Children's Letters to God in Dumaguete.

Arrived home from Dumaguete late yesterday afternoon. I spent 4 glorious days in that city with the cast and crew of Children's Letters to God, courtesy of Little Boy Productions, as we had in Cebu the previous weekend.

Met up with Acey, Ikey, Nar, Nicco and Jill at the airport on early Thursday morning (Bianca, Dingdong, Bart and John were flying out the next day), and flew all together to Dumaguete. Hendri and Moses (who was somewhat like our tour guide) picked us up at the airport upon our arrival, then took us directly to Silliman University where we had breakfast at the cafeteria. Then we finally checked in at Coco Grande, this place that used to be a dorm, now converted into a nice hotel. Hung out and just chilled for a while. Nicco even brought up this idea of staging Our Town, which ended up in him, Jill and me watching Nicco's and my recital video of Our Town from 6 years ago on my laptop. Chilled a little bit more until we had to leave again for the cafeteria for lunch.

After lunch, we ended up at this nice establishment called Cafe Antonio. Oh my gosh, I love the interiors of the place. Super chill place. We had desserts (mostly crepes and ice-blended drinks, plus a beer for Ikey), then just sat around, talking and joking around. After a while, Nar even tinkered with the piano with Ikey singing along.

Acey and I then got picked up by Hendri so we can go to the Luce Auditorium to set up the tarp and check out other stuff. When we got to the Luce, I was surprised and amused to see that the theater was somewhat similar to the CCP Little Theater, hahaha. Anyway, we were just there for a while to have the tarp hung, then checked on the props and stuff. We wouldn't be able to do much because Dingdong, Bart and John had yet to arrive the following day.

Picked up the cast at Sans Rival, this place that Nar had raved about that has really yummy sans rival and silvanas. Haha, we picked them up to have dinner back at the cafeteria, when they already grabbed a couple of bites in Sans Rival. After dinner, some of them (Acey, Ikey, Nicco, and Jill) walked to Robinson's Place or the drugstore (I forgot where) to buy some stuff, while I walked with Nar and Hendri back to the hotel. Basically just hung out during most of the evening, then later that night, we decided to walk to the bay and hang out there. We ended up sitting at this place where lots of vendors sold balut, squid balls and kikiam (though they called it tempura) and just pigged out, while a couple of street musicians (Nar called one "John Lennon") serenaded us. After 20 more pieces of squid balls, we looked for a place to drink or have dessert. We couldn't settle on one place but ended up at this little cafe and got dessert before we walked all the way back to the hotel.

On Friday morning, we got picked up for breakfast back at the cafeteria. Bianca, Dingdong, Bart, and John had already arrived from the airport and was already having breakfast there, so it was cool that we were all complete again. Headed straight to the theater after breakfast for all the other setups and adjustments and I finally tested my projector slides (which I had to edit one slide at a time).

When we took a break for lunch, we (Dingdong, John, Acey and I) were due back at the theater at 1pm (2 hours earlier than the cast's call time for the 4pm tech run), so we decided to just go somewhere else to eat. While the cast ate with Hendri back at the cafeteria as usual, the 4 of us took a pedicab (that's what they call their tricycles there, by the way) to Sans Rival. Their honey chicken set meal was pretty yummy, but the chicken was pretty big that it took a while for us to finish it. Then we had a few pieces of silvanas for dessert.

I swear, I must have gained so much weight just by being there in that city with all the food it has to offer. There are so many good stuff in this city to eat, with just the right prices. Everything is walking distance, and if it's kind of far for you, you can just take a pedicab anywhere. No jeeps or taxicabs in sight. Everything is just chill, that it's like it's Sunday everyday. Oh, I found one more piece of paradise, hahaha.

Anyway, we had a tech run in the afternoon before the show that evening at 8pm. Not much to worry about regarding the show except that it's kind of tough trying to listen to the sounds while we're in the tech booth. We also had to request monitors because the actors couldn't hear anything from the stage. After the tech run, Dingdong, Acey and I were planning to have dinner back at Sans Rival, but we ended up staying in the theater because Hendri brought us packed meals, yay.

It was a pretty good gala show that evening. The audience was quite different from the crowd in Cebu, but I guess that's to be expected, even though we were already expecting the worst (like the hecklers that we experienced last weekend).

