What is Grass Green

We got this project to layout a golf ball box. The project brief that I got said that the main color should be "grass green" but apparently, the person who gave me the brief, did not know what grass green exactly looks like. She noted "...(hindi ko alam kung anong shade ng grass green, yun lang ang sabi ng client. Please find out nalang)". So I 'googled' "GRASS GREEN COLOR" and hit a site for the colorblind. There were various greens, including grass green, in a table that shows the shade, the name, the decimals, and the "hex" (whatever that is), and the "co#". I tried to enter the 'hex' numbers in the pantone number box in Photoshop and voila! The same supposed-grass-green-color from the website appeared on the color picker preview.

But I was not impressed, of course, I mean, it wont hurt to look for another "grass green" testimonial. So I chose another link from my googled links.

I was directed to the Blogthings. It greeted me with "What kind of Green Are You?" Of course, this was definitely not what I was looking for. But hey, it wont hurt to have a little fun as well. So I answered the questions and ticked on my answers. After the 'quiz', you know what it told me?

You Are Grass Green

Down to earth and a bit of a hippie, you are very into nature and the outdoors. You accept the world and people as they are. You don't try to change things. You are also very comfortable with yourself, flaws and all. Optimistic about the future, you feel like life is always getting better.

Funny, right? I mean, I could've been a light green, or a yellow green, or a moss green. But no! I am a grass green! Just when I was wondering 'what is grass green?'.

So I stopped looking for the color grass green. Because hey, what am I looking for? I am grass green.

Actually, I'm just making sense of a coincidence. But still coincidentally, it said that I am a bit of a hippie! No proof! Hehe)

A Twisted Love Affair

Yesterday was EMC2 Fraternity and UP CE's night at the UP Fair. The line up was still as fab as before. And like all the past Schizofairnias, I emceed the night again before the DJs from the sponsor radio station came.

Though i only emceed for like 3 hours, I felt so tired. And I am still tired. Hehe. So I'll finish this entry after I've rested, ok?

Will post photos and stories as soon as I find time.

Random Lunacy @ Wilfredo's

It's been a long time since I've seen my friends Jovi, Charms, Meh, Yvette, and Coi, collectively known as Matilda, play. Partly beacuse I was absent on their January 13 gig at Purple Haze and Freedom Bar because of the World Pyro Exhibit. And mostly because I haven't been watching gigs a lot lately.

Last night, I was happy to see Matilda back, (a)live and better than ever. It's just sad that Coi wasn't there because she's been said to bepracticing for her upcoming recital (April 13, marked!).

Anyway, there were around 10-12 bands. Half of them, I never heard of until last night. Half of them I knew (and my close friends) since college -- Kiko Machine (I hosted both of their album launches), The Brew (hosted their album launch too, had the chance to interview Mr. RA Rivera), Aizo (one of my most favorite bands), Chubibo (the Chubiboys and the Chubibabe), and of course Matilda (hosted their demo launch too, and Meh's bday.)

The other half were (I'll try my best to enumerate all the band names that I can remember) Pentavia, Saffron Speedway (I'm really sorry I said Saffron Subway -- in that hosting stint), 7 days up (or 7 high up? or up high 7? day 7 up? Oh dear..I'm so poor with names), and Descant Gott. I was out there somewhere most of the time, drinking beer or chatting with the other bands, that's why I can't remember the other bands' names. But what the heck, the show was good, in general.

And oh, part of the show was Charm's bday celeb. Belated happy birthday Charms!

My First Rock Story

January 19, 2007. Kublai's Katipunan.

The UP Underground Music Community presents My First Rock Story - some kind of a fundraising event for a school in Katipunan. Nice show. Nice cause. Nice to see my old friends again.

Will post photos and stories as soon as I find time.

Aizo, La Passionaria @ 6UG

I've been gone. For a long time. Haven't seen gigs. Haven't been around to party. I never realized it until Janji said "Good evening po, kami po ang Aizo. Ito pong buong set namin, para kay Roma, kasi ang tagal nyang nawala!"

Imagine, dati, isang song lang ang dinededicate sakin ng mga band friends ko. Ngayon, sa tagal kong 'nawala', isang set na ang katumbas! Where have I been?

Will post photos and stories as soon as I find the time.

That's My Girl!

>Direk Ed Lejano of CinemaOne Originals 2006's Seroks has just sent Ponkee a message. He said that his editor for the film is nominated best editor. Aint that great? and the best part is, Ponkee is the editor! That's my girl!

SEROKS digital movie at Robinsons Galleria Nov 24.

