My two new "babies" for the year

HAHAH....is this the effect of the Christmas office chair gift? hehe. (Don't worry I still love my dad). Well, I treated myself to two new gadgets this year, an Ipod Nano 4gb, and a Samsung D500 cellphone. Got both of it this November and December respectively. Nano on my birthday, Celphone for Christmas. Oh yeah baby! splurge splurge splurge! Who says we should save for our future? haha kidding..

I've been blessed this year, (Footloose, teaching gigs, corporate rackets, directorial gigs, etc), and I thank the Lord that kahit paano, I can enjoy the little perks in life. I bet it's gonna be a good 2006! Bring it on!!!

Christmas Blabber

As materialistic as it may seem, I just need to blog on this...


Dad asked me to get some Christmas gifts for his officemates this afternoon, so I went to the mall to find stuff. Came home, now he asks me to wrap them as well because he doesn't know how. As a good and obedient son, of course I do what i'm told.

Then he tells me, "I have a christmas gift for you already."

I say with a hint of excitement, "What is it?"

Then my pop goes, "There outside.... i bought you a chair"


(Suddenly the world crumbles at my feet).

"A chair?!"

"It's practical" my dad said.



He bought me an office chair...... for christmas..... and didn't even ask what I REALLY wanted for the season.

Then he told me "Ako, bilhan mo nalang ako ng bag, oks nako dun."

UMMMM....ok....

he tells me what he wants, and he doesnt even ask what i want. (well coz what i want, usually he can't afford....hehe)



OH WELL..... thats it. just kinda makes me grumpy now. Time to write Santa Clause a letter, there's still hope.


hhaha.... i need "happy food".

Hairspray!

Gosh, it's been awhile I didn't update my blog.

Well, been busy lately with a directorial gig (naks!). I recently directed "Hairspray" the musical for a corporate contest thing of Trend Micro Philippines. It was a 15 minute medley of songs from the play.

We actually rehearsed one whole month for this? wow I didn't realize that it took so long. Tiring. But very rewarding.

Directing a presentation is no easy task I should say. We have 19 people in the cast, of course all of them corporate people, no experience in theater. Tough, but i was awed by their dedication to learn what I've been learning most of my life, which is to perform.

A whole month of rehearsals, planning, pulling people's legs to lend us costumes, hours and hours of making a set, polishing and getting the show to work.

Finally, last night was the BIG NIGHT. A lot of problems during the actual day, adjustment of the stage, the time slot that was given to us for rehearsals was not followed, we didn't have a holding room so we were doing hair and makeup in the hotel corridor.

But the show was a BLAST!

The 5 minute time of setting the stage went well. the CAST was AWESOME!!!! I was so proud of them that they delivered so well. Costumes were gleaming with color and radiance (the sequince gowns were eye-blinding!) The set worked well even if it was all made up of old carton boxes and crepe paper.

and yeah.... WE WON!!!!! hahahaha..... I was so thrilled!

I guess the winning part was the best reward for me as the director. Marunong pala ako mag direct?! HAHAHA =)

The prize was i think around P120,000. Wow, they deserve it for all the effort they gave. And now, i'm just here blogging, with a last song syndrome of "You Can't Stop the Beat" from the musical. hayyy... great! i just feel so great!

Congrats to IS dept. of Trend Micro! You make me proud!


(pic from arjay's blog)

Ad Congress CEBU!

Yawn... woke up at 3pm today. hehe. "jetlag". Just came from CEBU for the AD CONGRESS! hmmm...lemme recall the events...


Nov16-5am, flight to CEBU

Grabeh...so EARLY! we had to take the first flight to Cebu coz we don't wanna get harassed by the bulk of people who's going to Cebu for the Ad Cong. Flight was ok naman, not so rough. We arrive in Cebu at around 6am. Still so early to do stuff. Breakfast in the hotel (Waterfront is THE BOMB!). Stuffed ourselves with so much food, and rehearsals are sa afternoon pa, so we have breakfast and slept during the morning. Hmmm....rehearsals were moved to 6pm coz the stage wasn't complete yet. so we bumm around the hotel and check out everything there is to see. We also went around the Ayala mall there, oks naman, just like what we have in Manila.

Rehearsal starts even if the stage is still being constructed. Of course our director Tito Freddie's all tense. We stage adjust, rehearse the songs, and of course, drool over Lea Salonga and Rockstar inXS pinoy, Migs Ayesa.

Rehearsals lasted until past 12am. We were told that our calltime was at 4am...OH MY GOSH....

Ok, no reklamo, we head up to our rooms.

Nov17-4am

zzzzzz....so sooo early for a run-thru. Even Lea and Migs were there at that time. All "bangag" and sleepy, but we needed to rehearse with the set. Huge milar panels that we needed to move around the stage. coffee please...

Lea recognized me as "Jeter" in Footloose, aww that awesome. Had small-talks with Lea and Migs. All making reklamo because it was so early to perform. hehe. Pero it was fun. We get ready for the 9am show, head up to our rooms again, makeup and dress up.

SHOW WAS AWESOME! (btw, my role here is a 14 year old hip hopper...ummm...duhh) hahaha. I never get mature roles. But oh well, i'll take that as a complement. =)

Migs rocked the Waterfront hotel grand ballroom! everyone was dancing and screaming like crazy. Lea was superb as well, of course.

After the show, we head to Ayala Mall again to get our pasalubongs. Then head to the airport for our 5:30pm flight back to Manila. So tired, but was a blast!

