Hahaha, I'm at a different Internet cafe right now, closer to the terminal where I usually take the shuttle home.

Another week over, so it's time for my usual update.

Last Thursday, I was tasked to distribute the souvenir programs of the cast and crew. Liza said, "Ikaw ang magbigay sa kanila para matuwa sila sa iyo." Ahehehe, okie. So I began with the first floor dressing rooms. I arranged cast's programs in order of roles (I labeled each program with a name earlier during the week), so I went to the leads first. Hahaha, I had to juggle with all the programs, because some of the other people were in other dressing rooms. The last room I went into in that floor was the make-up room, and that was where I found our Belle of the night. I was handing over the other programs and she asked for hers, so I told her that I already gave hers to her yaya (who was in her dressing room when I peered in earlier). She asked for my name and if I needed any help. Wahahaha, as if I could let her get away from being made up by Tita Remy. On to the 2nd floor, where I found most of the ensemble. It was much easier, because the guys were in one room and the girls in the other. Then back to the 1st floor to give the rest of the programs to the crew.

On Friday, which was Karel's show, I found KC mingling in the lobby and she approached our merchandise table (where I was sitting on my own) to say hi. Hahaha, she said she was watching Karel again because she likes her voice. I found those two Belles amusing, ahehehe. Anyway, I invited Nicco and his new girlfriend Tin to watch the show on Friday, so I can get complimentary tickets to Salome, hahaha. That, and I wanted to meet Tin in person. But she couldn't make it then, so Nicco took Drei instead. Hahahaha, after the show, there went the comments.

Saturday felt like a pretty long day. But thanks to Teena, who stopped by during the matinee, we perked up because she gave me Yellow Cab pizza, which I shared with the front of house (Ate Sally, Miss Tinggay, Miss Liza, Miss Berns, Kuya Boni and Kuya Eric). Woohoo! But while we were sitting in the lobby, Ate Sally, Miss Tinggay, Miss Liza and I were consecutively yawning over and over during the evening show.

Sunday was the airing of The Making of Beauty and the Beast on Studio 23. Our initial plan was to hook up the TV during the actual airing, but it wasn't possible, so good thing Ate Sally brought the DVD master copy from the office. We popped it in the DVD player and previewed it, then played it a 2nd time for the cast, because they need to be backstage by the time the show actually airs. Hahaha, we were all laughing our asses off because of all the crazy things we saw. Bobby's first day of rehearsal with the entire cast. Gian's mock interview with Pinky, Teenee and Allan. Pinky toppling over onstage while in full costume and couldn't get back up. Jonard's headpiece falling off in the middle of a dress rehearsal. Lea trying to teach the two Belles. And that crazy warm-up with Miss Liza screaming, "This is Beauty and the Beast! What are they doing?!?" Que hilarious.

Rawr, but seeing all that... it still makes me miss the backstage action.

I remember Bea asking me in the lobby about where I will be working at during Aida. I have no idea.

Log out time. I'm getting hungry. Looking forward to a Yellow Cab session with friends tomorrow night.

I'm back. Another different Internet cafe, and this time, I can just walk home, hahaha.

Tuesday evening of last week, I met up with some friends in Taft and bought them Yellow Cab pizza. Hahaha, it was pretty nice to see them again, even if it's only once a week, but like Rain had told me before, it's still not the same as before.

Another week of shows had passed. Not much mishaps, but interesting, hahaha. During the weekend, Bobby had come home long enough to meet with the Disney people and watch the show on Saturday night with them. He went back to Hongkong the following afternoon.

But I digress.

Hehehe, we started selling posters with KC and Karel's signatures in the lobby. They actually sell better than before (hardly ever).

Saturday... A whole bunch of ushers were late for the matinee show, so I ended up spending a few minutes posing as one of them. Oh yeah, and a shoutout to Nicki, who came to watch the show last Saturday. We finally met, but only for a very brief moment. The only time we exchanged words was when she asked me where the ladies room was, hahaha. Then I spent the break in between shows walking around backstage looking for cast members to sign the program of Ramon (Bobby's brother-in-law). Darn, I should've brought my own program as well.

