Friedrich von Schiller's Maria Stuart

“So, are you a Mary Stuart or an Elizabeth?”

Without a thought, I said, “Mary Stuart. Definitely.”

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“Lust for power or martyrdom for faith?“
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It was an impulsive decision to watch the play yesterday. I’ve been wanting to see it but I didn’t think I was gonna go yesterday especially that I wasn’t able to persuade anyone to tag along with me. But... for lack of anything better to do I finally decided on going.

The stories of the queens and kings of England didn’t really have any appeal to me. I’ve seen Elizabeth I and II, Alexander, Henry VII, and The Other Boleyn Girl. They seemed... long and boring... I have to admit though that I haven’t read any of the novels (fiction or non-fiction) written of and about them. I wasn’t interested.

But I love plays... and I love DUP’s performances... well except for that one time when they staged Lulu.

Anyway, when I got inside the theater I had a feeling that it’s gonna be a great play. For one, Dir. Tony Mabesa directed the play. Moreover, Shamaine Buencamino was playing the character of Queen Elizabeth I. She astounds me. There was also something about the empty stage, which was decorated with the walls of a citadel illuminated with dark blue dimmed light. It was perfect! I was seated right at the center where I have a perfect view of the entire stage, not too small nor too large to fit the scope of my vision. And of course, everything was audible from where I was... I was proud of myself to have gotten there on time. But more importantly, I was proud that I was able to drag myself to the play even if I had to watch it by myself. In retrospect, it was the most ideal resolve. :-)

Act I, Act II, Act III... I was agog with anticipation of the scenes to follow. There were a lot of witticisms. I loved the graceful and elegant bantering of the actors... The word-fights stung. The plot, the staging, the actors -- all evocative. It was flawless.

In the first act, I was particularly moved by the confession of devotion and allegiance of Mortimer to the Queen of Scots Mary Stuart. The devotion of subjects and servants during their time was overwhelming. It was as if they were serving a god... willing to stake their lives for the majestics... It was beautiful. Still in Act I, the repartee between the Queen of Scots and the Lord High Treasurer of England Lord Burleigh was agitating. It’s something to look forward to when you decide to watch it. In Act II, Queen Elizabeth entered the scene with all grandeur, with her “supporters” and “loyal” barristers tailing Her Majesty. The scene that stuck is where the three counsels tried to persuade the Queen of England of each of their own stand on the clamor: sentence Mary Stuart to death or not. The dialogues were all persuasive. You could actually feel the hidden desires and selfish intentions of the “demagogues”. In Act III (the most thrilling part before the intermission, I suppose), Queen Elizabeth and Mary Stewart finally came face-to-face with each other - a special request by Mary Stewart herself. The best part? The insults. Wow. It was poisonous. They were both resentful. The two dignified and resplendent queens finally let down their guards and jumped into a heated and acrimonious argument. In short, they turned bitchy. Of course, we know who won. Well, not really. :-)

During the seven minute intermission, I just stayed in my seat... tried to digest everything I saw. Powerful.

Act IV: the warrant to behead the Queen of Scots was signed. Sigh...

Act V: the last moments of the Queen of Scots. This last act was so moving. It brought me to tears. The Queen of Scots’ last moments on earth were spent with her faithful and loyal servants. It was so moving. They gathered around her, pledging their troth for their queen. She was, at that moment, very down-to-earth, thoughtful, and very respectful. More importantly, she was repentant. She also made sure that all her faithfuls would be left in good fate once she’s faced her execution. It was heartbreaking; and yet one couldn’t help but feel happy for the queen. She was loved... dearly loved. Her martyrdom to her Catholic faith was also very special. Queen Elizabeth? I wouldn’t wanna narrate here the sad fate of Queen Elizabeth...


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“So, are you a Mary Stuart or an Elizabeth?” My answer? “Definitely a Mary Stuart.”

I recommend that you watch the play. It’ll be staged until the 6th of December. :-) It made me want to buy all those books that narrate the lives of these two iconic women.

mourn...

I mourn for our Inang Bayan...

Leonid Meteor Shower on Dateline

It was my first ever T.V. appearance :-) Well, technically, second. The first one was during the oblation run when the PBB housemates were here in UPD -- the camera caught me with other star struck UP students shouting and chanting names of celebrities. It was awful. Hehe Pero, nakaka-star struck nga naman talaga ang mga artista. Wala ng pakeme-keme that time, wala ng pa-demure effect. My mom and siblings actually saw me on T.V. Twas so funny. Dude, I was such a wuss.