Ok, gotta sleep again...hehe..

im 25 years younger....

I mean, older.....hahha....


Woke up early today, than usual. hehe. Around 8am. I just felt I needed to see sunshine on my birthday. Was bombarded with text messages and calls from friends. Awww... people remembered (or maybe its marked in their friendster accounts or something. haha...). Went to Mayen and Steve's condo for lunch. "Christmas decorating" daw, pero ang totoo they surprised me with a birthday party. AHAH! wonderful food, wine, and company of friends. (Thanks Mayen, Steve, Mitch, Alvin, Andy, JC, Noodles, Pam). Wow, was stuffed.... yum!

Then went to Glorietta to kill time, and just go aliw ourselves during the afternoon. We ended going to MAC to help Red find his right foundation and JC to cover up a huge pimple...hahah...that was crazy.

Off we fly to Jack's Loft Wilson, my official hangout place. ehehe. A lot of people were there, people i didnt expect to come and celebrate with me. Was so happy. Still bombarded with texts and calls. hehe. Then they surprised me with a birthday cake!

A whole decadent cake from Jack's Loft. hahah...usually kase hati-hati kami sa isang slice kasi mahal. hahahha..... Thanks to everyone who were there!

Was really a fun day. And a realization for me that I'm truly blessed. And hopefuly more mature...hahaha.. (yeah right).

THANKS GUYS!

Blessed

Wow. Been awhile I didnt touch my Blog. Wala lang, busy busyhan... (or not)...hahaha

Hmmm.... well I guess I can say I'm blessed. After Footloose, there's no shows in line yet, but the Lord has tapped me to continue teaching my Stage Performance classes, and also I have a directorial stint (naks!) with a company for their Christmas presentation, and other corporate gigs. Gonna start "working" on Nov7. Phew. Hope everything goes well. Hay I miss performing thou, na sudden STOP after 2 months of singing and dancing. Christmas shows anyone? hehe.

Good. Life is good. Hmmm... and gosh...im turning 25 soon. (NOV 3! hint hint!) hehe...

ASTIGGG!!!

I found a way of uploading music to my BLOG! (hey be proud of me...hehe)!

I had to shrink the file to 16kbps in order for the ones in dialup to be able to listen to it.

Do you hear it? do you hear it?!?! weeee!

hayy...what to do....what to do..... TOO MUCH IDLE TIME! hehehe

Curtain Call for Footloose

Wow.... 2 months of being with 28 cast members, 20+ crew and stagehands, directors, marketing people, the whole FOOTLOOSE Family. Was fun! really really awesome. Had sooooo much wonderful memories, which makes it difficult for me to detach from the production. Could you imagine we were together for 2 months mostly everyday?! sigh...



But everything has to come to an end, but of course, the friendship will last forever. I've learned to love this cast so much, that I woke up this morning crying and depressed. =( It's so hard to part ways after all the rehearsals, shows, and bonding sessions.

I'm glad to be in the Theater industry. I wrote to Direk Charie previously in her blog, and to get such a response from her is overwhelming and makes me feel so good.

The cast, most specially the kids, gosh i'll miss their company so much. God had a purpose why we were all together in this production, and i'm glad we all had a blast. I was actually crying during the church scene in our last show last night, very heartbreaking that the run's over.

Depressed....with a lot of things too actually, but im coping up. God's my strength, and my source of love, so i dont need to fret and feel down.

Cheers to the Cast and Crew of Footloose, this production would have a special place in my heart.

Time to keep your Sunday Shoes

Last 5 shows of Footloose this weekend, I dunno if I should feel sad or happy about it. Well to think of it, more of sad actually. It's been a tough 2 month rehearsal and show run, had so much fun! (and maybe not so fun) memories to cherish, pics and roles to add in my resume. Was great to see a lot of billboards with my face on it, writeups, good reviews, standing ovations, friendships. Hayyyy senti senti...

I'm gonna miss this cast, it was really fun. Sana we'd still keep in touch. (gosh this is the effect of a lazy wednesday not doing anything and thinking ahead that the show's almost over....arrgghhh).

Hmmm...what's next for me? well hopefully they'd contact me for Mermaid. My "Stage Performance" teaching stint is still there, and keeps me busy and gives me extra income.hhaha. Gosh, so blessed.

Christmas around the corner.....hayyy...senti senti. But oh well, it's been a good year I guess. 2 months I'll be 25....gosh I feel so old. But of course young at heart. Need to be independent (in some aspects...haha).

Wala lang....just needed to update my blog so im blabbering.

waaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!

A picture in "Mama Says", a FANTABULOUS number in "Footloose the Musical". hehe. Gosh i really look like an Umpa Lumpa from Willie Wonka's Factory. (Andrei, JayR, me and JC) in the pic. Catch it soon! we have 2 more weekends......gosh we're halfway through! sighh.....

2 days before opening night. Exciting! Very exhausting but exciting. Had good feedbacks from people who watched our dress rehearsals. ang cute ko daw (hahha....eekkk). Well means my character's effective i guess? good i suppose. Energy to the max. 101% everytime. WOOHHHOOO! I hope it's gonna be a good run. Good reviews too. HAAYYY....

"Heaven help me..."

Phew...sigh....WAHHHHHHHH!!!