Had dinner at Cafe Antonio after the show, and wolfed down the free food while chatting with some of the people who were involved in this Dumaguete leg. Thank you, guys!

Saturday morning was supposed to be a visit to the beach for most of us, but I ended up sleeping in with the rest of the girls and the others who opted not to go to the beach, so the only ones who went with Hendri was Nar, Ikey and Acey. Spent the morning hanging out with Jill, Bianca and Nicco in Nicco and Nar's room, content with eating our packed meals there while watching TV.

Headed back to the theater early that afternoon (1:30pm for tech, 2:00pm for cast) and got ready for the afternoon show. Nothing much to set up as usual, as I had preset everything after the show the night before.

We had a little attempt at playtime with the cast while we were in the tech booth. Once Joanna (Jill) had pointed out the star to Brett in the final scene, Dingdong and I fumbled with the lights on our phones, and I ended up illuminating his face when the cast pointed out the Big Dipper, hahaha! I think the cast was ready to go crazy because of that.

Because there was still lots of time to kill before the evening show, Dingdong and Acey went to the gym, while I went with Hendri and the cast back to the hotel. Ended up just watching an episode and a half of Smash on my laptop until we had to go back to the theater again for our final show.

And just like that, after the 8pm show, we were done. We easily and quickly packed all the props and costumes away, and we were off to a dinner with Moses and the rest of the people behind this leg of the tour. We had to stop over at the hotel for a while to drop off most of our stuff, but Jill, Bianca and Nar ended up taking their time and taking showers before we had to go, hahaha.

By the time we got to the venue of the dinner, the place was about to close, but they still kept it open for us. Bart and Hendri sat with Moses and the other guys, while Dingdong, Acey, Nar, Ikey, Nicco, Jill, Bianca and I squeezed ourselves into the booth next to them. (John, by the way, ended up just staying at the hotel.) Huwaw, I've never seen all of us wolf down everything so fast, including the alcohol (guess which of us are the hard core drinkers), hahaha!

Afterwards, we went with Bart to Adeladiva, this place that his friend, Angelo (quite a nice, cheerful, quirky gay guy) owns. I forget, but I think I heard that Angelo used to also own a bar in Malate, until he moved to Dumaguete. Bart treated us to a round of drinks, so some of us ended up drinking again, and yes, me included. Then after a while, our driver needed to leave, so we had to bid our goodbyes. My goodness, it's like we just did the whole eat-and-run thing, only it was eat-drink-and-run. Bart and Hendri got dropped off back at the hotel, while the rest of us ended up at the baywalk for another round of balut, squid balls and tempura, because Bianca and Dingdong weren't with us that first night. After having our fill, Nar went off to Hayahay to meet with some friends, while the rest of us rode pedicabs back to the hotel and called it a night.

Konked out on my bed while Bianca slept in the other (her mattress was already taken away because initially she was going to stay in Bethel with her family that night, but ended up staying). Jill stayed in the other room with Nicco as Nar was still out. By the time I woke up in the morning, both Bianca and Jill had already gone (Bianca with her family, Jill's flight back to Manila was in the morning, along with Bart and John).

I was the only one awake aside from Hendri that morning, so we had breakfast at Bethel. Moses was also there, along with some other people (teachers who worked in Reno, Nevada) who got to watch the show. Stopped over at Sans Rival to pre-order some silvanas to pick up for later, then headed back to the hotel.

We all checked out at noon, then had lunch in Bethel. We were supposed to have lunch at Sans Rival, but there were more food choices in Bethel, so we went there instead. But of course, we still had to go back to Sans Rival for the silvanas, then we also stopped over at Robinson's Place because Acey wanted to get more pasalubong (and the rest of us ended up buying some as well). Then it was time to head for the airport.

The entire tour of Children's Letters to God was quite an awesome experience, and I love the people I've worked with in this production. I'm so thankful that I got this opportunity to work with them, plus getting traveling perks as well. This show was so fun that it never actually felt like work. I sure hope there will be more shows to come (Bacolod?), hahaha.

Now it's back to the daily grind tomorrow. Back to life.

Children's Letters to God in Cebu, and the rest of the weekend.

I'm back from Cebu. The weekend really flew by. Yup, cliche, but time really does fly when you're having fun. And I had a blast.