Cinema One Originals and Ledge Productions in cooperation with NCCA and VitalStrats Creative Solutions present "SEROKS". "SEROKS", a psychological drama starring Juliana Palermo unreels at the 2nd Annual Cinema One Originals Digital Movie Festival on November 24-26 at the Indie Sine (Cinema 8 ) of Robinsons Galleria. One of the winning seven digital movie proposals, "SEROKS" will be shown Friday 5pm, Saturday 1pm
and Sunday 945pm. Tickets at P100.

The digital movie written and directed by Ed Lejano, makes use of the film noir style and fuses elements of the thriller, in conveying a recurring pattern of duplication that reflect the film's title.

Set in the vibrant world of Recto, Palermo plays the mysterious woman who moves into a boarding house above a xerox shop. Her femme fatale character soon encounters the xerox operator played by Neil Ryan Sese (who portrayed one of the brothers in Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Olivares).

Their fateful meeting triggers a series of duplicating events. This ushers the film's unpredictable plot developments as it branches out to involve the other offbeat characters that inhabit the world of "SEROKS".

The richly-textured film noir drama also stars Lauren Novero, Soliman Cruz, Mystika, Ramon Bautista, Alchris Galura and Maria Isabel Lopez. Cinematography is by the award-winning Neil Daza, the screenplay co-written by Lye Candelaria and
line-produced by Amor Olaguer.

Catch the intriguing Pinoy digital movie that tackles the notion of life as a photocopy next weekend, November 24-26.

"SEROKS", Rated R-13, 1hr 45mins.
Directed by Ed Lejano
Assistant Director - Lorna Sanchez
Cinematographer - Neil Daza
Screenplay Co-writer - Lye Candelaria
Production Design - Bianca Dadives
Art Director & Costume Master - Ching Danseco
Editor and Sound Designer - Amrei Dizon
Musical Scorer - Nani Naguit
Line Producer - Amor Olaguer
Post Production House - VitalStrats Creative Solutions

For more details and group sales discount of festival tickets, call Creative Programs, Inc. CPI) at the 10th floor ELJ Bldg., ABS-CBN office at 4152272 locals 3162, 3205, 3166. Look for Marga, Jingky and Lani.

Sagot sa 'Tsk, tsk, tsk (at iba pang tsk, tsk, tsk)'

Binasa ko yung entry kong 'Tsk, tsk, tsk (at iba pang tsk, tsk, tsk)'. Ngayon lang. At parang hindi ako makapaniwala kung gaano ako -ka-active sa mga gigs nuong mismong panahong sinulat ko yun. Isang panahon na ang DAPAT na una sa aking priorities ay ang pag-aaral. But no. I was all over town for friend's gigs and drinking sprees.

Ramdam na ramdam ko naman na simula ng nagtrabaho ako eh nawala na naman ako sa "eksena". Hindi ko na nga kilala yung mga banda ngayon. Huli kong nagpunta sa 2 gigs na magkasunod para mag-host, nalula ako sa damio ng mukhang hindi ko kilala. Sa lugar pa naman na pamilyar ko.

Hindi sapat tong sinusulat ko parang i-express kung gano na ako nawala sa eksena. O kung gano katagal nang wala akong naiinom na musika. Matagal. Madami nang nagsabi sa akin na "akala ko namatay ka na". May nagsabi na din sa akin dati ng 'wala, laos ka na' dahil tinutukoy niyang iba ang crowd ng mga banda sa isang gig na pinuntahan namin. At maari na din sigurong masabi na 'lola' na ako. Dahil dati, walang effort para malaman kung sino ang sino. Kaninong banda si ganitong drummer. Ngayon hindi naman ako nag-eefort. Ayun nga lang, gudlak sa akin. Mahirap maghost ng gigs na hindi mo kilala ang mga bandista. Unprofessional yun! Unless sikat kang DJ from some 'cool' station. Okay lang magkamali ng tawag sa bandang nag-lo-launch ng album at ikaw ang host. Duh.

To make the long story short, wala kaseng panahon. Hindi ko alam kung bakit. Eh 9-6 lang naman ang pasok ko sa opisina. Pero parang ngayon, nasa opisina pa ako. Mamayang 9 AM, 24 hours na akong nandito. Tsk, tsk, tsk.

Paalam, Ka Fort, Salamat!

KATARUNGAN PARA KAY DIOSDADO "KA FORT" FORTUNA!

Dalawang tama ng kalibre .45 sa likod habang pauwi sa bahay nila mula sa piketlayn ng Nestle noong gabi ng Setyembre 22. Si Ka Fort o mas kilalang Ding Fortuna, ay ang humaliling Lider ng Unyon ng mga Manggagawa kay G. Meliton Roxas (na pinaslang noong Enero 21, 1988) sa pabrika ng Nestle sa Cabuyao Laguna. Siya'y naging huwarang lider ng mangagawa sa iba't ibang kasapian sa Timog Katagalugan. Isa sa mga taong nakausap ko na kilala siya ng personal ang nagsabing ang pakikipaglaban para sa karapatan ng mga manggagawa na ang naging buhay ni Ka Fort.

