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WordCamp Philippines 2008

Published terribly early in the morning of September 6, 2008

I’ll be speaking later at WordCamp Philippines 2008, discussing “Developing WordPress Plugins.” Wish me luck and see you there!

Reply· 2008.09.06

Gusto mo bang sumama?

Published in the wee hours of September 2, 2008

May isang umaga na tayo’y magsasama
Haya at halina sa alapaap
O anong sarap

So it was a promise after all. Alapaap’s surreal–sounding opening verse, sometimes omitted in our minds in favor of the upbeat chorus and other verses, was in hindsight an assurance that no matter what, against all odds, there is that one day when we’ll all be together, again. And it was 083008.

The Eraserheads reunion concert must’ve been one of the most awaited events in many people’s lives. I’ve been waiting for so long but never expected it this soon anyway. When I heard about it though, I had to accept it was going to be now.

The ensuing drama wouldn’t let things stay as simple as they should be though. There was the DOH and tobacco advertising issue that gave Marlboro/Philip Morris lots of free mileage, and then came the sad passing of Ely’s mother. When it seemed like it was too good to push through, something else had to come to cast a cloud of doubt on the whole thing. Since ticket details were never clear until just days before Saturday, I was almost resigned to the fact that I might actually miss the first (and probably only) Eraserheads reunion concert.

When I got Juned’s message that our friends at San Miguel through Red Horse have some tickets for a few dozen bloggers, it had me believing that maybe I was really destined to see the Eraserheads!

About two hours before the concert, we finally were in our Red Horse–badged Ely Buendia shirts with tickets ready. All we had to worry about now was where to get dinner so we could get in before the crowd thickens like a raging flood. More than 30 bloggers scrambled to grab a bite, rushing around the Bonifacio High Street area. Just a few minutes before 8PM, we were headed for the Patrons’ entrance.

Crowd ingress was smooth despite the long queue. Turns out the long lines were mostly due to insistent fans wanting to bring in long–zoom cameras and camcorders just to document this milestone in their lives. I left all my cameras in the car though, I knew they were prohibited and would only make things harder for me. Besides, there was no way I could grab decent shots from our section.

The 10–minute countdown seemed like too much at first, but as it got closer the crowd’s energy was just electric. After the short AVP, there was the band, finally, opening with what could possibly be their most popular song Alapaap. As they reached the first chorus, the crowd was jumping to the beat, oblivious to the rest of the world. All that mattered was the music.

It was only at that point that I felt that all was real, this is the Eraserheads together for a night to remember. Hana was right in front of me singing and trying to record a video on her phone, I was just so happy to have her by my side on that fateful night. And then I remembered Jonas, who’s probably the biggest Eraserheads fan I know. I dialed his number, all the way to Dubai Bahrain. I raised my phone up high just as Ely belted Ang daming bawal sa mundo, sinasakal nila tayo. Buksan ang puso at isipan, paliparin ang kamalayan.

After Alapaap, I could’ve walked out of there in nirvana. All I needed was one song from the Eraserheads, the music that is the soundtrack of my life.

***

There are a handful of great stories on the web about the Eraserheads reunion concert, here are some you might want to read:

• No stilettos for backstage pass: 083008, the Reunion Concert
• Gang’s Heads 2008
• jaydj’s article and great photos from the VIP area.
• Jayvee’s entry and video that actually caught me shouting (singing?) and all wild.
• In Closing, Thank You Eraserheads for the GREAT Time! (with Video)
• I have a few more photos aside from those used in this entry.
• And of course, Ely is okay.

15 Replies· 2008.09.02

San Miguel Beer Oktoberfest 2008

Published late at night of August 29, 2008

This year’s Oktoberfest will be the first time San Miguel Beer goes beyond the typical one month celebration, now with 120 days of fiesta that goes on and on all over the country. Coinciding with the festival, San Miguel is coming out with a limited edition San Miguel Oktoberfest Beer — a new beer that’s full flavored yet lite bodied — sweetish in taste and smooth to the finish, as Juned would put it.

A few things on the Oktoberfest: two Guinness world record attempts, a Third Eye Blind concert, and the Oktoberfest Beer. Of course Juned could tell you more about it, I’ve only got photos from press launch.

15 Replies· 2008.08.29

Healthy Shabu Shabu

Published in the wee hours of August 25, 2008

Yes there’s a healthy way of doing hot pot dining, and Healthy Shabu Shabu is the place for you to try it. When I got the SMS invite for the opportunity to try it, I was apprehensive, worried that this might just be one of the few types of food and dining that I may not completely enjoy. Knowing that I have to go through the cooking process myself had me thinking if I should go through a fastfood value meal beforehand just in case I make a mess of my supposed dinner.

I was completely wrong. A short demo from our waiter/cook/attendant (what do we really call him?) had me tossing ingredients into the pot right away, enjoying every bit of the cooking process. More importantly, the eating part was a joy. The food was great and I couldn’t wait to try it again soon. Worried about the price, I asked and found out that it’s reasonably within the 500–peso range, a good deal considering the amount of food you’ll be eating.

I almost forgot, I’ve got an album of photos during and after the event.

Update: Entry edited for various grammar school violations. I suck.

4 Replies· 2008.08.25

Because I’m lost…

Published in the early afternoon of August 13, 2008

… in your eyes.

I just fell
Don’t know why
Something is there
We can’t deny
Ooh, when I first knew
Was when I first looked at you

Happy anniversary pangga!

19 Replies· 2008.08.13

Photos: Top 10 Emerging Influential Blogs for 2008

Published in the wee hours of August 13, 2008

I promised AJ and Poyt that I will be posting the photos I took at the awarding/eyeball event in a day’s time, so here’s the whole set. I also promised Aileen that I’ll post my first blog entry in You Got Tech; I wrote a short blurb with photos from the event, with my short excuse why it’s only first post on YGT.

Now wouldn’t it be fun if I can be this productive every single day?

4 Replies· 2008.08.13

Lifehouse in Manila

Published in the wee hours of July 31, 2008

The first time we knew about Lifehouse’s concert here in Manila, Hana was instantly disappointed as it’s on the same date as my mother’s birthday. She wanted to watch it so badly that she even blogged about it. (It’s a rarity for both of us these days.)

When Aileen’s sweetie messaged me if we wanted to cover the band’s CD signing/presscon, we thought it was gonna be a good enough compromise if we were to miss the concert. I never thought Lifehouse had a huge fanbase locally but I was surprised to see the Mall of Asia main atrium filled with the young and the not–so–young crowd. With a turnout that big, we just felt we had to be in the concert the following day!

So we did go to the concert after all, sneaking out of the house in the middle of my mom’s party. We got the cheapest tickets (damn gas prices voids all leisure spendings) but still enjoyed the music of Lifehouse nonetheless, just as much as everyone else. Or I’d like to see it that way.

I managed to record some songs with my phone; I’m sharing it here just in case you’d want them. Don’t expect anything magical though, recording quality is passable at best. I didn’t get the chance to shoot the concert, only the CD signing.

11 Replies· 2008.07.31