The King and I

I am just barkless.. This is the KING!
Stories.. later.. Let me just breathe and savor the moment.

Bien the Webpuppy

I have a new feather, a new task at paw. I am the new webmaster for our BMP site, and its a challenge especially for me who doesn't know anything about web management. As in 0, as if I have the time to read, but i will, will have to study to get the full functionality of our site.

http://www.bannedmoviespilipinas.com check it out. It has event details and our happening what nots at BMP.

and if you have suggestions or if you want to help me out. Please, please! on bended knees.

Funny that BB hires a chinese webmaster in Shanghai to maintain her official website http://ph.asus.com and here she is doing it with me for banned. Awwww, for the love of banned. :)

Philippine Bliss, the trailer

Courtesy
Kulastalon.multiply.com

This is not a film by KHAVN.

Synopsis:
“Philippine Bliss” tells the tale of six modern-day Filipinos living in a single neighborhood, a housing project called B.L.I.S.S., started by the former Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos during the Martial Law era. These people, whose names allude to familiar characters from Jose Rizal’s novels, narrate their private yet vivid stories of loss, longing, and Third World despair, all intersecting in a public arena that is their packed community. Theirs are lives seen with an oftentimes comic eye, unabashedly bound by a wild and brimming sense of Filipino hope.

Running time: 70min

Cast & Crew:

NEIL ELPUSAN as Simon Crisostomo
REINIER LUCIEN as Elias
JV KATIPUNAN as Tasyo
MENK CRUZAT as Sisa
THERESE CARLOS as Maria
LARA TARRANCO as Clara
DAMASO as Itself

JP HERNANDEZ as the djembe player
ATOY REYES JR. as the steel trader
PEDRING X. SANTOS as the junkyard dog
NINA DANDAN as client 1
CHERISH BRILLON as client 2
ENUH IGLESIAS as client 3

Directed, Written, & Produced by KHAVN
Editing & Sound Design by LAWRENCE S. ANG
Cinematography by ALBERT BANZON
Music by RIA MUNOZ
Songs by REYCARD DUET, LARRY MIRANDA , RUBEN TAGALOG, & SYLVIA LA TORRE
English Subtitles Written by JOEL TOLEDO
Sound Recording by JONATHAN BATOY
Production Management by BANNED MOVIES PILIPINAS
Casting by ANNA CHRISTINA IGLESIAS
Catering by CHERISH AILEEN BRILLON
Stills by ANA CARINA DANDAN
Production Assistance by EDGAR PON

Production Company: FILMLESS FILMS

Watch for the World Premiere of this film on July 21, 2007 at the Purple Haze Bar in E. Rodriguez, Quezon City.

Philippine Bliss : Khavn gets Banned again!

Rakstar Roxlee!

wasak! The bosses have been using this term for quite some time now.. I didn't get it..

Not until I went to BMPs Every Juan is Invited (and every tagpi too!) : Roxlee Gets Banned event last June 15!



WASAK!


The ultimate video : The Brockas



Kints and BB! Happy and High! - Kuha ni John Torres (Oiliness si BB- Bwa ha ha!)

One of the "bands," Jeffplane


Delakrus permutations, as Delakrus


and as The Brockas (--color coding Kailangan change costume.)

Angelo Suarez is opening up a new wasak world for BB and me. (BTW, also in pix Costantino Zicarelli, tape me I'm yours .. ha ha)



The ultimate permutation...Mabuhay si Akira!


John Torres, always Wasak! always Bienned! -- sabi ng sister ni BB, kailangan ko nang magpa dry clean, nanlilimahid na ako. :(




Don't u ever miss another Banned event! Para alam nyo rin ang true meaning ng wasak!

A friend just told BB..

It doesn't mean you have a blog alter ego you should live your life x2. I can't keep up with you.. and Bien.

:P

Jealous! Jealous! Jealous!

Let it be known that BB is jealous! jealous! jealous! of her Indonesian pal due to a sooopppppeeerrr duper favorite Taiwanese guy named, R****.