Agosto 2002 nang huminto akong tumangkilik sa kahit na anong produkto ng Nestle. Laking lungkot ko nang mapasailalim sa multi-nasyonal na korporasyong ito ang Goya at Bear Brand. Buti na lang may Lala at Alaska pa para bigyan ako ng aking "daily dose of cheap chocolates" at calcium. Isa't kalahating taon mula nang huli akong nakatikim ng Milo, may nakapagsabi sa aking tapos na ang boykot. Sa kabila ng kakulangan ko sa impormasyon kung natapos na nga ba ang boykot ay pinagpatuloy ko ang hindi pagtangkilik sa mga produktong Nestle, dahil sa kadahilanang minsan nang inabuso ng Nestle ang kanilang mga manggagawa. At hindi ako nagkamali sa aking desisyon. Hindi kailan man natapos ang boykot, lalo pa ang piket sa pabrika. At tiyak na ang trahedyang ito ay magbubunsol pa ng mas malawakang boykot at pag-aaklas.

Mag-a-alas diyes na kagabi nang natanggap ko ang mensaheng nasa isang Chapel sa UP ang katawan ni Ka Fort. Hindi ako nagdalawang-isip. Sinuot ko lang ang aking jacket at naglakad sa kahabaan ng Dahlia hanggang may makitang traysikel. Pagdating sa burol, na itinuturing din na pagpaparangal para sa isang dakilang lider-manggagawa, hindi ko naiwasang malungkot. Napakadaming tao. Mga mula sa iba't ibang kasapiang Nasyonal at mga estudyante mula sa iba't ibang paaralan, lalo na mula sa PUP.

Apat sa mga nakasama ni Ka Fort ang nasaksihan kong nagbigay ng mga salita para sa kanya. Hindi nagkakaiba ang kanilang mga sinabi. Si Ka Fort ay huwaran, mapagkumbaba, maaasahan, isang tunay na Lider-manggagawa. Isang tunay na Lider.

Bago umuwi ay dumaan ako sa Mercury Drug sa Tandang Sora. Nakita ko ang isang kaibigan at sinabi sa kanya kung saan ako nanggaling. Pinakiusapan ko rin siyang hangga't kaya niya'y huwag siyang tumangkilik ng Nestle products. Nakakalungkot isipin pero sa maliliit na bagay na ganito lamang ako makapag-aambag sa hustisyang marahil hindi agarang makakamit ni Ka Fort. Mas nakakalungkot kung ang hustisyang ito, na sa Pilipinas ay parang gasgas na plaka, ay hindi na makakamit kailan man.

Katulad ng ibang mga lider-manggagawa at lider ng masa, itinaguyod ni Ka Fort ang karapatan ng kaniyang mga kasama. 28 taon siyang nanilbihan sa Nestle. Duon na siya inuban at humina. Pero nanatiling matatag sa kanyang mga prinsipyo. Duon na rumupok ang kanyang mga buto, pero nanatiling malakas sa pakikibaka.

Sa pagkakataong ito, ngayon lalo na kahit kailan, mas pagtitibayan ko ang pagboboykot sa Nestle. Ito ay isa na namang patunay na "there's blood in your coffee."

Paalam, Ka Fort. At maraming maraming salamat!


27 Sept 2006
1:45 AM

27th Masskara Festival

It looks really good in the photos but it's nothing compared to seeing it in person. Even the commercial postcards or the WOW Philippines! website don't measure up to the astounding view it really makes.

The first 10 minutes of the 27th Masskara Street Dance Competition left me in awe. No exaggeration but it was really eye-popping, jaw-dropping, heart-stopping, earth-breaking....you get the point...

You can tell by the paricipation of all 25 barangays of Bacolod City, the deployment of the AFP and CAT/ROTC troops, the attendance of the townsfolks, and the number of foreigners that stayed long under the harsh sun how big this event really was. You can also tell by the length of the lens of the photographers that were there!

Everything is wonderful, shiny, vibrant, glittering. It's very colorful, very alive, picture-perfect. It's something that you see that you feel. You should really be there. No wonder the event is occasionally featured in Living Asia and the National Geographic!

The Masskara Festival lives up very true to its name. The grandest of masks, handmade of sequins, feathers, paper, plastic, cloth, buttons, beads, all materials imaginable, and the very merry and festive celebration of a valued tradition. Indeed, Bacolod is the City of Smiles.

See some of the photos i took from the 27th Masskara Street Dance Competition.

Stranded in Bacolod

No Manila-bound flight until the 24th. First available flight is on the 25th at 6:40 AM. We're supposed to go home on Sunday, so we'll overstay here in Bacolod for 2 more days.