Bah, Humbug

.:Bah, Humbug:.

... cold and lonely.

What else could I have expected?

Was there anything I could've honestly hoped for from about fifteen hours of an illusion?

Goddammit, I'm a magician. I, more than anyone else, should know better than to accept an illusion at face value, and yet I did.

At the end of the day, I was just given a cold, harsh reminder that Christmas really, really sucks.

When people assume "Christmas is canceled" because Santa Claus apparently doesn't exist, I've pretty much ascertained for myself everyone has completely missed the point of the holiday already.

There was one and only one good thing about the holidays, and that was the point where I did a charity magic show for an orphanage in Don Bosco Sta. Mesa, where I was a student...

Outside of that, Christmas has been empty and pointless. It was just another day as is any other.

Bah, humbug. So much for giving love on Christmas day...

Merry Christmas!

.:Random Thoughts On The Holidays...:.

Well, first of all, a merry Christmas to everyone!!!

Christmas shopping with Bessie 'Elle was nothing short of fun. I was just walking around with her until she finally got tired (and grumpy). She had a really cool present for me, and I responded in kind with a present all of us will be using sometime soon...

That being said, I don't feel the Christmas spirit by much. I'm honestly just grateful for friends and special people in my life, and the fact that it's December 24 as I say this is irrelevant. From my best friends, especially Sach and Abby who are in town for the holidays, to certain people whom I've professed my affection to (*ahem*), you might say that this year has been one hellacious ride, to say the least. If it means ending up knowing people like Estelle though, I'd gladly go on that ride all over again.

I have managed to already construct a list of the top five people I'm most grateful to this year, but in contrast to how they've always been for ages, it would seem that there is a radical change of pace to who would be the person/s I'd be most grateful to this 2006. It's been a rough but financially rewarding year, and a transition to what I can only hope would be better times for my career.

.:Happy Feet Thoughts:.

Did you know that there is a mild uproar from the United States at the moment over Happy Feet, citing Mumbles' being "different" as a subtext for a pro-gay statement?

Man, the conservative right can get the wildest ideas, to say the least.

I mean, granted that I can't argue with them on whether or not homosexuality is fine, but I sure as Hades can argue over the fact that anyone who would see a gay subtext in "Happy Feet" has got to be overreading into the movie's message.

Is it politically and environmentally heavy-handed? A bit. Can it scare some kids at some grim segments of the film? Most likely.

But were there gay overtones? Wolfgang Foxtrot Tango!

Happy Feet was a great movie that is highly enjoyable. I've seen it twice, and on the second time, I even saw it with a good friend of mine, Rowena. It makes next to no sense to me that they can find gay subtext in a movie like that, just because the message is "it's okay to be different".

Different >< Gay. For them to think they are the same thing is beyond me.

.:All I Can Offer You This Christmas...:.

... is the fervent desire to do right by you.

I love you very much, and I hope that I would prove to be worthy of your time and attention. Sometimes, I worry when I catch myself not treating you in the best way I could, but at the end of the day, I know I will do whatever it takes to do right by you.

No matter what, we will find a way.

Thank you for making my life just a little brighter.

Woooo!!!

.:Confirmed:.

I'm booked for a magic show on Thursday. In Villamor Air Base. Whoa. This is way cool...

.:The Hurly-Burly Of Christmas:.

Sometimes, I really feel sad about the people who equate “Merry Christmas” to “give me money”. People like those make me continue to harp about this season becoming little more than “Santamas” year in and year out.

That being said, Estelle and I did a bit of Christmas shopping in 168 today. While I’m so horrible with shopping as I practically had no idea what to get for whom, it wasn’t so bad, regardless. I suppose it could’ve been better, though.

Thanks to Estelle for today. The company was so great, I completely forgot that Radio Partners is having their Christmas party tonight, and I’m here at Tita Toots’ office instead… hehe.

.:Uneventful, But Glad:.

This weekend was relatively uneventful, but most of it was mainly spent hanging out with Elbert and Estelle, and it has really been great, seeing how we just manage to connect on a level where we really can pretty much talk about anything and everything, from psychoanalyzing each and every girl I went out or made a serious attempt to go out with, to what I did in the grocery after we talked about lactating third nipples, to prostituted students that Elbert seems to run into...

That being said, it's been a really interesting and amusing encounter with Elbert's best friend, Gabby. It wasn't exactly the most flattering of first impressions that we gave to her, but it was still all good, considering how she was mostly amused with the sheer speed at which El and I mowed topics down, one after the other.

All in all, it was pretty cool...

.:Updating My Skillset:.

I just need a bit more practice and I'll be capable of sound engineering already. Well, at least minor engineering. I still don't think I can do that for music... hehe. Still, having been able to spend time with the family by sheer luck last Sunday was a great opportunity for me to really relax and then some... heh.

Weekend Recap!

.:Urong-Sulong Ka…:.

Bakit ka ganyan?

.:Sudden Practice:.

Due to a booking that came from out of the blue, I had to practice my routine with Estelle last Friday night. Nonetheless, it was pretty smooth, and I just really had a grand time enjoying her company, for the most part.

.:Divine Providence Of Sorts...:.

I have to be extremely grateful to Christelle for this one...

After losing out on a gig for the weekend, next thing I knew, I was booked to do a magic show for a party organized by Ms. Luli Arroyo. Whoa...

Anyways, I ended up getting in touch with Ms. Kay Honasan, who asked me to prepare a magic show for a children's party, and the party definitely was an eye-opener to me, to say the least.

These kids were smart, but they were also very disciplined. While some of them knew how some tricks work, they were kind enough to let me know after the show, and not in the middle of it. I even had this nice little touch where I told them that the magic I do is something I can only do with their help.

I asked them what channel, 2 or 7, they preferred to watch. Most of them answered “2”, so I told them that the magic word for the day was going to be “Kapamilya”. It was a pretty interesting routine, because from top to bottom, the audience was just simply enthralled, whether or not they knew how the magic worked.

It was a joy to perform, and the comedy bits just came naturally. Both Mr. Bing's lessons and my personal touches came together and really got the audiences going. What really sold the whole thing was that while the kids loved the show, the adults were stunned when I did my fork bending routine, which is definitely slowly turning into my trademark of sorts.

One moment, I was doing my magic show, all kids in front of me, and next thing I knew, while I was doing Liquid Metal, all the parents were behind me. Well, it's an angle-free sequence anyways, so there's no big deal with that.

All in all, people were really happy with it, and it looks like I'd have some repeat business.

.:Taxi Tales:.

For some reason, Saturday was a pretty good day to talk to cab drivers. Whether we talked about politics or whatever else, it was definitely interesting to talk to some of them. Sometimes, it's good to be reminded that not all cab drivers are insensitive dolts after your money while forcing you to hitch a ride along their intended route.

Some of them would gladly talk to you about magic, and that's just normal, really, but the really interesting conversations I had all the time were about integrity. One of the cab drivers was talking about how he was tempted to not return a wallet containing twenty thousand pesos simply because his wife was expecting and it was probably going to be a C-Section. The money would've covered half of the operation.

Despite that, he gave it back. His wife ended up giving birth naturally, which cost only 7,000 pesos.

I guess nice guys don't always finish last, after all.

Sometimes, you can learn really powerful lessons from the places where you least expect it...

.:Yet Another Anime Convention:.

So I went to the anime convention at U.P. Diliman, and I have to admit, it was quite an event. Lots of people were there, cosplayers galore, and so forth. I even ran into some people I haven't seen in a while, such as Addy Dy, and of course, Jac.

Anyways, that day was the perfect opportunity for me to do a little bit of street magic. There I was, just really going around and approaching strangers left and right and just performing for them. I even ran into a group that came as Crazy 88, mostly high school people, and a couple of people I ran into from HHH the last time. All in all, it was pretty cool, and I got really great reactions from the audiences as I was doing my magic schtick.

I even ended up being the most photographed non-cosplayer for the day, given how many people were taking pictures of me and the magic. I especially loved it when they were shooting the hands of the people who were holding the cards for the Ultimate Transpo... it was way cool.

I suppose, the only thing that does get to me is that my personality seems to be too strong for the most introverted of people. Apparently, one of my new acquaintances has been scared away by my personality, deeming it as me coming on too strongly.

Ah, well... can't have 'em all, I suppose.

.:The First Dinner:.

I dropped by Elbert's place so we can go meet up with Johan, Myka, and Estelle together. We had dinner at Sentro, and we even ran into Sam Oh along the way, which was just way, way cool...

Anyways, the food was great, and so was the company. It felt great to finally have the chance to hang out with them after a while, since it's been really difficult for all of us to just meet up with each other due to all of our varied schedules...

Anyways, we had a great time, and the sinigang corned beef was absolutely marvelous...

.:The Second Dinner:.

Kathy asked me over for Carnivore Night, and while I got there late, I still got to play catch-up with a bit of soup and potatoes and chicken and lamb chops. Kathy can still cook up a storm.

Guest list was short and sweet. Clair, Krisette, Hrbs, then some guys from Holland named John and Martin, and, err... one other girl. I did a little magic show for them and all, and they were mostly amused, but I noticed how awesome John and Martin were at figuring tricks out. They were engineers, and they pretty much deduced some tricks I didn't think anyone could easily do it. That being said, I'd want to ask them to figure out some tricks in the future... hehehe.

Anyways, after dinner, we ended up fire spinning again, after all this time. None of us have spun in ages, but it just happened, and I did the whole gamut of moves, with my favorite one, the neck wrap.

By the time we were finished, and after Hrbs was sufficiently freaked out by the gay innuendo, especially since Clair kept on singing Michael V's “Di Ako Bakla”. Nonetheless, it was awesome doing so much all in one Saturday, pretty much including three magic shows, one anime convention, two dinners, one firespining session, and a million great conversations...