R***** is the guy who supplies BB her media review samples of motherboards and other components (so PH IT editors and writers read on, you have a stake on this too.. he he) such a sweet guy, from month 1 at ASUS when BB had her training in Taiwan, he immediately was a standout because he looks like her uncle who was a military guy during his heydays (R**** is the heyday version,) tall, lean, buff. AND HE SPEAKS good English, rare in HQ and it really helps to start friendships.

BB by the way is the leading R**** endorser to all her marketing colleagues, ASUS has about 100k employees and most of the time we know each other only thru email addresses and face to face acquaintance is not usual. I introduced R**** to my SEA peers, THAI, INDO, SING, MAL so we are all R**** fans right now.

He went to BB last Friday asking if i will be in TW till sunday, he was planning to treat us for dinner (BB and Juliana) because its always only at work do we see each other, always in coats and blazers. BB's flight is in the morning, she had to say no immediately, Saturday is also tight for both since the Computex ends that day.

So Juliana and Roy had dinner at an italian resto with him, plus after a long raining spell in TW, the heavens opened up for clear skies, they also went to the 101 viewing tower.

Jealous, jealous, jealous!

I want to pull indonesian hair. (Bien talking here.. let me remind reader.) waaaaahhhh.

Don't worry, BB and Juliana are really great pals, they are actually chatting right now regarding the "date". You should see how they shrill like girls, audio and chat versions of it. BTW, our favorite guy is rumored to be gay. (Bien talking again, but both BB and Juliana know.) Bwahahahaharf arf arf.

Now this is my favorite picture

Smell blog

I wish you could blog smells. Because I smell sooooo good! BB told me so.

BB was playing around the duty free doing a scenthaton.. he he.. she's was planning to buy perfume for her mom (and syempre for her not to be guilty to buy for herself too!) and tried on some on these little papers you'd spray on the perfume (actually BB has a hard time checking out perfumes because she immediately gets smell numb or would have allergic reactions to strong smells.)

Anyway, she tried:

Burberry weekend for women
Escada the orange one (usually she is an escada fanatic, but this one is too sweet)
Burberry the red bottle (too baby powdery.. why not buy baby powder instead?)
Nina Ricci (tried this because of the name -- but not BB's taste i think she tossed this paper away)
and another she forgot

and since she found no trash can after, she accidentally slipped the 4 papers to the pouch i was in, after the long haul, i emerged as an Escada-Burberry and something else combination.

I smell like a lady though. but I SMELL SO GOOD!

BTW, Burberry weekend won!

:)

Taiwan tales

AT sino si Diana?

actually just some random bb thoughts.. just tired, woke up early due to an earthquake (which is more often than what we get in PH) and then started packing..

I don't bother to take my ipod from my ears in public places. I would not understand my world anyway!

Taiwan doesn't bother me anymore, not understanding doesn't bother me anymore.

My colleague asked me why didn't i add more days to my trip.. oh you are bored with TW, he added when i just smiled at him.

Computex was kind of boring for me already.. i didn't drool at anything.. not even the men of computex.. he he

but I get to see my favorite guy Randy (still, still my favorite!)
I got pix with Bien with Taipei 101
I get to eat my mos burger
Nag dance with death na ako with bird flu
Computex
Free food
Heavenly pala ang cheesecake dito
Being picked up and sent home via limousine service (with karatula to boot.)
my additional must haves for taiwan trips -- hot pot and cheesecake
Plus i get to be in costumes without being overdressed.
Went to the eslite building (bookstore ito, as in BOOOOOOOOOKKKKKKKKSSSSSSS) interesting mix of books, drooling at the art books, and the asian cinema.. how i wish i researched.. quiapo pa rin! I just bought another Dr. Seuss Book with Chinese translation. cool!

Hermes! Hermes here i come!

-- BB

It's a pact

Nagmamatapang si BB, gagawa ng isang pact para sa aming tatlo. Nag-iimpake kami hindi dapat isasama si BearLyn, taong bahay sana (osong bahay pala) pero napag-isip-isip. Isasama ko si BearLyn sa aking hometown (Taipei, Taiwan) para next time isasama din niya ako sa kanya (Berlin, Germany.) Itaga mo sa aming mga balahibo.