Rehearsals have been so stressful these past weeks(tama ba grammar?). Tweaking everything, re-learning the voicing and notes, and the CHOREOGRAPHY.....Oh Lord, the CHOREOGRAPHY. But hey, no complaining Johann. God doesn't want you to complain. He had a purpose why I'm part of this musical, and for sure it's going to be a blast. I should see the positive side of things! it's my time to shineeeee~!!!

haayyy.... every night I always pray for extra energy, extra memory to remember things, and also patience in all aspects. Jesus is good. He never lets me down. I may be tired physically, or even emotionally stressed, but HE's my ROCK. my CONVERSE, my EXTRA JOSS to give my best every night as we do our endless runs and rehearsals.

I have a strong feeling this would be a good show. Everything would come into place.

and I quote from my favorite line in the musical: "WOOOOHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"!

Cut loose...FOOTLOOSE!

Coming this September!
8pm shows- Sept 2,3, 9, 10, 16, 17, 23,24
3pm shows- Sept 3, 4 10, 11, 17, 18, 24, 25

Meralco theater. I'll be playing the makulit, pilyo but good guy JETER.
Don't miss it!!!!

Some of the "Footloose" cast, during rehearsals. fun fun fun! work work work!

Wala lang... boredom.

learning...hmm-hmmm-hmmm.....

I quote from "Footloose" the musical:

"Learning there are some topics that we don't even mention,
And if they come up, then we try to be vague.
There are subjects from which we divert all attention,
And some we avoid like a plague"


Well, some people must "Learn to be silent".



sigh...

rehearsals...

Footloose rehearsals going well, so far. Been blocking scene's 1 to 4, today 5-9 ata. Ang BILIS ng pace (which is normal, ganun naman talaga). Next week, choreo, then run, then do stuff over and over and over..... till we get sick of it. Para it's gonna stick to our brains like glue.

Been "researching" about my character, Jeter. I'm still having a hard time finding it actually.
Put this all together- "rexona boy", makulit, mahirit, pa-cool, pero takot to get detention or to be brought to the principal's office, a good guy. Charie told me "Johann, it's not Charlie Brown", hehe. Pressure....

I always look forward to rehearsals, I always get excited. Love the cast, everyone's starting to bond, encouraging one another, teaching the do's and dont's in theater. This would be a good production (gulp.).

inspiration....inspiration...

Mermaid Update

Woke up early today, had a gig for a callcenter this morning, for Convergys. Hosted the event. Haayyy, di nako sanay magising ng maaga. pero oh well, fun naman and easy money. ehe

I was told i'm on "Standby" for Little Mermaid, conflict kasi sa sked ng Footloose and Mermaid, so I'll do Footloose this Sept, then maybe Mermaid in October. Ngarag naman if pinagsabay ko di ba, goodluck sakin. eheh

everything's good, very blessed, and happy. =)

got in!!!

yeheyyy....2nd callbacks in Mermaid on Wed...

A lot of my pals passed the second screening as well, so i'm happy for them. Hayyy.... astig.

First rehearsals for "Footloose" tonight, exciting! busy busy busy (at last....hehe)

Then my friend from Innersoul, Ryan, is including me pa for a 10-run seminar to host the event, with a very good budget. wow. Blessings pouring in! Bait bait ni Lord!

Todo na 'to!!!!

"It's the first day, of the rest of my life"

Little Mermaid auditions today. I'm totally POOFED! Venue was kinda uncomfortable, and of course the long wait for your number to be called. I was #97. I think it reached 145. Phew..

Came in my "Sailor" costume, and the panel laughed hysterically when i went in. Well, i dunno if i should take that as a complement, but i think it was good. I like dressing up every audition, according to the role I want or the theme of the play. I think it gives something "extra". I sang the snipet of "I Am Complete". Was good i think, they applauded after. And Tito Jaime told me "Would you cut your hair for a role?" (just so you know, i was wearing my F4-ish wig, to cover my short brown highlighted hair). Then i said "It's only a wig!" (sabay tanggal ng wig ko). They started laughing. hehe.

Well, callback's are soon, so waiting for that nalang.

Footloose rehearsals start on Monday. Exciting! hayyy...sana i can balance both Mermaid and Footloose if God wills it. Need to racket doubletime! But it's all good, I feel so blessed...

out!

Measure your life in Love

http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/rent/

I CANT WAIT!!!! waaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!

Punta Fuego

WEEE! had the opportunity to go to a beach again- in Punta Fuego. very cool.... well, almost. Was fun spending time with my Aunt's and Lola who came from the US to visit and also to grieve for the passing away of my lolo (well, the brother of my grandma).

The infamous "Infinity Pool"

It was sunny at first, then the sky began to go cloudy, then it rained. Bummer. That didnt stop me from swimming thou, was fun also "piging out" and eating buffet for lunch (of course masarap kasi libre ahaha).

Almost Paradise

Just came home from a weekend vacation in Matabungkay Batangas, with the Summerstock people and some other friends! Fun! Fun! Fun! =)

Was in Shangrila Starbucks at 7am, left at 9am (zzz) and travelled to Batangas. Very nice, cozy place. Nipa huts and hammocks. The beach was ok, kinda sea-weedy but bearable. Was fun making our own tele-serye "Kilikili vs. Reyna Pusita" (based on DARNA). Hilarious! Food was ggrrreeaattt! all we did was eat, swim, sleep, inis mica... (hahhah). Then on Sunday, we went to ENCHANTED KINGDOM (for free), and spent the afternoon 'til evening there. It was kinda rainy thou, but was fun getting wet in the Rapids 3 times! hahah...

