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My three loyal readers are probably wondering why I've disappeared. It's been a rather busy last few weeks, what with trying to get my thesis proposal presentation scheduled and the actual proposal approved (which I did, thanks to my thesis advisory team!) and really just limping along waiting for our Christmas road trip to Ilocos. Before we get into that, just a few notes to recap what's been happening:

Saw Live AIDS Silver at the UP Theatre nung end ng November. I've never seen them before, but I was told that they usually do it at Aldaba Hall sa Music so we were wondering if they'll be able to fill the place up. It was supposed to start at 7 pm, and at 7,15 we were seated at our cheap seats at the back. The ushers told us to just occupy any vacant seat as soon as the lights go out which of course everyone did. They switched the light off and there was an eerily stealthy stampede of cheap ticket holders who moved to the expensive section. And that's how you get a bargain.

Live AIDS was fun, and I think my favourite sketch was the first one: Ador Cuntapay as the First Lady-elect Michelle Obombshell. She was soooo good. I was narly in tears. I've been in UP since 1996 and for the first time I'm watching Live AIDS and it was making me feel mighty proud to be here. Meron din namang mga sketch na either too long or just downright unnecessary. Like yung Little Mermaid sa Lagoon, it dragged on and on and on, and people just wanted to go. Pero all in all, I was really glad Jem, Leonard and I went. Kim couldn't because she was going to Baguio with Mcrhon. I also wanted to invite friends to go with us, kaya lang it won't be the same kung di taga UP ang mga kasama mo e. When Leonard said this I thought it was a bit, um, conceited, pero totoo pala. Totoong conceited ang mga taga UP. Choz!

We had a great little evening watching the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra's Transymphonia on Friday, 05 December at the CCP. The trip from White Plains to CCP took about two hours and by the time we got there we were starving. We ended up eating ice cream at Icebergs in Harbor Square and of course when we got at the lobby of the CCP they had thousands of glasses of wine. The Spanish Embassy was the sponsor, and Manila's society fixtures organized it. Bravi. Free-flowing red and white wine, champagne, sangria and iced tea. Little bijoux snackettes with salmon mousse, beef sashimi, etc. I don't see how the next Transymphonia can top this (Paging the European Commission. Your time to shine next month.), and it is certainly a big improvement from the Italian Embassy sponsored do last November. They didn't serve anything. As in nothing. We had to buy snacks at the bar. Embassies, if you're going to sponsor something, consulting with the Spanish embassy is not a bad idea at all. They know how to host a party.

After the concert, we went to the lobby to watch the mestizos pass by. Araneta, Zobel de Ayala, Tantoco, everyone was there. Even Gloria sashayed down the grand staircase followed by her retinue of secret service people and the usual hangers on. It was curious to find an ambulance as part of her presidential convoy. People were also seen queueing to shake Jaime Zobel de Ayala's hand. Like he personally organized the event. That was strange. He was incredibly handsome, though. And he was with a younger mestizo (his son perhaps) who looked like a very young tennis superstar. I mean what do you aspire for when you're good looking and richer than everyone else? I guess you turn to philantrophy and charity work for the less fortunate. But with the kind of wealth they have, isn't everyone, save perhaps Lucio Tan and Henry Sy, less fortunate?

Saw Hairspray at the Star Theater with the boys and Pedro earlier this month. It was quite fun, except the traffic to the CCP complex was more horrible than usual. The musical was fun. I've never seen it before and I must say it was mightily entertaining. The lead actress had such energy it was difficult not to sing along, which was tricky because none of us knew any of the songs.



After the musical, instead of hanging about at Harbor Square, we decided to go back to Quezon City for a bit of a midnight snack. Brothers Burger in Katips was already shut when we got there so we decided to go to Mogwai in Cubao Expo. I had this curiously spicy thing which name I didn't really get. It was like tokwa't baboy with salted eggs and black beans. Nanawag sya ng kanin pero syempre di na ko humingi non kase baka sabihin naman ng mga kasama ko e masiba ako. Weheheheh.

Our little once-a-month brunch group is turning into a couples for christ gimik group with Hans now with Jun, Rikki and Gerald, Nestor and Don and of course ako at si Pedro. Not our intention to leave other people out, pero si Dave and Tristan are too busy and Iggy works evenings tapos si Gari pa is lecheng best efforts lang kung pumunta sa wag na uy diba.

Then on the 17th, UP's annual lantern parade which is doubly exciting because UP is celebrating its centennial. So I dragged Pedro to Diliman to join the SOLAIR contingency, which took a while to find, especially because the parade's so long and the oval was sooo crowded. It's quite an amazing tradition, really, especially when you think that everyone made all those lanterns and bothered with costumes and make up. Pero syempre lahat naman yung UP Pep Squad and pinakahihintay. Winner din ang pagsipol sa min ng Babaylan nung dumaan kami sa tabi nila. That was strangely sweet. Heheheh.

Christmas party kina Oh-D, then another one kina Rikki. This year's Christmas celebration isn't going to be as lavish as the one last year. Nasa Chicago naman kase ang Nanay at Tatay e, at ang nag-iisa kong kapatid dito sa Filipinas e nakipaghiwalay pa sa asawa. The year 2008 has its ups and downs. Para sa amin, mostly downs. It has been a difficult year, and Peter and I both feel like we deserve a break from it all. Nakakapagod na worrying for other people who invariably don't care anyway. So we decided to leave for a couple of weeks.

I'm now sitting at a bar in San Juan, La Union. Surfing capital of the north, some guide books say. Not too shabby for us!