David Archuleta Live in Manila: Our A-dork-able Concert Experience

We've been counting down to the day David gets us hypnotised and so mesmerized with his "boyish charm" for days and on the night of his concert here in the Philippines, we weren't let down.

The concert was held on a school bight, but that didn't stop us. Who cares? hahaha. My dad and little brother were going to bring me to Cubao and they were to stay lurking the areas while the concert was going oon and we'd go home all together. I had been texting the friend, Kimmy, I was going with almost the whole drive there with excitement. As we were parking in the basement, my dad kept thye conversation going by asking me big of a fan I thought Kimmy was and I told him the truth, "She says David's her soulmate... he just doesn't know it yet." ;)

I fight to keep my excitement and anxiousness contained as we take the slow escalator rides up the the mall levels. I tell my dad the "default" meeting place in case we can't contact or find each other in the chaos of people surely to emerge when the contest is over. I get a text from Kimmyasking me where I am and saying that she's at the drop off in front of the Araneta Coliseum (now the Smart Araneta Coliseum) and that she can't see me anywhere. I rush off to find a girl wearing a yellow shirt with a design identical to my blue green shirt (yeah, we had shirts made). I see her with her back turned to me and I grab her from behind, and excited as we were, we jump and muffle our screams. We were about ready to get in when I realize I didn't have any money with me. I was in such a fuss that I forgot to get some from my dad.



This was what was on our shirts.

Kimmy accompanies me back to Gateway (the mall I mentioned earlier) and I ask money from my dad. My dad gives me guidelines and reminds me of things like "be careful with your things" or the "don't talk to strangers" type of thing and Kimmy keeps my three-year-old brother entertained. Later on, while walking back to the coliseum, I'm told how cute my brother was and how he kept telling Kimmy stuff. Kimmy, not knowing how to speak my brother's language, kept saying "huh?" or "what?" - and my brother, totally unaware how he still speaks baby talk, kept reapeating it until, Kimmy feigned surprise "Oh!", hahaha.... Believe me, that's always the easier way.

We buy a couple of snacks and some water (which they opened and kept the bottle caps to themsleves, by the way, ang no, I don't know why) and nachos, and we are soon pointed to where our tickets get us seated. Amazingly, we were a little less crowded on our side compared to the side opposite us and the people seated in the row in front of use were like a little of on the older side. Not older as in big-sister old but more like your aunt's mom type of thing. I'm not trying to judge or be rude, but that was how it is. Opposite is, way, waaaaaay on the other side were full of people our age, almost wild and in a frenzy before the concert even started. Random cheers and scream would most of the time start with them.

I tell Kimmy, the signs I know and have obserevd as the start of the concert come closer: spot light being tested, a big number of food vendors rush in and do their job, then they slowly disapppear, the sound booth (that'st what I contral the place where they control the sounds and maybe the lights) gets a little bit more crowded, the media people take interviews, then reserve their spaces, and finally the lights dim.

Julie Ann San Jose

False alarm. A voice on the speaker resonates around the area as it introduces Julie Ann San Jose, a local artist from the tv network GMA (channel 7). She was the opening act for David and I got to say that I admire her for the number of songs she performed. I think she sang around five not to mention it icluded Superbass by Nicki Minaj, so rapped too, and she even slipped while dancing to another song. She had a group of fans who cheered her on despite the fall and she just laughed it off, and we ended up having as much fun as we thought she was having.

Kimmy squeezes my arm and I tell her, "This is it!" as the coliseum get's even darker, and the intro tune to one of David's songs plays on the speakers. David runs from the side of the stage and greets us. He starts singing as the crowd gets wilder and sings along to the lyrics of the song. At first, I don't recognize the song, but once he gets to the chorus, I realize the song was Stomping the Roses which I was telling Kimmy about, just a while ago. Throughout the concert, I was in contact at different moments with my other concert buddy, Jancent, and he called me when I told him to so he could sing and party along even though he wasn't phyisically there with us. David sang an encore of course and Crush was his final song for the evening.

The only bummer we encountered was the concert ending... yeah, yeah, all good things come to an end. :) It actually ended earlier than we expected. It didn't even reach midnight and the concert started at eight. We guessed it was because he had no outfit change and there weren't any long breaks. David sang and sang song after song, and we loved him for that.