Now i have a tan, well actually im just RED. Shoulders stinging. My face so rozy. hehe...


"Syokoy"


By the bonfire


Bagong gising


Wala lang

(thanks to Andy for the pics)

can't wait until the next beach vacation!!!!

Thailand-Singapore Trip

phew....I dunno where to start with my kwento.

My dad and I had a 6 day trip to Thailand and Singapore last week, and it was a BLAST!
First stop: Thailand. Very cultured, very different from Manila, and very HOT! (literally, most specially when it comes to their cuisine). We had a half day tour to go around the city.

one of the temples in thailand

Having a Thai Massage.... bliss

A cultural show we watched (can you spot me? kapal ko talaga)

The best thing in Thailand was the shopping!!! Wow...everything you see in greenhills and tutuban, its all there! and mas cheaper! I had to go to every side corner of the night market to find all sorts of goodies. From silver jewelry, to weird clothing, to candies, anything you can think of. My feet were aching after. but its all good!

After a really bumpy 3 hour plane ride.....

We arrive in Singapore: where it's a different story. Well, i've been to singapore before. They still have the "Chewing gum Ban" policy, can you believe that? (sorry chicklet, laos ka sa Singapore). Very clean, very fast-paced life. Everyone was rushing, but still had the time to enjoy the weekend and have a night life (meaning it starts at 9:30pm and ends very soon....labo).

Merlion

Singapore at night

Playing around with the Sculptures

I was able to watch two free shows there. First is a band, well not your typical classic rock band, coz they were playing their instruments while FLYING! that was crazyyy! and awesome! The second one was an acoustic show by one of Singapore's Divahs named Wendy Koh. She's good! pero mas magaling ang pinoy (uuyyy...). The arts in this country drove me nuts! they have resources to everything! broadway, musical scores, libretto's. Hay, i wish i had more time to go around to see shows and xerox material. hehe.

All in all, everything was G-R-E-A-T! Im glad I was able to spend this time with my dad as well, he had a hard time walking and keeping up with my pace, but it tested my patience and my love for him. I do hope we'd have more opportunities like this, I love to travel...

'till the next out of the country trip!!!!!

Singapore-Thailand here I come!!!

Im leaving for Thailand-Singapore in a few hours. It's a one week vacation im having with my dad, that was postponed actually. Dapat last week pa kami aalis. I can't wait to shop, go to the spa's, forget about complications of life and just ENJOY a decent vacation out of the country. I'm not to excited thou, i dunno why. I hope i'd have the patience to asikaso my dad as well, sana di sya mahirapan and makulitan sakin. hehehe. =) I'll be back June 5! weeeeeeeeeeee!!!

IM INNNNNNNNNN!!!!

Tita Jinggay from Trumpets called me up, and told me im part of FOOTLOOSE! Wahhhoooooo!!! at last, something i was looking forward to, and natanggap ako. Thank you Jesus!

Can't wait! rehearsals start July pa, so lotsa time to get ready for it, and find other rackets (?!) haha.


"Gotta cut loose...........FOOTLOOSE!!!!"

i cut my hair today......waahhhhh! well i think 3/4 of my hair were all chopped off. i guess it was also time to let my long locks rest from all the damage i do to it. hehe. from long rebonded, colored, permed, now back to the usual Johann hairstyle during college. Sabi nila bagay naman daw, the "kakagising palang" look. So i guess its all good. =)

"Sowers of Dreams"

Had a very successful show last night, actually i'm having withdrawal symptoms of it right now. I miss the rehearsals, the late night dinners, the company. Even if most of us were sick, we pulled it off. Very good feedback of the show, I hope the foundation was able to raise a good amount of funds.

Could you imagine, we rehearsed since February? gosh. such a long time. I was kinda tired of it already, but now that it's over, kaka-miss. Hopefully we can put up a show like this again soon, minus all the stress of being in charge of a lot of things. But it was all worth it.

Footloose Auditions

arrgh...

Muscles aching....throat hurting....hair all frizzy.... but it was a good audition (well to me it was).

178 people auditioned for "Footloose" the musical, which will be staged in September of this year. It was fun, seeing familiar faces and celebrities alike, trying their luck to make a good impression to the panel. Of course, I "dressed" the part, coming in the audition room with plaid longsleeves, torn jeans and a curly hairdo. I sang "Faith" by George Michael, with CREW backing me up in acapella. Then they told me to study a dance routine in the tune of the musical's theme song. Pretty easy, well for me, compared to the routine we had in LION before which was HELL coz i couldn't stand up the next morning. I did well in the dance audition, so they let me stay for the 3rd round which was to sing a song from the play. "Mama Says" was the song, kinda sluggish but it was cute. I wanted to sing "Girl Gets Around", but i think that was a song for the villain, and i didn't look like a bad guy, even if im shaved and all, ahaaha.

God-willing, i'd get a part. I wanna do a musical again. I miss the long rehearsals, I miss Meralco theatre. Now the long wait..........

Cinema One

To tell you frankly, I'm not really a big fan of pinoy movies. Well, sometimes I get to watch whenever there's a good review of a movie so I go to the theatre amidst all the crowd.

Today i wake up, flip channels, and end up in Channel 22, Cinema One. Today's showing: "Sana Maulit Muli" starring Aga Mulach and Lea Salonga. Nothing to watch in other channels so I end up watching the film. Ok, i understand the story, which was about two lovers struggling with their relationship, one of the parties going to the States, then ending up together again back in Manila- the typical filipino plot.