Brave si BB. :O

Weekend shoot

The experience was cool. BB has attended shoots before, in her advertising days as Account Manager and with her old friend directing MTVs and AVPs, but this one tops her books in terms of coolness. I don't want to pre-empt. so here's just some snap shots.

Usually the scriptwriter does the bardic stance. But wait, it's direk who's doing the musical numbers.

Bien doing a make-over. He he. Production on-going. Bien watching.

Ay di ko pala kayo nakwentuhan

Yup, am back to normal life as a showdog on Philippine shores (can't say the same for BB who's still stuck with work -- she's only relaxing her feet before taking a shower..that's why she's ok to do a quick entry.)

HK was cool, just because I have been staying comfortably in a hotel named after BB.

With BB relaxing at the hotel. after touch down and check-in.

BB's room with what i call the "exhibitionist bath tub." Look! the bathroom walls are made from transparent and translucent glass.

trying to have a holiday for a day. BB and I just went around HK.

Semi- Disney: Mouseketeering with BearLyn

Sham shui Temple : Ano kaya ang hula kay BB? About love daw e..

Aranque of HK. BB really wanted to bring home pets, if not a fish tank to start a mini zoo. But she's always on trips. who will feed us when she's away?

BB's namesake hotel. They say this was named after the richest woman in HK. (BB was actually named after her aunt who had great career karma. Sana meron din Nina na may good love karma he he) It's also said that this lady had no heir. L'Hotel Nina et Convention Centre. I wish BB would have her own hotel too!

I can't say BB enjoyed her trip, a lot of things happened. As usual she got sick before the trip due to stress, her presentation was kickass as usual :P But she lost all her data due to technology failure, her hard drive gave up on her. So super stressed out pa rin siya ngayon. Hindi naman halata si BB sa stress, but i know she's really worried, kaya din our trip had to be cut short. Ayan airport going home na.

More pics on my multiply :)

Starstruck si BB, starstruck si Bien

Getting to know some stellar people in the indie business just make me and BB starstruck. Idol lang ang mga wazak na peeps, even if you know them already as friends, still can't help not to be starstruck with their talents.





These are Khavn's dogs. Baka pag kumiskis ang mga balahibo namin, maging talented din ako gaya ni boss Khavn. he he. (Yikes, stalker ba ang dating?)

He he, BB was on official business with boss Khavn, excited preparing for his nththththth film, good luck bosses (Cherish, Enuh, Khavn, Nina!)

Xiang Ghang (lesson 13)

"Ee pey pi jeowh." (One bottle of beer please -- lesson 6) I think i will manage to use my little knowledge of "poo tong hwa" (chinese mandarin, refering to common language -- lesson 1) more this trip, i am so proud of my pimsleur audio book sessions -- i am getting somewhere.. ok, ok will try to go past lesson 13 -- where, places.. just because i manage to help a colleague understand a map i could not understand the words written either, (pictures, give me pictures!) i managed us not to get lost going to the hotel (which is named L'hotel Nina btw,) i get to understand that people are just talking about motherboards and not about me "Wo shang Pa-oo, nina." (refering to P5B-X MB, what's ur suggestion -- to kausap not necessarily me -- lesson 5) Sige, I am now encouraged to continue to study..

*****

"You can/ can't eat that!" I can tell my moslem colleague if the food that's just been served is halal (ceremonially clean for moslems.) Just because i'm through with lesson 8 -- a trip to the fan tien (restaurant naks!) I just have to look out for pu (which indicates a negative) then if it's chi (chicken) nio (beef)..blah blah. I am beginning to be a courtesan food taster for the not so brave tummies and the religiously restricted. (I usually sit beside a arab, caucasian, indian looking colleague if we are asked not to be seated with a region/country mate.. because this will assure me of an english conversation which is rare in my office turf.)

*****

I am the official beer (pi jeow) drinker for my boss (have to learn how to say sip-sip in mandarin.. he he) if anyone dares "kampai" (well wishing "cheers" tradition of my TW office to drink bottoms up with the well wisher.) to him, ako daw pambato niya!