And seeing someone gush over a guy was just priceless. You don't see that everyday...

.:And So The Plot Thickened:.

Clair had to go home at three in the morning, so since I wasn't very comfortable about her safety, I just took her home and ended up spending Sunday and Monday morning there... it was funny being there, as apparently, I'm one of the few guys their dog, Panda, didn't get mad or aloof at upon first meeting. If anything, Panda was sweet towards me, and they were hypothesizing that since he's only friendly towards girls, then they have to begin doubting my immeasurable and oozing masculinity... ah, whatever. Hehe.

But yeah, it was pretty cool being there for a while. Thanks to tita Claire, Dang, and Clair, and Panda for the hospitality... =)

.:Christmas Party Again...:.

Yet another magic show came around, this time, for the Brandstream group. Well, it was pretty cool, as I did a series of effects with no genuine rhyme or reason. Despite that, I got loads of reactions from certain effects, namely Saw, Four-Dimensional Mind Read, Stigmata, the Invisible Deck, and of course, Liquid Metal. The Shapeshifter was pretty good, too... heh.

As Ogie Diaz was one of the guests, he predictably picked on me… hehehe. Oh, well.

Weekend Recap!

.:Urong-Sulong Ka…:.

Bakit ka ganyan?

.:Sudden Practice:.

Due to a booking that came from out of the blue, I had to practice my routine with Estelle last Friday night. Nonetheless, it was pretty smooth, and I just really had a grand time enjoying her company, for the most part.

.:Divine Providence Of Sorts...:.

I have to be extremely grateful to Christelle for this one...

After losing out on a gig for the weekend, next thing I knew, I was booked to do a magic show for a party organized by Ms. Luli Arroyo. Whoa...

Anyways, I ended up getting in touch with Ms. Kay Honasan, who asked me to prepare a magic show for a children's party, and the party definitely was an eye-opener to me, to say the least.

These kids were smart, but they were also very disciplined. While some of them knew how some tricks work, they were kind enough to let me know after the show, and not in the middle of it. I even had this nice little touch where I told them that the magic I do is something I can only do with their help.

I asked them what channel, 2 or 7, they preferred to watch. Most of them answered “2”, so I told them that the magic word for the day was going to be “Kapamilya”. It was a pretty interesting routine, because from top to bottom, the audience was just simply enthralled, whether or not they knew how the magic worked.

It was a joy to perform, and the comedy bits just came naturally. Both Mr. Bing's lessons and my personal touches came together and really got the audiences going. What really sold the whole thing was that while the kids loved the show, the adults were stunned when I did my fork bending routine, which is definitely slowly turning into my trademark of sorts.

One moment, I was doing my magic show, all kids in front of me, and next thing I knew, while I was doing Liquid Metal, all the parents were behind me. Well, it's an angle-free sequence anyways, so there's no big deal with that.

All in all, people were really happy with it, and it looks like I'd have some repeat business.

.:Taxi Tales:.

For some reason, Saturday was a pretty good day to talk to cab drivers. Whether we talked about politics or whatever else, it was definitely interesting to talk to some of them. Sometimes, it's good to be reminded that not all cab drivers are insensitive dolts after your money while forcing you to hitch a ride along their intended route.

Some of them would gladly talk to you about magic, and that's just normal, really, but the really interesting conversations I had all the time were about integrity. One of the cab drivers was talking about how he was tempted to not return a wallet containing twenty thousand pesos simply because his wife was expecting and it was probably going to be a C-Section. The money would've covered half of the operation.

Despite that, he gave it back. His wife ended up giving birth naturally, which cost only 7,000 pesos.

I guess nice guys don't always finish last, after all.

Sometimes, you can learn really powerful lessons from the places where you least expect it...

.:Yet Another Anime Convention:.

So I went to the anime convention at U.P. Diliman, and I have to admit, it was quite an event. Lots of people were there, cosplayers galore, and so forth. I even ran into some people I haven't seen in a while, such as Addy Dy, and of course, Jac.

Anyways, that day was the perfect opportunity for me to do a little bit of street magic. There I was, just really going around and approaching strangers left and right and just performing for them. I even ran into a group that came as Crazy 88, mostly high school people, and a couple of people I ran into from HHH the last time. All in all, it was pretty cool, and I got really great reactions from the audiences as I was doing my magic schtick.

I even ended up being the most photographed non-cosplayer for the day, given how many people were taking pictures of me and the magic. I especially loved it when they were shooting the hands of the people who were holding the cards for the Ultimate Transpo... it was way cool.

I suppose, the only thing that does get to me is that my personality seems to be too strong for the most introverted of people. Apparently, one of my new acquaintances has been scared away by my personality, deeming it as me coming on too strongly.

Ah, well... can't have 'em all, I suppose.

.:The First Dinner:.

I dropped by Elbert's place so we can go meet up with Johan, Myka, and Estelle together. We had dinner at Sentro, and we even ran into Sam Oh along the way, which was just way, way cool...

Anyways, the food was great, and so was the company. It felt great to finally have the chance to hang out with them after a while, since it's been really difficult for all of us to just meet up with each other due to all of our varied schedules...

Anyways, we had a great time, and the sinigang corned beef was absolutely marvelous...

.:The Second Dinner:.

Kathy asked me over for Carnivore Night, and while I got there late, I still got to play catch-up with a bit of soup and potatoes and chicken and lamb chops. Kathy can still cook up a storm.

Guest list was short and sweet. Clair, Krisette, Hrbs, then some guys from Holland named John and Martin, and, err... one other girl. I did a little magic show for them and all, and they were mostly amused, but I noticed how awesome John and Martin were at figuring tricks out. They were engineers, and they pretty much deduced some tricks I didn't think anyone could easily do it. That being said, I'd want to ask them to figure out some tricks in the future... hehehe.

Anyways, after dinner, we ended up fire spinning again, after all this time. None of us have spun in ages, but it just happened, and I did the whole gamut of moves, with my favorite one, the neck wrap.

By the time we were finished, and after Hrbs was sufficiently freaked out by the gay innuendo, especially since Clair kept on singing Michael V's “Di Ako Bakla”. Nonetheless, it was awesome doing so much all in one Saturday, pretty much including three magic shows, one anime convention, two dinners, one firespining session, and a million great conversations...

And seeing someone gush over a guy was just priceless. You don't see that everyday...

.:And So The Plot Thickened:.

Clair had to go home at three in the morning, so since I wasn't very comfortable about her safety, I just took her home and ended up spending Sunday and Monday morning there... it was funny being there, as apparently, I'm one of the few guys their dog, Panda, didn't get mad or aloof at upon first meeting. If anything, Panda was sweet towards me, and they were hypothesizing that since he's only friendly towards girls, then they have to begin doubting my immeasurable and oozing masculinity... ah, whatever. Hehe.

But yeah, it was pretty cool being there for a while. Thanks to tita Claire, Dang, and Clair, and Panda for the hospitality... =)

.:Christmas Party Again...:.

Yet another magic show came around, this time, for the Brandstream group. Well, it was pretty cool, as I did a series of effects with no genuine rhyme or reason. Despite that, I got loads of reactions from certain effects, namely Saw, Four-Dimensional Mind Read, Stigmata, the Invisible Deck, and of course, Liquid Metal. The Shapeshifter was pretty good, too... heh.

As Ogie Diaz was one of the guests, he predictably picked on me… hehehe. Oh, well.

Lyrically Speaking Scribbles Part III

.:Lyrically Speaking Scribbles, Part IV:.

Nakapagtataka
by Apo Hiking Society

Walang tigil ang gulo sa aking pag-iisip...

Hindi ko maunawaan kung bakit kinakailangang ganito. Away-bati. Away-bati. Nagugulumihanan ang aking pag-iisip sa nangyayari sa atin.

Ang bilis.

Ang bagal.

Ang tamis.

Ang pait.

Ang lahat-lahat.

Mula nang tayo´y nagpasyang maghiwalay...

Nawawala, bumabalik. Heto na naman. Heto na naman ang matinding kirot sa aking dibdid, ngayong nakikita ko muli kung ano ang nangyayari sa atin.

Palagi na lamang may humahadlang. Palagi na lang may balakid. Kahit mawala pa ang lahat ng mga humahadlang sa ating paligid, tayo mismo ang humaharang pa rin sa sarili nating kaligayahan.

Bakit ganito? Bakit kailangang magpaalam?

Nagpaalam pagkat hindi tayo bagay...

Na kahit mayroong nadarama... puso't isipa'y magkaiba...

Marahil nga, hindi lang laan sa isa't-isa.

O marahil, hindi lang tayo nagsikap ng sapat...

Hindi ko alam. Hindi ko talaga alam kung kulang pa ang ating ginawa para sa ating dalawa.

Nakapagtataka, oh...

Nakapagtataka talaga. Nandito pa rin ang damdamin ko para sa iyo. Ayaw mawala. Hindi maibsan. Kahit ilang beses na tayong nagkasakitan, sa napipintong pagdating ng
Pasko, lalo lamang ako nangungulila para sa iyo.

Hanggang ngayon, kahit na ganito pa ang nangyayari sa atin.

Kung bakit ganito ang aking kapalaran Di ba´t ilang ulit ka nang nagpaalam...

Puro na lang paalam. Puro na lang "tama na". Puro na lang "ayoko na".
Ilang beses mo na iyan nasabi sa akin, at ako naman si tanga, paulit-ulit naniniwalang ito na nga ang huling beses kitang makakausap o masisilayan man lang.

Pero maya't-maya, lalapit ka na naman. At kahit sino pa ang mali, ako pa rin si tanga, tatanggapin ang iyong alok na muling mag-usap, na umaasang sa likong paraan, maunawaan mo kung gaano kahalaga ka sa akin. Na sana, sa likong paraan, maantig ka naman sa mga nangyayari sa atin...