And then....

I start to tear... sob.... cry. ANO BA JOHANN HELLO!!?! Natawa ako sa sarili ko. Tanghaling tapat, watching Cinema One, crying over a movie like that, and getting all SENTI.

I think i've proven that i'm an emotional person, which I think there's nothing wrong with that. Buti nga yun eh, kaysa I hide my feelings and end up suicidal. (ayy..wag naman).

Hay, senti days. maybe it comes with the weather (!???!!)

pseudo rehearsals

Just came home from another night of rehearsals with the Kundirana, for the "Sowers of Hope" show. (shameless plug: AFP theater on May 19 Thursday 7:30pm). It's getting hotter and hotter each day, and ang dami ko nang calories na nawala sa init. haaayyy.. sana mag snow. hhehe

I'm excited for this show, and at the same time, tense. Having no tech-run is scary, hopefully we can pull through. It's also sad na di na naman kami magkikita-kita after this, sariling buhay ulit kami, then reunion nalang soon. I also can't wait for a job to come (well, meaning sana STAGES would call me na for projects, im DYING to perform).

Auditions for "Footloose" on Sunday, well i'm still in the age bracket, and I do hope they'd like me and cast me a role, kahit ensemble lang...

Yun lang... tulog na ulit.... gising ng late.....rehearse ulit.... waaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!

When the heart skips a beat

Ok..

I'm not sure if i should be putting this im my blog, but i guess i just need to get it out of my system. I don't know if people read my blog anyways, so i guess it's safe.

"Why do i always take a fall, when i fall in love...."

Pag-ibig nga naman- feels good, gives you goosebumps, gives you a natural high, cloud 9, but at the same time can be decieving and could tear you apart.

Confusing... drives me nuts.

I guess it's a human thing, it feels good to love and be loved in return. Thou sometimes, it's not always the same case.

You think there's a connection, but you're just having false hopes. It's the person that you think of when you wake up in the morning, every toot toot of your cellphone you hope its a message from the person, tawagan ka man nya, kinikilig ka. You wonder if there's something going on between you, or maybe not.




Syet.... mahal ko na sya.


pero di nya alam yun.

Video Shoot

phew...

today was my video shoot for "project DVD". Woke up at 6am to get my stuff ready, and had a calltime at 8pm in Jen's studio.

first on the list- "Play" by J-lo.
Shot this scene behind a blue screen, were the'll be putting digital effects and stuff. This is my sing and dance sequence. Had a hard time coz they wanted me to jump continuously, dance and sing at the same time. venue was hot. i was wearing all black. but it was a good take. one down, 50 more to go! haha

We drive to "Jack's loft " wilson for the second shoot. Arrange some of the chairs, tables and the bed, coz we'll be shooting the interview portion, and some snipets for "Faith" sung by George Michael. Interview went well, sometime got tougue-tied, and i can't read the prompter coz the font was small. Red, Felix, Raffy, Randii and Von come arrive, and we fix up for the mtv shoot of Faith. Jumping on the bed, being hit with pillows, snapping and grooving with the interiors of Jack's Loft as a background. After lunch, we head to East Greenhills for the street shoot of the same video. It just took us 15 minutes under the sun, then they're done.

Carol from Trumpets was able to contact Music Museum so i can use the venue for at least an hour to shoot "Tomorrow" from the musical Annie. That was REALLY a blessing. The venue was so perfect and we got the right angles and look that i wanted.

Then we drive to Tagaytay, to shoot "I Believe I can Fly" in Josephines, and "Mr. Suave" in a sari sari store in the sidewalk. I was in all white for the shoot in the restaurant, and to circumstances like there wasn't any wind blowing, we used an electric fan to blow my clothes while i was singing. hhehe. It was getting dark, so we scouted in the roadside to find a Karinderya of some sort. We landed at "Karinderya ni Ninong", and the people were so nice there. I was wearing a very colorful top, flares and and afro for this segment, in the middle of the street, with flocks of people watching. Embarrassing, but it was a good shoot. Had two kids with me doing the ocho ocho and spagetti thing. HAyyyy... very funny.

Pressed for time, we went to Ayala Alabang in Margie's house. We were gonna shoot some scenes in her room, and also the shoot for "Cupid" of 112. Her mom wasn't in a good mood already coz she prepared merienda, and we came at 8pm. Oh well. So we continue with the shoot, and it was good naman. Had candles, flower petals all over the pool, very romantic. hahahah. We weren't able to do "A Thousand Miles" the way i wanted it, which was to imitate the scene in the movie White Chicks, insead we found a swing and i just played in it. Then in the middle of the shoot, i think i pushed myself too hard, the swing collapsed and i ended up flopping to the ground, but the camera was still rolling, so i continued singing. HAHA. that was really funny. I guess the whole accident would work for the video. =)

Head off to Manila, all poofed up and tired, but it was all GOOD. I thank God he paved the way for me to find very good locations, very helpful people to provide their resources, and a safe journey to every location that we went.

Now it's editing time! hope it goes well....

zzzzz... =)

Johann's Recording Album!!!

HHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

I recorded my first solo album today, well, something like that. =)

7 tracks of various songs, for the VCD/DVD Resume project that i'm doing. Phew....it was a long 6 hours of recording! Was all worth it though, and it won't be possible without the help of Sir Von, Felix, Robbie, Randii and Raffy. (Thanks guys!). It was sooooooooooo fun! tiring, but fun! =)

Met up with the other Kundi people for Dinner, in HOT ROCKS, a little restaurant that serves Dinosaur Meat. hahaha.... laki ng serving nila ng streak for a cheap price. Sarap.