So early on Friday morning, we all headed to breakfast in the hotel. The cast sat at one table and threw lines, while I sat with Bart, Dingdong, Acey and John at the table next to them. Went downstairs to meet up with Hendri in the lobby and took a couple of cabs to CICC. Did a bit more of setting up, putting props backstage in their respective places, testing the lights, the sounds and the projector, and by the time the actors had their costumes, makeup and lapels on, we only had time for adjustments instead of an actual dress tech rehearsal. So our first show ended up being our DTR, hahaha.

Despite the hecklers in the young audience, the show went pretty well. There was a teeny bit of technical issues during that first show, but that was because we didn't get to have a DTR in the first place. Discussed about it during company call after the show, and Bart even shared certain experiences when we talked about the hecklers. But of course, you can't really avoid people like that.

Anyway, the next 2 shows also went pretty well, and I actually loved the 2nd show the best. It was the most receptive audience, who reacted at all the right moments. They would squeal and get all giddy about the crush issues, and Kicker's charm was a hit among everyone.

There was lechon during lunch, but we didn't really have that much time to relish it because the next show would start in about half an hour. Anyway, all in all, the day was a blast. The only downside of it all was that Bianca's phone got stolen during our second show.

When all 3 shows were finished, I had to face my least favorite part of any production--the strike. Hahaha, It wasn't that hard for this prod, really. We only had to put all the props away in boxes, and the costumes in one bin to be laundered. After everything was put away, we all headed back to the hotel to clean up and take showers before dinner.

We all had dinner at east,west, Hendri's restaurant in IT Park. I was starving, so I ordered a full order of the porkchops, plus the highly-recommended mango-strawberry slushie. Oh yum. Nothing but great filling food after a long day's work. And yes, by the time I had finished my food, it was still pretty early in the evening and we were all still having fun talking and joking around, so Ikey and I ended up ordering lots more to munch on (and a bit of alcohol for me), as Nar, Nicco, Jill and Bianca were still waiting for their own orders.

We were supposed to go to the spa later that evening after dinner, but because they couldn't accommodate all of us that late, we decided to just go the next day. After dropping by Krispy Kreme and briefly checking out the tiangge stalls, we headed back to the hotel to rest.

Woke up way early on Sunday morning, as Hendri was taking some of us to Oslob to see the whale sharks. Unfortunately, not all of us were going. Jill, Bianca, Bart and John had to fly back to Manila that very morning, and Dingdong just wanted to sleep in because he had a lot of work waiting for him once we fly back home. So it was only Nicco, Nar, Acey, Ikey and me that went with Hendri at 4 in the morning. Thank goodness I woke up just in time, because by the time I had gotten out of the shower, Hendri called our room and told me to come down to the lobby already. It was a 3-hour drive from Cebu City, and most of us spent it sleeping, while Ikey kept Hendri company while driving. Woke up when the pickup made a really hard turn, and when I opened my eyes, there it was--the water where we will get to see the butandings.

I'm not really a swimmer, so I'm not a big fan of the water, even if it's saltwater that will help me float. But of course, I still wanted to see the whale sharks, so I just had to go. Anyway, there we were, and after getting flippers and goggles for some, plus our life vests, we headed to our boat. Within a few minutes, we were out in the water, and caught glimpses of the fins of a whale shark swimming around us. Everyone dove in except for me, as Nicco and I decided to share his pair of goggles. When it was my turn, I just wanted to take a dip in the water, just for the experience, hahaha. I let the boys have their fun. I felt something tough my foot while I was in the water, and Nicco had said that the whale shark actually passed underneath me. Huwaw.

Nicco was starting to feel sick due to motion sickness, so we headed back to the shore. Once he emerged from the bathroom, we piled back in the pickup, with the boys in the back so they can dry off while I kept Hendri company inside (as I managed to change discreetly while they were still chatting). Had breakfast in a nearby carinderia, then it was time for another long drive back to the city. We had a little stopover in Carcar so Hendri can buy something that Jill had requested.

Back to the hotel so we can wash off the saltwater. Apparently Dingdong had slept off the entire morning, so I had to call him so he can open the door for me, hahaha. There was still an hour to spare before we were to be picked up by Hendri, so Dingdong and I had time to get our free "breakfast"/brunch in the lobby (which was packed and was waiting for us so we can still eat it), and we even managed to catch a few minutes of sleep before checking out.

