steady as a steady does

writing to me is a form of therapy. it has become my way to cope with the not so wonderful things that came my way all these years. this blog in fact, came to be as a result of a major break-up.

this has become my own space in the cyber world where i can share all my thoughts without ever thinking that i will or am being judged (i have facebook and twitter and instagram for that!)

soooo why am i not writing more????? it's not like nothing has happened to me since May!

well nothing melodramatic has happened i have to admit. so maybe that's why i haven't graced this page in a long time. you know how musicians get inspired by tragedies and heartaches? that's prolly me and writing. sadness fuels my pen so to speak. and the fact that i haven't written in a long time is reason to be thankful for i guess.

so thank you dear universe. my life is steady.
it ain't grand as i would want it to be. but maybe steady is what i need at the moment.

i'll be turning 40 next year. imma save up all my fireworks then.

ps.
i am scared shit!!!

for the nth time, i'm not in college

in a country of mixed races such as the US, asians have a slight advantage - we do not age as fast as other races. more often than not, asians who are well beyond their prime are  mistaken as way younger than their actual age.

i've had my share. more than my share.

it's not that i'm complaining. i mean who wouldn't wanna look young right? 

however, while it's such a huge complement to be mistaken for a college kid, it has it's price.

besides the fact that i couldn't have drinks without an ID that has my birthday on it, what i noticed is that the people (read boys/men) who seem to show interest in me are on that age group - the young. way too young. like college kids young. 

that or the men my age are simply not interested in me. hahahaha! tough luck!

sabi ko nga sa pinoy na lang ako eh!

that famous path in Central Park

i did it. i've taken the walk across probably the most popular landmark in Central Park.

the The Mall and Literary Walk has been a favorite spot for movies and tv shot on location in New York. if it was filmed in the city, there is almost always a scene or two taken at this exact same place!

i was there. last weekend. the goosebumps on my arms went ballistic! it was breathtaking.

i mean who can forget JLo as the maid wearing the perfect white suit taking a stroll with the senator Ralph Fiennes in Maid in Manhattan?  or the numerous times that Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda chatted and walked this path  in Sex and the City? or Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake discussing the rules in Friends with Benefits?

in all the places i've been to here in the US, this, by far is my favorite. i know i said that the only thing i wanted to do in New York was cross the Brooklyn Bridge and watch Wicked and they both did not fail me.

however, being in Central Park and setting foot on the Literary Walk gave me a sense of realization and awe.  this is New York, i am in New York. the elm trees that form a canopy on the path, the green colored benches, the artists and entertainers, the fast paced walk. that IS New York and i was there.

who's to say i'm not lucky?

unexpected recognition

i got an email from my old boss yesterday. a surprise email if i may add since i moved to a different team late last year.

she said that in recognition of my participation in the success of what probably is the team's biggest project last year, she nominated as one of the top performers to be presented to the higher ups.

i don't expect to actually win or be the best, but to have someone appreciate and value me the way that she does is truly an honor and an achievement in itself.

so to you madam, thank you. to say i am touched is an understatement. you are my mentor and my inspiration. thank you for the trust and the chance.

Wicked on Broadway

in the world of musical theater, i have one that has been at the top of my list since it started in 1989 - Miss Saigon. to me, that is the epitome of a good musical : beautiful songs coupled with amazing actors/singers and a storyline that captures the hearts of the audience long after they have left the theaters. Miss Saigon had it. 

and then came Wicked which had everything Miss Saigon had and more.

i know it isn't fair to compare these two as they are as vastly different as day is to night but i can't NOT compare as i love both. Miss Saigon was romantic and sad and tragic while Wicked is light and comedic with a dash of seriousness here and there.  a difference, which i think gave Wicked a slight advantage  is the entertainment value and how each individual line was written with humor and wit. even when Glinda and Elphaba were saying goodbye for the last time, they still managed to inject a little bit of humor in the end. 

that moment when you see or hear something and then your goosebumps suddenly get out of control? i had that in Defying Gravity. literally. i had to physically shush my goossies to go away coz they just won't! 

Wicked is current and relatable. the audience left the theaters not in tears nor with heavy hearts but with smiles on their faces happily humming "Defying Gravity" and being sentimental over "For Good" and "I'm not that Girl" or trying to recall Ginda's one liners. i know i was! i remember eric and i doing Glinda's toss toss as we left the Gershwin Theater. 

it was that good. it's been days and i still can't get over it. i've seen some videos on Youtube with the original cast and all i can say is the cast last saturday was as just as talented and maybe a bit funnier?  it's like watching Glinda on crack! really hilarious! and Miss Elphaba gave me the awww moment of the night.

best musical ever. sorry Lea. Miss Saigon will always have a soft spot in my heart but for now, it's Elphaba and Glinda's turn. 

waiting for the show to start...yes, my eyes were twinkling in anticipation!

cocktails served in cool Wicked tumbler/sippy cup souvenirs is an ingenious marketing strategy! i had the glozmopolitan (cranberry vodka) and eric had the ozmopolitan (apple vodka)

thanks Eric for another Wickedly fun night

quite simply, it's the best money i've spent EVER and i wouldn't mind watching it again. 

crossing the brooklyn bridge

two things i said i wanted to do in new york : watch Wicked and cross the Brooklyn Bridge. 

