Year 2!
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Wednesday, March 30, 2005
Sweet, Dark...And Good For Ya
Discovered something today that thrilled my sweet tooth to its very nerve endings. Read on...

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(from an article)
Do you know what this is? Pretty obvious, right? A bar of chocolate. But that's not all, it's also Lee's latest prescription. Lee's doctor told him to eat one square of a dark, bittersweet-over-70%-chocolate bar every day. This is the tastiest medicine, and the only downside is that there is no way our insurance is ever going to pay for it. There have been several studies linking chocolate with health benefits. Darker chocolate is the most beneficial. Studies show that phytochemicals called flavonoids in chocolate block arterial damage caused by free radicals and inhibit platelet aggregation which can lead to heart attack or stroke. The antioxidants also relax the blood vessels and inhibit an enzyme that causes inflammation. While high in fat, chocolate is cholesterol free and very high in magnesium which is considered good for both the cardiovascular system and high blood pressure.

Ah...such joy.

*And whoever Lee's doctor is, I like him.

 
posted by The White Rabbit at 4:14 PM | Permalink | 3 Speak Up!
Monday, March 28, 2005
Strawberry Filled Forever
Holidays are cruel. They give you a glimpse of utopia, how life should be, and then yank it right out from under you in a blink. As I write this, I am sadly concluding a beautiful Easter holiday spent with Rein. I am literally mourning the fact that it is over, and that we have to face the pressures of reality again. With no breaks in sight for at least another...nine months! Waaaaaaaa.

The way I'm going on about this holiday, you'd think we flew to Paris or Italy or something. Nope. Never left the city. Well, except for a brief morning drive to Los Baños in search of some chlorinated water which, upon finding that all of Metro Manila had frantically emptied itself into every resort in the area, thankfully ended in a drive back to the more subdued, pleasant ambience of the Bellevue pool. The freezing Bellevue pool. I may have caught a cold there, but we had a great time nevertheless.

The other three days were spent walking along the tree-lined avenues of Alabang Hills, playing basketball in their peach-colored court pavillions, watching silly reality shows on tv, visiting friends (loved the coffee jelly ice cream, Peachy!), eating as much as we could, and even taking in a movie or two. Oh, and did I mention eating? Oysters Rockefeller at Market! Market! Yummm.

Easter Sunday began with a sunrise service in church. A bit of a bummer to have to get up at 4am while you're on holiday, but hey--where would we be if Jesus decided to sleep in late on that fateful day, eh? Ha.)

Now I know we're supposed to keep the Sabbath day holy and everything by not working -- an Easter sabbath no less -- but I'm never one to turn my nose up at a blessing, no matter how small. And I know a blessing when I see one. Got a call from Tito Freddie to do a rush voice recording for an Ayala Mall production of Lilo & Stitch right after church. It was kinda short notice, and not on the holiday itinerary at all, and would have put a crimp on our last day plans, so Rein resisted a bit at first. Then just as I had decided a few extra bucks wasn't worth getting the hubby all grumpy, he suddenly turned around and let me have my way! So my poor honey dutifully sat through 2 hours of me, Jonard (Yanzon), Tito Freddie, and Motherduck (Laforteza) going all schitzo and voicing for all the characters in the show. Tito F even made him read for Lilo in rehearsal!!!! Oh dear. I eventually voiced Lilo and Nani in the recording, but I was proud of Rein nonetheless! Awwww....

Which brings me to this moment. I'm supposed to be getting ready for work, but I'm still at home in my jammies, eating last night's Hot Loops for breakfast. Strawberry Filled Forever. Maybe a sugar boost will help me jumpstart my otherwise slow-going morning.

So here goes...I'm already late for work. Might as well take in a post-long weekend nap...

I hate holidays.
 
posted by The White Rabbit at 7:34 AM | Permalink | 1 Speak Up!
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
Take A Chance On Me
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Me, Shiela V. and Melanie D....in another life.

I have received complaints from close quarters that amphibians have clogged my blog, thus preventing me from entering new posts. I'm sorry. It's not Kermit's fault. My work hours have lengthened of late, leaving me with not much time to drop by ole' Wonderland here. But see-- I did take the time to greet my guru and mentor in absentia a happy birthday. Love you Stevie!

Just concluded an eventful week in rehashed 80s paradise. Had about a total of 5 hours to learn the role of Rosie for our production of Mamma Mia!, staged at Greenbelt 3 last March 18 and 19. What a ride! Inspite of my helpless panic at the thought of winging an entire musical (abridged though it was), I still had the time of my life. It was crazy, silly fun all around. Loved hearing laughs and guffaws from the audience at all the right moments. It is extremely liberating to be given license to make a fool of oneself onstage. It's not everyday one gets to perform with abandon like that. And we didn't have to try very hard. George de Jesus III's direction and Fatherduck Laforteza's choreography were too, too silly not to work. Haha. And of course, there's the material. Who can miss with a sit-com plot set to Abba music?