Kimmy and I separated for the night talking about the hightlights of the concert and how shoould buy David's speacial Asain Tour Edition of his The Other Side of Down album. We left with the funny thought of how we would both probably have a concert "hangover" the next day at school and how we'd experience the a-dork-able David in concert all over again in our dreams. :))

Girls' Night Out: Monte Carlo

A Girls' Night Out has been an idea lurking in my friend, Kit's mind ever since summer vacation, but it just never seemed to follow through or happen. He had tried to plan before, but there was always one or two of us that wouldn't be able to go or wouldn't be available.

Last July 8 (Friday), it finally happened. It wasn't as meant to be as we thought it should have been. That same day, there were try-out for ours school's girl volleyball team and since I was part of the team last year, it was kind of an expectation for me to try-out again and to at least show up. A couple of my classmates who were also invited to our night out were going to try out as well, so I wasn't the only conflict, but I guess it was just a little bigger on my part.

Try-outs that day were tiring. It was almost all work-outs; it was like going to the gym with your trainer than trying out to play volleyball. We were totally worked out and it all hurt the next day.

A classmate of mine, another one who trained as well, offered for us to just ride with her and even invited us to shower at her house. (That was such a blessing! I couldn't imagine what embarassment we could have broughjt upon ourselve if we smelled like sweat and looked like we rolled all over the floor of our court - which we did, by the way!) I guess the three of us couldn't help but move a little slow and lazy due to being tired from our physical work out at school so we took a little more time than what was planned and what we shouold have, but we took the risk anyway. I was so thankful that we had a ride because when we were filing in the car, it was raining soooo hard and our newly showered heads were greeted by rain water. -.-

Watching Monte Carlo served as a way of relaxation for not just us who came from the try-outs, but all of us. We rarely get weekends free anymore due to projects and deadlines of homeworks and college applications. We even got to bond a little bit when we stopped by a candy stall and our inner toddler came out.

Monte Carlo (starring Selena Gomez) is a very feelo good movie and was perfecty for our "Girls' Noght Out." It has the element of love and the element of adventure. The characters are also easy to realte to. The only thing most of us wished was different was something in the ending. SPOILER ALERT! Selena and her leading man in the movie didn't kiss - a second time -  in the ending of the movie so I guess it sort of left us hanging a little, but the movie was overall very fun.

Our night out was so enjoyed that, even before all of us got home, we were already starting to plan "Girls' Night Out - Part 2!" Looking forward to it!

FINALLY Getting Tickets to David Archuleta: Live in Manila

I had been bugging my mom, asking her if I could go and if she could get me tickets as soon as she could for quite some time now. I had heard rumors early on that David Archuleta was sort of being petitioned to be brought back here in Manila. His fan base here is quite big and pretty loyal. There really was no reason for him not to come back.

Once I found out that it was official, I contacted a friend of mine to ask her if tickets were out. She told me that they weren't even plugging it anywhere yet and that the news was still underground news. I was so stoked about it because, other than being a fan myself, and that Araneta Coliseum was the venue, I late found out that the ticket prices were much more available than most concerts were. The most expensive ticket was below five thousand pesos whereas others would range from around seven to twlve thousand. I immediately let my mother know and she seemed excited, just like I was. She told me that it would be okay for me to watch and that shge would want to watch as well.

A close friend of mine, Kimmy - mentioned in Getting Our UPCAT Test Permits - (Hi Kimmy!), is such a big fan that we developed this inside joke where she tells us that David is her soulmate, but he just doesn't know it yet. We kept talking about watching together or at least meeting up there. She had told me that her mom seemed like she wanted to come just like mine did and that could be our problem. She didn't mean it like they were embarassing or that we didn't want them with us, but that they might buy tickets without them telling us or that we might buy tickets of different seats.

Out-of-the-blue, my mom calls me on my cellphone one night and asks me if I really still wanted to see David Archuleta. Well, of course I did! I had been telling her about it for days now and I even called Ticketnet ti inquire for ticket prices and listed them down on piece of paper. I gev her that peper but, she gave it back to me after looking so I just posted if on our refigerator with one of those free-at-occasions kind of magnets. I think I used the one that we got from a wedding of a close relative.

