happy thoughtlessness

Rivalry: The Ateneo-La Salle Musical

The Ateneo-La Salle rivalry is a huge part of Filipino pop culture. A musical about it would’ve been able to break so many barriers. Die-hard Ateneo and La Salle fans - whether they are from either school or not is not a question, because this rivalry is practically a national affair - would’ve flocked to shows in full blue or green regalia, seeking for yet another avenue to cheer for and prove the superiority of their favorite teams. Nostalgic alumni would’ve watched this show for a trip down memory lane. Heck, Ateneans and La Sallites who have never stepped into a theater on their own accord would’ve gone to this show anyway, if only for the sheer novelty of seeing their school selves depicted on stage.

Yes, it would’ve been able to break so many barriers — had it dared to do so.

For a phenomenon that merited a feature in the sports section in the New York Times and its own page on Wikipedia, the Ateneo-La Salle rivalry is one that is ripe for parodic interpretation. Ateneo and La Salle produces such iconic stereotypes that practically beg to be spoofed. It’s a shame that Rivalry did not capitalize on such rich fodder for humor.

Rivalry: The Ateneo-La Salle Musical focuses on two families, the Ateneo Valencias and the La Salle Basilios. It is NCAA season, 1968. Paco Valencia is the star of the Ateneo senior basketball team. Tommy Basilio, his cousin, is the star of the La Salle senior basketball team. Because of their academic allegiances, Paco and Tommy never got along. Despite their animosity, Quito, Paco’s younger brother and an Atenean, is very close to his cousin, Tommy. When Quito confesses his secret crush on Reena San Jose, a beautiful but bookish Maryknoller. Quito, a shy nerd, asks his suave cousin Tommy to help him by charming Reena and introducing him to her, paving the way for their love to blossom. Tommy promises to help him, giving his word as a La Sallian, and — well, not to be biased, but we all know how that will end.

The musical also touched on a long-standing personal feud between the fathers of Paco and Tommy, Anton Valencia and Demi Basilio, and made socio-political commentary about the sheltered lives of these students in relation to harsh realities of poverty and hunger.

While not exactly packaged as a comedy or a comedic musical, the subject of the Ateneo-La Salle rivalry lends itself all too easily to humor. I just wish that the show took that humor anyway. True, Ateneo-La Salle is serious business, but not so serious as to seriously be taken seriously.

I entered the theater expecting a conyotic West Side Story — conyotic, I use without malice and as a term of most endearment. Instead, I found myself watching a collegiate-level High School Musical instead.

I make the comparison to High School Musical because the show was just too clean. I felt that the show was too heavily sanitized, out of fear of offending sensitive school spirits. For a musical about Ateneo and La Salle, there was a severe lack of school-centric humor. Hecklers are all part of the fun in an Ateneo-La Salle game, and this musical did not have any sort of moment that depicted the playful animosity between the green and the blue. I had hopes that audiences would come flocking to Rivalry in blue or green to cheer for Paco or Tommy, and to laugh heartily at the jokes and ooh mockingly at the taunts. However, there were no jokes to laugh heartily at and no taunts to ooh mockingly at. The occasional shoulder bump and ”Ateneans stink!” caused a chuckle to ripple across the audience, but there were no wild guffaws or sides in stitches.

Connected to the lack of school-centric humor is the lack of school-centric nuances in the characters. Had the characters not been perpetually in blue or green, I would not have known who played for what team. Where was that infamous Ahreneo accent? Where was the La Sallian — este, La Sallite who code-switches between English, Tagalog, and Spanish? The iconic Ateneo and La Salle stereotypes is great comedic material, but the show did not utilize this and decided to privilege propriety. The humorous depiction of the quirks associated with each university would’ve made the characters feel less static and more realistic and relatable. The choice between Paco and Tommy would’ve actually existed, had the show made the distinction between the two of them.

The show had notable points, of course. The music of the Rivalry was really good, reminiscent of They’re Playing Our Song and possibly Hairspray, though I found Give Me A Boy From La Salle, a song from the musical and my favorite, to be decidedly Legally Blonde The Musical. The songs were catchy and memorable, if not sometimes too long or dragging because yes, I get what you mean, you said that two verses ago. The set design was nicely minimalistic, and the use of moving panels filled up an otherwise bare stage and created a dynamic background. The lighting was lovely; the liberal use of stark blue and green light made for a very appealing and dramatic visual effect. Despite the lack of characterization, the performers were able to deliver vocally and the actors selected played their roles well.

