Sick and still working...

Ciudad Christhia Resort-May 27, 2005, San Mateo, Rizal

When the ground you're stepping on is close to champorado

Back to school shopping- Sto Cristo, Divisoria- May 24, 2005
I was too lazy to pop out my digicam over this so I opted for my cameraphone. I wasn't feeling well enough to see that the midnight before it really rained hard (as I slept through most of the midnight), causing the already squalid Divisoria to become ickier and reekingly disgusting than usual.
Hey, I'm not complaining. You should hear Eagle whine.

One thing I learned---

Araw ng Makati- May 19, 2005, West Rembo, Makati
From my previous ugly coverage that was mad science, is to never declare that you don't like the event until you're done with it. Because it will eventually grow into you and it will like you back.

When Public service and PR collide

Brigada Eskwela- May 16, 2005-Tandang Sora Elementary School-Q.C.

"You called Teng? Still in hongkong. You know naman na I made paalam last week pa that I'll be absent today right? Our boss knows"
-Drew

My answer: Uh, No, I wasn't aware that his ass is traipsing HK. Otherwise I wouldn't bother to send over 10 text messages over the weekend to inform him about the location. DUH. And I wouldn't be calling him using my mobile phone only to hear a busy tone, and after the show, (due to curiousity whatever the hell happened to him) I rang him again. This time, it did rang. Anyway...

Thank you, Drew, for not informing you'll be gone without even a trace for god-knows-how-long, Lyn replaced you, albeit her reluctance. She's an intelligent host and can stand oncam even without a script. Not to say you can't of course, but I love her. Not to also say I don't fancy you. We can talk for hours about everything--from chismis to her adorable baby gabby to books and christianity and motherhood... The list goes on.
Anyway, I managed to digress. This event is so non-event-like. At least IMO. In connection with the upcoming opening of the school year, the Department of Education has organized "Brigada Eskwela", a week-long school-maintenance aiming to clean up the public classrooms and repair what needs to be fixed. So there. It became such a spectacle to various media/press groups I so don't get it up until now.
I understand classrooms needs fixing but too much PR? Oh please.
Do your job and get it over with. Pffft.

Pista ng Piñang hindi ko natikman

This welcomed us upon reaching the soil of notorious Calauan*.

Ate Carol produced it, but my executive producer told me to also go with the team.
The Calauaños are very warm bunch, so the humidity of the location was almost unnoticed. Gay dancers are the most ubiquitous, as with any other fiestas we've previously covered. I think they're really cool. Town Fiestas are the time for them to shine because they can showcase what they've got--their talent and zest to perform.
Minus that annoying Mayor's daughter. She's obnoxiously loud I want to wring her neck and asphyxiate her. Eagle is always an amazing host, as always.

*Calauan gained its notoriety after a Mayor raped & murdered a UP Los baños student way back in mid '90s

Teng + Science crap + Kids= Disaster

Mad Science experiment- May 10, 2005, Q.C.
Was never a fan of science. Sorry.
I should have trusted my instincts upon learning that I'm going to cover this piece of crap. In fairness to science fanatics, they really performed well, but to a non-science person such as myself, I never appreciated whatever thet did. To make matters worse, I earn the wrath of my host because I gave him a wrong set of directions. For crying out loud it's so near ABS-CBN. Anyway I take full responsibility for that... I wasn't enthusiastic, let alone happy about mounting this boring crap. Redge was absent because she must attend to some hearing regarding an Estafa case filed against her. Scary. Had she been there, it would be good. Oh well.

I take back what I said about me being sick of out of towns...

Villa Escudero- Tiaong, Quezon- May 5, 2005
Third best coverage
Minus the bluff I committed earlier-this event went really well. Especially the falls part. Kuya dennis & I were the two unfortunate ones (well aside from the hosts) to actually wade through the running waters of the Labasin falls). And it wasn't something to consider unfortunate. It was actually so good.

And it's not everyday your backdrop is surrounded with running water with a buffet breakfast a few steps away and a rondalla on the other side plays a sweet native musical piece...

Whoa, these kids could really bend..

Gymnastic Champs with Regine
Jose Abad Santos High school, Binondo, Manila-May 3, 2005

I wasn't enthusiastic about this particular event; thankfully I am with a good team. Redge was amazed with the fact that were were Pinoy gymnasts. I told her she's living under a rock for not knowing. Hello? Bea Lucero? Anyway, it went really well.

This is not part of any of my coverages but...

The image made me shudder. TJ used to be in UH but the guy made some career move, which never actually had any effect on the show. He used to be our remote host, along with Redge. I have some vivid memories of this guy as he was the host that made my naive head (then) hurt back when I was just starting out. I remember last year when I first produced a segment in an Antipolo Fiesta, I kept on running to and from his vehicle to inform me that we'd go on air in less than a minute. The guy is always found sleeping in his car. That was his last episode with UH--last week of April 2004, An episode I produced. He was teary eyed after the show, he even brought Rio, the woman he would soon marry, and introduced her to us. He hugged all of us and my boys (Newsvan cameramen) kept teasing him about leaving the show. Oh well. Time flies.