Soundtripping
"Glory Box" by Portishead -
from their first album "Dummy" (1994)
I'm so tired of playing,
Playing with this bow and arrow,
Gonna give my heart away,
Leave it to the other girls to play,
For I've been a temptress too long.
Hmm just,
Give me a reason to love you,
Give me a reason to be,
A woman,
I just wanna be a woman.
From this time, unchained,
We’re all looking at a different picture,
Through this new frame of mind,
A thousand flowers could bloom,
Move over, and give us some room.
Yeah,
Give me a reason to love you,
Give me a reason to be,
A woman,
I just want to be a woman.
So don't you stop, being a man,
Just take a little look from our side when you can,
Sow a little tenderness,
No matter if you cry.
Give me a reason to love you,
Give me a reason to be,
A woman,
It's all I wanna be is all woman.
For this is the beginning of forever and ever,
It's time to move over ,
So I want to be.
I'm so tired of playing,
Playing with this bow and arrow,
Gonna give my heart away,
Leave it to the other girls to play.
For I've been a temptress too long.
Hmm just,
Give me a reason to love you.
"Psyche" by Love Spirals Downwards (Kristen Perry-Gow, 1998)-
from their 4th album "Flux"
Here I reap barley, corn and wheat
In this field dark and bleak
Eros holds the keys I seek
Psyche's tasks to complete
I loved him blindly
Never saw his face by day
I loved him nightly
Aphrodite
From my lips Venus fountains drip
Bittersweetness
Eden howls behind garden walls
Reed pipes for wantoness
I held the lamp
Suspicion beheld me his face
I held the lamp
My lover flew away
I loved him blindly
Never saw his face by day
I loved him nightly
Aphrodite
In the shadows of passion's throws
Love's harvest seemed so cruel
Black rivers cross beauty's domain
Mortal world you begin to fade
I loved him blindly
Never saw his face by day
I loved him nightly
My lover flew away
I loved him blindly
Never saw his face by day
I loved him nightly
Aphrodite
"Not Myself" by John Mayer
Suppose I said
I am on my best behavior
And there are times
I lose my worried mind
Would you want me when I'm not myself?
Wait it out while I am someone else?
Suppose I said
Colors change for no good reason
And words will go
From poetry to prose
Would you want me when I'm not myself?
Wait it out while I am someone else?
And I, in time, will come around
I always do for you
Suppose I said
You're my saving grace?
"Sour Times" by Portishead -
from their first album "Dummy" (1994)
To pretend no one can find,
The fallacies of morning rose,
Forbidden fruit, hidden eyes,
Courtesies that I despise in me
Take a ride, take a shot now.
‘Cause nobody loves me,
It's true,
Not like you do.
Covered by the blind belief,
That fantasies of sinful screens,
Bear the facts, assume the dye,
End the vows no need to lie, enjoy,
Take a ride, take a shot now.
‘Cause nobody loves me,
It's true,
Not like you do.
Who oo am I, what and why?
‘Cause all I have left is my memories of yesterday,
Ohh these sour times.
‘Cause nobody loves me,
It's true,
Not like you do.
After time the bitter taste,
Of innocence decent or race,
Scattered seed, buried lives,
Mysteries of our disguise revolve,
Circumstance will decide.
‘Cause nobody loves me,
It's true,
Not like you do
"Stir About the Stars" by Love Spirals Downwards (1992) -
from their first album "Idylls"
I begin again
As the world outside ends
Dense, even in the still light
To owe you my life
I tell you
Make castles when you want to
And fill them with sights
Stir about the stars
During nights below these tides
A Not-So-New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular
So I've been listening to a lot of my old so called trip-hop CD's, right? I've re-discovered Hooverphonic and decided to check out their
website to see if they were still alive. Apparently, they are! Wonderful! And I only have two out of their five albums. Noooo! Well, being the music snob that I am, at least I have their first two albums. The very first one, "A New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular", is still my favorite. Anyway, I've been listening to these tracks a lot, and only found the complete lyrics online today.