It was also quite a treat to finally work with respected actor Nonie Buencamino. Not that we respected him in this show. Haha. To those who watched, you know what I mean. Hilarious guy. Would he hate me if I ever told him that as a little girl, I watched him in Rep's Man of La Mancha way back in the mid 80s? He played a monk or priest or something, singing "I'm only thinking of him. . ." Even then, he made an impression on me and I never forgot his name. And now I can say I've shared a stage with him.

For something I had very little preparation for, I sure enjoyed myself. Much thanks to my fellow cast members for being very patient with me: Shiela Valderrama (Donna), Nonie (Sam), CJ Mercado (Sophie), Jun Ofracio (Harry), Melanie Dujunco (Tanya), Jenny Villegas (Lisa), Topper Fabregas (Sky), and Raymund Concepcion (Bill). And because this award is getting heavy in my arms, I'd also like to quickly thank Weng Lopez, her crew members Marian, Christine, Bea, and the very sweet costume lady who would dutifully peel the completely drenched blouses off my back and button up my shoes in the nick of time.

I really hope we can do this show again together. It was a most joyful experience for us all. Meanwhile, stay tuned for the next one in May-- Saturday Night Fever. That should be a hoot as well.
 
posted by The White Rabbit at 9:27 PM | Permalink | 0 Speak Up!
Isn't It Rich?
HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEVIE, MY LOVE!!!


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With so little to be sure of
If there's anything at all
I'm sure of here and now and us together
All I'll ever be I owe you
If there's anything to be
Being sure enough of you
Makes me sure enough of me
Thanks for everything we did
Everything that's past
Everything that's over too fast
None of it was wasted
All of it will last
Everything that's here and now and us together!
It was marvelous to know you
And it isn't really through
Crazy business this, this life we live in--
Can't complain about the time we're given--
With so little to be sure of in this world
We had a moment!
A marvelous moment!
A beautiful time.

(from "Anyone Can Whistle" written by...who else? Sigh.)
 
posted by The White Rabbit at 3:13 PM | Permalink | 0 Speak Up!
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
There's A Frog In My Blog!
Stole this from Pond Perspective. It's one of my all-time favorite things-- not among songs, mind you, but among all things on this good earth! Thanks Me-an, for reminding me of its existence! Before I was even aware of a world beyond the front gate of our old home in San Juan, this song already spoke to me. Even then I felt like a misfit. And this song encouraged me beyond words. I think one of the blessings of getting older is knowing, finally, and without a doubt, that it's the green in me that makes me unique and special. So thanks Kermie...and Jim...for helping millions of kids around the world and through the years understand.

"It's Not Easy Bein' Green" (lyrics by Joe Rapposo)

It's not that easy bein' green;
Having to spend each day the color of the leaves.
When I think it could be nicer being red, or yellow or gold- or something much more colorful like that.
It's not easy bein' green.
It seems you blend in with so many other ordinary things.
And people tend to pass you over 'cause you're not standing out like flashy sparkles in the water- or stars in the sky...

But green's the color of Spring.
And green can be cool and friendly-like.
And green can be big like an ocean, or important like a mountain, or tall like a tree.
When green is all there is to be
It could make you wonder why, but why wonder why?
Wonder, I am green and it'll do fine, it's beautiful!
And I think it's what I want to be.
 
posted by The White Rabbit at 9:55 PM | Permalink | 1 Speak Up!
Thursday, March 03, 2005
I Left My Heart In Joyous Gard
Sorry folks...been gone a while. Got lost in Camelot "for one brief shining moment", and then...in a maze of events that continues to leave me in a state of flurry to this day. Most notably this job that now lays claim to my very soul these days. Well, not really. My body, maybe-- as I have to be in an office for a minimum of 9 hours a day. But my heart? No, never! That belongs to the theater. Forever and ever, amen.

But oh, you know me. When did I ever completely let go of anything? The old Jennie is alive and well, thank you very much. She's a caged bird these days, for the most part. But she still sings, by golly, she sings! And how. Haha.

As of this writing, I'd just completed the third leg of a pretty lucrative hosting tour gig, preparing for my Greenbelt 3 premiere of MAMMA MIA on March 18 and 19 at 8pm (plugging!) and, of course, attempting to complete three corporate event scripts simultaneously! And now, Jaime del Mundo just invited me to join his Summer Stock group. A toughie deciding on that one. It'll be real, meaty acting this time, you know. None of that oh-gee-wow good king wenceslas stuff where you walk onstage looking like a snowstorm and carrying an umbrella and then still have the gall to call yourself an actor afterwards.

How I find time for all of these things, while clocking in my 9 to 10 hours of PR duty in Makati, I don't know. We'll see how it all works out....I'm giving myself 3 months to really decide if a career in PR is for me. Or if the call of my first love is simply too much to resist.

To be continued.....
 
posted by The White Rabbit at 8:46 AM | Permalink | 2 Speak Up!