I’m writing this based on my experience during Rivalry’s press night. Based on my experience in my high school’s drama club, the press night is a lot like our faculty run, where we present our play, receive their commentary. Rivalry has a lot of potential and a lot of talented names involved in its production; I am hoping that their more experienced eyes were able to pick up on the weak points of the points for further improvement, a bit of editing, and the addition of a joke or two - or three, or ten, or a lot - for a more cohesive storyline and a more enjoyable theater experience.

What Rivalry lacks in humor and nuances, it makes up for in the musicality of its songs and the novelty of its subject matter. Still, the wanting for humor is still there. Is it worth seeing anyway? The answer is, yes. After all, it’s Ateneo-La Salle.

Rivalry: The Ateneo-La Salle Musical runs from January 27 2012 until March 11 2012 at the Meralco Theater. Show times are at 03:00PM and 08:00PM.

Some of my worst friends are books.

They offer consolation, wisdom, company of a kind, but they’re really not interested in you.

For there to be a conversation – a dialogue – there have to be at least two active participants. That’s company. A book is not company. We engage with it, argue with it, carry it around in our pockets and minds, are haunted by memories of it for years. But it doesn’t argue back, doesn’t engage, never inquires how our day has been, gives only what it wishes. Books are selfish. Everything, every word, is on their terms.

That’s what I like about them.

(Source: zoearcher)

“ You musn’t give your heart to a wild thing. The more you do, the stronger they get, until they’re strong enough to run into the woods or fly into a tree. And then to a higher tree and then to the sky.

— Holly Golightly, Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)

mlq3:

Department of Finance Department Order No. 57-2011.

Imported books are exempt from customs duties. They are exempt from VAT. So long as you are bringing them in for personal use, which is defined by law as six copies or less. The only exception are books published for, or by, a commercial enterprise for advertising purposes.

Please read and circulate.

100 Books (2012)

1) Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (2011)
2) Drive by James Sallis (2005)
3) Alice in Deadland by Mainak Dhar (2011)
4) A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin (1996)
5) Foe by J.M. Coetzee (1986)

***

100 Books (2011)
Goodreads

The last GPOY of 2011 because red lipstick totally screams momma I’m a big girl now. Brace yourself, womanhood is coming.

(For reference, whether it be someone else’s or my own sometime in the future, I am sporting Laura Mercier Crème Lip Colour in Truly Red. What a rich, lovely shade. ♡)

stardanced:

I wrote my Star☆Danced entry about raising funds for Sendong relief operations without any pretensions or high expectations. I just wanted to do something! I hoped to raise at least $50, $100 at best. It’s not a lot, but I told myself that it was $100 that didn’t exist prior to my post, and I operated under the hope that every little bit helps.

My initial goal was met by the second day. The days rolled by and new donation notifications greeted me when I checked my email each day. Finding that I had underestimated the generosity of others and the power of the Internet was a pleasant surprise indeed.

When all is said and done - ~~which is another way of saying after Paypal fees but anyway~~ -, I am pleased to report that we were able to raise $332.00/P14,445.00! That’s not loose change at all, and it’ll definitely go a long way in relief operations for the victims of Typhoon Sendong. Thank you to everyone who reblogged on Tumblr, shared on Facebook, and supported this little endeavor of mine. It’s really a testament to how the little things can make big differences!

The most special of special thanks to the lovely people on Tumblr (Nikki/@bentobride, Chin/@caravangirl, Jessica/@elebuufish, Elerem/@elledejavu, Janine/@shinkeismillenniumcreampuff, Catherine/@plasticjunkie, Kyra/@devolvedarling, and Clarissa/@bunnycatcher) and LiveJournal (Anj/@propertyoftheuchiha, Christina/@katnaper, and Mel/@moptech), and to my wonderful godmother, Ninang Lulu, for sharing their love to the people affected by Typhoon Sendong through Star☆Danced. I will always be grateful for your generosity. ♡

I removed the Paypal donation links from my original post. Since it will still show up in the reblogs of others, I’m hoping that it will be completely disabled in the next few days to prevent anyone from accidentally sending me money. If anyone still wants to give through Paypal, please click here and here. Again, I am no longer accepting money for Sendong relief operations - I use my Paypal account for personal purposes, and holding on to other people’s money is such a stressful thing, haha! - so if you wish to give through Paypal, please click either of those two links.

