Renewing of a Republic, Dancing for the Rocked, and A Demundanified Graduation Day.

Phew! Its been awhile since I was able to plug in an entry over here. Alot of notable things have happend. After a month and a half of contraversies and accusation surrounding the presidential election, President Arroyo, and (Unthinkable but yes, Vice President) Noli De Castro has prevailed to be the countries dominant choice to run the fiasco that is our country's white painted ass of a government. I don't really mind having her as president for the next 6 years of my life as long as she runs it without walking contraversy of a husband. He totally defeated the "lesser evil" image Arroyo had. Nevertheless, it didn't work against her in this year's election did it?

Last May 15, The Youth Ministy hosted an contest likeable to that of Amazing Race. Last year we had the Amazing Alabang Race which I wasn't able to go to due to very "reasonable" excuses *wink*. This time the contest was called HOt ShOts. 6 teams, armed only with A digital camera, (me thinks) had to go around different landmarks in Alabang to take certain pictures (complete with composition, and aesthetic angles) within a time limit. The team who garners the most points as attibuted from each picture wins. We didn't win, BUT WE WON 6 AWARIDS BEBE!!! My photography classes are indeed paying off. Bark goes Lorenzo. Later that night I went to My Kuya Donj's stag party. They do know how to pick their places, those friends of Donj. He was wed to to Ate Jenn last June 5 in santuario. I got my hair straightened too...which only lasted for like 3 weeks. Sheeeet.

Noy, Choy, and I enjoying the Meat Section


Petrex is no more. Just last week, June 17 I think, Rex left for Canada to start off a new along with the Yulo Family. I think he needs the space, and the change in scene. I hope he does well though. But Carlos and I are not exactly happy how the band ended. Our planned "quiet dinner" was never realized, and we never got to finish the cd before his departure. He better tune down with his "rock star" mentality over there. Competition in the music business is no joke to the Canadians...or to the whole of North America for that matter.

Petrex's Last Practice in Studio 49


Ok I'm supposed to leave for dinner with JP Sarabia in awhile so I'll try to make this as quickie as possible (pun intended)

I graduated from De La Salle University Manila last Saturday, June 19 2004. I woke up at 11am as I normally do nowadays that morning thinking what to eat for brunch. It was 15 minutes into my morning ritual when I realized the importance of that day. I texted Ines V.A. (a good friend and a co-graduate) that I will be riding with her as I was still too pooped to be driving myself to PICC (Philippine International Convention Center). My parents were to meet me there at 3pm. Pre-ceremonial started at 130pm. Paulo rode with us too. We were schedule to have a graduation party later that evening. It was to be the most expensive party I paid for and yet never really go to on time (which I will be explaining why in a lil bit) So after an uberly long line of waiting amidst parents, friends, family, and reputable professors we sat in our seats. Well air conditioned, and furnished the Plenary Hall was a magnifacent plance to be steady. I was pretty much over the "HELL YEAH, I'M A GRADUATE" Phase of my life that I decided to read instead. Anne Rice's BLOOD AND GOLD kept me company in between conversation with my blockmates and the awarding of never-heard-of people from La Salle.

Finally after 6 hours of fancying up...we graduated and dressed down completely to party mode. That was before my parents and Carlo took sooo much pictures with me that our digicam would forever have imprints of my graduation day on its lens. I'm gonna miss my blockmates though...oh well...SO WE SPED OUT OF THAT PLACE ON MY COMMAND!!!

At first we ate at Pancake House in that Highway perpendicular to Roxas...i forgot what it is called. Named after President Arroyo's Mom me thinks. Very movie like. Everything was perfect in the sense that everything that happend on that day was all out for me. After having an early dinner, the 4 of us drove all the way to Eastwood, Libis (or is it the other way around?)...

FETE DELA MUSIQUE 2004 in Eastwood City

So we were there in the annual french music fesitval. The closest thing the Philippines will have to Woodstock. Ricardo and I split up from my parents as to steal a drag opposite the free music all around. We watched different bands, from Cynthia Alexander to other world music performers. The Rock Parking lot was to full for us to enter the moment we got there that we passed up to the Jazz area. I bought 4 CDs (2 independent artists Urbandub's Birth, and Bridge's first; and A John Fursciante Solo, with a B-side rarity of Muse) I swear, I must've spent almost 10k on CDs the past 2 weeks. *sigh* Its reaching an unhealthy point that I just have to stop and listen to 1 CD seriously...coz I haven't in awhile. Ricardo and Cholo split up from me just when I accidentally bumped into Marc Tan, Nix Castillo, Meng O, and Anj Aguagirl. We teamed up to look for Vic Narc, Mike B, and Rumples when we were ambushed by my former guitarist Carlos Tanada (who played early in the Rock Car Park. Lucky Fuck). We met up with Vic and the rest in some techno bar. There I met up an chatted with Ping Ronqui, Elea the rapper, Some guy I forgot his name. It was kewl to see all these people in one megalithic place. My kind of atmosphere: Free Music, Cheap Booze, Great Vibes, Hot Chicks all around, and Good friends all around. 15 Minutes into meeting up with Vic, it started raining. Sheeeet. This is were Fete totally got ruined. It started flooding everywhere. Ricardo recalled me to meet up with the folks and my relatives who have been smoking and enjoying the music in the Jazz area. I for one went home a drenched duck. I'm sorry, I didn't go home yet. I had another party to attend to in Alabang.

Dencio's

We experienced major traffic coming from the parking of Eastwood. Apparently in was a combination of massive influx of cars coming into eastwood, and a few minor and major accidents along the way. I saw a dead body of a man trapped in a horizontally compressed SUV that was earlier sandwiched between a bus and a cargo truck. Poor fella. To think that this was my graduation day was selfish of me. Call me a sissy, but I said a silent prayer as my family and I drifted off with new-found cautiousness to Alabang. Paulo gives me a call shortly before the accident and tells me that we reached 10k on our bill with the party. There goes my unhealthy CD shopping. When I arrived to Dencio's Alabang, I was people I knew leaving tipsy. Mon was somewhat out of it. My brother anton too. I grabbed a beer and was greeted sweetly by the attendants of the fiasco only to drop my beer on the floor right when a drunk Ninoy hugs me from behind. *ice cold, ice cold* I talked alot with a number of people. Julz and I got deep in conversation about personal problems, which was a stepping stone to our understanding of each other as friends and musicians. Caisa Borromeo was there suprisingly, we catched up on each other lives only to be inturrupted by Chris (rumor has it he and luke downed 15 bottles of beer minumum) Then I talked to Pat about love and life and how depressing it could get. That girl is really interestingly fun. As the expensive bill spells its out, everybody had a blast. I had only 2 bottles of beer by the time the party ended at 3pm. We kept Dencio's alive 2 hours hence its offial closing time. Time gave me a parker pen as a grad gift. Awww...shes sooo sweet.

Awww sheeeet. I'm late for my dinner. I still have alot to write. I'll continue this when I have the time...

*looking for a phonebooth*