Saturday night at the lobby was also pretty interesting. Our usual friendly visitors from the BIR came to count the tickets, like they always do every night. But my goodness, why on earth would they bring 8 people just to count the tickets? Ah yes, an excuse to watch the show for free. Nyak. I mean, no offense to the people working at BIR, but I think it was wrong to use their authority to get into places like that. Just the other week, this woman from BIR brought all her kids (6 all in all!) with her and tried to get inside the theater. The ushers tried to stop them, but she flashed her ID in their faces. Que annoying. She ended up paying for tickets for all her kids to get them to watch. And then when she finished counting tickets, she made this lame excuse to do an ocular inside the theater. It would've been easier if she just simply asked if she could watch the show. So anyway, back to Saturday night. It was our "Mickey Mouse day" because the Disney people were there and we didn't want anything to go wrong. In comes the BIR people... 8 of them! And the contract said that only 3 people would come. Ay nako. And one of the men kept trying to make excuses to get his daughter and some of the other women into the theater. I mean, on any other day it would be OK if they asked nicely, but hello, Disney was there.

Then Sunday... racism ensued... with one of the women we met in the lobby. Rawr. The entire front-of-house hated them, hehehe. I'm generally a nice person, but they were out of hand. So what did I do when she was talking to me? I just smiled and told them what I knew. The second part of that previous sentence is for them to know the truth about what I know. The smile is just to annoy them, nyahahaha.

Last weekend coming up. I don't know whether to look forward to it or dread it.

Oooh, Kuya and I struck a deal. If I do his request (which is actually pretty easy), he's getting me a new phone. I need one, hahaha. Just one with a bigger phonebook and message memory is enough for me.

Getting hungry. Time to head home to eat. That, and catch up on my sleep.

Too lazy to think of a title.

I've been waiting since last night to find my brother online on YM, but I can't seem to get my timing right.

Ran a couple of errands today. Went with Kuya Boni to Divisoria during the morning to pick up T-shirts we purchased for closing night. Then after lunch, I was asked by Ate Sally to go to Ticketworld to consign some tickets for this weekend's shows. I agreed to walking to the building where Ticketworld was, but the moment I walked out the door, I remembered that there was a rally going on at Paseo de Roxas. I took my usual route along Ayala and suddenly realized that I was amidst the rallyists already. Gak. I had to take several detours just to get to Ticketworld and back to the office. Jeez. Crazy rallyists... Pahamak talaga sila sa trabaho. Nyahaha...

I've been listening a lot to my Beauty and The Beast recording. Hahaha, I haven't been listening to it often since the show began. Most people get all teary when they hear "Home" or "If I Can't Love Her." Me? Prepare to laugh. I feel tears in my eyes when I hear "Human Again." OK, you can stop laughing now. I don't know. Just watching the cast dance and sing the lyrics full of hope, I actually felt what the characters were feeling. I then remembered Bobby's first rehearsal day with the entire cast. I was there then, and that was the time when he said that actors should wear their hearts on their sleeves. Then he gave his motivation for the characters upon Belle's arrival at the castle. Just one small event can bring a lot of hope for someone. Huwaw.

Last show weekend starts tomorrow, as well as our own shows. I'll miss the hectic days, the harassments, my forgetful moments, the annoying phone calls, cast members' last minute ticket requests (yes, sometimes that's not Ate Sally you guys are texting, it's me, nyahahaha)...

Oh pish tosh...

So Beauty and the Beast finally closed yesterday.

Last Thursday I was allowed to let 6 guests in, so I invited Ate Maui and her best friend, Nikki, Mish, Peachy and her friend (oops, I forgot her name; sorry Peach!)

It was an Atlantis show, meaning there wasn't any blockbuyer or other producer. So Ate Sally and I spent the time before the show at the lobby entrance instead of our usual post inside the lobby lounge. Sometime before the show, I found Bea sporting this new jacket... with the Beauty and the Beast logo in the back. As it turned out, Jason was selling them. Ooooh, I wanted one.

So on Friday, I managed to find some time to go backstage in one of the upstairs dressing rooms and found Jason distributing jacket orders. Apparently there were two designs, and I wanted the smaller version with the more feminine cut. He let me try on Tricia's jacket, but the arms had a different length, so Jason got my measurements to have my own jacket custom-made.

Bobby had arrived from Hongkong on Friday night, so I sped to Powerbooks Live for his reserved Harry Potter book the minute it opened on Saturday morning. Hahaha, I left all the closing night shirts that I was folding and wrapping just for that.