I will post an accounting of sorts for all the money I received and how we got to this wonderful amount once I turn over all the funds to the proper channels. I’m just waiting for the holiday rush to die down and I’ll get right on it, so that entry should be up within the week. I’m also working on print production this week, and with everything that needs to be done, I’m hoping to mail them by January 4.

Again, my deepest gratitude to everyone who pitched in. Have a blessed Christmas, everybody! You’re all amazing. ☆

photograpia:

Put yourself in her shoes.

You fall asleep snug in the arms on your mother, the rain pounds on the room but you are not afraid because beside you is your mother and you know you will be safe. All of a sudden, the waters enter your home and you are swept and carried away from all that is familiar and everyone whom you love.
You wake up dazed not knowing what has happened to your family members. You walk around aimlessly, only to find that your home and all that you love is gone…

Toys are effective tools in helping children heal from the trauma of loss. Stuffed toys are effective comfort givers in times of stress and trauma. To children, stuffed animals are more than toys, they become the vehicles by which they are able to tell their stories and release their pain. Stuffed toys or teddy bears are able to provide some degree of comfort in a scary world.

Please send clean, friendly looking toys in good condition (no pigs please, owing to cultural and religious sensitivities) in any size, but ideally, big enough for a child to hug.

A new and soft teddy bear costs about as much as a Starbucks frapuccino, a large sized milk tea or a ticket to the cinema — a small price that will go a long way in bringing back hope and a smile into a child’s life.

May you all be blessed to be a blessing to others.

Drop-Off Points:

Alabang: 12 Brentwood Street, Hillsborough, West Service Road, Alabang Look for Magding or JC

Greenhills:

33 Madison Street, North Greenhills, San Juan. Look for Ann or Shirley

Asuncion Berenguer, Inc. 3/f Homestudio Building, 63 Connecticut Street (same building as Homestudio, Torch resto and Bose) Northeast Greenhills . Please leave with guard and indicate “Bears for YBHM”

Makati:

The Citadel Inn, 5007 P. Burgos Street, Makati City c/o Andre Urbina

15 Garcia Villa St., San Lorenzo Village, Makati City c/o Marge

Marikina: 1 Ferdinand Marcos Street, Industrial Valley Subdivision, Marikina Leave with guard please indicate “Bears for YBHM”

Paranaque:

Johnson and Johnson, Edison Road, Paranaque City (Edison is street by Zuellig) Leave with guard, indicate “Bears for YBHM”

14 C. Diamond Street. Greenheights Village Sucat Paranaqueque Look for Yaya Marlene

Quezon City:

A-2 Dona Sotera, Pilarville Subd.,Quezon City c/o Dennis Mariano

41 Milkyway Drive, Blue Ridge B, Quezon City Look for Lily

C1C3 Narra Heights Condominium #28, Mariposa Street, Quezon City (near Camp Crame)

Eastwood area : Unit 5c Eastwood Lafayette Tower 3, Eastwood Avenue Libis Q.C (In front of Watsons, near Mcdonalds) Leave with guard indicate “Bears for YBHM”

Please LIKE Yakapin: Batang Hilagang Mindanao’s FB Page for updates and repost to help bring hugs to the children affected by Sendong. Thank you and God bless!

stardanced:

Last weekend, Manika Manila, our local BJD community, had its annual Christmas meet, Monito Manika 2011. I hosted it. It was a potluck party, but since not everyone would be able to bring something to share, monetary contribution was collected in order to offset the cost of food prepared by my lola. The next day, news of Sendong and its wrath on Cagayan de Oro and Iligan poured in. I found myself unable to think or talk or post about anything else. With the blessing of my lola, Manika Manila decided that the money we raised was to be donated to Typhoon Sendong relief operations. The money was already with me, and it was all just a matter of dropping it off to the proper channels.