I tell her that I did and she tells me that she was right beside the ticketbooth as she was talking to me at that moment. She was told that the  ticikets available were priced P3700 and those farther (I later found out that these tickets were from Lower Box A and beyond). I said that it was okay. She told me that she was willing to buy tickets for me and that I was tasked to check with any of my friends or classmetes if they would want to ask her to buy so that we would have tickets beside each other and that they wouldn't have to bother with resevations and going out of the house to buy the tickets. They could just pass the money through me since my mom would already be in possession of the tickets. I immediately got to the phone and tried to call the two frineds of mine that I know would be interested. One was taking a shower when I called, so I called Kimmy's home number. This news was too big for just texting, and calling would make realying details so much easier.

Can't Wait!!!

Kimmy's brother answered tha phone "Hello, (Last name) Residence. Good afternoon!" I say, "Hello, can I talk to Kimmy, please?" "Who's this?" and I tell him who I am. He says hi to me and then there was silence. I didn't know whether or not I should respond. I didn't know if he was still on the other end of the phone. I tried, "Hi...?" then he said, "One moment!" He was as perky as ever. Then I heard muffled voices and footsteps. As soon as Kimmy's voice was what I heard, I was like a recorded message relaying everything I got from my mother and I only stopped at certain reactions I heard from her. I could tell that she was excited, and so was I. She told me that they actually reserved tickets a few days before (I felt bummed that I waan't going to be able to watch with her thinking that she already had tickets). I suddenly realized that why would she be excited about me getting tickets if she already had her own. I asked her about th policy of the reservation lasting only one day. And she told me that she didn't know so the reservation was expired by that time. My mood went up again. :))

After finding out that Kimmy was in and was sure, the day seemed to get brighter. Now on to Alecx (Also mentioned in Getting our UPCAT Test Permits), who I'm sure would be happy to go. It turns out she couldn't. I was asking for an immediate answer and both her parents were unvailable. One came home late and one was in Dubai. It felt like, "AW MAN!"

I told my mom that it would be Kimmy and I. The way my mom was talking, it seemed like she was the same with Kimmy's mother. They were no longer planning to go. This is the down side of the story. My mom ended up not getting to buy the tickets because she couldn't withdraw from the ATM machine; it was broken.

The next two days, my mother got sick. Sick as in sick. I belive she had a slight fever and was throwing up. She missed work for those two days leaving me wondering whether she had the tickets and bought them while I was in school (sometimes, my mother is a miracle worker and she could really make things happen). When I finally asked, I found out that she had not bought them yet.

I tell my dad that I really need to get a hold of my tickets, especially now that I'm holding the Kimmy's fate in my hands (yeah, yeah, I'm exaggerating a little)! Even though she had told me that it was fine with her that we were being a little delayed because Alecx could get a chance to aske permission, still, it was like not following through with what I said. My dad told me that I could always get his help if I asked ("Superdad, to the rescue!").

So excited!!! That could be us there!

I ended up finally getting our tickets the next day. Weird, though. My mom was told at the ticketbooth at the Araneta Coliseum itself that only the Lower Box A and beyond seats were available, but when my dad went to SM, he was able to purchase Patron seats which were closer and were still not elevated, providing the hope that you could get a handshake or anything when an artist goes beyond the stage.

As soon as I get the tickets in my hands, I call Kimmy. Her brother answers again, we have almost the same conversation as before (de ja vu) and I ramble to Kimmy that it's official. I had the tickets and they were in my hands and I was looking at them. She was practically sreaming on the onther line and she told me that if I could I should tweet everything.

And so the excitement continues as we await the day where Kimmy gets to see her said soulmate and I get to go wild in a crowd of even wilder people. Archie, here we come!

Personal Book Review on The Hunger Games

Hunger Games is the first of three books in the Hunger Games Trilogy all written by Suzanne Collins, who is also the author of the Underland Chronicles. 