*****



I don't have much stories, just some thoughts, I haven't had any adventures yet. Hopefully after tonight, if the uber slave drivers allow us. Imagine, I have a seminar the whole day today, Sunday, mother's day. Walang puso, walang kaluluwa, mga walang nanay! he he he.. Buti na lang nagpainom sila kahapon.


*****

Happy Mother's Day -- Mama, Joey, Amor, Lot (Mom and sisses)

-- BB

Ooops I forgot, i already have a blog of my own, i should have posted it there.. hmmm guest appearance na lang once in a while (eto na lang yung once ko...)

Gearin' up

Our first trip together. Me, BB and BearLyn.. still packing but BB tied us up immediately, nice and tight. Takot nang magaya kay bro surname-withheld :(Boss Enuh, sorry sa pagpapaalala, nagtatanda lang si BB, kasi mahilig siyang mag second the motion sa 'yo, scared na mawala din gaya ng phone.. :(

Nakatali kami. walang kawala.

Hope to get great pictures of our adventure! Mabilis lang naman kami! Ilang tulog lang :)

Isang mabilisang patalastas

NOOD KAYO!

Damsel in distress

BB in Blogsquatter mode :

I have been living independently for 6 years now.. I am lucky to be trained by my dad in the ways of DIY Sige my local highschool also made major contributions for us to be (Beloved school of mine.. My pains and joys are thine.. (head tone falcetto please..) domestically independent. imagine my then thin frame used to carry 10 wooden (di pa uso ang monoblock) desk cum chairs every Tuesday because we were "cleaners." From one side to the other kareerin ang pagkarga so we can apply floorwax and bunot the floor after 2 sessions of sweeping before and after the move-chair-apply-floorwax-bunot-and-move-back-chair-activity. They say this instills the value of cleanliness, the skill of housekeeping.. We were taught how to make baby clothes from scratch (you can buy this at 40 pesos at any SM department store why bother) know at least 30 kinds of stitches (satin, running, ribbed, fishbone.. Loop the loop.. Ha ha.. 'Yoyo yon) C'mon uso naman ngayon ang designer butas butas!

I know how to fix the sink, p-trap.. Fix most electronic equipment, I know how to rig electricals and make my own boracay lamp.. I know the difference of screw drivers, wrenches, drill bits.. How to move jumpers in PCs, replace components, reformat, assemble and configure.. I have assembled a sofa bed, a bunk bed, shelves, I can extend phone cords, cables (ng TV), setup wifi. Solder, pukpok and lagare, etc.

I have to.. I have to explain this. I have to!!!

Nakakahiya kasi just before this blog, I saw my engineer guy coming from another unit, doing some IMPORTANT fixit duties. He he. Eto ang storya ko with him.. before I have asked the engineering office of our building to service my unit.. As in request for a crevice check on the electrical structure because for months.. Paisa-isang nawawala ang light/s ko sa kitchen, eto ang aming first interaction, ayaw ko sanang tumawag sa engineering office, DIY girl nga 'di ba, yabang pa ako:

I go : electrical yan, kasi napalitan ko na ayaw pa rin.. Tapos may sunog sa rim yung bumbilya.. Dati isa lang yung ayaw gumana.. Ngayon pareho na sila.. Siguro yung circuit..

Electrician : (tinker, tinker)

I go : baka yung mga kable diyan sa kitchen, kasi pareho silang nawala na lang, busted na yung socket.. Hindi ba delikado yan…

Electrician : (tinker, tinker)
Ok na…

I go : sure na ha. Di na delikado. Baka pagsimulan pa yan ng sunog ha.

Electrician : Hindi po. Ok na po.

Then he made me sign his itinerary. Bwahahaha.. Under his "task done in unit" space, it said in bold letters "CHANGE OF BULB."

WAAAAAAAAAHHHHH! Whatever!

Hindi pa naman siya "nasisira" ever since. So in this man's eyes I am just like a typical "can't-live-on-my-own-girl." I can't even change my own bulb.

Smiley

Dancing!

What joy!