Rewarded myself with a Butterscotch Fudge Bar in Starbucks, for dessert!

Hay, I can't wait for Monday, Video shoot naman kami. woohhhooooooo!!!

Playshop Phobia

Phew.... it's good i didn't join Playshop this summer. Well, im not against it, it's just that i think i need some kind of break for awhile, it's been 5 years straight that i've been teaching. I love kids, i love the passion I put whenever i teach them, but i guess it's good to take a breather once in awhile.

Actually, i thought i had Playshop banned from me, but NOOOO! heheh. I accepted some "Substitute" classes for Chevy and Francis M, just for the week. Today was the first day of class, and mind you, it was hell! Imagine 2 classes going on at the same time, at the same room. We can hardly hear each other! grabeh. Well, i think this is only temporary, and the admin will relocate classrooms soon. Thats good.

Hay, dead-tired today. Went to "GAYUMA" in Katipunan for dinner with Mayen and PamG. Good food and dessert, most specially the ambiance. Pero wala pa rin tatalo sa Jack's Loft Greenhills heheh.. my sanctuary...

Memeh nako... zzzzzz

pick one....

subic!

I slept at around 6am today, hhaha...coz i'm addicted to THE SIMS. Actually i had the game installed in my computer before when i was still using a desktop, now that im in my laptop i've installed it again.

Anyways...

I went to SUBIC today! along with some Trumpets friends (namely mayen, JC, JuneV, Noodles, Carol and Francis). FUN! we reached Subic in an 2 hours time coz there wasn't any traffic (weird, thats a miracle!). We ate in a restaurant in Pampanga and had eat all you can baked clams. yummmm! Food was awesome, roast beef, shrimp, sinigang, etc.

Then we went to UK!!!!! hahaha....well, ukay-ukay!
Not so much treasures though, i was able to just get a nice brown sling bag for 50 bucks! nice!
While Mayen and Beth bought around 13 pieces of clothing, all unique and vintage and cute!

We drove to Camayan Resort, at around 5pm, so the sun was about to set already (and the beach was about to close). So we swam in the lovely blue sea for around 30 minutes, bitin nga eh. hehe. Funny, Carol took soooo long to put on lotion and she swam for just 10 minutes coz the lifeguard was calling everyone to get out of the water already. Oh well. =)

We ate in Gerry's grille in Olongapo, great food and it was sooo breezy! haayyy...

Well, at least we were able to get out of the usual crowded town of Manila and relax even for awhile, nice to also spend it with friends! I wonder how the rest of Holy Week would be thou, i guess we'll just be staying in the house and rest, but its all cool. =)

Easy like a Saturday Morning...or rather, afternoon

Woke up an hour ago. Got puyat yesterday when i hang out with Mayen and Pam, then watched "Bahay ni Lola" with Kundi people. Well, it was cool, not spectacular. Thou i was there to support Von, which happens to be the musical director of the movie. Ate in Fridays then went home.

I feel kinda sluggish today, just got out of a one-day fever. But i'm looking forward in catching Mamma Mia in Greenbelt 3 later, to see my co-trumpeteers perform. Having dinner with Marcus and JR too.

Pam and i were talking yesterday. About life, about my career, about what i'm expecting this year. She brought up the topic of me signing up (or actually submitting a resume) to GENESIS, the company who handles her, GaryV, and other mainstream people. I wasn't interested before, coz i thought of the challenges you'll be facing once you join a talent agency. But after what Pam shared to me, I realized how much I want to venture in this kind of business. Well, I'm still asking for a sign from God if this is the right path for me or not, actually it makes me excited just thinking about it. I know HE knows best. =)

Still waiting for results of Beauty and the Beast. Well, not sure if they'll still get people for the musical, but hey, who knows. =)

I'm off to playing SIMS. Still on the verge of making my sims a STAR! hehe

a pic backstage during the UAAP closing ceremonies (sayang i wasn't able to get any pics during my performance)

(recent batch of Innersoul, my group in DLSU. Before we were a boyband kind of group, now, S-club7 na sya )


I sang for the closing ceremonies of UAAP season 67 today in DLSU. And it was a success! My debut as a solo performer. It was a bit scary at first, i was gonna sing the opening song "DREAMS" by Van Halen (techinically a rock song), with an orchestra, jazz dancers, street dancers, dlsu pep squad and innersoul backing me up, the works. I felt it was my "concert", i swear. Had a bit of trouble with the sound system (nothing new about it, it sucked since the day i performed for functions in college). The director was happy with my performance as well, That's good to hear. And a lot of students said that magaling daw ako (wow, never had so much complements, todo na ito). I had the time of my life, enjoyed the performance, rocked the house (meaning nabulabog yung mga matatanda sa audience kasi i was screaming and dancing and singing at the same time). Truly an experience. Sana maulit. Simula na ito ng so-called career ko in the mainstream. hehe. =)

Which "American Idol" Are You?

johannic, you're a Trained Professional

The stage. The big screen. The boardroom. Wherever your sights are set, you're ready for the spotlight. Confident and talented, you wouldn't think of going for the big time without doing the proper prep work first. And it shows in your polished performance and dedicated attitude- all of which makes competitors respect you and fans want to be you.

