Friday, December 23, 2005


I Got Stricken With S(T)ARS

Last night, I got a bit doozy. Will explain more.

To cap off Kids TV for 2005, I got into a segment shooting in which we feature the premiere night of "Exodus", the movie our show was promoting for the Metro Manila Film Festival.

After much thought, I decided to let the kid hosts get in the cinema after they were done with their spiels. They were supposed to interview the cast themselves, but I got a bit worried that they might get squished by other media members from giant networks.

Which means that I have to do the interview by myself, with the cameraman.

But there's a catch. Even though I've been exposed in the showbiz environment eversince I was a child, I'm get scared of celebrities. No, I don't freak out and run away. It's just that...I tend to get scared of going near them and having a conversation, especially if I'm meeting them for the first time.

You are so right...I get starstricken.

Who wouldn't? I'm about to interview Bong Revilla Jr., an action star-turned comedian-turned anti-piracy czar-turned senator-turned all-in-one.

So while I was waiting for the cast to walk by the red carpet, I spotted the owner of Enchanted Kingdom theme park (one of the producers of the movie). Call it a training to face my fears of sorts, I asked him about the movie (as indicated in my script). He was obviously happy and proud that the premiere got a high influx of people queueing.

And then, Senator Bong went walking the red carpet, together with child wonder BJ Forbes. The media went scambling for photos and video. After the senator was done with the photojournalists, it was the TV people's turn to ask him questions.

Odd enough, I was the first one to ask him.

"What makes Exodus stand out from the festival's other entries?"

I could see the reporter from ABS-CBN peeking at my ID while Bong was answering my query. I actually felt like an odd-one-out. Looking at the row of microphones placed before the actor, with logos of the big networks and then there's a relatively-unheard of Kids TV (not many people watch at RPN-9, except when there are boxing matches on a Sunday or beauty pageants).

I got a little cocky when I vomitted my second question.

"How proud are you in this movie?"

Senator Bong admitted that he felt proud of his movie, but quite nervous as to how it will fare come Christmas. Three huge fantasy movies are vying for top blockbuster. Aside from Exodus (which I predicted to become number 1, no kidding), Filipinos are anticipating for Mulawin The Movie (which was based on a hit fantasy TV series about a tribe of birdmen), and Enteng Kabisote 2 (a sequel of a spin-off of a fantasy comedy TV series back in the 1990's, Okay Ka Fairy Ko).

I let the other reporters ask their questions. I think my two questions are enough.

In the process I also interviewed some of the cast members who graced the premiere, like reality show host Paolo Bediones, comedian Long Mejia, and sexy actress Aubrey Miles.

But what really got me excited was when I got the chance to interview young star Iya Villania, a VJ and singer by profession. While asking her the same questions I asked the other actors, it was right there when I realized how beautiful she is in person. Goodness, her eyes are heavenly, her lips was glistening, and she just gives a kind and warm smile (making a seeemingly first-time reporter like me at ease).

Flash forward...

I went straight home after watching the movie, and asked random people from the cinema about their thoughts of the movie like the usual "Ang ganda!" (It was beautiful) and "Sulit!" (Worth the money), a common practice here.

I can't help but think of Iya the whole night. That sent me into panic mode.

Oh no, I think I'm a lesbian.

Not good.

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THE EMPRESS IS THANKFUL

1) Thank you for reading my blog. Wishing all of my readers, and everyone in my blogroll, the merriest of Christmas. Maligayang Pasko!

2) I was happy that my blog peaked at rank #198 at PinoyTopBlogs.com. Not bad for me... :)

2) I was supposed to submit a draft of my play tonight (the deadline), but so far I got writer's block. I can't even get past the story treatment stage. Have to do something.

posted by Empress Maruja | |




Monday, December 19, 2005


The De-Blossoming Of Empress Maruja

God, I hate it when this happens.

The computer where I'm typing my post suddenly had stalled, forcing me to end it.

I knew I should have drafted it since it was getting pretty long enough.

Now I have to type it all over again, which is a pain, really. It's like forming a jig-saw puzzle where just as you are about to complete, and of a sudden your brother put the pieces in disarray, bringing you back to where you started, with nothing.

So, forgive me as I try to remember everything that I've typed my supposed post...

Here it goes...

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As every gay guy in the Emerald Isles would do, I went to the cinema to watch "The Blossoming Of Maximo Oliveros". The movie, done in digital form, is about a 12-year-old gay boy Maxi (played by Nathan Lopez) who belonged to a family of small-time criminals falling in love for the first time with a much-older policeman (JR Valentin, who reminded me of an older version of heartthrob Dennis Trillo).

