FMM: Behind her

Today's Friday Magic Madness song is bittersweet. It's a song that's 20 years old, and the title has a colour which is also the name of a friend who we recently lost.

Hazel is one of the IUJ girls who I met during that time I surprised Mark in Urasa. I was sitting on a bench outside SD2, waiting for Mark, and this group of 3 girls passed by. I overheard one of them ask if the other 2 knew who I was, and what country I was from. That girl turned out to be Hazel.

It was during that same night, at the Karaoke party, that we were formally introduced. After that first meeting, we became friends. Being friends with Hazel was easy because she had a very friendly personality. She was bubbly, accommodating, and she always had a ready smile. 

Whenever she'd see me alone and waiting for Mark's class to finish, she'd stop and take time to chat and keep me company. Whenever we'd go to Yummy Ice Cream or JUSCO in Muikamachi, her presence would always light up that place where we were.

After their IUJ stint and they were back in Manila, we'd still occasionally see each other. Some were planned meetings, like when her daughter was baptised. Some would be accidental, like seeing her in the NEDA building in Ortigas. But no matter how many years have passed, she was still the same bubbly, accommodating and friendly Hazel from IUJ.

It was last Friday when we heard the news that she was in the hospital, and last Wednesday, we heard the sad news that she passed on. It's shocking since she's still young, and it's saddening because we won't be able to experience the friendliness and warmth that was uniquely Hazel.

So, for you, here's Kelly Clarkson's 2005 song which was one of the songs that kept me company during my first few months of living in HKG - "Beyond these Hazel eyes."

Vaya con Dios, Hazel. 

FMM: Happy thoughts

Was talking to some of my younger colleagues about music. Which is timely because today is Friday Magic Madness day.

There's this song that's playing on repeat in my head, then asked them about it. In my mind, this song was about a decade old, but after mentioning it to the young 'uns, they made a surprising revelation.

The song is actually 23 years old already!

That song is "Happy" by Square Heads.

This song is such a joy to listen to. After playing it, "can't you see I'm happy now."

FMM: Ma Cherie Amor(osi)

You know you’re old when the songs you were listening to while working overtime is a song that your colleagues aren’t familiar with.

Because when it was playing on the radio - they weren’t born yet.

They. Weren’t. Born. Yet.

Was asking my copywriter and visualizer if they were familiar with Vanessa Amorosi and her hit song: “Absolutely Everybody.” That club hit that 90s and 00s kids danced to a lot back in the day. The song that’s part of many of our overtime overnighters:

Well, they had no idea about the song. It was launched in the year 2000 - which makes the sing 23 years old now.

The kicker, they were born after 2001.

Absolutely shocking.

FMM: Turn it back to 15!

Let me "Turn back the Clock" a little bit. It's a Friday Magic Madness after all.



The first time I heard of blogging was through Arnie. She's a close-friend, creative-collaborator and co-writer, and she told me about this on-line journal where you can jot down your thoughts and keep them for future use. It was called "Blogger."

It was in the early 2000s when I first tried to blog. If memory serves me right, I was still with DY&R-Alcantara that time, our office was still in Vito Cruz, and I tried blogging on my rickety old Mac computer. After an entry, I forgot all about it.

Then, I tried it again, this time when I was with Y&R Manila, and our office was already in Wynsum Corporate Center in Ortigas. I tried blogging on a slightly upgraded Mac computer. After an entry, I forgot all about it.

Cut to 2005. I was now with Harrison Communications, and our office was in LKG Tower in Ayala Avenue. I was fairly new with that agency, and didn't have any projects assigned to me yet. So, out of boredom, I opened another blog. My third, actually, and wrote this first entry.

After that entry, thankfully, I didn't forget about it!

Now, it's 15 years since that fateful day, and I'm still blogging! Imagine that!

One of the reasons why this blog lasted as long as it did was the fact that 2005 was also the year that I moved from MNL to HKG for work. Since I was living alone in such a high-speed city, blogging was a way of having someone to "talk to", and slowing me down. That HKG life lasted for more than 3 years, and led to SHG, led to a job for a company on Guam, and led me back to MNL.

Needless to say, those 15 years were very colourful and eventful, which is why I was able to write consistently for all those years. Aside from jotting down those events that happened, those blog entries helped me look back and track what I've been doing, where I've been going, - and what I've been shopping for - for a decade and a half. Which is fun to read and look back at.

So, since my blog is now on its 15th year, let me celebrate it with another semi-Friday Magic Madness song. "Semi" because the song isn't that old yet (it's 12 years old) but is tres relevant and tres apt. Plus, it's a song that I also wrote about twice in this blog! Talk about a recurring theme (song)!



Hey blog! You're fifteen!

WATN: Branching out

For some strange reason, I have this need to listen to Michelle Branch today. And considering I haven't heard a song from her in a while, it begs the question, "Where is she now?"



She was one of my favorite singers in the 2000s. She had that same angst as Alanis Morisette, but the same charm as Natalie Imbruglia. So, she's an angry, sweet girl.

Michelle should really come back to singing. I miss her "Branch" of music. Harhar.

FMM: High there!

Today's Friday Magic Madness song isn't too old. It was released 15 years ago, and it's from one of my favorite singers that time, Duncan Sheik.

Before you think it's "Barely Breathing" (which is one of my karaoke go-tos), it's his other hit, "On a High."



And I remembered this song because we I saw this in a Japanese restaurant in Makati.

It was Mark who first introduced Chu Hai to me in Tokyo, and it was a staple in our get togethers after that.

We should try this one of these days to see if it's legit.