"Sarangi" (Callier) 4:16
Courtesy of EMI Music Publishing
Suffocate your love
In a barrel full of doubt
Suffocate your love
North east and south
Here I stand
In front of your imagination
Here I stand
Hesitate, it’s normal
You can’t erase mistakes
Hesitate, it’s normal
I can’t keep awake
Here I stand
In front of your imagination
Here I stand
Come closer
It’s you I want to embrace
Come closer
It’s you I want to debase
Here I stand
In front of your imagination
Here I stand
"Innervoice" (Callier, Geerts) 4:34
Courtesy of EMI Music Publishing
Fear is talking
In my head consulting
But my inner voice it says
That I’m falling, I’m falling
Could you be the pillow
That solves this problem
Sometimes I want to
Close my eyes and trust you
But my inner voice it says
That I’m falling, I’m falling
Could you be the rock
That solves this problem
One day, I'll find the lyrics of Love Spirals Downwards' songs. I love the music, but I don't understand the words. And one day, I'll post links to and "review" my other favorite ambient/darkwave/trip-hop artists - Bjork, Gus Gus, Kid Loco, Kruder & Dorfmeister, Lamb, Love Spirals Downwards, Massive Attack, Mono, Morcheeba, Portishead, The Slave Drum, Sneaker Pimps, Thievery Corporation, Emiliana Torrini. Oh, but there's always http://www.triphop-music.com for all that, huh?
Things That Make You Go "Hmm..."
If you missed last night's performances on Rockstar: INXS, click on this link:
http://www.rockstar.msn.com/video/performance/wk07
Deanna's original song, "My Truth" was pretty good. MiG's "Do or Die" was ok. Marty is always good. J.D. never feels to irritate. Suzie was ok, and I like how she got the others to sing along with her. Ty's performance was lots of fun to watch. I really enjoyed it.
Now, I wonder why Jordis' performance of Aerosmith's "Dream On" is listed as "Video not available". Could it be that it was just SOOOOOOOO bad, it wasn't worth a video rewind? Really. Did she really think she could hit those high notes? Dream on, indeed. Poor girl.
Conspiracy Theory
Click
here ONLY if you have finished reading "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince". Thanks to Bianca for the link. Enjoy!
Best Looking Guy in the World
His name is
Reynaldo Gianecchini, a Brazilian-Italian actor. How he "won" the prestigious title of "Best Looking Guy in the World" is beyond me. I was not part of the voting body. And I am utterly disappointed that I was not informed. But...my...God!
"The New Email Sensation"
Another Take on the New Job Interview Format
Got this idea from Nini. Dude, I'm home alone, and can't go out and play. Being sick has both its good and bad sides.
A - Age you got your first kiss? Late teens.
B - Band I’m listening to right now: Portishead on CD; DRT live. Come check them out on the Oakley Thump Bar Tour!
C - Crush: Marty Casey (..."hit me baby one more time!")
D - Dad's name: Jose Maria Serafin
E - Easiest person to talk to: All my friends are easy to talk to. It's just that Andaya never answers her phone.
F - Favorite music artist at the moment: Portishead. I really don't know why. I should have graduated from this kind of music years ago, and now I'm back.
G - Gummy worms or gummy bears? Gummy worms.
H - Hometown: Paranaque....city!
I - Instruments: Drums. Office-issued Compaq Evo N610c. Nokia 6610.
J - Junior High: In the words of Nini, "This is so ‘kano. If you mean high school, I was from La Salle Zobel."
K - Kids: I have 6 beautiful godchildren - Migo, Marina, CK, Anakin, Rapa and Cai (plus Layla in November).
L - Longest car ride ever: The drive back from Monterery to Pittsburg wasn't exactly long (almost 4 hours), but I was just so cramped between Papa and Julia in Lolo's little truck. And I don't like hip hop. That's what I get for not bringing my own CD's.
M - Mom's name: Madeleine Virginia (Magdalena
na, birhen pa. Hahaha!)
N - Nicknames: Carls, Carly, Curly, Kulot, Superkulot, Super K, Karum, Carlotta, Carlita, Carlita Woman, Ate Carls, Ate Goddess, Jedi, Princess Jedi, Irish (my favorite next to), Goddess (and), Master.
O - One wish: World peace.
P- Phobia[s]: Stairs, needles, cockroaches, lizards, snakes, rats, mice, monkeys.
Q - Quote: "I work hard, but I party harder" and the one from Atiarian, my mother that I posted earlier.
R - Reason to smile: My dog, Maximus.
S - Song you last heard: "Glory Box" by Portishead.
T - Time you woke up[today]: 8:30AM. It's called a sick leave.
U - Unknown fact about yourself: I'm actually very nice. Really. Ask Patrick.
V - Vegetable(s) you hate:
Ampalaya (what's that in English? Bitter melon?)
W - Worst habit(s): Working.
X - X-rays you've had: Head, chest, back, teeth.
Y - Yummy food: Thai, Italian, almost anything Tanya and Sandy make, whatever they serve in An-an's house, Mama Glo's adobo and tuna caserole.