I found a particular channel that couldn’t have been more appropriate for us.

This is my surprise for you, Manika Manila. A portion of the money we raised was used to buy a dozen of these adorable teddy bears to give to Yakapin: Batang Hilagang Mindanao, a campaign spearheaded by my good friend Pia/@photograpia on Tumblr and her mom to collect teddy bears and stuffed toys for the children affected by Typhoon Sendong in Northern Mindanao.

We BJD owners know that our dolls are not just dolls; not to us, at least. They are outlets for our creativity and self-expression, the personifications of characters we’ve long crafted in our minds, or simply quiet companions that we can look to for comfort when the world gets too crowded and noisy for our liking. At an age where we supposedly should’ve lost interest in dolls and other “childish” things, we still manage to see our dolls - and by extension, the rest of the world - with a certain childlike wonder. Thus, we can better see and appreciate what a toy would mean to a child. For a child, a toy is not just a toy. A simple teddy bear can become a child’s outlet for his emotions, something soft and warm that he can hug, a friendly face where he can find comfort in solace in a world that can be so big and scary.

Look at his friendly little smile! He and his eleven other brave bear friends will be sending smiles and hugs to the children of Northern Mindanao. :)

Give a hug to the children of Northern Mindanao by giving them a lovable stuffed toy to hug. Refer to this entry for various drop-off points around the metro where you can leave your stuffed toys and teddy bears. I’ll also be reblogging it here. Don’t forget to like Yakapin: Batang Hilagang Mindanao on Facebook!

Victims of Typhoon Sendong.
Top: A drowned family discovered under the waterlogged rubble.
Bottom: A father cries as he clutches his drowned child.

I live in the bustling city of Metro Manila, which at this point seems to be lightyears and lightyears away from the tragedy in northern Mindanao. It’s not something I can easily grasp right now. The pictures above have gone viral through reblogs on Tumblr and shares on Facebook. These are the kind of pictures that we either look way too long at, only to quickly look away. But, why is that?

Emmanuel Levinas observes that in our quest for Being - with a capital B, pertaining to the pursuit of own’s one existence -, we fail to remember the beings - with a small B - that surround us, the existents that make up existence, the human beings in front of us, the Other.

One could call the poor the mythical Other. I add the qualifier mythical because we talk about them like they exist in another plane, the figment of a bourgeois imagination with philanthropic fantasies longing to be fulfilled. Everyday life assaults us with a reminder of their existence, but in the rush of things, they’re relatively easy to brush off; one can easily pretend to text or nap when a beggar comes knocking on our darkly tinted car windows, or look in the other direction at the sight of a family on a cardboard box, or stare unnaturally straight ahead to keep the street children that swarm you on the Katipunan footbridge on your peripheral vision as you make your way back to the safe haven of your blue and white campus.

These pictures became viral because they are such an affront to our modest, middle-class sensibilities. One does not open Facebook or Tumblr expecting to be greeted by such harsh reminders of the state of humanity elsewhere. It removes the safety net of anonymity, the same anonymity we relegate the Other to and the same anonymity we hide behind. Our phantoms have been unmasked, and while that which we have to face may not be pleasing or pleasant, face it we must.

There’s a Jewish story that talks about a mirror and a window. The mirror and the window are both made with the same basic material, glass. Through the window, we can see the others and are moved towards compassion and sympathy. But, covered in silver, the mirror reflects only one’s self and that which is self-centered and selfish.

Through these pictures, we are able not only to see the Other, but affirm the fact that the Other has a face, an identity, a life other than our own. Hopefully we see ourselves when we see the Other; after all, what is the good of Being if we are not being Good?

Ethics is not a reflexive activity, but an experience. It does not result from a line of reasoning. It is not deduced but experienced. With the perception of the Other, each one finds himself forced and obliged by the presence of the Other… The central fact - of ethics but also of humanity as such - is to be found in the presence of the Other who imposes himself in a mode very different from that of things.

The body of the Other signifies in itself in an originary manner. In its nakedness, its offered weakness, its incapacity to hide weakness, its capacity to hide its misery, the human body manifests at the same time that it is vulnerable and inviolable… The eruption of the Other by itself suffices then to found ethics and responsibility… This immediate corporeal meaning is what Levinas calls “the Face”.

