Miss U much

While the Miss Universe fever is still raging on, I'm reminded of our own little Miss U experience way back in the 90s.

It was during the Philippine Advertising Congress, and we were in one of the after-parties. My friends and I were all chilling at the 2nd floor, and we noticed a statuesque lady sitting in one area. We all looked at each other, then we rushed to the lady to have our photo taken.

That statuesque lady was 1993 Miss Universe, Dayanara Torres!

She was so nice and gracious. Plus, she asked Fiesta to accompany her to the rest room! Thousand plus points for that!

This moment was definitely one of the best parts of that Ad Congress.

I thank you!

Back to school

UP is one place that never grows old.

Even if I spent more than 4 years of my academic life here, and even if it's been decades since I graduated, there's always a feeling of thrill whenever I visit.

Maybe it's because UP is the perfect melange of old and new. It's a place that's steeped in history, yet never feels old. It's a place where there's always something new, yet it never feels forced or trendy. Simply put, it's a classic that never goes out of style.

That's why when I visited the campus today, it felt both new and familiar. Yes, the haunts that we usually stayed are still there, but the energy and vibe has changed a bit.

The Sunken Garden is still as I remember it - always full of people lazing and lounging around.

There were baristas practicing their routines, and it was interesting to see them do their thing.

Of course, the compulsory visit to UP Shopping Center had to be done. And no visit there would be complete without stopping by Rodic's. It's a university institution that's been around since 1949!

While their menu has changed since my college days (they didn't have sisig and liempo back then,) the classics like the tapsilog, tocilog and longsilog are still very much around.

What's peculiar is that because UP changed it's academic calendar already, the campus and the dorms were very quiet - almost deserted. So, it's nice to see UP without the hustle and bustle.

UP is definitely one school I don't mind going to everyday. Even on weekends.

Missing the Luster

While flipping channels on the telly, I found a channel that showed old Filipino films. The film that was being shown at that moment starred an actress who I haven't seen in a long, long, long, long, long time!

Cynthia Luster!

She's this martial artist who hit it big as an actress in Hong Kong. Eventually, she expanded her career to the Philippines where she starred in several action-comedy films. I remember watching one or two of them, and she was very effective. Both in making people laugh, and kicking other people's butts.

I wonder where she is now.

Mirror, mirror

In the process of cleaning my USB, I found this photo from Mom's birthday 2 years back.

It's such a fun photo. Eventhough I couldn't see myself in it. (I'm the one covered by the flash.)

FMM: In the Loop

Back in the '90s, I had a phase when I was so much into Blue Note jazz. There was something soothing, hypnotic and giddy about the interplay of instruments, particularly those of the wind kind.

That time, I was in San Miguel and my office was a sound proof studio at the basement. So, whenever I'd work overtime, I'd play blue note jazz at full volume, and no one would mind. It always upped my energy listening to it.

My favorite song from this genre was US3's "Cantaloop," or "Flip Fantasia."



It's been years since I last listened to this song again. And it still sounds as good as it did in the 90s.

At 22

It's nice to listen to a Taylor Swift song that's not too heavy on angst or ex-boyfriend references. Her latest song - "22" - has that fun sound of Taylor's early years, but the lyrics are a bit more of Taylor now. (Yes, she can't help but make references to ex-boyfriends.)



After listening to the song several times, the question I asked myself was: "What was I doing at 22?"

At 22, I was:

- on my second job at San Miguel Corporation
- given my first management job
- handling a team composed of my Dad's old team members
- traveling to 3 countries in 1 month for work
- traveling around the Philippines for work
- editing my own videos
- making new friends who eventually became long-term friends who I still hang out a lot with up until now
- doing so many things at the same time, I would stay at the office until Sunday!

Gosh, it looks like a was a very busy 22-year old back then.

Where did they go?

Last Sunday, I was able to catch some old films on HBO. Some from the 90s, others from the early 2000s. But what struck me from watching these films was the fact that there were a lot of big stars from that era that I don't see on the screen - both big and small - anymore.

Among them are three of my favorite actresses when I was back in college:

1. Natascha McElhone

She was the leading lady who wasn't the leading lady archetype. She often played very strong characters, whether it's a defiant TV extra in "Truman Show" or a kick-ass agent in "Ronin."

2. Heather Matarazzo

What's not to love about her. She's quirky, she's funny, she gets into her character and gets lost in it - she's the perfect actress. Whether she's a victim of child abuse in "The Devil's Advocate" or the perky best friend in "The Princess Diaries," I can't help but cheer her character on.

3. Susan May Pratt

She was such a big fixture in films during the 90s, and she'd often be cast as the aloof, talented and devil-may-care character. That was her role in "Ten Things I Hate About You," "Centerstage," and "Drive Me Crazy." And she handled those roles perfectly. She was the girl you wanted to hate, but couldn't because she was so lovable. In an irritating way, that is.

After that flashback, I had to go to imdb to check out what they're doing right now. Unfortunately, they don't have any big screen outings soon, but I hope producers give them big screen time really soon. 

Brilliant talents like them shouldn't be let go.