Hendri then picked us up right on time, and we finally headed to Body and Sole for our complimentary full-body massages and foot spas, because the spa was a sponsor. When we got there, we still had to wait for half an hour so they can accommodate us, so we walked to the nearby Robinson's Place mall to kill time.

I was so relieved that we got to have those foot spas, and super glad to get a full-body massage. Lugging my huge laptop to and from rehearsal wasn't a joke, so thank goodness those annoying knots are gone. I was so relaxed that I fell asleep during the massage, hahaha.

We went to the Ayala Center to meet up with Hendri. Nicco and Acey immediately went to Timezone to play, while Ikey, Dingdong, Nar and I settled in Starbucks to wait for Hendri. Once he arrived, we all headed to Sunburst for early dinner. Oh my gosh, their chicken skin is so yummy and sinful. Anyway, after dinner, we walked around the mall to digest our food, before we decided to chill at Hendri's house for a while before we had to check in at the airport.

Once we reached Hendri's place, I almost immediately called dibs on the bed in the bedroom where Hendri let his guests sleep in. The rest of the guys immediately settled as well, while Hendri did a little show and tell with all the stuff, and some of us ended up poring over some of things that we wanted to borrow books, piano scores and CDs, and we even got some freebies (caps for the guys, and a T-shirt for me).

Finally, airport time. I was so glad that our flight was somewhat on time this time, considering it was the last flight of the day, and it was raining in Manila.

All in all, I had such a blast during this entire trip, plus it was my first provincial show tour. I'm so glad to work with awesome people that I love. Will be flying to Dumaguete for our 2nd leg of Children's Letters to God this Thursday. I can't wait!

New TV show on Filipino artists airs February 28.

Art Republik, a new TV show that features Filipino artists, debuts February 28 on Knowledge Channel at 8:40 p.m. Art Republik is a 30-minute program on Philippine arts and culture, profiling 51 artists from various art fields and two art collectors or a total of 53 guests for its first season. The first season of Art Republik carries 13 episodes anchored on themes, which are based on cultural traits.

The cultural traits used as episode themes include close family relations with a focus on siblings' relationships, respect, Bayanihan, adaptability, hard work, responsibility, strong sense of community, commitment, courage, quality, sentimentality, excellence, and perseverance. 

For the first episode, Art Republik features two families involved in the fields of independent film and the visual arts: the Lee Brothers and the Dalena sisters. Roxlee is the hero of underground cinema; Romeo Lee commonly known as Lee is a University of the Philippines-Diliman icon and visual artist/performer.

Sari Lluch Dalena is a multi-awarded filmmaker who recently bagged the Best Picture and Best Director awards at the 2011 Cinema One Originals Film Festival for Ka Oryang. Aba Lluch Dalena is a visual artist, an art teacher and the lead vocals of Rockbato. Kiri Lluch Dalena traverses the fields of visual arts and film.

“We created the show to provide an alternative program to the usual entertainment and political fare on television. TV is a powerful medium to inform and engage people. We hope that Art Republik could  contribute in increasing the awareness on Philippine art to a wider public by presenting its creators, the Filipino artists, whose work reflect our culture,” Betty Uy-Regala, producer of Art Republik, said.

The other members who complete the show's team are co-producer Evie dela Cruz, director JL Burgos, Imelda Morales, Opaline Santos, Ria Torrente, Kathrina Reston, Tom Estrera III,  Allan Alcantara, Erwin dela Cruz, Rene Bayking, and Joel Laserna. Alma dela Pena, Mavie de Ocampo, Kristine C. Tabada, and Phillyn Lorenzo were part of the pilot episode production.

The show is produced through the Asian Christian Arts Association, Inc., a non-governmental organization, and partially funded by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the policy-making body and grants-giving government agency for the preservation, development and promotion of Philippine arts and culture.

Felipe de Leon, Jr., chairman of the NCCA, said, “The Philippine government recognizes the role of culture in the development of the economy and national unity. This is embodied in our Constitution (Article XIV) and the Medium-Term Philippine Development Plan (MTPDP).”

Art Republik will be aired on Knowledge Channel every Tuesday at 8:40 p.m. with replays on Thursday at 8:40 p.m. and Saturday at 2:00 p.m. Knowledge Channel is channel 42 on Sky Cable. Art Republik is on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/artrepublik).

 

--ooOoo--

 

For more information on Art Republik, please contact Betty Uy-Regala at 0906-2604175 or email betty_uyregala@yahoo.com.