Jumping!

Yihee!

Stephen Hawking in zero gravity! I just can't help not to think about it! Can't stop my paws not to blog about it. It's been a week/ 2 weeks? Been busy to blog. but anyway the smiling just can't stop. Suddenly zero meant everything! :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXQeQD0CJzY

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

Lost my phone.. Please be cautious especially my mobile phone contacts. BTW, appreciate if you send me your business cards, same number. Have a nice day!

Also, sorry for the eventual "who you's?"

-- bb

Vintage BB!

Payback time! This is what BB gets by hogging MY blog. Bwa-ha-ha-harf-arf. Saw this during her rummaging the in-house ukay mode.

Spot the BB! Kanser costumed and made-up for the role of alternate-Sisa (semi-joke!)

Haayyyyy.. never again, she says!


-- Err I think I'm lost, is this Nostalgia Manila?

LARRY ALCALA!!

Even if my dog is hounding me, one last entry for the day. I realize my irreverence placing my Grade 2 artwork with a priceless signature of a master. DEJAVU. I am not worthy.. Again, presenting the treasure.. a national treasure:



-- BB

April is full of treasures!

Staying at my parents' house during the break allowed me to rummage through old stuff. (I should be sorting and doing some spring cleaning.) and look what I saw!



YES! An autograph of THE LARRY ALCALA!






and I saw a Valentine Card I made for my parents (school project most probably, I am not THAT sweet :) when I was Grade 2. Looking at the fuzz, the frills and the frou frou.. possibly this is still the shape of my heart.

BB in daldal mode, kakagatin na ako ni Bien. I've been hogging his blog for days. He is ready, no more breaks he says. I should do my own blog. Reminding me of the title of this blog. BIENVENIDO AND OTHER SHOW DOG BLOGS.

Ooops, so there.

Bye.

-- BB (err Blogsquatter Boss)


PS. It's really one fine day. My dad could already stand up, the first time in a month! Yehey!

Kwento behind Ikot Iglesia

I did a mini version of bisita iglesia, yup true to theme, so usual Good Friday. It was more of a cultural journey for me than of spiritual.. shooting 2 birds by dropping by the pirated DVD haven, then went to Quiapo church. First time inside, as in first time! It was my first stop, so i was feeling my way through the protocols of bisita iglesia. I had a camera with me, actually this was my primary purpose, I remember my ex doing a beautiful (BEAUTIFUL!) spread in his magazine about Philippine churches also circa Holyweek years ago (I think I was doing an ode to his photography, nga lang hamak na amateur ang version ko.)

But before I could enter the church walls, a lady was offering me pampar*gla, as in insistent as if I looked pregnant and worried, she actually held my arm wanting to pull me to a corner so we can discuss my "problem" and her solution, and that as we all know is abortion. (That I know from watching all the Quiapo documentaries and movies.. Bulaklak ng maynila, Lagarista, that Piolo telenovela with Angelica, etc. etc.) Or maybe that side of the church I passed through was the "r*gla customers only" entrance and I just missed the sign.

The church was big and busy, the works, people lining up on the mystery areas with prayerbooks, dasal vendors, prayerful kneel-walkers. I was more intimidated than prayerful, even if i could hear prayer murmurs everywhere.. my thoughts : if I have the power to hear audibly the prayers of these people, i wish to hear the specifics of the Quiapo denizens, will it be :

Patawad, nag book na naman ako ng isang babae para magpalaglag..
Kung kasalanan ba ang piracy, sorry na po..
Sana po hindi nangangailan din yung aleng kinupitan ko ng dagdag na bente pesos sa overpricing, paumanhin na lang po..
Basbasan ninyo na lang din po yung kandilang kabebenta ko lang po, kahit walang pagkakaiba sa binebenta sa palengke...

I was afraid to take out my camera, I might be reprimanded by unofficial marshals for shooting fee or something. Glad a foreigner came toting a more professional and obvious camera, i shot my flashless pictures in silence..

