Project 52 2014 (52/52): Kwarto

.:Project 52 2014 (52/52): Kwarto:.

'Di ko na kayang mabuhay sa kahapon. Kaya mula ngayon, mula ngayon...

Magpapaalam na sa iyo ang aking kwarto. Magpapaalam na sa iyo ang aking kwarto. Magpapaalam na sa iyo ang aking kwarto. Magpapaalam na sa iyo ang aking kwarto.

Magpapaalam na sa iyo. Magpapaalam na sa iyo. Magpapaalam na sa iyo.

Magpapaalam na sa iyo ang aking kwarto...

The 2014 Year-In-Review Survey

.:The 2014 Year-In-Review:.

Hush. This is important.

1. What did you do in 2014 that you'd never done before?

Host a quiz night. And now, I do it every Wednesday, starting next year! I also headlined a comedy show for the first time ever.

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I didn't make any last year, and I don't plan to make any this year.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Isabel Lacson, I suppose, seeing as she was my housemate until last June or so.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

My Lola Tita passed away last April 2, Tado Jimenez, Vic Palileo, and Coy Caballes. Yeah, this was a terrible year for me when it came to that.

5. What countries did you visit?

Thailand, and in a few days, Macau.

6. What would you like to have in 2015 that you lacked in 2014?

A chance to re-establish myself as the comedy mentalist. I know I left my entertainment career by the wayside since 2009, but after quitting my office job, now's a good time to re-establish myself.

7. What date from 2014 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

September 20. Not only was that my brother's birthday, that was also the day I got together with C-. That's her rapper name, you see.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Headlined for the first time in my standup comedy "career," with much thanks to the 20-minute set GB let me have near the end of our run in Tomato Kick. I also got a quiz night going this year!

9. What was your biggest failure?

Did I really have to lose a friend just because I'm no longer pining for her? There's also the infamous Tinder mishap. And the fact that I could have done so much more this year, but I was terrible at finding the time for them all. And, oh. The fact that I'm no longer in radio now. Any chance I could change this next year? We'll see.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Still a lot of sore throats.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

A PS4.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

I would have to say Switch Improv, seeing how far we've come as a group. Also, my brother, as he really carved out a good thing with Burger Company. There's also the earlier half of my year, mostly spent enjoying the company of Marco and Mike, playing board games.

13. Whose behavior appalled you and made you depressed?

The Tinder Mistake. Yeah, the one who thought she should have the power to tell me what to say or not to say on my blog, even if I never once named her. There's also that other person who decided that we didn't need to be friends anymore. So much for "always a part of each other's lives," huh?

14. Where did most of your money go?

Those WWE and NBA Card Battle apps, and yeah, video games in general. Especially NBA 2K15.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Working from home, and finally having someone I could safely say I'm happily in love with! My Thailand trip was pretty awesome, too.

16. What song will always remind you of 2014?

"Fancy," by Iggy Azalea. We can debate about whether or not she's in the right for co-opting the rap image, but I'll be damned if that song isn't so catchy it doesn't override everything else this year, including a really good Adam Lavine song and "Anaconda."

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

i. happier or sadder? – happier during the last quarter of the year, muuuuch sadder prior
ii. thinner or fatter? – thinner (I think)
iii. richer or poorer? – richer(-ish)

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?

Gigs, and writing.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?

Reaching out to people who simply don't deserve it.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?

Quietly spent at home.

21. Did you fall in love in 2014?

Finally, yes.

22. How many one-night stands?

Well, not quite any.

23. What was your favorite TV program?

The Flash. I ended up watching Arrow just by extension. Also, Agents of SHIELD and Hannibal.

24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?

Yeah, but I didn't know this person before this year, either, so meh.

25. What was the best book you read?

Well, damn. I haven't really read a book this year, have I? Need to change that next year.

26. What was your greatest musical discovery?

The NBA 2K15 soundtrack. Damn, Pharell, you know how to pick 'em.