Brooklyn Bridge

last saturday, i met up with Eric and Shai, both friends from manila who now live in Brooklyn and they gave me the brooklyn bridge experience (we first took the subway going to Brooklyn and then crossed the bridge on foot going back to Manhattan.)

and what heck of an experience it was! the Brooklyn Bridge has the best view of Manhattan on one side and of Brooklyn on the other; love locks lined the walls and railings and hinges of the bridge, left there by lovers/couples to express a promise love and loyalty; artists with their sketch pads lay on the path as they drew/sketched;  locals and tourists, camera on hand take pictures as they thread the walkway along with a number of cyclists (be careful as they might run you over if you're on their side of the walkway.)

 

                            love locks                                           more love locks

                            my designated tour guides :)                halfway thru the bridge

   

crossed the bridge on foot...all 1.8miles in 38degree weather. 

others may call it it crazy. i call it badass!!

every inch of the bridge is picture worthy with an awesome backdrop on all sides - Brooklyn, Manhattan skyline, Manhattan Bridge and a very small view of the Statue of Liberty can be seen on that vantage point. add to that the ferries crossing the the  East River down below. 

                            view of Manhattan Bridge                Manhattan Skyline

Brooklyn Bridge Landmark

one item on my New York Bucketlist, checked! i have crossed the Brooklyn Bridge. the same bridge where Miranda and Steve met and reconciled. awwww!

tomorrow, i'm of to DC to visit the presidents! woot woot!

NYC Pride Parade 2012

my trip here in the US coincided with probably one of the major events in NYC this summer.  in support of my LGBT friends and family, i stood for 4 hours, camera in hand, amidst throngs of people - gay and straight, under the scorching heat, to watch the 2012 Pride Parade, the culmination of a month long Pride celebration  in New York.

rainbow colored flags greeted me as i exited the subway to meet a dear friend from Manila. he is gay and proud and very very happy. we went to Chelsea to catch the parade and was fortunate enough to get a good spot up front. the mood was festive, everyone was smiling. people from all ages of varied cultures, religion, race and sexual orientation flooded the sidewalks.

banners with messages ranging from flamboyant ("foreskin is fabulous") to the more serious ones ("HIV is not a crime, criminalizing it is") were seen in almost all the floats expressing what the LGBT community feels. or what they have gone through in the past.

 

i found myself hooting and yelling "Happy Pride" with the rest of the crowd.

there was no room for hate nor insult and ridicule.  it was a happy place, a happy energetic place.

then came the men, hot naked men, in pinks and golds and silvers and camouflage. omg. i think i may have drooled at one point. just a bit!

and of course the ladies and the "ladies" in drag,  in costumes or simply au naturale



the pride parade was one heck of an experience.

i'm glad i went.

i'm happy to have worn the beads and read the flyers.

i'm honored to have been a part of their community even just for a day.

in a world where cynicism. prejudice and hate exist, it was nice to be in the presence of shiny happy people who are proud to be who and what they are, standing tall with dignity. not to mention fierce and fab outfits!

and to my dear friend, thank you for taking me. you have gone a long way from the shy kid in Manila. New York suits you. i'm so happy to know that you are happy, accepted and free. you are one good person, a gift to society and more importantly to your family. don't let anybody tell you otherwise.  looking forward to our next NYC escapade.  next round of drinks on me!

happy pride!

concrete jungle where dreams are made

last weekend was THE BOMB. to say i was excited and overwhelmed is an understatement.

New York was everything i thought it was gonna be. and more. it was my city. the city for me.

as excited as i am, i couldn't create a decent entry about it. seriously. nuninuninuninu. if NYC was a celebrity, then i was definitely starstruck. dumbfounded. gobsmacked. and all other adjectives that could well describe that feeling of awe.

as pictures paint a thousand words, let me then start painting...

from Morristown, we drove to NYC via the Lincoln Tunnel. later on, i found out, it's underneath the Hudson River. had i known it was, i wouldn't have taken a photo and screamed instead!

we got to The Metropolitan Museum of Art at 10 and walked for a good 3 hours inside to explore. we paid $25 plus $7 for the audio guide. of course we didn't know that entrance was free and we could go in just by giving out donations of any amount. lesson learned.

since Central Park was just across the museum, we HAD TO GO! but first, lunch was in order. we tried to look for places to eat nearby and i remember hearing about Shake Shack. we walked a couple of blocks and got lost a couple of blocks! so much for using the GPS. hahahha! lesson learned again. when i got home, i downloaded a map! anyway, the food was not that good. i ordered a hotdog instead of a burger since i probably had more than my share of burgers to last me a month! the verdict, Shake Shack was more hype than taste.

after lunch, we went straight to Central Park which turned out to be popular in the summer. girls in bikini and naked men sprawl and bask in the sun to bake while we look for a good shady place to sit.  we've had our share of the sun. let them all have it! hahaha!

it was around 6pm when we all decided to head back to Jersey, this time via the Holland Tunnel and it was right about this time when i found out that both tunnels we used were under the Hudson River. i tell you, my butt was like up in the air until i saw the light. indeed there was a light at the end of the tunnel!

going to the Holland Tunnel, we passed by Union Square which is near Broadway -  a trip i saved for another time to watch Wicked

so there, that was my New York saturday. a bit of culture and relaxation if i may say.

Sunday, however, was a different story. an entirely different one which i will blog about in the coming days. i still need to sort out the photos as most of them are of adult content! no, i didn't go to a strip club. but a trip to one is in the agenda.

will tell you all about my first  New York Pride Parade experience in my next entry. here's a sneak peek. enjoy!

i love NYC!!!!