I forgot what Saturday show it was, but while I was sitting in the lobby, I saw a familiar girl that I kept trying to recall. Then this group of kids approached our table and I was surprised that I knew them from one group. My first reaction was exclaim, "Ohmygosh! Avenue Q!" Hahaha, they were kids from Meynard's class who played Nicky, Kermit and Christmas Eve in this year's Avenue Q Highlights. I can't wait to watch their repeat.

Saturday evening was pretty eventful. First there was a huge mix-up in the tickets and was tampered with. Rawr. All of us in the lobby were going crazy trying to fix things up with some of the involved audience members. Then Calvin's phone got stolen, and after the show, Jett's phone was also gone, so people backstage had to be frisked before they left the theater after the show.

People were getting all sentimental backstage on Sunday. While I was getting the cast members to sign the posters for Atlantis, they were talking here and there, asking others to sign their programs, and having pictures taken. I have to admit, I never felt withdrawal for this show. Maybe because I never spent that much time with those people. Yeah, that's it.

While I was in the lobby, I felt someone stand so close to me to say hi. It was Rony! He flew in to watch the show, and will be flying back to Hongkong with Bobby the following day. Man, I missed that guy so much.

After intermission, we managed to strike all the banners in the lobby lounge in record time, as well as put our stuff back in the car. Heck, there was hardly any stuff then because all our programs were already sold out. We got to watch the remaning scenes of Act 2 along with the rest of the people.

Afterwards, we had to collect all the rented computers so we can return them to our sponsors, and we had to fit them all in our car as well as the car Sir Bob was riding. Holy kamote. The only remaining space to sit in was the driver's seat and the front passenger seat, which Ate Sally and I squeezed ourselves in.

And oh yeah, during the strike, I finally got my BATB jacket. Thanks, Jason and Allan!

I didn't even bother going to the cast party at Zong. Ate Sally, Kuya Boni and I had to go back to the office to gather all the stuff from the crew and store it there. By the time we were done, all we did was eat the food we got from KFC and then left. Heck, I was too tired anyway, so even if I did try to catch up at the party, I'd probably just be a party pooper because I was sleepy and might get annoyed with all the music and laughter and such.

I think I'll go home right now and turn in early. I still need to catch up on my sleep. Ciao for now.

Man, I'm stuffed.

Calvin treated all the people in the Atlantis office to Congo Grille this afternoon. Hahaha, it wasn't much anyway; just Ate Sally, Kuya Boni, Richelle and me. All four of us met up with Calvin, plus Muffin, Santi and the nanny at Congo Grille in Pasay road and stuffed ourselves silly. Even up to now, I can barely move.

I get to have the chance to take a day off this week, but I can't seem to choose a date. Maybe Friday. But there's still a lot to fix in the office, so maybe I won't take a day off. Heck, just yesterday the truck with all the costumes had come in. There were about more than 2 dozen boxes brought up to the other unit in the 6th floor, and we had to put the costumes of Mrs. Potts, Cogsworth, Madame Bouche the wine bottle, and the upper half of the wine glass. And it took us forever to get everything in that we spent almost 3 more working hours.

Anyway.

My fingers are literally frozen. It's darn cold in the net cafe I'm in right now. I'm warming them up by chatting with Mish.

2 theses are coming up this week. Vivs, Earl and Eika's on Thursday night at Virgin Cafe in Tomas Morato, then Miko and company on Friday night at the Greenbelt 3 cinema. Good luck, guys.

"I can't wait for the Monday-after calls," Bobby had said last Saturday.

He was referring to calls we get in the office; people asking if the show was still running, or if there will be an extension. Hilarious.

Ms Mila even asked me yesterday if I missed the endless ringing of phones. Well, yeah, sometimes I do.

I actually miss having the phone almost permanently attached to my ear, answering inquiries and calls from sponsors.

And I've learned a lot too...

... that no matter how pleasant to try to sound over the phone, there are always those persistent callers that make you want to hang up on them but can't.

... that if something goes out of schedule, you have to deal with it yourself.

... that talking to your things can keep the stress away.

... that the doorknob has to be turned in reverse to get out of the room.

... that it's possible to eat 7 meals a day, specially if the people you're with are either big eaters or don't eat as much.

... that people really can't tell who's playing Belle when sitting in the balcony.

... that there are people who think Gaston is cuter than the Beast/Prince.