 

Scheduled Airing of Art Republik on Knowledge Channel

February 28, 2012: Sari, Aba and Kiri Lluch Dalena and Rox and Romeo Lee share their family experiences in Episode 1's Siblings in Art. The Dalena sisters and the Lee brothers are in the fields of visual arts and film. Replays on March 1 and March 3.

March 6, 2012: Poets Michael Coroza, Nerisa Guevara, Kooky Tuason, and Fliptop rapper Batas speak of respect in the worlds of Balagtasan, poetry slam, and Fliptop battles in Episode 2's Spoken Word. Replays on March 8 and March 10.

March 13, 2012: Actors Irma Adlawan, Soliman Cruz, Gabe Mercado and dance artist Myra Beltran present how performers give of themselves on stage and off in Episode 3's Performing Bayanihan. Replays on March 15 and March 17.

March 20, 2012: Architects and musicians jam on adaptability with Francisco Mañosa, Lolita Carbon, Ana Mangalino-Ling and Cooky Chua on Episode 4's Space and Sound. Replays on March 22 and March 24.

March 27, 2012: lawyer/playwright Nicolas Pichay, medical doctor/musician Moel Diaz, teacher/actor Anna Deroca, and advertising executive/musician Isa Garcia share how they balance their multiple roles in Episode 5's Artists by Night. Replays on March 29 and March 31.

April 3, 2012: Responsibility is exemplified by directors who lead creative and art projects such as Sid Maderazo for TV commercials, Marie Jamora for MTV, Claro Ramirez and Eileen Legaspi-Ramirez for art exhibitions in Episode 6's Directors' Cut. Replays on April 5 and April 7.

April 10, 2012: Theater artist Joel Saracho of Taumbayan, filmmaker Avic Ilagan of Blacksoup Cafe + Artspace, musicians Marben Moreno of Hades Bar and Andre Umali of Headstock Bar build a stronger and closer community with their spaces in Episode 7's Tambayan. Replays on April 12 and April 14.

April 17, 2012: Episode 8's On Women shows the high level of commitment of visual artists Brenda Fajardo and Karen Ocampo Flores, and literary writers Malou Jacob and Aida Santos to their craft and advocacies. Replays on April 19 and April 21.

April 24, 2012: Female tattoo artists Gel Cabrera and Minnehaha Calleja, street artist Whooop, and comic book creator Budjette Tan discuss courage in the urban art episode, Episode 9's Skin, Street and Comics. Replays on April 26 and April 28.   

May 1, 2012: Episode 10's The Old and New focuses on quality work as filmmaker John Torres, visual artist At Maculangan, media artist Tad Ermitaño, and dance artist Rhosam Prudenciado, Jr. compare the traditional form with the new. Replays on May 3 and May 5.

May 8, 2012: Visual artists Mark Justiniani and Alfredo Esquillo, Jr., art collector Robert Bjorn Santos, and gallery owner Albert Avellana show the upside and the downside of sentimentality in Episode 11's The Collector. Replays on May 10 and May 12.

May 15, 2012: Filmmakers from different genres and generations, National Artist for Cinema Eddie Romero, Ditsi Carolino-Garcia, Antoinette Jadaone, and Pepe Diokno define their brand of excellence in Episode 12's And the Winner is... Replays on May 17 and May 19.

May 22, 2012: Ildefonso P. Santos, National Artist for Landscape Architecture; Virgilio S. Almario, National Artist for Literature; Abdulmari Asia Imao, National Artist for the Visual Arts and; the late Salvador Bernal, National Artist for Theater Design narrate how they persevered in the beginning of their art journey until they were conferred the highest recognition for the arts in Episode 13's The National Artists Special. Replays on May 24 and May 26.

Back in Cebu, but for a show, not for blog camp.

Typing this while sitting alone in the hotel room here in Cebu. Yep, after 2 weeks of rehearsals, Children's Letters to God will be shown tomorrow at the CICC. I can't believe that 2 weeks flew by so quickly. I love the cast and crew, and everyone's so fun to work with.