I went to Glorietta Cinema alone as usual, aware of the fact that my "film buddies" back in college are so immersed with their respective careers. Since the movie was about to end, I decided to wait at the lobby bench. I'm not like most Filipinos who tend to watch movies during the middle of it and leave just as the scene they first saw appeared again.

I have a lot of expectations about the movie. I've heard a lot of raves about it, it being included in next year's Sundance, which is not bad for a director's debut movie.

It wasn't too long that the audience began to leave. The viewers--mostly women for some weird reason, families with their children tugged along, and a handful (?) of gay guys--were all smiling and giggling. I could eavesdrop at their conversations, all nothing but more praises and raves. I hope I enjoy the film too.

And true enough, "The Blossoming" was a fun movie. Maxi's subtle movements reminded me of my outlandish teen years, when I used to walk in our old neighborhood with hips swaying and wearing the shortest of shorts (that I struggled to fit in). But more than the ongoing debate as to whether it is a gay movie or not, I think that the gay boy is a mere surface of the story.

"The Blossoming" is the story of one's first love. At one point, I found myself being teary-left-eyed, a drop of fluid barely hanging. The movie reminded me of my first love, of how I used to sigh whenever I see his face in class. How I used to carress my hair everytime we talked about Philippine Politics (he was into those "Intellectual Discussions"). How I used to help him in even the simplest of tasks (although not all the time). And of how time flies so suddenly. Now you find yourself...alone, like how I've started.

Seeing myself now, I still deny missing Mike. Denying the fact that sometimes I long to see him, even for a second, no, even for a blink of an eye. I know that would be impossible. In a sea of 10 million people moving endlessly in this vast concrete metropolis, what are the odds of seeing him?

The problem, though, is what if I did see him again? How would I react? Would I act coy, smile and greet him as if nothing happened? Should I smile shyly and turn away? Should I turn myself into a TV drama actress, get teary-eyed, drop all my bags and run towards him with my arms wide open? Or maybe an simple "Oy!" will do?

The movie ended bittersweetly, with the policeman now pursuing for Maxi's affection. So does my story of my first love. It ended neither happy nor sad. We still do not have a certain "closure"

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THE EMPRESS IS THANKFUL

1) Thanks for taking time to read my blog. I truly appreciate it. Tell your friends and your blogging friends about me, cause I believe this site deserves more readers.

2) Honestly, that Anonymous guy who kept on commenting "Dude, you're gay. It doesn't matter" had finally gotten into my nerves. He commented that same sentence again in my recent post (which I rejected), prompting me to track the dude. I mean, it doesn't sound good if you read that particular comment over and over.

3) Last Saturday, December 15, we shot Kids TV's last episode for 2005. Coincidentally, that was also Larra's birthday. I still miss that bakla, I hope her killers get caught.

posted by Empress Maruja | |




Friday, December 16, 2005


Back From Hiatus

Hi fans!

Yup, I'm back from a brief hiatus, and ready to blog again.

No, I wasn't abducted by aliens after my blog was sent to space.

No, I wasn't too busy with work.

It's just that I didn't have the opportunity to blog in a computer with DSL.

Anyway, if you're wondering what have happened to me of recent, here's a little rundown:

* I GAVE MY WINGS AWAY. I referred my PR client to a full-time copywriter. Not that I don't like him (yup, my client's a he), I just feel that my time for him is dwindling especially that my TV work has become more demanding than ever. But we're still friends, I think.

* FINALLY, my siblings went to Enchanted Kingdom the week after we were avoided from doing so. Although I didn't go along with them (work/shop), they had fun, especially at the thrill rides.

* I UNDERWENT A PLAYWRIGHTING WORKSHOP. As part of our theater org's 25th anniversary, we have to create 5 one-act plays before January. Pressure? Yup. The workshop is facilitated by a noted playwright and TV writer. That adds the pressure.

* TRIP TO EXODUS. Meanwhile on Kids TV, the show is vividly promoting upcoming movie "Tales From The Enchanted Kingdom: EXODUS" , an entry for the 2005 Metro Manila Film Festival (sarcastically tagged as the Christmas Film Festival). Enchanted Kingdom is actually one of the producers. I've seen the trailer and it is, indeed, a good movie.