You're an enthusiastic competitor who doesn't mind putting in the extra hours to sharpen your skills. You probably learned that there's no substitute for hard work whether you're trying out for a team, a band, a job, or American Idol. So keep on practicing. It's sure to take you to the top in no time!

Thank you judges

I was "Simon Cowell" today, for a singing contest in my college, DLSU-CSB. I was invited by good old friends Liselle and Henry to be a panel in the competition. This event was for "Alay Sa Bata", wherein organizations who host orphans have a full day of fun, contests and food. I had fun, feels good to be a judge. Listening to every note of the kid when he/she was singing, watching their performance skills, projection, and rating them for their act. Watching them made me recall of my 14-K and singing contest days, even seeing them cry when they won gave me goosebumps. I said a prayer to myself while watching this talented young kids, that hopefully they would live a good life and somehow find a place they can call home eventually. There were dance contests, art/drawing contests as well.

Sayang lang, i was called by a caster to join a shooting for the series "Darna" for channel 7 also today, and I wasnt able to attend because of the conflict of sked. Hay.... need rackets asap, ala na akong pang shopping....haha =)

"SURVIVOR EDSA" starring me!

Ok, here's the situation:

Dad's out of town

Driver's with him (and the starex)

I need to go and accompany Mayen to Market Market

I don't wanna taxi

So, i end up DRIVING MY OWN CAR! (yeah, yeah, lame isn't it, pero di ba, meron laging "FIRST TIME..."). It's been awhile i didn't drive, coz there's the joy of having a driver and a car. But of course, the situation needs some action, wherein lola mayen encouraged me to drive my car from the house to market market in The Fort.

I pass Shaw, pretty nervous but calm, reacting to every jeep or car honking at me. good, good, sweat onti, ok calm calm. Then to make the long story short, i reach EDSA! oh yesssss....EDSA! the long stretch of cement, with DINOSAURS (the huge buses) roaring like hell on the highway. Mayen calms me and pushes me to "Go....kaya mo yan". So i did! I survived EDSA! (intro music....i'm a survivor, i'm gonna make it...).

Went around Market(2x), shopping galore si Mayen, while i contemplate what i did and still feel my knees shaking. Ate dinner, then went to Tandang Sora for a birthday party of a friend (Mayen drove na and made me rest).

We meet up with the trumpets barkada (chinie, pam, pam's sister veronica, jc, gerald) and had dinner number 2 in Ko Hi Kan in Greenhills.
Then I drove and brought Mayen home in her condo, then brought JC home. Then it was only me, the car and the road home. Was calmer now, coz the road was empty, so i was singing and praising the Lord for the Victory of me driving alone. Then i reach home, texted them i was safe and sound, and now, here writing in my blog...

Saya ng buhay no? woooohhhoooooo! till the next adventure johann. . .

Why am I Crying Over American Idol?!

hhaha...lazy day. woke up at 2pm, and just bummed around, waiting for A.I. at 4pm. This is the episode that they choose the final 24 contestants. Nerve wrecking!!! Then I notice myself getting teary-eyed. WHY johann? its soooooo weird. Gosh. Well, maybe because I was seeing myself in their shoes: how would i react when i audition for contests like that? either in the mainstream or for musicals or plays? Magiging STAR ba ako? WAAHHH! (hahaha)

Well, i'm voting for Mario Vazquez. I dunno, if i were a judge, he's the one who struck me the most. The others are sooooo perky, so rockish, walang dating. And he has a grreeeaattt voice, very R&B, and i like his porma. Amongst the girls, they all sound the same, the African-american girls all sing the same, really hard to see who stands out among the women.

I sometimes ask God, "Lord, what do you have in store for me?". I'm so anxious for what he has planned for me in my life. Well, definitely i would continue singing and performing, coz thats what i was blessed to do, but where? sa TV ba? sa Theater? abroad ba or here? wow...so many things to ponder about. I'm 24, i wonder what i would be when i reach 30. *sigh*

Basta, sabi ko sa sarili ko, "I won't join a contest in order to become famous."(well, all of that can change, pero sana hindi nalang...hehe...) =)

G3

Today, and yesterday were fun days, spending most of the weekend in Greenbelt 3. Jc, Gerald, Chinie, Mayen, Noodles, JuneV, and myself watched "Flight of the Phoenix" and "Phantom of the Opera". Two great movies! and good bunch of friends.

So many people in G3 i swear, everyone just sitting in the cafe's, sipping coffee, talking, people-watching, eyes staring at you. Sometimes i wonder- is this the way people go gimiking nowadays? spend hours and hours just talking and talking and talking. Weird. But what the hell, its better than staying at home and rotting. hhaha...

We also watched Bituin Escalante's show, she's AWESOME! hay, i love watching Bito, and she's so down to earth pa rin. Because we were all itching to sing, we ended up in I.O., the videoke place. That was awesome! We couldnt stop laughing and singing, and "piyok-ing". We went home at 3am, and i woke up at 5pm. HAHA. =)

Everything's g-r-e-a-t! =)

DREAMBOY

I was invited to the Red Carpet Premiere of DREAMBOY starring Piolo Pascual and Bea Alonzo. Well, to tell you frankly, im not a fan of pinoy movies, most specially the cheezy-laglag panty ones. But hey! it was free, and i felt like a star! (oh, what am i talking about, i am a star....a star in my own right....hehhe). I was all dressed up, porma to the max. They set up a loooong red carpet in the cinema of SM Megamall, with FANS all over the place wanting to get a glimpse of their idols. I actually walked down the Red Carpet, it felt good, i was actually enjoying the 30 seconds of fame, with people screaming "JERRY YAN!" at me, coz i think my hair looked like the actor in that telenovela thingy.