Our flight (well, for Bart, Dingdong, Acey, Ikey, Nar, John and me, as Jill and Nicco went ahead, and Bianca has yet to arrive early tomorrow morning) to Cebu this afternoon was supposed to be at 3:30pm, but like most afternoon flights, it got delayed for an hour. Ended up just hanging around the airport terminal, eating and joking around, and even learned how to play Monopoly Deal because Ikey brought his deck of cards. When we boarded the plane at around 3:30, we thought things were going as scheduled. Apparently, we still had to wait until 4:30, and our plane took off at around 5pm because there was already a queue of planes that have yet to take off.

By the time we arrived in Cebu, it was early evening already, so we headed straight to CICC (Cebu International Convention Center, where our show will be) from the airport. We did a quick run of all the blocking for John (our lighting designer), talked a bit about the technicals, then left right away to have dinner. Ended up across the street at Dimsum Break in Parkmall. Oh dimsum, yummm. And to think that I already had Chinese food with the cast a couple of evenings ago. After dinner, we had 20 minutes to go around before we had to head over to the hotel. Ended up chit-chatting with Ikey as the rest had paired up and headed their own ways.

It was quite the joyride during the trip to the hotel, as we had all dumped our bags inside the pick-up we were riding, and (with the exception of Hendri and Bart), we all sat in the back. Crazy, but super fun and hilarious.

So now, I'm here in the hotel room, glad that the wifi signal's pretty good inside the rooms, because we were initially told that the wifi signal's better in the lobby. Anyway, it's high time to hit the sack, as we have a run-through early in the morning.

To anyone reading this who's in Cebu, Children's Letters to God will be showing at the CICC tomorrow at 10:30am, 1pm, and 3:30pm. Hope to see you there!

Good things always come.

My voice is finally back! And I'm not coughing like crazy anymore, but I'm still taking the prescribed medication that the EENT gave me last week. I was in a crazy, unproductive rut when I'm at home, so even though I was "sentenced" to vocal rest, I was still excited to go back to work in CCP, even if it meant that I had to use my voice.

On the first day of my week's worth of vocal rest, I got a text from Anna, asking me if I wanted to be an assistant stage manager for some production, as her boyfriend Acey's already one of the 2 ASMs. I asked what show it was, and for the schedule, and as it turned out, it was Hendri's production of Children's Letters to God! I've been hearing about this since December, and they're doing a few shows in Cebu and Dumaguete. I said I wanted to, but I needed to know about the entire schedule. After my text exchange with Anna, I found Hendri online on Facebook, and he talked it out with me. Considering it was a good project with great timing on my part, I accepted the job. Plus it has the perks of working with people I love and/or wanted to work with, plus I get to travel to Cebu again!

Hendri had told me to contact Dingdong, who's the stage manager for this production. I was told that I could pick up the script from him at Onstage during Next Fall's closing weekend. I ended up going there yesterday, it's closing show. I wasn't really planning on watching the play; I just wanted to pick up the script, then head over to CCP to meet up with Carlo and Micah, as Carlo's in Manila this weekend to watch Eyeball and Mamma Mia. I ended up staying because Dingdong said that he'll give me the script during intermission, hahaha.

Next Fall was pretty good. It tackled a gay couple's issues about their differences, most especially in religion. They were witty, they were sincere, they made me laugh and even cry at the end. It even highlighted a play that I did as a workshop recital (Thornton Wilder's Our Town), so I felt nostalgic as well. Overall, I was so glad I got to watch it during their closing show, so super thanks to Dingdong for that.

After the show, I headed over to CCP to meet up with Carlo, Micah and hopefully even EmJ. Eyeball's Set A had been over for about an hour when I arrived, but I found Jelson at the Little Theater lobby. As I was still waiting for Carlo and company, Jelson invited me to join him and some others (Pam, Erick, Tad, Riki and Lao) at Jollibee for dinner. I went along with him, even though I had already eaten during the cab ride from Makati to CCP. So I ended up sitting there with them, then we started walking to Starbucks. On our way to Starbucks, we even stopped at one of the tiangge stalls and looked at some toys, when some little kid took Jelson's hand, thinking he was holding his dad's hand. Hahaha, it amused us for a bit until the poor kid got shocked when he realized that Jelson wasn't his dad.

After settling at a table in Starbucks, Micah appeared, and I got a text from Carlo at the same time. I joined the siblings instead at a different table after getting our drinks, and EmJ had appeared as well to say hi for a bit. Chatted for a while until they decided to head over to the Main Theater, so I bid my goodbyes to the TP crowd. Riki had even asked if I was watching Mamma Mia with them, and I simply quipped that I might hang around in case there would be a freebie.