27. What did you want and not get?

A published article in Cracked. But that's really on me now, isn't it? I feel like I underachieved this year.

28. Favorite film of this year?

Interstellar.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I was in Thailand. Shopping and stuffing myself in duck.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Good health for both me and C-

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2013?

Outside of that so-called makeover I had with Uniqlo? Meh.

32. What kept you sane?

Cracked.com, the 8List, Switch Improv, Comedy Manila, Comedy Cartel, DC Deckbuilding, and video games.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Would you believe? Ming Na Wen!

34. What political issue stirred you the most?

#Gamergate, if only because of the gender politics involved. And the PDAF scam, still.

35. Who did you miss?

That friend who decided we didn't need to be friends anymore. Not cool. Not cool at all.

36. Who was the best new person you met?

C-. End of story.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2013.

Life and love doesn't have to be as f*cked up as it's always been for you in the past.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

"First things first, I'm the riles." - Iggy Azalea

And, oh, try this one on for size...

"There's a maniac out in front of me.
Got an angel on my shoulder, and Mephistopheles.
My momma raised me good, momma raised me right.
Momma said "do what you want, say prayers at night",
And I'm saying them, cause I'm so devout.
'Til the love runs out, 'til the love runs out, yeah.

I got my mind made up and I can't let go.
I'm killing every second 'til it sees my soul.
I'll be running, I'll be running,
'Til the love runs out, 'til the love runs out.
And we'll start a fire, and we'll shut it down,
'Til the love runs out, 'til the love runs out."

- One Republic, Love Runs Out

Project 52 (51/52): A Perfect Christmas

.:Project 52 (51/52): A Perfect Christmas:.

Looking through some old photographs, faces and friends, we'll always remember. Watching busy shoppers rushing about in the cool breeze of December...

Comedy Mission: Accomplished!

.:Comedy Mission Accomplished:.

A few weeks ago, I had my first ever headliner set in standup comedy. I hit the stage for about three quarters of an hour, and somehow managed to hold the crowd's attention for that long, peppering the night with a lot of laughs along the way.

And it wasn't easy, I have to admit. I came in with a lot of mental and actual preparation. Unlike a lot of the veterans out there, I don't see myself just hitting the stage and randomly delivering a twenty-minute set or more without some serious prep time. None of this comedy ever came naturally to me, because I'm not a naturally funny guy.

But seeing a room full of people with different sensibilities, different things that they think is funny, all laughing in unison does instill a sense of accomplishment in a comedian. Top it off with a bunch of people who were just outside Barley that night, yet apparently still paying close attention to my set, and I realized the reason why entertainers do what they do, and why they have a place in the world, even while other people pursue more seemingly worthwhile things, like landing a spacecraft on a comet while wearing a tacky shirt.

It doesn't matter if what we do doesn't revolutionize the world as we know it. If I were selling taho, I'd probably be selling the best damned taho of all time. Or something. I don't know, really, but I'd just want to think that even the most menial of things can be made meaningful somehow. And maybe we don't see it as we feel stuck, but we owe it to ourselves to see it through.

It was a genuine surprise to me that I managed to pull it off, in all honesty. Almost a half-hour of standup comedy, punctuated by 15 minutes of my magic and mentalism. It was something

So another day another dollar for this comedy mentalist. Tonight, I'm performing again, and someone else will be headlining it. It doesn't matter. I will keep on keeping on, because after doing standup comedy for five years, I realize all too well that I really, really enjoy entertaining people, and that's a noble endeavor in and by itself, no doubt.

Thank you to every single person that night who went to support me. From my fellow magicians to my improv groupmates to the fine people of the Comedy Cartel to my friends from Geekfight to even one of my M:TG teammates, it was a night where I really felt that the five years I put into standup comedy were more than worth it. I felt a kind of affirmation that spurs me to push it forward. And so I will.

Project 52 2014 (50/52) Someday We'll Know

.:Project 52 2014 (50/52) Someday We'll Know:.

Mighty mouse, outside Chicago...