The movie was ok (inspite of the chaos and noise happening around coz the fans can't shut up, they had to react to every cheesy punchline and every kilig scene). I actually enjoyed it, the plot was something new in Philippine cinema, and the story had a good twist to it. And, it was free! hehehe =)

After the premiere, we went to my favorite restaurant, my sactuary, JACK's LOFT! i totally love the food and dessert there, and the price is not bad! haayyyy....most specially the beds where we can lounge in whilst eating DEATH BY CHOCOLATE! yum yum...

Ok, im off to Jack's Loft! hahahaha.....

Praise HIS name and see it happen!

Came back from Bataan for a show of Joseph the Dreamer. It was a success, inspite of all the technical difficulties during the afternoon when we were stage adjusting.

Our calltime last Saturday was at 6am in Trumpets Office in Pioneer. Me, being "professional" , woke up at 4:30am to fix my damn hair (I've been to the stadium in Bataan and the bathroom's hell, so i figured to fix myself already). So my hair was all poofed up, all ready for the show. We arrive in Bataan at around 9am, had breakfast and got ready for our rehearsal in the venue. I swear, I've never seen so much TIE-DYE in my life, from the set design onstage, to our costumes, everything was screaming tie-dye fashion. We only had one aircon in a wing backstage, so we usually would just squeeze ourselves into that one room coz the stadium was freakin' hot. The whole show, fortunately was in lipsync, because the stadium had bad acoustics and sound was bouncing everywhere. A lot of adjustments were made so the sound would SOUND REAL. and to top it all, we were all wearing DUMMY WORM MICROPHONES (think Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, N'SYNC, the mics with a wire sticking out from your ear and the head of the mic to your mouth)to add to the whole "look". It was so cool! hhaha... =) We had an HOUR to get ready for the show, wash up, to put on makeup, costume, etc. then it was SHOWTIME!
The show was a blast! everything went well, the audience were very responsive too, i saw some people cry during the touching scenes. I was dead-tired after the show and i just sat down on the floor to eat the dinner they served us. Most of the cast went home on the same day, i opted to stay for another night coz i didnt want to travel and arrive in Manila at 3am. So Tita Jinggay, June V, Viking, the other production people and myself took it easy and went "bar hopping" after the show. hHAHAHAH....that was an experience. We went to this "Happening" place in Bataan named JOYOUS bar. Well, i know its a province, and who am I to mock people, but it was kinda funny to see a gig wherein 3 girls, dressed in the same clothes (tube top, pants with 2 slits on both sides with the cut reaching up to their waists, and boots) singing "Sasakyan kita.....sa lahat ng gusto mo....". Grabeh, "A" for effort i swear. And nobody was applauding after each song, it was only us who were clapping for support. We head back to the hotel and just spent the night watching TV instead.
So far, life is good. Still hoping and waiting for the next project to come, hopefully callbacks for Beauty and the Beast. I feel truly blessed that the Lord has showered me in abundance this year, and i can't wait for what he has in store for me for the next months to come. =)

It's so earrrllllyyyyyy! We're leaving for Bataan for a "Joseph the Dreamer" show. My eyes hurt and my nose is siponish. It should have been two shows this weekend, one in Bataan and one in Olongapo, but i was told that the gapo show has been cancelled. Bummer. I'm still wondering if we're staying in Subic for the night. Wish us luck and traveling mercies! =)

30 seconds of fame

(L to R: Glory, Roy, Mira, Me, Jennie)


A picture we took during our gig in Tagaytay last Jan 26. One of the fastest (30 seconds on stage), highest paid (for such a little effort to just sing one song) and WACKIEST shows i've been part of. The fixing of hair, makeup, choosing clothes was more toxic than the show itself! And of course, after the event, we had to take pictures in cold,cold tagaytay! it was lotsa fun! Not to mention UKAY UKAY!!!! It's all gooooood... =)

Good Morning World......zzz

I wake up to the sound of jeeps and trucks today. Rather than birds happily chirping. ANNOYIIINGGGG!!! All of them are passing through our subdivision, coz the main road's having a major "face-lift". Terrible. Now my ipod mini (green) is working double time to block off the noise.


Haaayyyy....

Anyways, I messaged jennie to ask her for help in posting pics to a blog. I was able to post last time using the HELLO program, but now i used theuploader.com thing. It's easier, but i dunno if you can resize the pics before posting them. Oh well.

Rehearsals for "Joseph the Dreamer" later. Ang WALANG KAMATAYANG JTD. Well, I'm fortunate i have work, and it's fun doing JTD. I think its like my 50th time to do the show, counting the numerous runs in Meralco Theater, and all the provincial tours. weepeedoo!!!

hair

my recent hairdoo. and just a test pic on how to post pics via "hello from picasa". gosh i know im a techie, but blogging with pics are new to me i swear! complicated but fun!

Welcome!

Hi. I decide on making a new journal (well coz i was inspired by other bloggers, and also I wanna give up my Livejournal blog, new johann,new year, new life!). So...here i am, making my first blog here in blogger.com. I thought blogging was lame before, but what the hell, its good to try something new (or not). Hopefully this journal thing-a-majig would help me clear my thoughts, share and solve my angsts, and just be a "refuge" for me. So.... lets post awayyyy!!!! =)