May 2007

The Cebu Podcast: Live From The Top

 

After the smash hit “Drunk Debaters: The Hundred Islands Scandal“, I knew I had to make a follow up podcast in my next out-of-town trip.

 

This new podcast features the medical students – Philippine debate legend and long-time blogger Yves Aquino, Cebu-native and UP Diliman alumnus Michael Chan and yours truly. This was recorded May 27 (Saturday) at Top – a chilly vantage point with an excellent view of Cebu and Mactan— after a hearty meal at La Tegola (a very romantic open-air Italian restaurant with a nice view of the city).

 

 

 

CEBU PODCAST: FROM TOP – Download it here

 

Topics covered:

 

  • The obligatory introduction of the podcasters.
  • The pedophilia industry in Cebu seems to be alive and kicking. Naturally, Cebu-native Mike Chan chose to turn a blind eye against the very trade that corrupts the island’s young people.
  • La Tegola is a great restaurant! Try to eat there when you go to Cebu.
  • Benj is fat. Benj disagrees. Yves senses an eating disorder.
  • Backgrounder on why I’m in Cebu! My story is so boring compared to how and why Yves is in Cebu. Nobody is as crazy and spontaneous as he is.
  • Benj hates Cebu!
  • Benj loves Cebu! The three go through the landmarks of the city.
  • The Dessert Factory serves vanilla caramel squares – i.e. round leche flan. What?!
  • Much appreciation for Myke’s generosity! Thanks for feeding us.
  • When a bell rings in Cebu, what does it mean?
  • Can a 10-foot fall kill you? Three debaters (two Atheists and one christian) figure it out. Will they use the scientific method to prove their point?
  • Three embarrassing truths were revealed. Could you guess who’s who?
  • Just listen to it. Yeah I know, it took a gazilion minutes. That’s what you get when you ask debaters to make a podcast. haha
  • Final PWN count. Yves: 1 Benj: 2 Myke: 452

 

 

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Taas Noo

Sa wakas ay may nangahas na sambitin ang aking ngalan sa kanyang pahina sa malawak na sapot pandaigdig. Maraming salamat kay Doktora Tess Termulo at Ginoong Alex Maximo sa kanilang paanyaya.

 

Ang lahing Pilipino ay napatanyag na sa buong mundo dahil sa angking katangian ng mga mamamayang nagmula sa Pilipinas. Sa tulong ng tiyaga at natural na talento, naabot ng mga Pilipino ang tugatog ng tagumpay sa iba’t ibang larangan sa sining, palakasan at pulitika. Sa kasamaang palad, hindi na masyadong maningning ang bansang Pilipinas sa paningin ng mundo. Sa kabila nito, dapat parin nating ipagpunyagi ang ating sariling bayan at ipagmalaki ng taas noo na tayo’y mga Pilipino.

 

Upang masmaayos maipabatid sa masnakakarami ang pangangailangan na ipagmalaki ang ating kasaysayan bilang mga mamamayan ng ating bansa, maglilista ako ng tatlong dahilan kung bakit ko nasasabi na ako’y taas noo sa pagiging Pilipino. Hindi ako susunod sa panuto sapagkat magbibigay ako ng limang rason kung bakit ko ipinagmamalaki ang aking pagka-Pilipino. Continue Reading »

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The Band That Never Was

Early last year, I hooked up with three excellent musicians who were looking for a new frontman. After nailing the audition and co-writing seven tracks in just three sessions, I was optimistic that I found kindred spirits in music who were ready to take it to the next level.

 

Yes, they abandoned me/ I left them, but that’s water under the bridge now. Yes, they had one of the worst band names ever – with a grammatical error to boot! But they’re a group of great musicians. My hat’s off to them. Here are two songs that they have in their website. I sang this during some of the rehearsals but it’s not me who’s singing in the recordings.

And oh, it’s Helga’s birthday! Greet herr hurrr!

 

Track No.1

Save for the Oh Yeah’s, I actually like this track. I would love to perform this song in front of a live audience. It’s socio-political angst channeled into a very angry diatribe against the administration (and mind you, this was 2006). The energy is just written all over the track and… ARGH. Let’s just say the mere thought of rocking out to this tune is orgasmic.

Bagong mukha, bagong tingin
Di mo alam ang gagawin
Ang mukha nya’y maamo parang dukha
Kumakaway, kumakamay
Balak nya’y kabutihan ng lahat
Para matuloy ang nais nyang makuha

Bakit kami ang kailangan
Sumagot sayong pagkukulang
Hindi naman kami ang nakikinabang
Sa iyong kasakiman

Sakim
Kasakiman
Sakim

Puting suot, magarang sasakyan
Alahas nyay nagkikislapan
Pera sa kanyay pinupulot lang
Naglalakihang larawan
Kasing kapal ng kanyang mukha
Mundo moy naghahari sa kalupitan

Sakim
Kasakiman
Sakim

Bumaba ka na dyan
Di ka naming kailangan
Nabubuhay sa kasakiman

Paano kayo nakakatulog
Sa inyong nagawang kasalanan
Hindi nyo ba naiisip na marami kang nasasaktan

 

 

Track No.2

This track takes the opposite route that Bamboo’s Noypi took. Instead of pointing out the best things about being Pinoy, this song criticizes Filipino culture to the middle of its corrupted core. It’s a freakin’ hard song to sing – the timing and shifts are just too hard to master. But just like Track #1, this song is sooooo good. I’ll be salivating if ever I get the chance to do this on stage.