Ito na nga ba ang huling beses? Parang hindi. Kilala na kita. Babalik at babalik ka rin...

At bawat paalam ay puno ng iyakan
Nakapagtataka, nakapagtataka...

Bawat paglisan mo ay tila ang unang beses.

Hindi na ako natuto.

Nakapagtataka talaga.

CHORUS:

Hindi ka ba napapagod, O di kaya´y nagsasawa...

Pagod na ako. Sobrang pagod sa paulit-ulit na nangyayari sa atin. Para tayong sirang plaka na walang kahahantungan kundi ito ng ito ng ito ng ito lamang.

Nakakapagod. Nakakasawa. Ngunit ano ba ang iba kong magagawa maliban sa umasa? Iyon na nga lang ang kaya kong pangahawakan, eh.

Sa ating mga tampuhang Walang hanggang katapusan...

Away-bati. Away-bati. Wala na nga bang katapusan ang ganitong pakikipag-ugnayan sa iyo?

Sana naman, hindi. Sana naman, matanggap mo na lang na tunay ang damdamin ko, at wala ka sa lugar na ako pa ang iyong pagdudahan.

Sino ka ba?

Sa tingin mo ba, may mapapala ka sa kadududa mo sa aking katapatan, samantalang mas dadali ang buhay nating dalawa kung kapwa na lang tayo makisama sa isa't-isa?

Ewan ko sa iyo. Ang labo mo.

Napahid na ang mga luha, Damdamin at puso´y tigang...

Hindi ko na makuhang iyakan ka pa. Siguro, unti-unti na akong namamanhid sa paulit-ulit mong pag-alis at pagbalik, sa paulit-ulit mong pagbawi ng sarili mong mga salita.
Hindi ko na nga alam kung bakit pa ako naniniwala sa iyo, eh. Ang tanga ko rin talaga minsan.

Pero ganun, eh.

Kasi mahal pa rin kita, kahit ganito ang nangyayari sa atin.

Wala nang maibubuga, Wala na ´kong maramdaman...

Minsan talaga, namamanhid na lang ako na tila ba wala na akong madamang galit o sakit o takot o kahit anupaman.

Minsan, kinakabahan ako na nasasanay na ako na puro ganito na lang ang napapala ko sa pagmamahal ng isang tao.

Akala ko pa naman, magiging iba ka sa kanila. Na magiging totoo ka sa iyong mga salita, at mauunawaan mong hinding-hindi ako magkukubli sa iyo ng tunay kong nadarama.

BRIDGE:

Kung tunay tayong nagmamahalan Ba´t di tayo magkasunduanOh, oh...

Kahit naman hindi tayo nagmamahalan, hindi man lang ba natin makuhang magkaunawaan?

Away-bati. Away-bati. Bakit masyado tayong mapagbigay sa isa't-isa at paulit-ulit tayong nagpapatawaran, ngunit sa dulo, lalo lang tayo nagkakasamaan ng loob?

Hindi ba natin kayang mabago ito?

Huli na ba ang lahat para sa ating dalawa?

Walang tigil ang ulan At nasaan ka, araw...

Ang hirap ngumiti kung umpisa pa lang ng araw, sirang-sira na dahil sa
dinadala mo.

Nakakalula din kung gaano kabilis ang mga naging pangyayari, at ngayon, para bang hindi na bumalik ang sinag ng araw sa buhay ko...

Napano na´ng pag-ibig sa isa´t-isa Wala na bang nananatiling pag-asaNakapagtataka, saan ka napunta?

Oo, tanggap ko naman na hindi mo nadarama ang nadarama ko para sa iyo.
Pero kailangan mo bang pagdudahan ang aking katapatan?

Masakit. Nakakainsulto. Ano ba ang karapatan mo para idikta sa akin kung paano ako dapat nakakadama?

Sana naman, hinay-hinay ka lang sa puso ko. Masyado na akong nasasaktan minsan sa ginagawa mo, eh, tapos ikaw pa ang may ganang magalit...

Kung tunay tayong nagmamahalan, o nagmahalan man lang, o magmamahaln pa lang, o anupaman, bakit hindi natin makuhang magkaunawaan? Bakit hindi natin makayanang magkasunduan?

Sana naman, napapagod ka na rin sa paulit-ulit nating mga tampuhan. Sana naman, maisip mo na wala tayong mapapala kung patuloy lang tayo sa kahibangang ito. Maawa naman tayo sa ating mga sarili. Tama na. Sobra na.

Ayokong humantong sa puntong bato na ako sa iyo. Ayokong humantong sa puntong kamumuhian kita at nanaiisin kong lahat ng kamalasan ay dumalaw sa iyong buhay. Wala tayong mapapala kung ganoon...

Sana naman... hindi naman ito para sa akin lang... para sa atin ito.

Salamat sa iyong panahon.

Ranting...

.:Unprofessional Bastiches:.

You know, it's extremely unprofessional and completely uncalled for to book someone for a hosting gig and expect them to block off their schedule for you only for you to back out on him like the unprofessional bastiches that you are.

That's opportunity cost. Not only did you screw him out of the hosting deal you worked out, you screwed him out of getting other gigs for that matter, since he blocked his schedule off for you.

Screw you. Hopefully, your party becomes a miserable dreck of crap like the kind of people that you are.

.:You Have No Right To Judge How I Feel:.

Who are you to cast doubts on my feelings just because you feel differently?

Who the hell are you to think that my feelings are any less true, or any less significant, or any less meaningful, because it was a conscious choice I made, and not just a product of impulsiveness?

Contrary to how your warped viewpoint sees it, people can actually choose who they love. That's exactly why people who know better aren't entirely thrilled about arranged marriages precisely because they intend to choose who to get with or who to marry.

People can't help but fall in love sometimes. It's rarely a choice, whether or not to fall in love, and yet people who want to stay single find ways, find excuses, find whatever it takes to not fall in love. Be it the most superficial of flaws, be it turning the other person to hatred so that one's conscience is placated, whatever.

I made a fucking choice. So what? Is it any less true, is it any less meaningful, that I chose to love? How dare you insinuate that making a choice makes it insignificant, when the lack of choice precisely implies a lack of freedom. That you couldn't have loved anyone else any which way you look at it, and you had no choice.

What is beautiful about being shoehorned into a destiny you had no say in? What is beautiful about loving someone not because you believed them to be right for you, but only because they came along and you couldn't help but love them?

Screw that. I don't want to just be a victim of chance for all my life. I choose to love someone, and that is precisely what makes it beautiful. That I could just have my pick of anyone, or choose someone who'd love me back because it's easy, or just let my feelings be dictated by circumstances; all of this underscores that because I chose to love you, you are special. That despite all the circumstances and variables and whatever else, I still love you.

I don't choose to love you because of the circumstances surrounding us. I choose to love you in spite of it. If there is only one thing you have to understand, let that be it.

Otherwise, as choosing to love can happen, choosing not to love is equally possible...

... and arguably just as difficult.

It's Been A Long Time...

.:I Understand...:.

... more than ever, that there needs to be a foundation for you to be worth fighting for.

Initial attraction is rarely, if ever, enough to make someone just say "to Hades with the risks" and fight for you tooth and nail. There has to be more than that. They have to see you as worth it not just because of what you initially seem to be, but with who they think you really are.

It's not an issue of whether or not you are truly worth fighting for.

It's an issue of whether or not they know you well enough to even determine for themselves what the deal is.

Someday, I hope to find someone who wouldn't just be someone I could love and treasure.

Someday, I hope to find someone who would take the time out to know for herself if I truly am worth fighting for.

Otherwise, I guess there really is no point for me to just continue pining on empty when one would rather curtail it when they think of me all the time, or when they feel the slightest bit of desire to want to be with me when the going is bad.

Wouldn't it normally be taken as a good thing if you knew someone was willing to cheer you up when you've been having a bad day? Wouldn't it be normally taken as a good thing that thinking of someone makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside?

But it's sad, because even after all that, you're still not worth fighting for.

And maybe, just maybe, you never were, and you just refused to recognize it.

.:Bonding With Friends...:.

Had a grand time with Debbie and Camz and Exstelle at Cubao, where we rediscovered our childhood by going to Fiesta Carnival. I rode a couple of rides, the most terrifying (and painful!) being the one that looked like a massive spinning disc that just tossed you around and almost compacted my spine, even.

Debbie was particularly surprised when she found out that I already do magic, and really loved the routine, even if I mainly did card magic, which isn't really my strongest suit. I spent the night over at her place, and saw Dominique after a while. It was pretty cool, all things considered.

A few days later, I dropped by Elbert's place after a long time, and that was really great. It's pretty nice hanging out with him and Estelle, although of course...

...

...

... I digress.

.:Thanks!:.

A friend gave me a call to cheer me up because I texted her that I was so stressed with this week's playlist requirement. Lo and behold, they really want us to do this whole mess for no more than two hours, and that's just not going to be a mean feat, to say the least...

In any case, I'm very grateful to Row for having been there for me lately. It's been an amazing two months of just reconnecting with you, and I'm hoping that things just continue to get better and better. For now, all I have on my side is hope.

.:A Photo Shoot...:.

Whoah. Looks like I'll be showing up for Seventeen Magazine in line with the fact that I'm going to be featured as one of those "freelance guys" you always hear about, except they're going to focus on the fact that I'm actually a magician.

They took pictures of me while I had my cards fanned out.

And ONLY with my cards fanned out.

No, I'm just kidding, really. Seriously speaking, I'm just really happy about it because the girl who photographed me actually has a bar, and I know I can do magic in bars with no problems whatsoever. Just going from table to table shouldn't be a problem for me, as I have a lot of good magic standbys to put to use.