Going to tomorrow night's "Pinoy Music Live" at Virgin Cafe. To those who are going, see y'all!

This is my first weekend in ages that I get to stay home and sleep in.

Last Thursday I met up with Nikki after work so we can go to Virgin Cafe together for Vivs, Eika, and Earl's thesis, Pinoy Music Live. Took a cab to Tomas Morato, and when we got there, I found Tito Sunny and Tita Sherbet outside the venue, so I went to say hi and introduced Nikki.

The place was packed when we got inside, and we had no idea where to sit. We then found some of the prod kids (Miko, Drei, Arman, Camille, Lye, Ting and Ann) sitting all together somewhere near the front so we joined them as well.

Erin was sitting at the next table with some of her other friends, and I noticed that the girl sitting across from her looked strangely familiar. It reminded me of this girl I met at my first Playshop class, Paula. So while Earl's brother's band was playing, I asked Drei to ask Erin if that was the girl's name. And it really turned out to be Paula! I haven't seen that girl in 6 years and it was such a small world to find her in the same crowd.

After Earl's brother's band (hahaha, I had no idea what they're called) came Mojofly. Hahaha, most of the people sitting at our table had been waiting for them to play, mostly because of the group's vocalist.

I haven't been a gig-goer (is there even such a word) and been oblivious to current music crazes that I just sat there and listened. Then I found myself watching the drummer, hahaha.

After their set, I went outside to join Tita Sherbs, Tito Sunny and Jill (with a couple of friends whose names I suddenly forgot). I got introduced to this guy that they were talking to, Russell, who's the manager (was it?) of Hale, one of the featured bands that night. Eventually, I got introduced to the band members as they arrived one by one. Apparently, Champ, the band's vocalist, was everyone's eye candy, hahaha. And out of impulse, I bought their CD and had him sign it, hahahaha!

I went back inside just in time for Mayonnaise to end their set. Hahaha, it was almost time for me to go home, but I told Nikki that I wanted to stay until after Hale did 2 songs.

Friday night was for Sari Sari Sine, Miko, Camille, Lye, Ting and Ann's thesis. I got to drag Iam along with me because she works in Makati. I met up with her at the Greenbelt 3 cinemas and introduced her to the thesis group before we left to have dinner. Yum, angel hair pasta in pesto classic at Spaghetti Factory. Maybe next time I'll try the rest. For dessert, we went to Bizu. Hahaha, of course, Iam took photos of everything we ate before we dug in.

As we were heading back to the cinemas, we spotted this black labrador with one of the security guards. It had this beautiful shiny caot that Iam couldn't resist taking a picture with it. I ended up being in a couple of the pictures as well, hahaha.

Sari Sari Sine was terrific. No, not perfect, but it was pretty impressive. Iam liked it so much that she wanted to ask for a copy of the films. Hahaha, my favorite was Klowd 9, a bubblegum-ish movie with an 80s theme that featured Meryll Soriano.

Congrats to all those who had their thesis. Both groups did great!

Now if you'll excuse me, it's time to catch up on more sleep.

We celebrated Ate Tere's birthday last Thursday. Her birthday was really yesterday, but I guess it's because of celebrating with different groups of people at a time. Had dinner at Big Buddha with Teena, Aileen, Paulo, Red and Jhett.

My goodness, it was such a hoot being together with this group again, even if it was just only us. Jhett, our jologs trivia champion, never failed to amuse us. I swear, without fails, we always laugh our asses off with him around. And Red acts all autisitc every time we talk about gross details, like when Ate Tere had to uhm, extract something out of this one patient.

After dinner, we all said goodbye to the boys because they had to leave for rehearsal. So we extended our celebration at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf and talked some more. I love these South Bitches.

I truly enjoy just hanging out with a friend or two (or three, hahaha), not really going anywhere, just sitting around and talking. So I met up with Rain at ATC last Friday. It's been a while since we really hung out together. Talked at Starbucks for a while then walked around the mall until we had to go to Seattle's Best to meet with her cousin Leia. Hehehe, no wonder he wanted to meet up at Seattle's, so he can get freebies from her, hahaha! Peace, Rain! Thanks for the butterscotch!

Two plays are coming up this week. Salome at CSB and Lawyn's thesis, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown in DLSZ.
Nicco, san na yung ex-deal natin? Hahaha.
Break a leg, Lawyn!