It is not simply the human face, not even the expression of its features. The Face is the entire body of the Other insofar as human, insofar it directly addresses itself to me and bestows upon me a responsibility that I am not able by any means to cast away: “To see a Face is already to hear… ‘social justice’.”

According to Levinas, ethics presupposes that this experience is an upheaval: through the body, one approaches the infinity. This proximity is also a dispossession. The Face of the Other liberates me from myself, from my complacency, from the forms of closing up that make up for egoism, indifference, or even more radically, identity and subjectivity. The radical turning upside down develped in many ways by the thought of Levinas consists above all in affirming that the Other has priority over me. Ethics takes literally and seriously the banal formula of etiquette, “After you, please!”. Ethics takes this forrmula as the key of the world and makes it a rule of life.

“The Other Above Everything” by Roger-Pol Droit
Published in Le Monde on January 6 2006
Translated by Dr. Leovino Ma. Garcia

TLDR; Get over your face long enough to see the face of others.

roxyroxy:

Right now, what is important is that people know how to help.

Here’s a constantly updated link of list of drop off points for relief goods and cash donations. www.tinyurl.com/knowHowToHelpCDO

stardanced:

A Public Service Announcement from Star☆Danced

A CALL FOR DONATIONS: TYPHOON SENDONG RELIEF OPERATIONS

For those of you who don’t know, I’m based in the Philippines. The Philippines is an archipelago, a group of islands. The southern part of the Philippines, the Mindanao islands, is rarely hit by typhoons, but Typhoon Sendong is a huge exception. In one night, it dumped the equivalent of more than a month of rain onto the area, resulting in flooding and heavy damage.

There are discrepancies in the death toll; some sources report 300, others 500 or more. This is because in some areas, entire families were wiped out and thus had no one to report the casualties.

The cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan were particularly affected. So many children drowned in the flood, so much so that mortuaries and funeral homes are experiencing a shortage of embalming fluids and have run out of children’s caskets.

Run a Google search on “Typhoon Sendong”, and you’ll see so many more news articles coming in about it. What I’ve typed above is just a fraction of what I’ve gleaned thus far. My Facebook news feed is an information overload of relief efforts and breaking news, so it’s very difficult to keep track of what’s the newest information in the region.

It’s heartbreaking. This storm crept in like a thief in the night and basically wiped out what for some people would’ve been their entire existence. And so close to Christmas, which all the more makes it more painful. Christmas in the Philippines is all about family, but without a family to spend it with — I can’t even imagine what these people must be experiencing right now.

Let’s show them some love this holiday season. A little can really go a long way. One dollar can buy someone a full meal already. Imagine what a little - or a lot! - more can do. If you’re saving for a new wig or new eyes, I’m humbly appealing to you to take a dollar or two out of your savings for this effort. You might have to wait a little longer to buy them, but it really, really will help.

DONATE TO TYPHOON SENDONG RELIEF OPERATIONS!

Star☆Danced is in solidarity with those affected by Typhoon Sendong and joins various relief efforts in its own little way by harnessing the power of Tumblr and the Internet! I would like to appeal to the dorrie community to share some love this holiday season. I’m asking for donations on behalf of relief operations here in the Philippines.

Sending your love is really easy!

1) Log on to http://tinyurl.com/sendongstardanced or click this link. It will lead you to a Paypal page.
2) Enter the amount you wish to donate and send it.
3) Check your email for the digital receipt of your donation.
4) Forward your digital receipt to me (trisha.descallar@yahoo.com) along with your real name/first name and your Tumblr username.

On December 25 2011, Christmas Day, I will be turning over the funds to my school, Ateneo de Manila University, which is helping Xavier University/Ateneo de Cagayan in Cagayan de Oro city with its relief operations. It’ll be the perfect gift this holiday season, one of love and compassion.

BUT WAIT!

As a thank you gift for your kindness and generosity, I’ll be sending postcard prints to everyone who donates! (^o^)/

Donate $5 and receive one (1) postcard print.
Donate $10 and receive three (3) postcard prints.
Donate $20 and receive five (5) postcard prints.