Said hello to Tin (who was working the entire floor selling souvenir programs and CDs) in the Main Theater lobby, and we talked and joked around until we heard the 5-minute chimes go off. When the crowd had dispersed, I hung around a bit by the merchandise booth with Tin, Noeme, Chewy and the others there.

While they were on break, Sir Ernie had appeared, and asked who wanted to watch. Of course, I had to smile and said that I'd want to. He rummaged through his bag and gave me an orchestra ticket! Super thank you, Sir Ernie! It was on row V (second to the last row), and I had missed a couple of song numbers, but I didn't care. I was about to watch Mamma Mia! The usher then informed me that I would be seated in the nearest available seat, and I can transfer to my own seat by intermission, but I didn't mind. Heck, of course I didn't mind, because the ushers led me farther down... to the 4th row of the orchestra! Woohoo! I got to see the show way up close! I was all smiles the entire time. And when intermission rolled around, I left the theater for a while, and when no one still hadn't claimed that seat, I stayed instead of going far back to my actual seat, hahaha!

Watching the show, I remembered why I fell in love with musical theater. The songs, the dancing, the heart and passion of the actors as they performed. And because I grew up singing to ABBA's songs as a kid (imagine a 6-year-old me singing to "Chiquitita" and "Fernando" at least once a day whenever my parents played it on the stereo), I enjoyed all of the songs. I wanted to sing and dance along with all of them. Everyone in the cast, from the leads to the chorus, were A-mazing. I loved their energy. I'm so grateful that I got to watch it, and super up close!

I love how things always turn up pretty well after a lousy rut. And I'm truly grateful for things like that.

Here's a random thought while I was watching the show last night. I remember a time when I was pretty happy and content with my life. Never mind that I didn't have a significant other, and I wasn't bothered by the fact that I didn't have a boyfriend, not even dating anyone. I was perfectly content with the way things were going then. I want to go back to that disposition. I can't wait. I know this is blind optimism, but I don't care. Unconventional happiness, good vibes are still good vibes.

Here goes another week of this.

I was supposed to be back working in the office yesterday. That didn't really happen.

I was already set to go to work, unfortunately, I couldn't sleep the night before. I don't know whether it was in the tea I drank the day before or the cheesecake, but I couldn't sleep. I ended up just surfing the net before I had to get ready for work. I just decided to catch up on my sleep after my shift, and maybe catch at least a half hour of sleep in the lounge once I get to the office.

Unfortunately, I was still coughing like crazy when I tried to sleep in the lounge. No sleep at all. Ended up having breakfast with Tin and catching up, then it was time to clock in. It was crazy. One hour of calls, and I was still coughing after every one of them, causing me to pause after every call I had, costing me so much idle time. I was caught pausing before saying anything during my actual calls, as I was being monitored almost the whole time (because I didn't come in to work for quite a long while). I ended up going to the clinic, and I was advised by the doctor to just go home and not work that day, and consult an EENT doctor.

I was told to go to the place where we had our first physical checkup, because the doctor in the clinic had said that there was no EENT available in Patient First that morning. I decided to take a risk and check out Patient First. If there's no EENT, I'll either just wait until the afternoon, maybe doze off in the lounge for a while, or ask for a schedule of doctors, before I head on over to Makati Med.

Fortunately, I found out in Patient First that an EENT was coming in by mid-morning. So I just sat there in the waiting area until the doctor arrived.

During the first part of the consultation, the doctor was taking out some stuff from his bag, and I noticed this apparatus nearest to me on the table, and attached to a tube was this sort of appendage with a light. I had no idea what it was for, but I found out real soon. After the initial consultation, and checking the back of my tongue, the doctor wanted to check my throat to see what was wrong, why my voice was still hoarse and why I still had this darn cough. He sprayed some lidocaine on my tongue, causing it to numb, then stuck that long apparatus with the light thing down my throat and asked me to say the letter E. It felt pretty weird having a numb tongue and having that thing down my throat. Ew.

So anyway, I was given more medication, and one more week of vocal rest. Darn it, I won't be earning anything again in the office for another week. Oh no. And I have 2 shows this weekend. Hopefully I'll rest well while I'm not working, and minimal talking during the shows.

But so far, after a day of medication, I feel much better. Can't wait until this one week sentence is over.