This is a good start lined up for the coming year. Let's hope I can follow up on it well enough, because while I was there with Tata and Monica from Summit, I really gave them a demonstration of a few good effects I've been putting to good use. I did the Lightning Box, I did Kaos, I did Stigmata, and I did the Ultimate Transpo, which is quickly becoming a personal favorite of mine already. It's quick, simple, and a very effective magic trick for impromptu.

Thoughtful...

.:Thieves:.

Sure, it's only twenty bucks, but the theft in my room the other day pretty much proves that I still have someone stealing from me every chance they get.

I'm tempted to figure out some way of catching him red-handed. Maybe UV rays would work, provided I can spritz some substance on my money that'd register under a UV ray...

Preferably, it should be something that doesn't wash off easy.

I guess it should be obvious why I'm none too pleased about this crud...

.:Trolls:.

To those playing Marvel vs. Capcom 2, how do you feel about hearing from a guy non-stop that he's so good with Hayato he can own Cable with ease?

What a laugh.

.:Terrible:.

And she wonders why I'm upset.

Gee, whiz, maybe she shouldn't have pushed me away from meeting her again in the first place...

Isn't it just my luck that this always happens? I honestly can't help but feel very frustrateed that this happened again...

It boggles the mind how these Indian givers can even act indgnant after what they've done...

.:Twenty-Four Times Two:.

That'd be forty-eight. And that is one of the biggest reasons why I can't keep away from Pinoy Dream Academy, which has been a source of riveting TV for me.

I don't really know, nor do I care if the singers from Philippine Idol are better. The fact of the matter is that the personalities in PDA are very riveting, and sir Jim's presence as Headmaster just gives the whole thing an air of legitimacy.

A couple of weeks ago, sir Jim started assigning the forty-eight hour assignment to the scholar of the Academy. This assignment involved them pretending it was the last forty-eight hours of their life, and acting accordingly.

If you knew you'd die in two days, what loose ends would you want to tie up? Who would you talk to, apologize to, forgive, profess your love to? Or would you just sit idly by and let those forty-eight hours pass you by as if it didn't matter what would happen at the end of it?

When sir Jim gave us this assignment for Creativity Class in Ateneo around four years ago, it was a turning point for me. It was that point in my life where I realized life was too short to harbor petty grudges and petulant caprices. From that point on, while I may still act petty at times, I never lose sight at the end of the day that there is a bigger picture that remains to be seen.

It's been two years since I graduated from Ateneo, and yet I still carry valuable lessons with me. Lessons I learned from great teachers like sir Jim, or ma'am Sining, or Jon Bulaong.

And the more I watch PDA on television, the more I completely go against my usual "Pure Kapuso" viewing habits when I watch local TV, the more I miss the academe. The more I long to return there and to remind everyone that the academe is precisely where I thrive.

Sometimes, I really just wonder...

P.S. Vote for Rosita. She's just so much fun to watch. =P

Long-Delayed...

.:TOEInty Tears Up Eastwood!:.

Before The Competition

Eastwood came to life as TOEI Philippines celebrated its twentieth year with a group cosplay competition to end all group cosplay competitions.

While yes, Hataw Hanep Hero at World Trade Center was a bigger, more well-publicized event, I have to say that the stops were really pulled out at Eastwood, where we were treated to masterpiece presentations, from top to bottom.

In any case, I got there in the afternoon, after the kid cosplay competition and in the middle of the dubbing competition finals. The ones I saw were pretty good, though I really wished I would've had the chance to see how the “Battle Royale” team did...

So that being said, my partner Juno and I stood around for a while with the cosplayers before we finally got to the floats which was going to start the festivities for the evening. While there, we ended up sharing the float with two girls from the Airgear cosplay group.

Well, to be honest, one of the girls rubbed us the wrong way. She was rambling on and on about wanting to be a supermodel and stuff, and then she made it a point to remind everyone she had a boyfriend so everyone can back off from her when they approach her, which was kinda counterproductive to her cosplaying.

To top it all off, she even fainted and got her own team eliminated. I'm pretty sure supermodels don't faint before they go on the catwalk, and if they did, they really should reconsider their career... heh.


Here It Comes!

After the parade, we spent a bit of time with a briefing where we worked out the lineup of presentations and got ready for the main event. Juno was in costume, but I tried to pass myself off as one of the Voltes V guys who'd always wear cowboy clothes. Yeah, yeah. What a sneaky way to get away with not cosplaying, but whaddaheck.

The crowd was incredibly responsive. No matter at what point in the show, they were definitely hot for the presentations all night long and the crowd refused to thin out for as long as the decision wasn't handed out.

Performances were spectacular. You had awesome choreography from the One Piece guys, insane comedy from the Dragonball crew, and so on and so forth, but the crème de la crème would have to be the Zodiacs group who presented Saint Seiya in musical fashion, the second Super Robot Wars team that had lots of breakaway props they put to interesting use for fight scenes, and of course, the runaway winner by far was the Shaider team, which blew everyone away. They were a group that cosplayed for the first time, and nobody expected costumes this accurate, choreography this meticulous, and an overall presentation that completely felt like an actual episode of Shaider. The crowd was deafening when it came to them.

Michael V was the celebrity guest judge, and it was really awesome. The crowd was really into the whole presentation, and despite a long technical gaff at some point, the crowd sat there patiently. In fact, I even ended up doing Liquid Metal, which led to me cutting my thumb, bringing my total of injuries that night to two. You see, I kinda landed real bad on my foot when I got off the float before the show... heh.

In any case, the people out there were also amused when they heard the ever-famous “Some call these men the greatest entertainers on Earth...” spiel. It was a riot, as I managed to get away with that while one of the bands were getting ready.

And of course, kudos to the bands who performed as well, and special mention has to go to Neotaku and X vs. Zero. You guys are awesome.

For more pictures, do check the other entries all over LJ land about the TOEI festival, and for videos, check out YouTube, and search with TOEInty. The Shaider presentation is an absolute treat.

Congratulations, everyone!

.:Happy Feet Is A Must-See:.

Awesome, awesome movie! Well, so was “Fight Club”, and I have to thank Tita Toots, Tito Fort, and of course, Bessie Estelle for that. It was a really great Sunday...

.:New Phone. Finally:.

It's about bloody time, I guess. Thanks to my mom for that one...

Hehehehhee..

.:160 Gigabytes! Wheee!!!:.

My uncle bought me a spanking new hard drive for use with my laptop. I am beside myself with joy.

Not just that, he even got me a fan for my laptop to keep it from overheating. I am just stunned. =)

Thanks, uncle Raymund! You're the absolute best.

.:Film Review: Borat:.

Borat:
This movie film certified funny humor for human watching by the greatest country in the world of Kazakhstan..

Watched this movie with a friend from grade school, and I just can't believe how floored everybody was by the film. The film was a laugh a minute and it wasn't really going to make much sense for me to tell you what happens in the movie, since it spoils the enjoyment.

Let's put it this way... Borat is a reporter from Kazakhstan, and he went to the United States to discover more about American culture. The glaring cultural differences, from the very blatant anti-Semitism, to the lopsided male-female dynamic, and so forth, all add up to a very hilarious but politically incorrect romp through America as Borat discovers Pamela Anderson and attempts to marry her...

I loved the whole dynamic of Borat trying to get married to Pam. It was just hilarious, and the way he kept on ticking people off along the way was classic... it's a nice commentary on how hypocritical people can really be when they are just being forced to subscribe to norms they really don't believe in deep down.

I don't wanna talk about it much beyond that. If you're not easily offended by very politically incorrect humor, give this movie a shot. It's a genuine laugh-a-minute film.

And, oh. Leave your brain at the door.

And, errr... get ready for one of the most disturbing man-man scenes you will ever see.

Marcelle's Critical Evaluation: B
Marcelle's Fun Evaluation: A+

I'm Bringing Sexy Back... (Yeah!)

.:It's A Bit Of An LSS...:.

Edited the lyrics for relevance... :P

I'll Just Post (To Say I Love You)
by Stevie Wonder

No new year's day
To celebrate
No chocolate covered candy hearts to give away
No first of spring
No song to sing
In fact heres just another ordinary day
No April rain
No flowers bloom
No wedding saturday within the month of June
But what it is
Is something true
Made up of these three words that I must say to you

CHORUS:
I'll just post to say I love you
I'll just post to say how much I care
I'll just post to say I love you
And I mean it from the bottom of my heart

No summer's high
No warm july
No harvest moon to light one tender August night
No autumn breeze
No falling leaves
No even time for birds to fly to southern skies
No Libra sun
No Halloween
No giving thanks to all the Christmas joy you bring
But what it is
Though old so new
To fill your heart like no three words could ever do.

(Repeat CHORUS x 2)

Of my heart
Of my heart

Stevie Wonder is God. How can he not be? God is love. Love is blind. Stevie Wonder is blind, so w00t!!!

But I digress...

You know who you are.

For no other reason than because I dare to choose, and even if you may not feel the same way as I do...

I give you all the power in the world to hurt me. To break my heart completely and utterly. And there is no other person in this planet at this very moment I would want to say this to more...

I love you, I love you, I love you. I love you a whole lot more than I ever thought I still could possibly love someone.

Quick Thoughts...

.:Lookie This...:.

We're premiering something v-ery interesting by next year...

You like it?

.:Under The Weather...:.

I was supposed to be back at work by today, but due to some bad conditions, I'm still very sick up to now...

Despite that, I still am finishing some playlists, and I took the time out to meet up with Elbert, Camz, and Estelle in MegaMall. It was fun, really. I mean, how else can I possibly describe the feeling of being with my wonderful friends? =)

I especially am grateful to Elbert, by the way, for the Magic DVD compilation that he gave to me... it was definitely awesome, to say the least.

.:Genuinely Worried:.

Hey, Cami!

I know things aren't going so well where you are right now, and I fully understand how it can get lonely being in the States where people who care about you are so far away. I understand how difficult it can get from time to time, and I want you to know that though we are really far apart, I really am hoping for the best for you.