If you wish to avail of these prints, please include your full name and postal address in your email to me when you forward me your digital receipt.

I’m not sure if I’ll be shooting new content for these prints or if I’ll be using photos previously posted - suggestions are welcome! -, but it’ll definitely be something cute and from the heart. I’ll be sending this from you regardless of where you are in the world!

Please reblog and spread the word. Feel free to share this to your dorrie and non-dorrie friends whether they’re on Tumblr or not, just make sure to email me their information anyway so I can keep track of how much we’ve raised.

If you have any suggestions or want to help in other ways, drop me a line at trisha.descallar@yahoo.com.

Remember, a little goes a long way. The love, share it! ♡

Help for Typhoon Sendong Victims from Ateneo de Manila University

The Ateneo de Manila University through the DReaM Team (Disaster Response and Management Team) responds to calls for assistance from various communities in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan affected by the flashfloods brought on by Typhoon Sendong. Today, it is making a call for donations on behalf of the following groups: Gawad Kalinga-Ateneo (GK-Ateneo),Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan (SLB), and the Office of Social Concern and Involvement (OSCI) of the Loyola Schools.

Your generous support is much appreciated. We are now accepting cash donations for communities affected by Sendong. A booth will be open from 9 am to 10:30 pm at the Xavier Hall to accept all donations.

Donations in cash may be made as follows:

Channels of giving in Philippine pesos from within the Philippines

The Bills Payment facility of Metrobank at any branch. Donor fills out two copies of the Payment Slip and indicates the following details:

Company name: Ateneo de Manila University
Subscriber Name: name of donor as will appear in the Ateneo official receipt
Reference Number: DREAM Team
Subscriber number: 002
Mode of payment: Indicate whether cash or check
Amount of payment: indicate Php amount.

Donor will please fax to (632) 4266079 the validated Payment Slip so that the Ateneo can send him an official receipt. Please call Cecille Bartolome 426-6001 local 4032, 4031 or email cbartolome@ateneo.edu,to confirm receipt and provide a mailing address for the receipt.

Giving checks or cash directly to the Ateneo. For checks, pay to the Order of Ateneo de Manila University FAO DReaM Team and addressed to Dr. Edna P. Franco, Vice President for Administration and Planning, Xavier Hall 2F, Ateneo de Manila University, Katipunan Avenue, Loyola Heights, Quezon City 1108. Please indicate donor’s name and address so that an official receipt can be sent to the donor.

For donations in US Dollars, a wire transfer can be made via China Bank with the following details:

Beneficiary Customer: Ateneo de Manila University;
US$ S/A Account No. 101-732651-4
Beneficiary Bank: 803-3278-269; China Banking Corporation; Manila, Philippines;
Swift Address: CHBKPHMM

Receipt of donation via wire transfer maybe verified with Cecille Bartolome (cbartolome@ateneo.edu), (632) 426-6001 local 4032, 4031. Official receipts will be in Philippine pesos.

For online credit card donations, visit the web page of the Philippine Jesuit Foundation (PJF) or the Philippine Development Foundation or PhilDev (Ayala Foundation USA). The PJF and PhilDev are duly registered and qualified charitable organizations in the U.S.A. Donations to the PJF and to the AF-USA or PhilDev are deductible gifts under the U.S. Tax Code Section 501(c)(3). Receipts will be in US Dollars.

https://www.phjesuits.org/pjf/share.php
http://phildev.org/supportateneo
http://www.phildev.org/site/Donation2?df_id=1401&1401.donation=form1

Email Marivic Padilla marivic@af-usa.org or Rene Encarnacion rene@phildev.org

For donations in check, please issue check to Philippine Jesuit Foundation and mail to Margaret B. Llamas, Executive Director, Philippine Jesuit Foundation, P.O. Box 312, New York, N.Y. 10028, U.S.A. On the memo line please write: Ateneo de Manila University DreaM Team.

For inquiries, please contact the Ateneo DReaM Team at (632) 921-9724 or email ateneodreamteam@lists.ateneo.edu.

Thank you once again for being part of our mission of service. Let us be one with our suffering brethren and help them at this time of great need.

(Taken from the note posted on Ateneo’s Facebook page.)