The Awitenista Experience

I had the chance to direct the biggest show of my life by far. Last night, was a nerve-wracking moment, yet it was a very special night for me. It was a dream come true for me.

I've been with Awitenista for four years. When i was in first year, I was just one of the audience. I got my first experience in a big live production when I was part of Awitenista 2007 and was the program committee head last year. This year, was a bit different...

I wasn't supposed to be the head of Awit productions this year. When we were having our planning, i was firmed to transfer in the Promotions. But due to a lot of circumstances...I stepped up and well...took the responsibility. That was October...

We were late...So we had our pre-production meeting, recruited the production staff, did our promos, posted ads and got through the Preliminaries.

The committee decided to get 16 deserving entries. 

So it was time to produce the Grand Finals night...

Kalasag, having a pool of creative and talented minds, took a big risk in the production. For us, the 22nd Awitenista Grand Finals Night is the most ambitious Awitenista ever.

The pre-production was a grueling process. It was hard for us because there were six of us in the group who are graduating students and we still need to squeeze in our academics while trying to keep us with our responsibilities. Being a MassCom student and the Literary Editor for the yearbook, I had to juggle my proofreading and acads and Awit all at the same time...I tried to squeeze in some personal time...but i failed in most times...

I lost 7 pounds in three days. Not to mention the pain of having two wisdom teeth growing inside my mouth at the same time...Stress and vertigo are two of my best friends. 

And did we did it. We got through the show. Although it wasn't perfect, but i believe that we had a great show last night.

With this, I would like to thank some people who made my last Awitenista experience a memorable one...

1. Of course, my Kalasag family with Sir Bong--another achievement for us guys. I'm proud of us.

2. To all Awitenista Production Staff

3. To all composers, interpreters, accompanists who joined us from the Preliminaries and the Finals--Thank you for your cooperation and sharing your time with us. We did all the best we could to bring out the best of everybody.

4. My MassCom friends--you never fail to boost me up

5. My family--I really wish you could see me with all the things I'm up to...

6. To Sir Rikki...thank you for the support and for believing that I can do it even though you were not around (I really wish you were there though...)

7. To my faithful God, you never fail to surprise me...I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength...

I want to dream bigger dreams...and make them all come true.

xoxo

Pre

Bagong taon, bagong mga pagkakataon

Paalam na 2008! Hello 2009!

Kung ano man ang mga nangyari sa taong 2008, kalimutan natin ang mga hindi gaanong kaaya-aya at isapuso ang mga magagandang nangyari. Pero kahit na wala masyadong magandang nangyari sa nagdaang taon ay magpasalamat tayo sa buhay na ibinigay ng Panginoon.

Okay lang yun, may 365 na araw tayong pwedeng magbago. Manalangin tayo na araw-araw ay buhay tayo.

Maging sabik sa bawat araw ng ipinagkaloob ng Diyos. Matuto sa pagkakamali ng iba. Hindi kailangan na ulitin mo ang mga pagkakamali ng iba tao. Kung inulit mo, tanga ka!

Piliin mo na lang na maging masaya kahit hindi. Choice yun e.

Makinig sa mga magulang. Kahit mga kaibigan ay naiinggit sa'yo. Kaya, mas makinig sa mga magulang, hindi ka nila bibiguin.

Minsan, masaya rin namang mag-isa. Mas nakikilala mo ang sarili at mas magaan ang loob mo kung nag-iisa ka. Hindi ko alam kung bakit pero maganda ang pakiramdam nang paminsa-minsan ay nag-iisa ka. Secured ka, 'yung ganon nga.

Matuto, matuto at makinig. Kahit mahirap ang buhay, go pa rin ng go!

Itu-ito ang mga natutunan ko sa taong 2008. Alam kong mas marami pa akong matutunan sa taong 2009...

Kaya...manibagong bagong taon! Ang ingay na rito sa amin kaya mag-ingay na rin kayo!

Rock en Roll!
xoxo
Pre

Astig maging Bayani!

Muntik ko na tuloy makalimutan na araw ng pagkamatay ng ating pambansang bayani ngayon. Ang lahat siguro sa atin ay abala na para sa ating mga Buenas Noche at kung ano ang mga kakainin natin sa paghihiwalay ng taon.

Pero nais ko munang magbigay-pugay sa taong naging dahilan kung bakit kahit papaano ay masasabi nating mga Pilipino na tayo malaya.

Mas naintindihan ko ang kahalagahan ng buhay ni Rizal ng kinuha ko ang History 50 o mas kilala bilang subject na Rizal's works, life and writings. Noong una ay hindi ko naintindihan kung bakit siya ang ginawang pambansang bayani ng Pilipinas. Ngunit nang naglaon ay mas na-appreciate ko ang pagiging bayani ni Rizal.

Ang kanyang talino ay talagang hindi mawari. Ang mga sulat niya ay habang-buhay na tatatak at tuluyang magbibigay kahulugan. Hindi titigil and kanyang impluwensya hindi lamang sa kanyang mga kababayan. Patuloy pa rin ang kanyang imluwensya sa mga Pilipino ng kahapon at bukas.

Ang kanyang buhay nagsilbing apoy na sumiklab upang magbigay-liwanag sa madilim na buhay ng kanyang mga naghihirap ng mamamayan. Ang kanyang kamatayan ay nagsilbing mitsa ng ating mahabang paglalakbay tungo sa kalayaan...

Ngunit hindi ko alam kung bakit hindi gaanong binigyan ng pansin ang araw na ito. Wala man lamang espesyal na pagpupugay para sa kanya. Siguro nag-iba na nga talaga ang panahon. Wala na ang mga bumabatingay na sigaw ng mga sumisidhing damdamin ng mga kabataan.