Z - Zodiac sign: Cancer. Watch out for my claws!
Thought for the Day
I got this from "Atiaran, my mother" (he knows who he is. Yes, I know, I said "he"):
We the willing, led by the unknowingAre doing the impossible for the ungrateful.We've been doing so much with so little for so longThat we're now qualified to do anything with nothing.
In the Company of Genius
I have always been quite vocal about my appreciation for real friends. Perhaps now more than in my supposed younger years, I show my appreciation more openly, I enjoy learning from my friends, and I am proud of their achievements (I live vicariously through them. Hahaha!).
When my company assigned me to Bangkok back in November 2000, I could only hope that I would meet "decent people" with whom to pass my precious non-billable time (I don't live to work, you know). Pinky, a friend of mine from college, said she had a brother who used to live in Bangkok and still had Pinoy friends there. She graciously asked Eric to introduce me to his friends, and the rest is, as we say, history. If it wasn't for them, I would have died of boredom or simply gone insane. I suddenly had travelmates, shopping buddies, drinking buddies, movie buddies, badminton buddies, golf buddies.... And yes, the rumors are true, this Catholic agnostic was part of a prayer group.
I also always say that I was
very lucky to have fallen into the right group of people in Bangkok. These were not the loud, "feeling", obnoxious, utterly
mayabang Pinoy expats with out-of-this-world twangs. The friends I made in (and through) Bangkok are genuine, down-to-earth people, who are grateful enough for the opportunity to experience life in another country. What started out as the Six Degrees of Eric Balighasay became what I thought of as a little support group. And that quickly turned into an international advisory network that answered questions on where to shop, what movies to watch, what books to read, where to party, where to work, how to write a resume, how much salary to bargain for, what cheap hotels to stay in, what the must-see's are in different countries, where to get a good pedicure, how to plan a wedding, what school to send your kids to, how to keep acne away, how to impress someone you like, and how to mend a broken heart.
Some of us are back in Manila, although we don't see each other are regularly as we would like. Some of our friendly Bangkokians are still in Bangkok. Others have moved to Australia, Germany, Hong Kong, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Singapore, the UK, and the US. But time zones and bodies of water cannot keep us apart. And there is always the Christmas Party to look forward to when almost everybody comes home for the Holidays. Thank God for email and the opportunity to share and exchange ideas.
A few months back, Lilit sent me a copy of his screenplay "Hubog ng Langit" (In Heaven's Mold) via email. He said it was his entry for the Screenplay Category for the 55th Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature. We had also gotten together for drinks that same week where he told our fellow Bangkokians Jemen, Windie, and Coco about it. Now I'm not saying this because Lilit is my friend, but I was truly blown away by his script. I kid you not! It was very well written and I couldn't put it down. I could imagine every scene played out and apparently, I laughed in all the right places. Of course, Father Joey would object and douse us all with Holy Water, but seriously, I cannot find the right words to express how much I actually enjoyed reading Lilit's screenplay. I'm hoping to see it on the big screen as soon as humanly possible. It's that good!
Last weekend, Jemen told me that one of Lilit's dreams finally came true: "Hubog ng Langit" won first prize! And I saw Malou's announcement on Friendster yesterday with our Bangkok group's congratulations. Lilit, we truly are proud of you, and I am very honored to have been allowed to read your work. Just being on your Friendster page is a privilege!
Another success story is Angela's. Chittina and I attended a gathering at n (how do you type "enye", the "n" with the squiggle on top?) in Rockwell where Angela showcased her beautiful hand made jewerly. Very Bohemian. So my type! And I think Jemen will like them, too. I really wish I could be that creative. Angela has crystal anklets, bracelets, earrings, necklaces, rings for sale at reasonable prices. She also has really cool bags, and Chittina bought a really cute lime green day bag. We hope to set up a "private sale" for family and friends one of these days - we'll keep you posted. Anj, dear, I'm proud of you, too!
May silbi ang pagka-kikay mo! And you're living your dream. Not all of us can say that.
I suddenly wish I had something as exciting to share.... Someday, I will publish a travelogue....
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Now, when it comes to birthdays, I'm not half as good at remembering them as my sisters are. So to my godson CK Villafuerte in the Netherlands - a very warm and happy birthday to you (so sorry for the belated greeting). I hope to see you again - live and in person! - soon. But tell your parents to send me pictures, too.
And finally, congratulations to new parents Eric and Joanna Balinghasay. Their son Lorenzo Rufino was born on 11 August 2005 (hey, where are the pictures?!). We look forward to meeting Enzo at the next Bangkok gathering. Cheers!
