28.11.08

Arctic Dawn

OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE registers at 3 deg celcius, luckily I have a overhead machine to warm my room to 20.

---Listens to Mika Nakashima's 雪の華.

23.11.08

Out of Words 12 : Trees and Sky

Rock 'n Roll Lifestyle

I DID rock musical Saturday with some friends here in Shanghai. Actually, I was just invited and I brought Louie’s in after meeting him at Jing An park were we saw Banda Kawayan on a cheap stage producing best music out from their bamboo instruments.

We rode 3 metro lines to get there. The session venue was built underground in No. 93 Lingling Road and myself agreed that it was former bomb shelter but hearing the loud music coming from the rooms while passing its hallway the new purpose was define so boldly.


Anyway, the plus minus 16 sqm room was ok for band practice with amenities like amplifier, chords microphones, and drums set. As everyone partake to create noise and music all together everybody seem to be immortal again.

Indeed, Music is Life!!!

18.11.08

Carlito's Day

TO MY beloved Tatay, Carlito Bersabal Pangilinan, Happy happy 62th Birthday to you.


All the best! Happiness and good health always!!!
Thank you for your understanding, support and unconditional love!!!
We love you!!!

17.11.08

T -square Rocks Shanghai and Tribute

THE INFAMOUS T-square group, with honorary members their wife and husband included, had a gimik in a popular Red Beat bar in Tong Ren Lu. Sipped a couple of bottles of beer chat a little amidst the pounding music of the band who brought their new power-belter singer in town named after a fruit. And for the love of rock and roll and music itself, T square members revolted, grabbed the mic, took center stage and sang songs that woke up the rest of Shanghai and rocked solid the heart of Mainland.

Came all the way from a two hour flight, T-square muse Hershey did Brian Adams deadly and dangerous whilst Alden her hubby stole a scene with his wild interpretation of Basket Case here. While yours truly destroyed Wonderwall vocally here, balladeer Eio gave justice to Ogie's classic hits here with Apple playing Pops and Phynkee keeping an eye uhmmm meaning documenting the momentous occasion with her camera that captured Ed freely slamming and dancing like there's no tomorrow.



Well, Louie was out of sight and played audience that time but saved his energy for another day.

* * *

FYI, T-square is a circle of college comrades and classmates established during college days, freshmen days i reckon, in one or two overnight group project in a place that could be Alido or Sto. Rosario in Malolos, Bulacan. There was no great purpose of the founding but I think it was just a response from other classmates forming an alliance that utilised initials, corny as ever, to name their groups.

T-square members in Hengshan Lu, Shanghai, China.
Not in the pictures are Raymond, Jojo and Paul

These are the things I remember with the group.

1. The founding members include Hershey, Raymond, JoJo, Ed, Paul, Louie, Eio and Tops yours truly.
2. Except for J, P and R everybody works in Shanghai meaning majority followed Ed and shifted career to landscaping. R was later encouraged to test the water. J in Qatar and P in Libya.
3. All of us are now happily married with 10 kids in total. H, E and J married to a person with the same discipline as hers/his.
4. Only J and P did not work in VHS. All of us worked abroad.
5. Except for E, E and H, everybody bribed for 700pesos a CO to skip CMT class but later found out the scam was busted and we all plunked Fascim 101. Unfortunately, the money have not given back.
6. H topped architecture academic excellence whilst E, E, T, L and R plunked Concrete finals and believed they were politicized. Eventually they emerged victorious and awarded a diploma after 5 years of blood and sweat. Naks!
7. Ed's bedroom, Ompoc residence in Alido, Errol's place in Catmon and Bgy Capalangan library were TS HQ's and witnessed to sleepless nights of drafting works, cramming and nightly escapades.
8. H once confided to E about numb R and T still remember it well. Uyyyyy!
9. E, E, R and T took the board together and hurdled it, H followed months after and won her license too.
10. T-square once dream to build his empire and do great projects but abandoned it after SEC said we need millions of pesos.
11. The group was named T-square, after a drafting tool name, to relate simply to art and science of architecture, but P's dirty mind always suggest a different meaning.
12. They were too rebel and prefer to join Barasoain than Bulakan, a sign of Saturnina's influence over the members.
13. Lastly, Paul was the father figure Tomador, R was the longhair pa Cute, H was the fashion statement colorful rock diva, T was the pathetic writer activist, E was the Big Boss, E was the daydreamer Romeo and J was smooth so fine Gary V.

Cheers to to a decade old friendship and may we all survive the trying times, be happy everyday and share good architecture to the people!!!

12.11.08

Why I Love my Wife

THE FOLLOWING YM chat transcript is  xeth and nang conversation occured 9.30-9.40pm 11.12.2008AD

xeth: bili din me maliit n maleta. lam mo ba 15kgs na limit ng cebu pacific
nang: bkit dati
xeth: 20kgs 
xeth: every 1kg excess bayad ka ng 50rmb x7 sa pesos...imagine that
nang: GANUN.D BWAS N PALA PASULUBONG S AKIN(di namn sya sumisigaw sa capslock txt)
xeth: ayuz!!!! heheheh. 
nang: may ganun talaga.
xeth: (thinking that ixus 80 is small and portable i reply) yung uwi ko sa yo ibubulsa ko lng
nang: Hehehe. kaya mo bng ibulsa sarili mo
xeth: naks sweet namn nun love u
nang: E cyempre kaw lang naman gusto (ko).
xeth: sarap nman =j

will not forget this day. I will not forget this day. I will not forget this day.

4.11.08

Going Presidential


TODAY MORE than anyone or anything else this page is for CHANGE.
Mabuhay ka BARRACK OBAMA!!!

Before Dawn Arising

I AROSE from sleep with the room temperature registering at 19 degree C. So I looked for my portable heater set it up on the side table near me and was able to raise the temperature to 22 degree C after awhile but the sound from this heating machine was too loud and not comforting so I turned it off and started manipulating the remote control for the room overhead AC to give me enough heat for tonight whilst I sleep mesmerizing by Sitti singing from my cellphone on and on and on.


2.11.08

Shang on a Lazy Sunday


TODAY I sneak out from my lair to a bank in Huaihai Rd to channel money back home. Shanghai with rain and cold weather looks very very dull yet still I brought with me my camera, a book and a notebook all in my black backpack. After the bank I went straight to Saesirya to have my late lunch and was satisfied with baked macaroni, sausages, and steamed clams for appetizer all for 42rmb.


Rode the metro train to get to Huangpi Road and walked a bit from there to Figaro near Xintiandi. I ordered a cup of chocolate and went upstairs but there were already many people occupying seats and tables and I was reluctant to share seats and finally settled myself in the ground floor. I thought I could read my Neil Gaiman paperback there but I suddenly changed mood and just pretentiously read Shanghai lifestyle magazines. Surveying the area, there were one costumer teaching Spanish to her two Asian and Caucasian students and in another tables a group of six discussing something like publishing sometimes put English word when converse in Mandarin for strange reason I forced myself to believe that they were from Hong Kong.


I felt lazy and sleepy after finishing the cup and exited the café took a metro ride to ChangShu station and bought junk in KFC to eat later for dinner. I was glad to be back home and be comforted lying on the sofa for awhile until I decided to take a nap.


Today, Shanghai is so boring and lifeless. Or is it me?