Anak ng pating
Mula sa sikat ng silangan

Sabay – sabay nanumpa sa bandilang tinayo natin
Magaling sa salita
Kayang gawin ang lahat
Kayang magbuwis sa sarili para sa sariling interest

Ilabas ang galling ng pinoy
Kaibang likha ng isip
Sa sobrang galing sariling kapatid and kanyang inipit
Ilabas ang galling ng pinoy
Subsob sa sipag at kisig
Sa sobrang galling walang mangyari sa bansa natin

Walang magawa,
Magaling tumunganga
Magaling lumamon, matulog, sumagot at humala
Astig pumorma
Kala moy may pera
Kahit gumagapang sa hirap
Kapal ng mukha nambabae ka pa.

Magaling ang pinoy
Magaling manggaya
Hindi gagalaw kung hindi muna Makita sa iba

 

There you go. I wish I had the chance to interpret these songs on that non-existent demo. This would’ve been right up my alley. *sigh* I sure hope they become successful. They’re too good to fall into obscurity. I wonder what happened.

Note: I had nothing to do with the writing of these two songs, but I did co-write seven songs with this band.

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I Lost My Blog Mojo So I’ll Just Rattle Off A Few Things

The title speaks for itself. It’s lame and I can’t even think of things to blog about despite my recent trip to Cebu. In lieu of the obligatory travelogue and chronicles, I’d just go through a laundry list of things that I should’ve talked about in the past. Don’t worry, I’ll still blog about Cebu after my brain recovers from the deadline-beating articles that I wrote for Blog Tutorials and Froodee. Be reminded that these things will be random and the following paragraphs may not have anything to do with the previous paragraph.

 

I just got a new camera. It’s a Sony Cybershot DSC T100. I think it’s a perfect camera for the not-so-photographically person that I am. It doesn’t carry the steep price tag of a DSLR but it can take decent-quality pictures for this blog and family photo albums. I took 700 photos when we were in Cebu. If you’re wondering, I got the black one.

 

I know this is a bit out-of-season already, but I actually graduated. Since I’m in the Integrated Liberal Arts-Medicine program (that’s INTARMED for you in the now), we get a Bachelor of Science degree midway into the program for Basic Medical Sciences. That is equivalent to the two years of pre-medical courses and the first two years of medicine proper. So after units and hours in Algebra, Trigonometry, Calculus, Zoology, Natural Sciences, Humanities, Social Sciences, Komunikasyon, Chemistry, Statistics, Rizal, Anatomy, Neurology, Physiology, Radiology, Microbiology, Medicine, Surgery, Parasitology, Research, Family Medicine, Psychiatry, Otorhinolaryngology, Obstetrics-Gynecology, Cardiology, Gastroenterology, Pulmonology, Nephrology, Orthopedics, Rehabilitation Medicine, Hematology, Endocrinology, Immunology, MOTHERF***INGPHARMACOLOGY and Physical Education, I can now call myself a college graduate. Yes, all that for one degree in Basic Medical Sciences. On the upside, I’m only a few years away from my dream of being a physician.

 

This is completely random. I’m missing my former band. Last year, I opted to try out for a band who was looking for a new front man. I went to their audition without really knowing much about them other than their inclination for rock. Luckily for me, they were a solid and tight rock and blues trio with also a finger on what’s current. They made me do Audioslave’s Like A Stone as an audition piece and as we all say, the rest was history. Like A Stone is a song that I can hit out of the ball park with ease. Let’s just say the song really fits my voice.

 

Aside from a killer voice (*clap clap*), I’m also lucky enough to be able to write lyrics on the fly. On that very same night, I was able to write three songs for them. By the second rehearsal, I was already familiar with all their previous songs. And by the third rehearsal, I have co-written no less than seven songs for this band. Unfortunately, despite the commonalities in musical sensibilities, I had to give the band up – or they had to let me go.

 

Rehearsals were done in Cubao – a very inconvenient place for me to go to every week. The guys were all working, married and above 28. This means despite the similarities in music, there are still a lot of things that didn’t mesh. I was still a 21 year old student then and I found it hard to relate to them working professionals.

 

My biggest beef with the bad was the NAME. It was grammatically incorrect! I didn’t know if I had enough clout within the band to point the laughable mistake that they created when they named the band. I will feature some of their old songs soon on this blog. Hopefully they’ll send me the recordings of the songs that I helped them write. Communication has been down since I left them/ they left me summer of last year. And to my shock, I haven’t heard of them. Trust me, these guys are really good.

 

Ok, I’m bored. Til next time. Thanks for sticking around and reading despite the lean days. Take care!

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Blogging From Cebu

Dear Loyal Readers,

I’m at a friend’s house. They’re drinking wine as I type this. I’m being pressured to drink as well, but as you all know, I strictly adhere to the concepts of the straightedge movement. No alcohol for this guy.

The City of Cebu is a great place. I didn’t expect it to be so organized and so much better laid out than Manila. I got a nice Sony DSC T100 before we left so I’ve been able to take pretty good pictures. Unfortunately, I haven’t able to go online for the past few days. I’ve been able to get plenty of rest and my friends have been nice enough to show me around.

Take care everyone! I’ll be back in Luzon by Monday.

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Off To Cebu

Dear Readers,

I’m leaving for Cebu this morning (800HRS +800 GMT). I’ll be there until Monday so I can’t promise to keep posting as regularly as I have. I finally found the data cable so here’s the shot that was taken shortly after I completed my dive at the Manila Channel (just off Boquete Island at Puerto Galera).

 

Thank you for all your time and support. I appreciate every milimole of neurotransmitter that you guys use in enhancing the discussions on my site. With all sincerity, thank you.

Take care, people! :)

Benj

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