Magkagayunpaman, maraming salamat sa buhay mo Pepe...Patuloy ka sanang maging inspirasyon lalung-lalo na sa mga kabataang tulad ko...Kung buhay ka sana ngayon, tiyak ko, hindi ka magiging masaya. Pero sa tingin ko, gagawa at gagawa ka ng paraan maiparating lamang ang pagbabagong nais mo sa mahal mong Pilipinas.

Astig ka talaga!

Tulungan niyo kami, anak ng Mindanao

Inatasan kami ng isang napakabigat na proyekto. Pito kami sa grupo at kailangan naming lumikha ng isang makabuluhang programa tungkol sa Mindanao,para sa Mindanao.

Kailangan namin ang tulong mo, anak ng Mindanao. Tulungan mo kaming mabigyan ng sagot ang mga katanungang bumabagabag sa aming mga puso. Sagutin niyo sana ang aming mga katanungan upang makapagsimula kami sa aming proyekto...

1.Anu-ano ang mga maling persepsyon ng mga kababayan natin mula sa Luzon at Visayas tungkol sa Mindanao?

2.Totoo bang may kaguluhan sa Mindanao?

3. Totoo bang hindi ligtas tumira sa Midnanao?

4. Hindi ba maganda ang ipinapakita ng mga taga-Luzon sa totoong nangyayari sa Midnanao?

5. Dapat bang katakutan ang mga taong nakatira sa Mindanao?

6. Ano ba ang nais kong iparating sa mga kababayang may maling persepsyon tungkol sa Mindanao?

7. Bakit nagkakaroon ng mga ganitong maling akala tungkol sa Mindanao?

Iilang lamang ang mga tanong na ito sa nais naming bigyan ng kasagutan. Ngunit, malaki ang maitutulong ng inyong mga sagot. Huwag sana kayong mag-atubiling magbigay ng inyong komento.

Sige na anak ng Mindanao, hayaang maiparating ang inyong boses!

Merry Christmas and

i don't want to make another blog dedicated to twilight. because its uber-rated na! even chris tiu made a blog about it, too! anyway, i am sure everyone has watched it already! haha

anyway, what i wanted to do instead is to blog about Christmas. Para maiba naman.

Today marks 27 days before Christmas.

This is how we Filipinos celebrate our Christmas as i see it. 

We decorate our homes with the smell of the dusty decors. People rush to malls or bazaars in the midst of economic turmoil. We see singers and artists promoting their Christmas albums on tv. We ask our kamag-anaks abroad to send us balikbayan boxes. We buy apples, oranges and grapes. We also buy hams in green boxes. We have kris kringles so that we can have gifts ourselves too. We complete the Simbang Gabi in the hopes of granting a wish. We buy polka-dot clothes for the New Year. We buy cans and cases of beers and drinks....

But the difference I see of our Christmas now from before is this...

When September comes, you can hear kids singing Christmas carols in your neighbor's doorstep. Relatives from anywhere in the world go home to spend Christmas with your clan. Gifts come in chocolates and treats. Your cousins pester you with their new stuffs...

I guess the time has changed. Is the world becoming bigger or it's just that prices of finite things continue to go up and up and up...

I used to get excited whenever December comes...I used to get excited with the thought of having new stuff and clothes and treats that come with all the parties that i go to.

But to let this thought go...i guess i need to watch Twilight again...

May this Christmas be a different one for all of us. Let us not forget the true essence of it--the birth of our savior Jesus Christ.

xoxo 

Pre

One of the lasts

i just realized that this is going to be my last sembreak ever.
that is, if i ever decide to go back to school.

since, i "moved out" of the house almost four years ago, my youngest
brother unofficially claimed my room. therefore, i don't have my own room
anymore since then. i am just laughing in the thought that after i graduate in march,
and im going home for good...i realized that i have no room of my own.

i can't continue to rollout my sleeping bags and sleep on my parent's floor, can i?
thinking about it is funny. but im worried though. what happens when that time comes?

my therapist told me that i dont get to sleep a lot. i guess he's right. every night, my mind just goes nowhere...i tried talking with myself, and just thinking alot of things until my eyes grew tired and i realized its morning already. this happens all the time. i guess im a worry-wart.

im very much optimistic. i am. or i guess, i think i am...or i just want to be one.

i guess its so-humanly that people worry about certain things in their lives. mothers worry about her children...fathers worry about his family...friends worry about their friends...and me...together with millions of graduating students of batch 2009 worries about what lies ahead after getting that diploma.

will we land a job after immediately? will we like the job we'll get? am i going to proceed to law? get my masters? get married? be a slacker? we don't know.

sometimes, or should i say most of the time..things just don't work out the way they should. things don't happen the way we wanted them to be. and it just sucks.

but i do believe in one thing.

i think the past generation has underestimated us. i believe that the youth today has gone beyond what is expected of them. i believe that the youth of today has struggled much on their own...but also learned to mature on their own.

as flowers bloom in season, we have to bloom with the season, too.

i still worry though. i guess i just have to bloom on my own..and wait for the butterflies to pass by...


-xoxo-

Rants on people

i wanna talk about people.

how they piss me off.

but i just allow them to be...piss me off so tenderly.

i wanna say "haha" to you, too!

i wanna talk about people.

how they fail you.

but you expect them to be.

i wanna say "booyah" to you!

i wanna talk about people.

how stupid they can get.

but they wallow in their existence.

i wanna say "how moronic you are!"

i wanna talk about people.

how i belong to them too.

but i don't wanna be part of the "we"

i wanna say "oopsy!" to me.