I first heard about this book through a classmate. I've known him ever since we were in first grade and his mother was my teacher. He always knew that I was a bookworm and he told me he had recently finished this novel. I asked him what kind it was and who wrote it. He said it was titled hunger games and that he would just bring it to school for me to take a look for myself on the next day.

 The next day, He didn't only bring the Hunger Games, but he also brought the sequel, Catching Fire, and both in hardbound. I immediately noticed how cool the cover was. It was simple yet stunning, even though I had no idea of the relevance of the bird. He gave me the books and told me that I should get a copy and get reading. He told me it wasn't like any other book. I was about teenagers that were killing each other and the way the world was during that time: the future. It wasn't the future that was projected it sci-fi movies (robotic, advanced, and full of reflective clothing), but a future that was degraded. The world had not moved forward, but backwards.

The book opens with the introduction of the main character, Katniss Everdeen, and the situation of where she lives. A country called Panem which is divided into thirteen districts, the thirteenth of which has been destroyed. She lives in the twelfth and poorest district where coal is the main product. She lives with her little sister, Prim, and her mother which she seems to be taking care of instead of the other way around ever since her father died from a mining explosion. 

Paperback Cover

Panem is place where the government or the Capitol, as they call it, controls everything and there really sems to be no escape. The Capitol controls everything through the fear of the people. Yearly, they remind the people of Panem that they powerless through what they call "The Hunger Games" in which two (one boy and one girl) teenagers are selected from each district to be put inside the arena and fight the hunger games while all people, especially the people in the Capitol watch it on live television. It is treated as if it is just a siple reality show, except for the fact that lives are taken. The last one standing receives fame, fortune, and and supplies like food and shelter. Inside the arena, it's either kill or be killed. 

Katniss was never really even chosen to go into the arena. She had taken the place of her sister during the drawing of names. Her journey starts of with training and strategic plans on how the winner would come from their district. Katniss and her fellow tribute, Peeta Mellark are guided and coached by previous Hunger Games winner of their district, Haymitch Abernathy, a drunkard, clever man who seems to care about nothing. As Katniss always thought, the odds were never in her favor.

"Winning means fame and fortune.

Losing means certain death.

The Hunger Games have begun...."

I will admit that the book had surprised me and I wasn't expecting that I would like it as much as I do. Suzanne Collins was able to fit in the book an assortment of characters and their different personalities. She was also able to portray the kind of government that no one would want, unless you were one of those who were fortunate and had no real idea of how the districts were. She was also able to show that she was quite adept in the field of media in the way that she was able to write about the way the television in the book was manipulated and how the truth was stretched in many ways. 

This book was such an experience to me. It made me think and also, it kind of gave me butterflies, as the book gives Katniss quite a love story. Even though this book is rated or in the category for young adults, anyone would be blessed with the pleasure of reading it.

A note to those who care

This post is just to send over a message.

I started this blog along with a friend of mine in school. We're really close and we still are, but it seems that he's not really the blogger or continually writing type. He said that I could carry on this blog and that's okay. Everything's cool, but from now on, I'm most likely going to write everything that will be posted on this blog.
I still give him total credit for helping me with naming this blog and I think it's darn good name and it suits whatever goes on it.

Thanks. :))

Quotes from Bob Ong

I think that Bob Ong is a great author. Even though there are times that his statements may seen harsh, he is just being straight to the point and I guess I could say he's keeping it real. He may be unique, but his writing has substance and great  humor no matter what words he uses to send the message he wishes to send to his readers.


"Gamitin ang puso para alagaan ang taong malapit sayo. Gamitin ang utak para alagaan ang sarili mo."

"Mangarap ka at abutin mo. Wag mong sisihin ang sira mong pamilya, palpak mong syota, pilay mong tuta, o mga lumilipad na ipis. Kung may pagkukulang sa'yo mga magulang mo, pwde kang manisi at maging rebelde.

Tumigil ka sa pag-aaral, mag-asawa ka, mag-drugs ka, magpakulay ka ng buhok sa kili-kili. Sa bandang huli, ikaw din ang biktima. Rebeldeng walang napatunayan at bait sa sarili."

"Huwag mong bitawan ang bagay na hindi mo kayang makitang hawakan ng iba."

