My college buddies and I met up the other day -- the first of hopefully several get-togethers this year. Except for a couple of weddings, two kids, career turns, and a promotion or two over the years, things haven't changed much -- to my relief and delight. Everyone's as kooky as ever, with the same wry humor that first drew us to each other as freshmen at DLSU.

This particular lunch date was in celebration of a birthday (Me-an's), Christmas, New Year, and Valentine's Day all rolled into one. We unloaded gifts that had been in storage for goodness knows how long (it hasn't been easy getting together these days), and just generally caught up on each other's lives. Minus the mindless prattle about upper-classmen crushes (we're happily past all that!), the conversation was as scintillating as ever.

At the Greenbelt bridge pond:

Me-an: Oh look there!
Hail: Wow! Are those swans? (to David, Hail's 6-year old son) Look David, swans!
Annie: No, I think they're too small to be swans.
Me-an: Yeah, their necks are too short.
Hail: But they seem too big to be ducks.
Jennie: Oh maybe they're geese! They could be geese!
Annie: They're ducks.
Me-an: Yeah, they're ducks.
Hail: Ok then, they're ducks...(to David)...look David -- ducks!
Jennie: Well if they're ducks, they're certainly not pinoy ducks...

At Restaurante Pio y Damaso (Greenbelt 5):

Me-an: The Lengua sounds good.
Annie: Wow, Ostrich Beef! Let's try that.
Jennie: How about the Tapang Usa? The waiter said it's a bestseller.
Me-an: Please, let's not order anything that could be endangered.
Jennie: Why, what's "usa"?
Hail: Deer.
Jennie: Oh, yeah...I wouldn't want to eat Bambi.
Annie: Let's just order the ostrich.
Jennie: An ostrich attacked me once. In Subic. So yeah, let's order that.



Annie: What do we drink?
Me-an: I ordered a pitcher of Tubig ni Maria Clara.
Hail: What on earth is that?
Annie: Who cares?


Hail: Is there anything here a child can eat? I have to feed David.
Annie: Hmmm...what to feed David....
Jennie: Does he eat adobo?
Hail: Yeah, he can eat that.
Jennie: It says here that it's chicken, pork, and liver adobo.
Me-an: (to waiter) Can you serve that without the liver? I hate liver.
Jennie: Uh, Me-an...that's how they cook it, with the liver.
Annie: You don't have to eat the liver.
Jennie: And they just put that in for flavor. It's not the main ingredient.

The Adobo arrives in a small bowl that doesn't look like it can hold much...adobo.

Hail: There's still bringing in another bowl, right?
Annie: Uh, I think this is the only bowl.
Hail: What.
Jennie: Don't worry, David can have that one piece of chicken. I'll eat the liver.
Hail: Really? Thanks! At least the liver chunks are big.
Me-an: Ugh. Liver.
Annie: So where's the pork?

And so, except for the liver-filled adobo, we had a great time. We actually recommend the Ostrich Beef. But being who we are, we just couldn't leave without letting them know what we thought of our dining experience. Below is a note we wrote on the paper table mat addressed to Padre Damaso himself and signed by Peping and the three Gomburzas:


We ended the day with huge chocolately desserts at Max Brenner Chocolate Bar...

Hail: Wow, are all the waiters here really supposed to be bald?
Annie: Of course! That's because Max Brenner...is the brother of Yul.

Hello world!

Here's our very first glimpse of beautiful Samira Gabrielle Kahn de la Peña! Isn't she perfect? I found myself staring in awe at this bundled-up beauty through the nursery window of St. Luke's hospital, with proud daddy Alvin beaming beside me and Rein.

New mommy Mitch -- exhausted, but strong and happy -- gave us a blow-by-blow account of the 12-hour journey that began when her water broke early last evening to the first time she laid eyes on her adorable daughter this morning.


I'm so proud of Mitch, who's been an amazing friend all these years. I can't count how many times we Trumpets girls imagined just such a moment, way back when we were single and had time on our hands between shows and rehearsals. And now that moment is here for her. What joy! And I'm really proud of Alvin, who has become everything we believed he could be and more. Sam-Sam is truly blessed to have such parents...and they are unbelievably blessed to have this lovely new gift from God in their lives.

CONGRATULATIONS to this fabulous new family!

I turned my computer on this morning and the first news that greeted me was that actor Heath Ledger was found dead in his Manhattan apartment. He was 28. I'm not sure why -- I'm not a huge fan or anything -- but the news kind of hit me hard. I spent a few minutes waiting for it to sink in. I guess it's because in the five or so of his films that I've seen, he showed himself to be a notch above the average Hollywood star. He seemed anti-Hollywood even, in his diverse choice of roles. Or maybe it's just never easy whenever another promising light is snuffed out. The last time I felt like this was for River Phoenix. I don't know. It's just sad.

A blast from the past! Picked up this clip from my former Playshop student Mae's site and I was transported to one musical summer 3 or 4 years ago. I taught a teen musical theater class and decided to do "Bye Bye Birdie" for our showcase. I loved the film and the cast album and couldn't wait to get all that fabulous (and difficult!) music (thank you from the bottom of my heart ManMan!) and book on stage. It was to be my directorial debut and so was relieved to get quite a talented group of teens. Mae, for one, struck me as the perfect Kim MacAfee from the moment she auditioned. The other kids were just as perfect in their roles as well. Wish I had more pictures and videos! It wasn't an easy summer but I was really proud of my class, and of our show. Here's a little bit of it, a small showstopper called "A Lot of Livin' To Do"...


From the archives: Lot of Livin'

2007 was tough, but it was also eventful. In the theater of my life, let me take a bow for surviving the year that was, as I bravely enter this new year. HELLO 2008!