So, what have you been up to? :)

posted by Empress Maruja | |




Wednesday, December 07, 2005


This Blog Was Sent To Space


I just received this certificate this morning from my e-mail. Isn't it neat?
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1) I encourage you all to read my recommended blog for the week: A LITTLE OF THIS, A LITTLE OF THAT. Just click the screenshot at the sidebar.
2) Also, bloggers in the Emerald Isles should also check out Maximo Oliveros' Blog. Yup, the lead character in the movie "The Blossoming Of Maximo Oliveros" has his own blog about his "pagdadalaga".

posted by Empress Maruja | |




Tuesday, December 06, 2005


The Problem With Too Much Anticipation

Remember when I told you that my sister and I planned on bringing our little brother to Enchanted Kingdom for his birthday? The one thing all of us sibling were anticipating about? We'll, we did it last Saturday.

But we didn't managed to get in.

We all woke up early since the trip to Santa Rosa, Laguna, where the theme park is, takes two hours. My sister hates the idea of a crowded theme park where people fall in line for an hour at least just to get a ride. She also hates the idea of going to the theme park during Christmas vacation since by now, it would be full of eager people.

So by the time her boyfriend arrived at our house to join us on our trip (a bit late actually), off we go to the shuttle that will take us there (and it costs pretty hefty).

When we get there, we were so shocked to learn that we can't get in.

No, the park was open.

No, no-one fell off the Space Shuttle and died.

"The park's exclusive today for Shell (gasoline) employees only," the park personnel informed us bunch of shocked visitors.

I tried to be cool despite my seemingly fuming anger.

"It's my brother's birthday. I have work on Sunday. My sister insisted on not going here on Christmas vacation. My brother does not want to go here on a weekday. And you tell us that the park is only for Shell employees today?"

The personnel tried to comfort me with an ease of public relations. "Don't worry. We'll open to the public at 6p.m."

I pity my sister's boyfriend. That would have been his first time to actually be in Enchanted Kingdom.

My sister and I decided not to wait for evening to come. We headed home instead and rescheduled it on Thursday (Dec 8) since my brother doesn't have class on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

I told them not to anticipate much. Anticipation kills, that would be our new motto. True enough, we have read in the news that an actor's daughter is celebrating her birthday on Enchated Kingdom with a bunch of orphans.

This Thursday.

Better call the park tomorrow just in case.

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THE EMPRESS IS THANKFUL

1) Thank you for reading my blog. Hope you enjoyed it. Feel free to comment.

2) Congratulations to the Philippines for winning the overall championship in the just-concluded South East Asian Games in Manila. No, this is not a note of sarcasm. Good luck to Thailand who will host the SEA Games in 2007. I wonder if they themselves will cook up some Macanese Cuisine?


3) To all the bloggers in the Philippines Islands, don't forget to watch the airing of Elite Model Look Philippines 2005 this Friday, December 9, 10:30 p.m. on Studio 23. Log-on to www.elitemodellookphil.com for more details.

posted by Empress Maruja | |




Thursday, December 01, 2005


Macanese Cuisine

I rarely post about news events happening in the Emerald Isles (formerly known as Pearl Of The Orient, until Hong Kong started to call itself such), but this issue has really come to my attention.

Early morning, Filipinos woke up on a bitter note. Thailand's Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra accused the 23rd South East Asian Games host country of cheating, rigging the results in favor of the Filipino athletes.

Many Filipinos would just shrug it off as a comment from a sore loser, since Philippines is currently (as of this writing) in the lead of having the most gold medals so far, with Vitenam trailing second and Thailand placing third.

Accusations of cheating in sports events is never new. We Filipinos have a term for it: LUTONG MAKAW (Macanese Cuisine). Don't ask me what Macau has to do with cheating and rigging.

But PM Shinawatra cannot be blamed of smelling the aroma of Macanese Food being served in age-old Philippine stadia. For one, their goal of 114 gold medals in the SEA Games is now considered an impossibile dream. Second, some of his prized athletes settled for silver against, well what do you know, Filipinos, especially in "subjective" events like diving, taekwondo, boxing, and the like.

But sad as it may seem, his observation is somewhat true. Just today, a Filipino runner was stripped of his gold medal in the 5000m race after finding out that he tried to push aside his Thai opponent at the homestretch. That same Thai earlier settled for a silver medal in the 10,000m race against the same Filipino runner.

Don't get me wrong. I am proud of our Filipino athletes. I am happy that they are winning, and I hope they continue winning. But what I want to point out is that I hope their performance at the SEA Games will be at par when the Asian Games come, or better yet, the 2008 Beijing Olympics. I hope they will perform better than Thailand and Vietnam. Only then we can conclude that our athletes don't need the help of certain officials to win.

posted by Empress Maruja | |