You made a decision to stay there and you stuck by it. As your friend, I can only support you in whatever you choose to do, but know that if ever you miss hearing from here, I'm one of those people you can get in touch with, anytime, anywhere. You've been an awesome awesome friend since college, and I'm sure by now you know that geographic boundaries can't possibly stop us from keeping in touch. =)

You'll be fine. Your friends will keep on being there for you every step of the way. Don't ever let the distance, the loneliness, and the boredom get you down, because you know that it'd all be worth it in the end. You're a great person, and it's only a matter of time before you get what is due to you.

Take care, Cami! I'm just around. =)

Celebrate!!!

.:It's His Party, And He'll Cry If He Wants To:.

Elbert never quite knew what he walked into when he got to Kolumn Bar, and saw a sampling of some of his friends inside the bar. The celebrant most certainly was clueless all the while, and this is considering that his not-so-quiet friends were around him all this time.

So I went to that party with Camy, and since I had to drop by her house before we headed off to Kolumn, I was introduced to her cousine, Lianne. I was, err... stymied. Camy was reminding me she was 16, though. But yeah, enough of that. Haha.

So we got there, and soon enough, guests were arriving, albeit sporadically. Despite that, it was still a good turnout, as we had people like Alex, Camz, and so forth, plus by the time the celebrant got there, he was nothing short of stunned.

First bit of entertainment for the night was a dance number from Francis, my brother. It was really odd, since if you think about it, Francis and Elbert don't really know each other, particularly because they've prolly met only once or twice beforehand. Anyways, Francis performed “Like I Love You” by Justin Timberlake, and now, we pretty much know who got the dancing genes in the family. Sure as Hades wasn't me.

Elbert was still dumbstruck, and it hasn't really registered to him yet what was going on. Johan and Estelle took care of the hosting duties, and it was really cool that Johan proved exactly what I felt: he'd have made a great jock at NU if he just gave it a try. In between bits of entertainment, they were reading some very interesting testimonials from quite a number of people, and of course, Elbert was piping up in between the very amusing anecdotes. I especially liked Elsie's testimonial, for the record...

Anyways, after this one, Stanley Chi had a stand-up comedy routine for Elbert, and it was pretty hilarious, in my opinion. This was followed by poetry reading, and all the while, Elbert was getting all emotional, since that one came from his best friend, Gabby, who is currently in Singapore, if memory serves me right. In between these key points, we had the celebrant go upstage as Neil played for him to sing. Unfortunately, he decided to get me involved, and well, we ended up doing “Ang Huling El Bimbo”, by the Eraserheads, before I turned the mike over to him so he can sing “Panahon Na Naman Ng Pag-Ibib”. Pretty cool, really, as he ended up being a surprised number.

Afterwards, I went back to do my magic show, which was hampered by the lighting, although at least now, El knows that the reason I did magic again was for his party. Except for one trick (I just exposed the secret for them since it didn't work out.), everything went perfectly smooth. The whole X-Men patter worked to a “T”, and they especially loved the disappearing deck box, Indecent, and Liquid Metal. Throughout the rest of the night, I was doing magic tricks for other friends of Elbert, and even for Ciudad, who really enjoyed Mindbender and Liquid Metal. I was glad I brought a lot of forks that night...

So anyways, performances continued, and lo and behold, Narda was there, with the inimitable Ca2 Librando. It was my first time to see her perform live, as it was her first time to see me perform my magic as well. Well, c'est la vie. Narda was such a joy to listen to, and this was considering how the band was already supposedly disbanded, but since it was El's birthday, it didn't matter and his friends really just pulled out all the stops. He was especially teary-eyed upon hearing that there was going to be a performance from Narda, and I think he got even more struck by the acts to follow.

All El really wanted was that Estelle would, for once, sing in public, but this was more than his wildest dreams could've ever hoped for. Not only did Estelle sing a divine set, she and the rest of El's friends even made this huge gathering possible. Since Estelle and Johan were a bit winded after that bit and they were buying time for Ciudad to get there, April and I ended up taking over for hosting duties a bit, which resulted in a lot of laughs, especially when I went on the homoerotic tangent once again. They were laughing when I said I declined to host because I felt I was going to end up getting overexposed, and it turns out I was right.

After a while, it was Ciudad's turn, and Elbert melted on the spot, especially when he got the chance to jam with them during the song called “Strawberry Jam”. You just had to be there, seriously. El was really giddy like a five-year old kid let loose in a candy shop, and there was no better sign that the party was on the right track, by my estimate.

Elbert even got Vin, Andrew, and Jamie, who were his backup singers for his acapella segment, where he sang Jason Mraz's “You And I Both”, followed by Billy Joel's “The Longest Time”, and what without any practice whatsoever. It was definitely cool, to say the least. =)

The last performance for the night was really just from the heart, as we sang “With A Smile”, and I humored them by hitting the high falsetto notes to the detriment of my voice... heh.

All in all, it was an awesome night that I'm sure would remain with El for a long, long time. His speech at the end of the night really said all that needed to be said, and I was more than happy for him... it couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.

More Things To Bring Up...

.:Happy Birthday!:.

Well, it's Elbert's birthday. I hope he has a great day today...

.:Starstruck:.

While hanging out at Mr. Bing's shop and hearing him give me a good lecture on building up before aiming too high, a very surprising sight showed up.

He looked familiar to me, and it turned out that he was actually Anthony Billan Co, aka the father of Mindbender.

I was starstruck, and I was especially pleased when he gave his nod of approval to me with my planned routine...

Soon enough though, I heard Anthony and Mr. Bing talk about very interesting topics about other magicians.

Now I know what kind of a firebrand Mr. Bing really is... I guess he can really bruise a lot of egos, and that's why not too many people in the magic circles like him, since it's mostly still an industry of egos...

Well, I don't mind. I don't have the right to claim I'm some great magician just yet, anyways...

.:I'm Sorry...:.

We can't be friends right now, because it just hurts too much...

I'm sorry. I guess when hearts are on the line, it's just too hard to make a clean transition from one to the other.

I really am sorry...

Sigh...

.:Dry Run:.

Looks like my routine for the next gig is almost perfect. I already did a nice little run-through of it with Estelle, and I think she enjoyed it quite a bit. I ended up falling asleep at her house, though, although I was strongly reminded by it that I just cannot, for the life of me, take being in an airconditioned room... it's just way too cold for me. Heh.

.:At Long Last:.

I ended up meeting JB, one of my best friends from back in college, last Saturday. It was mainly me, Elbert, and her, and as usual, El hit it off very well with anyone I introduce him to, and vice versa. That made for a very interesting night, where I heard quite a bit about how JB has been doing and that almost immediately after her Masters in Economics, she's working for the government already. It's unbelievable, really, as she's just on the up and up. Hopefully, I find some similar progress in my academic career by next year...

Nonetheless, it's been practically two years since I've last seen JB, so it was really awesome to meet her again and just act as if we never missed a beat at all. And of course, because we had dinner at Gerry's Grill, it ended up being the case that I finally satisfied my craving for their grilled squid, which was just marvelous to enhance our conversations.

Elbert did most of the asking, really, since I think he was even more intrigued by JB's new career path, as it does seem like she's doing a rather exciting, or at the very least, interesting job. While I can't entirely be sure how great the conditions of the job are, and although JB doesn't seem to be a big fan of the kind of work she does, I'm still of the opinion that it's only a matter of time before she blazes that trail only she can, because quite honestly now, she really does have what it takes to get to wherever she wants to.

And, oh, El and I ran into Clair by pure accident on the way...

.:The Continuation:.

After dinner, we ended up going to Elbert's place so that we could hang out there since I had to wait for a call from my uncle, as well as wait for Myka and Johan, who would be dropping by so we could just talk to each other.

That being said, things were pretty mundane, but the comedy was golden, because Elbert played his usual “you are so not funny but I'll force myself to laugh anyways” routine, which grabs people all the frigging time. Nonethelesss, my uncle called up soon enough, and it turns out I had a lot of clerical errors I have to address for the next time.

So anyways, JB really enjoyed the company of my friends which made me glad because despite the fact that it's been a couple of years already, things are still going well between me and her. I know she'd continue to be super busy in the future, but keeping in touch with her would be so much easier if only she would go on her LJ more.

If all else fails, we could always just go on a text brigade and make sure we're coordinated... heh.

Thanks for the wonderful time, JB! You're bound to be doing awesome things sooner than you'd think. =)

One-Track Mind...

.:Wowed:.

While playlist-making has definitely exhausted me a lot today (I've been up since midnight yesterday.), I still managed to be on semi-performance mode on that day as I actually went ahead and did Stigmata, Indecent, and a few other simple tricks that really got them, including the ever-reliable two-card monte.

Anyways, that being said, I'm glad I met up with Jay to learn how to perform Stigmata better. It's a very good effect, and can really freak people out. Stigmata is just one for the books, to say the least. Indecent needs some more practice, but it's definitely a shocker when pulled off perfectly.

I'm very happy about my steady improvement at performing magic. One can hope that this is a sign of good things to follow...

Hah!

.:Movie Premiere Updates:.

Well, the official date for the premiere of Happy Feet is November 18, 2006, around 3 or 4 in the afternoon in Robinson's Galleria.

That conflicts with my hosting of the TOEI cosplay event.

That being said, I guess this simply means I will probably only have two tickets to give away on that day, since I won't be there to finagle extra ones, which means that only Clair and JM are accounted for, sadly.

My apologies for the snafu due to my schedule...

After Happy Feet, we are going to premiere on November 20 (That's a Monday.) Borat. I wanna see that film myself...

.:Prophets Welcome:.

In the past few days, I've spoken about how my sense of wonder is mainly that which allows me to have such a strong affinity for magic. The way I see the universe unravel itself and remind me that there are still a myriad things I can never hope to explain is one of the appeals performing magic instills in me.