Next stop, San Sebastian.
It was a jeepney and long walk to get there, I've passed it before coming to Quiapo so I basically know the area. I wasn't so sure tho at first if I was walking the right direction, i didn't want to go the taxi way because i was kinda out of spendthrift mode. Long walk or not, this church was worth the trip, not a lot of people was around, solemn and magical, this kind of church will make me frequent religion. I had a blast shooting and contemplating.. San Sebastian will be on top of my list IF I get married and IF i was a Catholic, two IFs to hurdle, two big IFs! I was blessed with a soundtrack to accompany my San Sebastian journey, their resident chorus was rehearsing most probably for the Easter celebs, heavenly.

I was actually filled and fulfilled already, but thought about a lackluster bisita with only 2 churches, not even blog worthy, so I decided to go to Intramuros via taxi. Taxi drivers during holy week are good guys, meter abiders, they would not make distance nor pasahero possibility (dagdagan nyo na po, wala pong pasahero ngayon) excuses (Penance!) And I think who could refuse a madasalin damsel (from church point A to church point B) like me.

Next stop : San Agustin
This church is next beautiful to SB. It had good interesting architecture highlights and an interesting church matron assistance group in other words "manang brigade" who assists visitors and checks order and silence. I think they zeroed in on me and my camera wielding ways. But then they left me alone after they saw that i was considerate enough doing non-flash photography, also i think they took me for a foreigner because i wasn't making a sound, I wasn't stepping on the tiles with names (woooaaahhhh are they really graves?) and I wasn't acting like usual local catholics (in a way there's something "foreign" i agree.)

Last is the Manila Cathedral
I was a bit disappointed with the anti-climax that was THE Cathedral. After the surprise that was SB, I was looking forward to a grand cathedral. This was the home church of the ARCH Bishop, the most sought after wedding church of the rich and famous, but it was just a major church, not so grand, not so cold, not so massive.. I am no expert in churches, I have been to a handful only but I maybe just demystified the MC, sorry, really unimpressed. The only notable feature of the church is an ENG Van of GMA parked nearby and a slew of barong clad men in the altar area, most probably security checking for an important televised mass by Black Saturday or Easter Sunday. Ho-hum!


Ended the day with Chowking Halo halo. How Pinoy traditional can you go?

Notes :
Pasensiya if i stumble into irreverence, just in case I did.
I really thought I did this on a Friday, but it was Black Saturday pala.

-- BB

Panata = Turista

This Holy week is quite unusual for me. I couldn't make plans, couldn't flap my wings.

Still counting my blessings, I had a wonderful budget vacation in Manila. Reintroduced myself to 12 hour sleeps (waaaahhhhh priceless!) marathon movies, family bonding, and a chance na mabura lahat ng backlog sa office and eventually make papogi with proactive work.

And then this idea..

Bisita Iglesia!













more sa multiply.

Sana magaling akong kumuha ng pictures o kaya magaling ako magkuwento..
Marami akong nakita sa Maynila, maluwang kasi ang kalsada at walang gaanong tao.. pero tuloy pa rin ang ikot ng kumersiyo
alam ko naman kung paano puntahan, alam ko ano ang i-expect. Nadayo na naman ako sa area na 'yon. Ibang mata, ibang paa..
may nag-akala na naghahanap ako ng pampar*gla
may nag-akala na isa akong turista,
kaya siguro nahihiya silang manita.


Ulitin ko ulit, discovering my neighborhood. Oo, bibisita ako, Bamboo Organ at Lourdes, siguro about time.. kapitbahay lang naman.

Ay sa mga di maintindihan kung bakit, iba kasi ang kinalakihan ko. Hindi ako katoliko.

HAPPY EASTER!

--BB

It's tradition

Bien is back with a BANG! Work mode for BB doesn't mean it'll be no fun for Bien and BearLyn.

KUYA Bien teaches BearLyn.. the SCAN DIVE!


(Bien : Aligid mode -- he he, the coast is clear)

(Bien : ayan.. but your nose should be flat! BearLyn, ang laki kasi ng mukha ko.. kailangan mapipi ka.. crawl up.)



(BearLyn : Ok na ba Bien?)


(BearLyn : Solo scan naman dyan o!)