got back from the Holidays part 1!!

2007-01-02T19:40:00.000+08:00

But it wasn't everything I expected it to be. Well, of course you can't have it all, even if it IS the Holidays. But looking back on how I spent it, the late night-early morning out with friends are so worth it. Being at home, laying around, eating good food and being with family and friends for me is the best way to spend vacations such as that one.

So for a bit of a recap, here's how the Holidays went down, ZeeZee style:

CHRISTMAS

December 23 - Well, since this was a Saturday, I asked to take a half day off of work earlier. I then went with two of my bestfriends and my brother to a local mall to do some last minute shopping for shoes and clothes. I bought a really cute pair of "OPEN TOED" shoes (gosh, I am such a sucker for Katharine, really) and knee length pants to go with it. Oh, I haven't told you that we did all the shopping with a really naughty one-year old baby boy (my friend's kid), so it was a bit of a trip, since the tyke was moving around and we had to keep him entertained too. After the shopping trip, we went to attend the last Misa de Gallo mass. Suffice it enough to say it was a tiring day. :)

December 24 - The day before Christmas. Of course, I slept in late, I woke up at around 10-1030 a.m. I laid down my outfit for the night; bootcut, green, corduroy pants, black top, and the open toed shoes. I also bought the day before a really chunky gold and white necklace to go with the top. I went out with my buds to go around biking, and we found this really nice hut away from most of the nearby villages and we just spent time talking and catching up. After that, I went home and watched TV with my parents. Later in the night, we went to the anticipated Mass for Christmas day. Afterwards, we went home and enjoyed a little food to celebrate the birth of the Lord's Only Son. After this, I went out and stayed with friends until 3:30 a.m.

December 25 - Having slept at around 4 a.m. earlier, I woke up at 10 a.m. I wasn't able to get more sleep during the day because I had people coming over. I was a sluggish girl that day, but it's all good. An old friend from college came over with her kid, we talked and catched up, some other friends came over too.

That's Christmas, I'll be back for my recap of how I spent the New Year's. Now that's more fun...

Katharine McPhee's Christmas gift to all her fans!!!

2006-12-22T16:18:00.000+08:00

This girl is truly amazing, and I am so happy to be one of her dedicated fans. Here's her heart-stopping and melting rendition of "O Come All Ye Faithful", her record label is actually offering this for free downloading for all her addicted fans. She also has a message to all her fans for their continued support, which is really sweet. I hope you all like it. This is the Katharine I have come to love and support.

Download Message and Song

Download Song Only

(Right click above links and select "Save Target As" to download)

Helpin' out my fellow Soul Patrollers..And spreading the Taylor love!!!

2006-12-22T16:01:00.000+08:00

Goodness!! I finally got this thing to work!!! Thank heavens! Anyway, even if few people see this, I just thought I'd wanna do my share of promoting Taylor and his amazing debut album, Taylor Hicks. I don't care if people say he can't sing, besides, who are they to judge? I love the man and the music he makes, it makes me happy! I absolutely love The Runaround, which is rumored to be the debut single, but Give Me Tonight is also great, same with Soul Thing and the Wal-Mart bonus track, from his pre-Idol days, Hell of a Day.

So anyways, enough about me gushing like a school kid, and enjoy Taylor's performance of The Runaround on the Regis and Kelly show. And don't forget to pick up a copy of his album!!! SOOOOOOUUUULLLLLLLL PATROOOOOOOOLLLLLL!!!!!!!!

Getting ready to "THUD" some more...

2006-12-18T11:53:00.000+08:00

OMG!!! I am so excited, this is gonna be such a huge day for me, my Taylor Hicks CD is coming today!!!! Thanks to Jane (evancol) from theofficialsoulpatrol.com, who has gracefully offered to send me the CD as a holiday gift! OMG, OMG, I can't wait!!!

WOO-HOO TAYLOR!!! SOUL PATROL!!!

Support the Idols!!!

2006-12-13T17:08:00.000+08:00

Don't forget to grab an album of your favorite American Idol!!!

Taylor Hicks (Taylor Hicks) - December 12, 2006

Katharine McPhee (Never Saw It Comin') - January 30, 2007

Kellie Pickler (Small Town Girl) - Out Now!

Chris Daughtry (Daughtry) - Out Now!

**All dates are US releases, Philippine release is approximately three weeks after the US date.

Please check with your local record bars for release dates.

Holding my breath

2006-11-25T10:54:00.000+08:00

To most of you who will read this, you can deduce that I am a fan of American Idol Taylor Hicks and the evidence of that would be the endorsement I made a few months back of his fansite.

Anyhow, while I was browsing at a non-Taylor fansite, I read some posts regarding reviews of Taylor's possible singles (see links below) and most of them really hit a nerve to me. Not only were they overly critical of him, some posts were downright rude and disrespectful to Taylor and the type of music he does. I, together with all of the self restraint I can muster, did not respond to the posts, nor even posted my own opinion in fears of ruining the good relationship I have with the members in there.