Last Saturday though, when I ran into Rhoda, Rachel, and Bernadette (Gradeschool classmates of mine, mostly.), I discovered yet another quality magicians seem to have that may or may not be endemic to magicians...

I remember an old saying that goes, “a prophet is never welcome in his own land”, and for the most part, it seems to ring true in just about any career. You go back to people who've known you for so long, and even if you're the president of the country, or a lawyer, or a doctor, these people would still remember you as the “weird kid”, or the “nerd”, or the “geek”, or whatever other not-so-flattering trait you might have possessed at the time.

It's not necessarily a bad thing, in that they remind you rather strongly of how you started off, lest you get too big for your own britches. No matter how famous you may turn out to be, no matter how successful, your “own land” will never let you forget what it took for you to get to where you are, although at times, the fact that they can't quite perceive this “weirdo” to be a lawyer now, or that the president of the country used to be the resident “freak”, all of these tend to remind you how hard it can be at times to break free from the past.

And yet, magicians seem to be, based on my experience, immune to this, insofar as their magic goes.

I remember that I wasn't exactly one of the favorite people of the girls from Don Bosco Sta. Mesa, mainly because of how annoying my personality was back then, and to some extent, still is.

In spite of that not-so-great reputation, the moment I started performing for them, it was as if they met me for the first time in their lives. They were freaking out at some of the tricks I was performing, and never in my wildest dreams did I expect a reaction from them like that, as I was working under the knowledge that they knew me so well and for so long already, and how they knew me was anything but as someone to gape at.

While it may be quite the ego booster, even more than just that, I really felt that the small performance I made awakened their sense of wonder as well, both in the realm of magic, and the fact that despite having known me for thirteen years or so, there's still so much they have yet to discover, and vice versa.

A prophet, for once, welcome in his own land.

Ah, life. Abracadabra may not always work instantly, but more often than not, it still works, regardless.

It's the things you do with your life that makes magic possible. It's the things that you believe in despite adversity that makes miracles possible.

Wheeee....

.:A Four-Day Weekend... I Had To...:.

So I decided to take a leave today, mainly because I was going to have a bunch of meetings to attend and I needed to have ample sleep to get through it all. Truth be told, it's an opportunity for me to just finally get off on the right foot with my work outside of radio.

I'm supposed to be hosting the TOEI cosplay convention next Saturday. That ought to be very interesting, to say the least.

.:Tournament Progress:.

After a bunch of bad tournaments, I finally had one that landed me in the Top 8. Doomsday, apparently, is still as fearsome as always.

In fact, my luck pushed it all the way to the Top 4, where I almost stole a win from Lauren via Quickening Tendrils on his turn, except of course, he had Force Of Will ready for that.

All in all, it was a fun tournament. I managed to practice Indecent, Saw, and Mindbender on them all, and truth be told, I've definitely improved a whole lot with my performance, and I've especially improved at the patter, which means I can definitely do very well for the next time I have to do an actual show.

.:Happy Coincidence:.

So I was supposed to watch a movie at Estelle's place with her last Saturday, but I inevitably got delayed by a happy coincidence.

While I was about to cross the street from Mega A to Mega B, I saw what looked like a Korean girl who was giving me the eye. Now, that being said, I was considering making an introduction or something since I actually brought all my magic paraphernalia, but as I was working up my courage to talk to her, she ended up turning to me, and then said, “Marcelle”.

In a flash, I recognized who she was. It was Rhoda Acosta, a grade school classmate of mine, and one of the most wonderful girls from Don Bosco Sta. Mesa.

So I let her under my umbrella, and we walked to the other side, where I ended up hanging out with her at Starbucks, although we were actually waiting for her friends, who were also my batchmates from DBS. Rachel Obfenda was one of them, whom I've been trying to contact for ages, and Bernadette Eustaquio, who came with her boyfriend.
So we sat there and caught up on news with each other, although on top of that, I decided to demonstrate some magic for them.

Needless to say, they were floored. Stigmata, the Coin Box (Which I botched.), and Mindbender got amazing reactions. Of course, Saw also made them freak out. Heh. It was fun, really, and the more I do this stuff, the more I realize that it was an investment worth making...

Surprises....

.:Guess What Movie We're Premiering?:.

You know you want it.

.:Amusingly Enough...:.

Well, the day was mostly non-happening, but I found the time to meet up with Estelle and ND for an excursion to Ali Mall for the evening. That one turned out pretty well, simply because I managed to pick up some nice insights for magic performances I could do in the future.

I understand though that some not-so-good occurrences have been going on with Mr. Bing, and I wouldn't want to contribute to that, so I'm taking his advice and being cautious of other magicians, especially since they could potentially hurt his business.

It's really cutthroat, and it saddens me that just because they're magicians, they would involve themselves in trickery to deceive a man out of a decent living...

Or were they simply tricksters who thought they could do magic because of their misconstrued perception of what magic is all about?

Either way, I just find it sad.

.:Relatives Rock:.

After that excursion to Ali Mall, Estelle, ND, and I went to Tierra Pura so I can deliver the playlists to my uncle. What was amusing about this was the fact that my grandparents were actually there.

So my grandparents and my uncle got to know ND and Estelle, and I'm happy to say that good impressions were all around... that's great, really.

In any case, it's been a great couple of days. One can only hope that business picks up now that even my uncle and grandparents have seen me do magic and do it well. =)

I'm Glad

.:Oh, Noes:.

I overslept, woke up at five, and had to get to work despite missing out on my on-air stuff because I had to do office work and so forth. Grr.

On top of that, I can't find my flashdisk again. I hate it when something like that happens. It's such an unnecessary burden.

Nonetheless, my gratitude for Elbert for letting me work at his place. Despite the unintended nap, I am still wrapping my work up right on schedule, and that's the beauty of it all.

.:Dry Run:.

Minus the patter, I do believe I have a pretty good routine to use for any magic shows I'd end up doing in the future, and in meeting up with Mich and Carlo yesterday, I managed to put that routine to the test.

I did all of the important stuff for my routine over the two hours I was reconnecting with Mich and Carlo, and it was really great to have a captive audience who enjoyed what they saw. It was definitely one of the best things about being a perform: they enjoy.

Whether they know what is really happening before their eyes, or whether they're just plain gullible, it's the way you perform that makes it not matter whether or not they know how it's done.

After the couple of hours I spent with them, I got back to working on my playlists, but for the most part, it was an awesome day...

... having Rowena tell me she was listening to me this morning only helped make it even better. =)

Sigh...

.:Whoops!:.

Three weeks whizzed by so fast. I didn't even realize my vacation is over already, and now, I'm back to work. Oh, well. Them's the breaks, I guess.

.:Interestingly Enough...:.

Last Friday night, I actually hung out at a friend's house, and we took the time out to talk about various concerns about various matters, albeit matters of the heart took the biggest share of the pie.

Nonetheless, I also demonstrated to her what is arguably the most powerful card trick that I learned, the Mind Bender, which I definitely would love to be able to put to good use, given its sheer strength when being displayed out in the open.

In any case, we really have been communicating fairly well as of late, and the more I hear her stories about people, the more I can relate to some of the people around her. It gives me an insight into myself, both good and bad, and it helps me know what is best for me to do when all things are taken into consideration.

With each passing day, I learn to appreciate a friend like her more. That says something when you consider how we hardly ever talked in the three or so years we've known each other.

That, well that's cool.

.:Guilt-Wracked:.

I can't begin to understand why I even allowed myself to submit a piece of shoddy crud like that to my editor...

Seriously, I'm just terribly guilty that I disappointed my editor, and I wish I actually put less "pizazz" to the work and more bloody research, which I usually do for fun, to begin with.

It's not even the fact that I'm missing out on a payday that gets to me. It's the fact that I know I do better work than this...

One can only hope I can somehow redeem myself after this.

Ms. Iyay, I know you prolly won't ever get to read this, but I'm really, really sorry. It won't happen again. Ever.

.:First Ever:.

So while I was hanging out with April in Teriyaki Boy at Madison last Friday, I got a text message from Angie, a college blockmate of mine, and she was wondering if I did children's parties.

Next thing I knew, I was booked for my first-ever paying magic gig the following day, and I was beside myself with happiness, knowing this was going to be a huge deal for me. It was going to be at Merk's Bar, since the celebrant was none other than Richard Merk's daughter. That being said, it was definitely a welcome surprise for me to be there. I lined up around ten effects, and proceeded to do a routine that began with a coin disappearance and ended with the famous liquid metal routine. All in all, it was a pretty good first show, and a lot of the kids enjoyed it. I had to ask them to come close and watch the whole show from that distance, making it less of stage magic and more of table magic, really.

After the party, Mr. Merk shook my hand and said I was "good with kids". That was one of the biggest compliments I have ever received, and it was something I certainly didn't expect.

Apparently, Sunshine Cruz was also there at the party, for that matter, which was just gravy, really. Meeting Angie after all this time since we graduated was also way cool. I'm glad they all enjoyed my first official show ever, and I hope that I'd have more opportunities to strut my stuff in future events...

.:Downtow To Chinatown:.

Elbert and I spent a lot of time the other day in Chinatown, where we went around as he did some checking out of shops for an article he had to write for EYP. It was pretty fun, and all the while, we were actually looking for some forks and some rubber cement I could use.

At the end of the day, I ended up pigging out on seedless kiamoy, ended up buying uber-cheap fake Bicycle decks, and I apparently ended up being the one who really made the most out of the trip... heh.

Afterwards, we just headed back out and watched TxT with Estelle in Megamall, which was way cool, since it's been a while since the three of us got to hang out together, particularly since 'Elle only got back from Baguio last Sunday, and we didn't particularly like "World Trade Center" when we watched it, whereas TxT was just way cool...

Emo...