"Wag magmadali sa pag-aasawa. Tatlo, lima, sampung taon sa hinaharap, mag-iiba pa ang pamantayan mo at maiisip mong di pala tamang pumili ng kapareha dahil lang sa kaboses niya si Debbie Gibson o magaling mag-breakdance. Totoong mas importante ang kalooban ng tao higit anuman. Sa paglipas ng panahon, maging ang mga crush ng bayan sa eskwelahan e nagmumukha ring pandesal. Maniwala ka."

"Huwag mong hawakan kung alam mong bibitawan mo lang."

"Bakit ba ayaw matulog ng mga bata sa tanghali? alam ba nilang pag natuto silang umibig e hindi na sila makakatulog kahit gusto nila?"

"Huwag na huwag ka hahawak kapag alam mong may hawak ka na."

Bob Ong

"Parang elevator lang yan eh, bakit mo pagsisiksikan ung sarili mo kung walang pwesto para sayo. Eh meron naman hagdan, ayaw mo lang pansinin."

"Hindi lungkot o takot ang mahirap sa pag-iisa kundi ang pagtanggap na sa bilyon-bilyong tao sa mundo, wala man lang nakipaglaban upang makasama ka."

"Kung maghihintay ka nang ng lalandi sayo, walang mangyayari sa buhay mo... Dapat lumandi ka din."

"Nalaman kong hindi final exam ang passing rate ng buhay. hindi ito multiple choice, identification, true or false, enumeration or fill-in-the-blanks na sinasagutan kundi essay na isinusulat araw-araw. Huhusgahan ito hindi base sa kung tama o mali ang sagot, kundi base sa kung may kabuluhan ang mga isinulat o wala. Allowed ang erasures."

"Hindi dahil sa hindi mo naiintindihan ang isang bagay ay kasinungalingan na ito at hindi lahat ng kaya mong intindihin ay katotohanan. "

"Mag-aral maigi. Kung titigil ka sa pag-aaral, manghihinayang ka pagtanda mo dahil hindi mo naranasan ang kakaibang ligayang dulot ng mga araw na walang pasok o suspendido ang klase o absent ang teacher. (Haaay, sarap!)."

“Kung hindi mo mahal and isang tao, wag ka nang magpakita ng motibo para mahalin ka niya..”

“Nalaman kong habang lumalaki ka, maraming beses kang madadapa. Bumangon ka man ulit o hindi, magpapatuloy ang buhay, iikot ang mundo, at mauubos ang oras.”

“Sabi nila, sa kahit ano raw problema, isang tao lang ang makakatulong sa’yo – ang sarili mo. Tama sila. Isinuplong ako ng sarili ko. Kaya siguro namigay ng konsyensya ang Diyos, alam niyang hindi sa lahat ng oras e gumagana ang utak ng tao.”

“Mas mabuting mabigo sa paggawa ng isang bagay kesa magtagumpay sa

paggawa ng wala.”

“Masama akong tao, tulad mo, sa parehong paraan na mabuti kang tao, tulad ko.”

Some of Bob Ong Books:

A New Toy in the Playground

Imagine a kid or a group of kids playing together in a sandbox or at the playground. They may get along and they may share toys, but of course when a new toy comes around, all of them would want first dibs on that toy. New is quite attractive, almost all people find it that way. New is something you aren't familiar with, it's an exploration, and it's what all the others want, as well.

A Shiny New Toy

The shiny, new toy always gets the attention. People may even end up fighting for it. They'll fight for it, vie for it. Personally, I wouldn't want to join in on anything like that, it just makes life more unnecessarily complicated. Even if I wanted to, I'd stop myself. I bet a lot of other people would do the same as well, but the problem with this is that there are circumstances when this "new toy" is just so darn shiny, that when light catches even the slightest sign of light or sunshine, and it reflects your way, it's impossible for it not to catch your eye. 

But what if that "toy" could walk, speak, was alive and breathing? Would the toy choose you if you ever chose to go after it? Would you be the last one over all the others trying to get their way? Would you prevail over all else who want the toy all to themselves? Hmmmm... That's something to ponder on. 

*Inspired by "You're like the shiny new toy now," and personal experience/s.