That is why I went here, in the comfort of my own blog, to vent out hurt feelings that I have. I don't hate the people at that fansite for saying such things about Taylor, but at the nature and situation of why those things were said. I tried thinking about if it was Kellie Pickler who won and their favorite, I know most of them like the Pickler, but would they say the same things if she released songs from her album? I think it was put in the context of "you stole the AI crown of my favorite, so everything you do shall suck". In my opinion, Taylor's type of music does not readily cater to all types of crowds, but with the charisma he has, I'm sure he'll win new fans once his CD comes out.

All I'm saying is that it's this: I believe he won American Idol fair and square (I know that's a debatable topic, but I'd like to believe otherwise), like all the runners-up, he also deserves a chance to get his music heard and be loved by everybody else. He doesn't deserve to be dismissed with a flick of a finger just like that. I just hope people will give him the chance, especially those who think he shouldn't have won.

Here are the links to the songs previewed a few days back at www.graycharles.com. I'm not sure if you can leave comments there at the moment, but check out the site nonetheless, they have some good commentaries about the singles.

The Right Place:

http://media.bmgonline.com/jrecords.com/various/audio/TheRightPlace_HI.asx

Dream Myself Awake:

http://media.bmgonline.com/jrecords.com/various/audio/DreamMyselfAwake_HI.asx

The Runaround

http://media.bmgonline.com/jrecords.com/various/audio/TheRunaround_HI.asx

The album itself, I believe, will drop on December 12, 2006 nationwide in the US. I'm just not sure when the international (specifically SouthEast Asia) release would be.

For more information about Taylor and everything about him, here are sites that you can visit:

www.taylorhicks.com (official site)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taylor_Hicks (biography)

www.americanidol.com (official American Idol site and message boards)

cave in or crawl out?

2006-09-25T10:56:00.000+08:00

Sometimes, your life becomes an avalanche of problems, pesky friends, nagging parents, and stupidly enormous workload. You either cave in and live under the shadows of these or try to crawl out and come out on top.

So what do you do? I always come face to face with the question of whether to cave in or crawl out. When I don't feel like sorting things out, I tend to cave in, and boringly wait for someone to pull me out. Waiting is sort of a good thing, I guess, 'cause I'm just left alone with my thoughts. How I could have done this instead of that, chose this over that one. And then after I do that, I now begin to regret the choices and the actions i've made, which buries me deeper in the rut, and making it harder for others to come rescue me. Strange isn't it, that i find complete solace in pitying myself.

Then there's the other side, wherein I want to crawl out without needing anybody. I want to come on top, and tell everybody, "hey, i f**cking made it!so long suckers!!!" I feel like I can take on anything, no matter how big or small, doesn't make sense 'cause i'm doin' it all by my frickin' self. But then when I do, it's seems hard for me to find a way to crawl because of things holding me back. I myself don't even know some of those things, but they are an awful weight to bear and it just makes things harder for me. I wanna create solutions to my problems, but at times, the answers seem to elude me.

I'm still in a constant battle with this person called ME, and I think I wanna keep it that way, 'cause then Iwouldn't know what strengthens me or what holds me down.

I am a fan..

2006-09-22T08:24:00.000+08:00

I know this may seem a bit "juvenile", but i have been caught up lately in posting at forums on American Idol winner and runner-up, Taylor Hicks and Katharine McPhee, and I must say, I've become slowly more addicted by the day. It's amazing to see how people can get really dedicated to rally behind one person from a contest; someone they've never met, and possibly never will do, but still puts a strong belief on that person.

I joined two of the biggest (which Kat and Taylor recognize themselves) fan forums on these two and I got to see up close how crazy fans can get. But I must say I admire them and I am becoming one of them. But in a good way of course. Also at the same time, I get to update myself with the latest goings-on in the careers of these two wonderful artists. I have to say I equally love them both, Taylor because he's just strongly held his ground and stayed true to himself and never wavered; Katharine because she is just a true person, sincere and honest and is not mindful of what others are saying so long as she's doing what is right for herself and for her multitude of fans.

I sure hope Taylor and Kat stay in the music biz for a really long time, they are two wonderful singers with great personalities and lasting presence. And I sure can promise myself that for as long as the fan forums are there, I'll be there as well.

**Here are the fan sites I'm telling you about. Join in if you're a Soul Patroller or a McPhan, or if you're both!!

www.theofficialsoulpatrol.com/forum/index.php

www.katharinefans.com

putting myself out there

2006-09-19T14:37:00.000+08:00

Nothing is more satisfying than knowing that you are comfortable in your own skin and can do whatever you want, as long as it's within the boundaries of what is acceptable and humane and you know in yourself that you're not hurting anybody.

Now, I myself am wondering why with so many blogsites in the web right now, I've chosen to create one in here? I already have blogs over at Yahoo! and Friendster, but somehow, it felt like it wasn't me, it wasn't my style and how I really want it to turn out. So, having been inspired by some people whom I have read their blogs, I decided to create one where I can put in everything I want to say, without the restraints that other sites give.

Alright, I'm beginning to realize I am mumbling here so I'd better stop with that one. Basically, this blog will be about anything and everything that I have an opinion on. It may take different forms, album reviews, commentaries, short stories, other literary works and even some gossip about my favorite people and so on. You are free to post your comments too, it will be most welcome.

Hope you have fun reading my posts! Ciao!