Foolish Heart
by Steve Perry

I need a love that grows
I don't want it unless I know

Love comes and goes, but what one would hope for is a love that grows. When I put my mind into it, I know all too well that I shouldn't be giving my heart out to someone unless I know that it wouldn't be an effort gone to waste.

I know, I know, I know. But what I know can't quite add up with what I feel. What may seem to be madness on the surface, is something that has reasons that run so deep and is far more complex than a mere feeling that I am just entertaining.

With each passing hour
Someone somehow
Will be there, ready to share

Love isn't always something that comes along mutually. I truly wish I could expect one whom I'd love to love me back as well, but it doesn't work that way. That's why when I think about it, I don't want to love or so much as give my affection to someone whom I'm unsure of. If I can't begin to expect reciprocation, why even bother, right?

Easier said than done.

I need a love that's strong
I'm so tired of being alone

I don't want a fling. I don't want a kissing buddy. I don't want a fleeting relationship. I want something that could last for me. I wear my heart on my sleeve precisely because whenever I give out my heart to someone, I always expect it to be my last. Quite simply, I don't want to just give my heart out to someone and still end up being alone after the fact.

Again, easier said than done.

But will my lonely heart play the part
Of the fool again
Before I begin

Tanga. That's the best way to explain why I am this way. Then again, perhaps the best way to put it in the vernacular is, nagpapakatanga para sa iyo.

I know, I know, I know. Despite that, my heart doesn't quite see things the same way my head does.

I'm feeling that feeling again
I'm playing a game I can't win

Ever get the feeling that you're just getting played? Ever get the feeling that when you show someone your affection and stick your neck out without them doing the same, that they have so much power over you?

I feel like putty in your hands. I feel like a puppet to every whim and fancy, and all for what? The dim hopes of ever ending up with you?

I never learn. I never do.

Love's knocking on the door
Of my heart once more

Or is it, really? How sure am I it's really love knocking on the door of my heart once more? What if I'm only deluding myself and pushing myself into something and proving time and again that I would've been one of those kids who can never quite pass the marshmallow test?

It sometimes hits a frustrating crescendo, and then I'd act in a way that I would completely regret, after all has been said and done. One would wish that things didn't work that way for me, that throughout it all, I'd keep that deliberate pace in building towards love, but time and again, I rush and ruin everything for myself.

Now, you've lost your respect for me. You've lost your trust, your everything in me. I shudder to think if that one small iota of chance we had to get together, that smallest of sparks if circumstances would just work in our favor, is completely expunged now.

I was stupid. I can't apologize enough for it, nor can I forgive myself for doing that.

I never learn. I never do.

Think I'll let her in
Before I begin

I invest too much. Even though I keep telling myself I shouldn't do that, I know no other way, than to make it a point to make you feel special. To make you feel cherished. All I asked was for you to accept it and yet you couldn't even do that.

It was at this point that I realized that your being nice to me was you sticking your neck out for me. If it were up to you, I know you'd rather just push me away, eradicate me from your life, and move on. You say there's nothing I can do to change that.

I know, I know, I know. But I feel differently about that. Deep down, I know you do, as well.

Foolish heart, hear me calling

I beg my heart to listen to my head just once. It's just too difficult to emotionally drain myself time and again for someone, and inadvertently drain them as well along the way. It's time to put a stop to this, and to rebuild whatever there is left for me to salvage between us.

It's funny. For someone who is known for being one of the most “intellectual” and “cerebral” persons by most people who initially get to know me, I'm apparently one of the most emotional all a the same time.

Stop before you start falling

I pray that I don't fall for you all over again, only to have my foolish heart broken again, all the same. I can't help the way I feel, but I can help the way I think, and I'd want to think of you in a purely Platonic manner unless and until circumstances are in our favor and you are more receptive to the idea of someone loving for you the way I would.

Until then, I shouldn't fall for you. I really, really shouldn't. But how do I do that when I still have to be a part of your life to somehow make something between you and me a possibility? It's a balance I have to strike, and it's a matter of trial and error. I'm sorry if I have failed in that regard.

Foolish heart, heed my warning

My heart would just keep getting broken if I don't change pace. I recognize that much. But whenever I think of you, a smile comes over my face, and I forget all that I know in the face of someone as beautiful and as wonderful as you.

Please forgive me for feeling that way. Please forgive me if you are my cause for joy. I guess you're just someone special who just really struck me from out of the blue with a vengeance. I can't begin to explain how that feeling just envelopes me awash and I fee light-headed and fuzzy all the time, knowing full well despite the feeling that the feeling isn't mutual.

One moment, I was going on along with life, doing just fine. The next moment, you came along, and I end up asking myself how I've been doing without you all this time.

You've been wrong before

My heart has been broken for so many times already that I don't even know how I still find it in me to love someone all over again, or to so much as just show them how special they actually are.

More often than not, I am completely wrong about that person. They aren't quite the person whom I put up on the pedestal. They aren't quite the penultimate wonderful people that I saw them to be.

Don't be wrong any more

And yet, was my heart ever really wrong, per se? Or isn't it the case that when I see your imperfections, I learn to appreciate you even more, and learn how it is to accept someone, so-called flaws and all, because I know I myself am far from perfect?

Has it ever really been wrong? Or has it just been a case of me carrying myself in a way that could've been better?

Most of us would go about life without giving all this a second thought. After all, life is just a biological process that goes on and on for as long as God wills it to be so.

Then again, life isn't all about how many breaths you take, or how many times your heart beats. Life, more than that, is all about how many moments take your breath away, and how many times your heart skips a beat.

For you. All for you.

Foolish, foolish, foolish heart. You'll never learn.

.:It Never Stops: The Unsent Series, Vol. II, Part I:.

Dear Affection,

It would appear you and Marcelle have come to a point of deadlock. While he wishes to be given the chance to make you feel special, you simply don't want that because of the circumstances that envelope the situation.

Marcelle understands that you're both equally stubborn in opposite directions he refuses to yield, you refuse to compromise. Somehow, that just feels sad. Because you know all too well he cares about you, yet because of all these self-fulfilling prophecies, how can it be any other way than that both of you simply cannot ever hope to get along?

You believe this to be the most emotionally draining “relationship” you've ever taken part in, and Marcelle cannot apologize enough for that. All he ever really wants is to make you happy. All he really wants is to somehow make you come to realize that the circumstances are worth working around for the betterment of one another.

Is it really too late for a chance to make things right? Is it really too late for an “us” to speak of? Or are you and he just really not trying hard enough? Does he really expect too much? Do you really want none of this? Or perhaps has he merely failed the marshmallow test again?

The last thing he'd ever want is to make you sad, or to hurt you. After all, he wishes to shower all his affection upon you and make you feel special in every single way that he could. Marcelle is sorry with all his heart, and all he wants right now is to do right by you.

Please, dear affection... don't let you and he be victims of circumstances. Don't let it all fall to naught and be a monumental waste of time for the both of you. Both of you deserve far better than that.

Sigh...

Foolish Heart
by Steve Perry

I need a love that grows
I don't want it unless I know

Love comes and goes, but what one would hope for is a love that grows. When I put my mind into it, I know all too well that I shouldn't be giving my heart out to someone unless I know that it wouldn't be an effort gone to waste.

I know, I know, I know. But what I know can't quite add up with what I feel. What may seem to be madness on the surface, is something that has reasons that run so deep and is far more complex than a mere feeling that I am just entertaining.

With each passing hour
Someone somehow
Will be there, ready to share

Love isn't always something that comes along mutually. I truly wish I could expect one whom I'd love to love me back as well, but it doesn't work that way. That's why when I think about it, I don't want to love or so much as give my affection to someone whom I'm unsure of. If I can't begin to expect reciprocation, why even bother, right?

Easier said than done.

I need a love that's strong
I'm so tired of being alone

I don't want a fling. I don't want a kissing buddy. I don't want a fleeting relationship. I want something that could last for me. I wear my heart on my sleeve precisely because whenever I give out my heart to someone, I always expect it to be my last. Quite simply, I don't want to just give my heart out to someone and still end up being alone after the fact.

Again, easier said than done.

But will my lonely heart play the part
Of the fool again
Before I begin

Tanga. That's the best way to explain why I am this way. Then again, perhaps the best way to put it in the vernacular is, nagpapakatanga para sa iyo.

I know, I know, I know. Despite that, my heart doesn't quite see things the same way my head does.

I'm feeling that feeling again
I'm playing a game I can't win

Ever get the feeling that you're just getting played? Ever get the feeling that when you show someone your affection and stick your neck out without them doing the same, that they have so much power over you?

I feel like putty in your hands. I feel like a puppet to every whim and fancy, and all for what? The dim hopes of ever ending up with you?

I never learn. I never do.

Love's knocking on the door
Of my heart once more

Or is it, really? How sure am I it's really love knocking on the door of my heart once more? What if I'm only deluding myself and pushing myself into something and proving time and again that I would've been one of those kids who can never quite pass the marshmallow test?

It sometimes hits a frustrating crescendo, and then I'd act in a way that I would completely regret, after all has been said and done. One would wish that things didn't work that way for me, that throughout it all, I'd keep that deliberate pace in building towards love, but time and again, I rush and ruin everything for myself.

Now, you've lost your respect for me. You've lost your trust, your everything in me. I shudder to think if that one small iota of chance we had to get together, that smallest of sparks if circumstances would just work in our favor, is completely expunged now.

I was stupid. I can't apologize enough for it, nor can I forgive myself for doing that.

I never learn. I never do.

Think I'll let her in
Before I begin

I invest too much. Even though I keep telling myself I shouldn't do that, I know no other way, than to make it a point to make you feel special. To make you feel cherished. All I asked was for you to accept it and yet you couldn't even do that.

It was at this point that I realized that your being nice to me was you sticking your neck out for me. If it were up to you, I know you'd rather just push me away, eradicate me from your life, and move on. You say there's nothing I can do to change that.