Anyway, this afternoon was totally different though. I sat with Stanley and Lia (ANC news anchors) and talked about the recent Leonid meteor shower. It was LIVE! And I didn't know we were gonna go live until we got to the ABS-CBN building. I was really nervous. They seemed so smart and I kept on thinking, "Man, I couldn't keep up with these guys! What am I gonna say? Can I still back-out??" I was literally looking for the nearest exit. Dubdub-dub-dubdub...







When we were finally asked to go on stage with the two prestigious broadcasters, my edginess just started to diffuse and dissolve. It was probably the very warm smile of Stanley and Lia. It also helped that Stanley started a small-talk with me and DJ while we were inside the make-up room. Lia was kind enough to tell us before we went on-air that we don't have to worry about the cameras. She told us that we just look at them and it's just be like talking over a cup of coffee... minus, of course, all the lights, the camera, and the cameramen.



Meron kayang part two, este part three, itong TV appearance ko? Finally, my course paid off. Mwahahahaha!

Pa-kwek-kwek naman po

Working student :) Para ma-maintain ang lifestyle, kelangang maghanap-buhay. At dahil hindi sapat ang suweldo sa UP, nagpapart-time job ako keh Manang Owl. Okay lang naman kahit below minimum wage pasweldo ni Manang Owl, pwede naman daw akong kumuha ng dalawang cheese sticks or isang pirasong kwek-kwek (note hindi isang stick, ha) pag lunch time na. Mwahahaha!



-- kelangan ko pa bang sabihin dito na joke lang?? :-)

Leonids Meteor Shower

It's so on tonight at 10pm 'til the break of dawn! Yikee! So, so excited. I wonder what I'd wish for... hmmm...

Starlight, starbright...
I wish I may, I wish I might...
Grant this wish, I wish tonight...

Manggugulat

Ang buhay nga naman... mahilig manggulat. haha

Camiguin Loving

We've been living in RX since 2001 but it has taken me quite a while to visit Camiguin Island. Minsan hindi napapaniwala iyong mga tao. Like they're also surprised whenever I say that I haven't been to Cebu. It's just a boat ride away from CDO. It's coz most of my adventures are here in Luzon. Anyway, Camiguin... I'd been hearing lots of great appreciation of the marvelous island. Some even claim that it's much better than Boracay. Probably depends on what you're really after. :)

Sa wakas! Family vacation in Camiguin. Wah! Super, super, super ganda ng islands! I've been to Boracay but, this I can say: if you really wanna experience the beach and nature in their grandeur, go to Camiguin! A natural paradise :)



Photos below taken by: Fourth



Some of the stuff I love about my dear neighbor Camiguin:

(1) Virgin pa siya!! :) Bwahaha! No, seriously, the island is so pure. It's not commercialized unlike Boracay. There are not much people loitering around the place. It's so serene!

(2) It's so cheap!!! Haha not cheap, cheap. But cheap, as in cheap na affordable cheap. Donation lang! :) Seriously! One of the best things about being maintained by the local government, I guess. Tipong the entire white beach, bente lang iyong bayad! C'mon! :D

(3) Lots of interesting places to visit! There's the Sto. NiÑo Cold spring! There's the Esperanza Ardent HOT spring! It'd never be an "island born on fire" without the hot spring. I loved it. It's so soothing and refreshing. The hot spring's around 40deg C. There's also the Katibawasan Falls and the Tuasan Falls. And of course, the main attraction... (drum roll please): the seemingly untouched white sand beaches!! White Island and the Mantigue Island. Ah! :)

(4) Other attractions on the Island like this really old church, which name I forgot to note plus this mini-museum at the PHILVOCS office.

(5) The food!!! The food there is great! :)

(6) Lanzones!!! Mananamis namis na maasim din. Need I say more?? :)

Ah!!! Camiguin... One of the must-see places in the country. Exquisite! Marvelous! <3

No Place Like Home

There's no place like home. You're darn right, Dorothy!

I was set to fly to CDO from Manila on Nov. 01, 2009 at 4:20am. I was so excited that I couldn't sleep the night before. Weeh!



Home! Home! Home! There's no place like home. Although being in Manila is so liberating and all, iba pa rin pag nasa probinsiya ka kasama ang mga minamahal.








Had pic-nic and played tennis with Mom and Dad and siblings. Ah! Home! :D