I know, I know, I know. But I feel differently about that. Deep down, I know you do, as well.

Foolish heart, hear me calling

I beg my heart to listen to my head just once. It's just too difficult to emotionally drain myself time and again for someone, and inadvertently drain them as well along the way. It's time to put a stop to this, and to rebuild whatever there is left for me to salvage between us.

It's funny. For someone who is known for being one of the most “intellectual” and “cerebral” persons by most people who initially get to know me, I'm apparently one of the most emotional all a the same time.

Stop before you start falling

I pray that I don't fall for you all over again, only to have my foolish heart broken again, all the same. I can't help the way I feel, but I can help the way I think, and I'd want to think of you in a purely Platonic manner unless and until circumstances are in our favor and you are more receptive to the idea of someone loving for you the way I would.

Until then, I shouldn't fall for you. I really, really shouldn't. But how do I do that when I still have to be a part of your life to somehow make something between you and me a possibility? It's a balance I have to strike, and it's a matter of trial and error. I'm sorry if I have failed in that regard.

Foolish heart, heed my warning

My heart would just keep getting broken if I don't change pace. I recognize that much. But whenever I think of you, a smile comes over my face, and I forget all that I know in the face of someone as beautiful and as wonderful as you.

Please forgive me for feeling that way. Please forgive me if you are my cause for joy. I guess you're just someone special who just really struck me from out of the blue with a vengeance. I can't begin to explain how that feeling just envelopes me awash and I fee light-headed and fuzzy all the time, knowing full well despite the feeling that the feeling isn't mutual.

One moment, I was going on along with life, doing just fine. The next moment, you came along, and I end up asking myself how I've been doing without you all this time.

You've been wrong before

My heart has been broken for so many times already that I don't even know how I still find it in me to love someone all over again, or to so much as just show them how special they actually are.

More often than not, I am completely wrong about that person. They aren't quite the person whom I put up on the pedestal. They aren't quite the penultimate wonderful people that I saw them to be.

Don't be wrong any more

And yet, was my heart ever really wrong, per se? Or isn't it the case that when I see your imperfections, I learn to appreciate you even more, and learn how it is to accept someone, so-called flaws and all, because I know I myself am far from perfect?

Has it ever really been wrong? Or has it just been a case of me carrying myself in a way that could've been better?

Most of us would go about life without giving all this a second thought. After all, life is just a biological process that goes on and on for as long as God wills it to be so.

Then again, life isn't all about how many breaths you take, or how many times your heart beats. Life, more than that, is all about how many moments take your breath away, and how many times your heart skips a beat.

For you. All for you.

Foolish, foolish, foolish heart. You'll never learn.

.:It Never Stops: The Unsent Series, Vol. II, Part I:.

Dear Affection,

It would appear you and Marcelle have come to a point of deadlock. While he wishes to be given the chance to make you feel special, you simply don't want that because of the circumstances that envelope the situation.

Marcelle understands that you're both equally stubborn in opposite directions he refuses to yield, you refuse to compromise. Somehow, that just feels sad. Because you know all too well he cares about you, yet because of all these self-fulfilling prophecies, how can it be any other way than that both of you simply cannot ever hope to get along?

You believe this to be the most emotionally draining “relationship” you've ever taken part in, and Marcelle cannot apologize enough for that. All he ever really wants is to make you happy. All he really wants is to somehow make you come to realize that the circumstances are worth working around for the betterment of one another.

Is it really too late for a chance to make things right? Is it really too late for an “us” to speak of? Or are you and he just really not trying hard enough? Does he really expect too much? Do you really want none of this? Or perhaps has he merely failed the marshmallow test again?

The last thing he'd ever want is to make you sad, or to hurt you. After all, he wishes to shower all his affection upon you and make you feel special in every single way that he could. Marcelle is sorry with all his heart, and all he wants right now is to do right by you.

Please, dear affection... don't let you and he be victims of circumstances. Don't let it all fall to naught and be a monumental waste of time for the both of you. Both of you deserve far better than that.

Film Review: The Prestige

.:Film Review: The Prestige:.

Obviously, SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

The Prestige
Forget watching it closely. Watch it many freaking times!

“Brilliant” and “star-studded” are but two of the mildest of words one can use to describe this Nolan masterpiece, based on the book of the same title. This movie follows the story of two rival magicians, The Professor (Christian Bale), and The Great Danton (Hugh Jackman). This movie really starts off with a bang, as we see the Great Danton drown to death, and the Professor on trial for his supposed murder.

From there, the story unfolds and we begin to see a very sinister tale of rivalry and obsession. After the Professor accidentally kills Danton's wife, they embark on a quest of one-upmanship as they attempt to wreck each other's careers, which comes to a high point when the Professor comes up with the magic to end all magics: the Transporter Man, which involves him tossing a rubber ball, going inside a door on one side of the stage, and then exiting from the other side of the stage and catching the rubber ball at the same time.

Danton puzzles over how to do this amazing effect, and their mentor, played by Michael Caine, suggested that it may simply be a case of having a double, and even if that wouldn't be the case, they still went ahead and did it. They got Danton a double, and he made an apparently more exciting version of the effect: this time, Danton throws a hat into the air, goes into a door, and then his double exits from the door on the other side and catches his hat.

The rivalry escalates further when Danton turns to Nikolai Tesla, who builds him a machine that supposedly does a transporter man effect that is nothing short of stunning. It turns out though that this wasn't just a transporter man effect done by science. It was, quite simply a cloning machine. Now, Danton had a way to be in two places at once, albeit the problem was obvious: every time he used the machine, he'd have a clone of himself. What had to be done, then?

And that leads to the first scene of the movie once more. This time, it makes sense. Danton deliberately drowns himself every night so that there will only be one Danton at any given time. He doesn't know if he'd end up in the tank, or if he'd end up in the Prestige. With the twists and turns they have sent each other through, it became clear that it was only a matter of time before Danton implicated Professor in his “murder” once he tries snooping around and seeing how the effect is achieved.

With Danton still alive, he discovers, to his surprise, that although hung to die, so is the Professor, who turns out to be one half of a pair of twins, both of whom play the Professor role alternatingly, lending to the ultimate sacrifice: a half-life.

The plot was rich in revisionist but intriguing history, and the way they treated stage magic was nothing short of a wonder. They really made the intricate workings of the industry a big deal, and of course, the Wolverine vs. Batman dynamic really upped the ante. Every member of the cast simply stood out in their respective roles, and I cannot help but want to see the movie again, considering the seemingly allegorical reference they make to the two magicians and the ultimate obsession that kills one and permanently changes the other.

Truth be told, this movie was an exciting romp, from top to bottom. I can understand precisely why Bale practically begged for his role in the film, because he more than justified his presence in the movie with his stellar performance, as did Jackman, Johanson, and of course, Caine.

If there's only one movie you should watch this year and you're not exactly a fan of comic books, then this is the film I would unwaveringly recommend to you.

“Fun” Evaluation: A+
“Critical” Evaluation: A+

Finally, Posts!

.:It's Great Seeing You Again...:.

Christelle is one of my best friends for years, and I haven't seen her for a long while, considering how wonky both our schedules have been with each other for the most part. Despite that, we still try our best to keep up with the news with each other, mainly through SMS messages and reading each other's LJ updates.

Last Monday, Chris and I just caught up with each other and really enjoyed each other's company after practically two years of not meeting up. We met in Megamall, and little has changed. It's like we never lost touch, really, as I still remembered precisely why she's one of my dearest friends for so many years already, and I'm extremely happy about hearing her stories about her other profitable endeavors and so forth.

In any case, we had dinner at Teriyaki Boy, where we ended up swapping loads of stories, mostly stuff that we've been missing out on since we last met up. I know there isn't really much to say about the meeting as far as specific events go, but our conversations were really insightful, as I learned more and more how she's been enjoying herself in the meantime, and well, perhaps, find opportunities for the both of us to meet up some more, all the same.

I'm glad to have had dinner and engaging conversation with Chris last Monday. It's been a blast, and one can hope that we find more opportunities to meet up with each other.

Same invitation goes to *jaded*, of course. ;)

Quite honestly, Christelle does remind me a lot of Clair... and vice versa... =P

.:Little Magical Steps:.

So Clair believes I should call myself “Kel the Magic Mushroom” to combine my air name and my intended stage name, “Magikel” (I keed, I keed.). Today, I had my first attempt at genuine publicity as I performed magic tricks for a few teachers and some kids of Second Mom pre-school while they had their Halloween party before their semestral break. It was all good, really, and I think I acquitted myself well enough with “Free Chance”, “Nest of Coin Boxes”, “Cardtoon”, “Coin Paddle”, and parts of “Liquid Metal”.

In any case, I have a good number of effects I can use, and I've been doing pretty well with it lately. Hopefully, I can continue to improve, because I know I've definitely progressed a heck of a lot in the mere three weeks I've been trying to get into magic again...

My gratitude to Elbert for asking me to go to the party where he was a judge for the costume party, among other things. Antoinette Taus was also there, and I saw Jimmy, an old friend, who is apparently teaching there now, and came to the party as Shrek, which was something I won't let him live down... heh.

.:JGL, Assemble!:.

Well, not everyone, but Clair, Sean, and Ranulf were with me and April at the premiere of “The Prestige”, and I managed to procure five tickets for us. While we got there relatively late mainly because Eric Mana and Gia were already hosting the premiere, I still went ahead to the front of the stage and took part in the whole thing. That being said, the movie was great, and as usual, I practiced my magic some more. At this point, my goal is simply to be able to master most of my stuff by the end of my vacation leave, as this is already the last week for me, which is a bit sad, but I guess all good things must come to an end... heh.

After the film, we hung out a bit more at Gloria Jean's before we finally called it a night... it was way, way cool. =)