A New Sensation
Last night, I heard Marty Casey sing Britney Spears' "Baby One More Time"...and loved it! I've been suffering from indigestion ever since.
I'm hooked on Mark Burnett's latest reality tv series,
Rockstar INXS. Of course, no one can ever replace Michael Hutchence. But no, I don't think this "show" is an insult to the memory of his genious. INXS still wants to make music. Why stop them? Perhaps they should change their name because, to most people, INXS equals Michael Hutchence. But when I watch Rockstar: INXS, I'm not looking for the new lead singer of one my favorite bands. I'm enjoying watching all this talent and hoping that they help take INXS on a new road to success. Dude, it's better than "American Idol", right?
When the show started a month ago, I was blown away by Ty Taylor and Jordis Unga. Fantastic voices. Real talent. They will definitely take INXS in a different direction. J.D. Fortune (is that his real name?), scary as he was on stage, was good, too. And Deanna Johnston's low voice was just something else. Then people started saying "One of the contestants is Pinoy! We need to vote for him!" Now as far as I'm concerned, no one should vote for MiG Ayesa simply because he's Pinoy. Unlike Jasmine Trias, MiG has talent. He deserves every single vote he gets! Admittedly, I was initially put off by a comment he made on his blog where he said he hoped to make Australia proud. Hmmm...what about his Filipino roots? I decided not to bother. The guy has an absolutely fantastic voice and is a great performer. I vote for him online every week because he is someone I would love to see live, and I am SO SURE that he will make the top two.
So I thought, "Ok. Here's my 'fearless forecast'. MiG, Ty and Jordis will make it to the top three. Maybe J.D. will, too. But Marty's the wildcard." I said that after seeing Marty perform Franz Ferdinand's "Take Me Out". Then week after week, J.D. pissed me off and Marty's performances blew my entire family away. Marty's acoustic performance of "Mr. Brightside"? Better than the original! The man is absolutely amazing! And I share Dave Navarro's sentiments that he was uncomfortable with Marty's rendition of "Baby One More Time" because he started to like it. Well, just look at what it did to my stomach! (I love you, Marty Casey! Damn you, Mark Burnett!)
In the end, I think it will be close fight between Marty and MiG. If MiG wins, INXS had better come to the Philippines! And I hope Marty's band, Lovehammers, opens for them.
Tune in every Wednesday and Thursday at 9PM on Star World, and vote for your favorites online on
www.rockstar.msn.com. Rock on!
Finally, Proof!
Many thanks to Sid for taking and sending this to me. And many thanks, again, to Benjor, for making this happen.
"Superkulot and the Dream King"...until the next time my dreams come true. So long, Mr. Gaiman, and goodnight!
Thinking Mode
Can you tell that I'd rather be someone other than myself today, rather than simply
doing something else?
I found this on the FAQ page of
www.philip-pullman.com (Philip Pullman is the author of one of my favorite books, the "His Dark Materials" trilogy. I got my sister hooked on it recently).
His Dark Materials seems to be against organised religion. Do you believe in God?
I don't know whether there's a God or not. Nobody does, no matter what they say. I think it's perfectly possible to explain how the universe came about without bringing God into it, but I don't know everything, and there may well be a God somewhere, hiding away.
Actually, if he is keeping out of sight, it's because he's ashamed of his followers and all the cruelty and ignorance they're responsible for promoting in his name. If I were him, I'd want nothing to do with them.And if you don't have anything better to do and want to test your knowledge of Harry Potter trivia (with questions such as "How many staircases are there in Hogwarts?" and "Why did Neville's grandmother cancel her subsciption to
The Daily Prophet?"), check out this site:
http://www.mugglenet.com/games/trivia.shtmlBy the way, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" made me cry. But "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" is still my favorite of the series. I feel like Book 6 is the "Revenge of the Sith" of the series, and Book 3 is "The Empire Strikes Back". That's just my opinion.
Any other good books out there?
Taking Stock
An excerpt from Jeanette Winterson's August column on
www.jeanettewinterson.com:
"One thing we all have to do is assess and revise our priorities in this life, because our priorities point to our values. What do [we] really want? What is really worth having? What is worth our best efforts? What is a waste of time?"
"...I am bound to be thinking this way, but I am thinking it too because what is happening in the world means that none of us can sit back. We need to be active and alert, and not because there are terrorists out there, but because if we let other people make our decisions for us, they are going to make some very sinister and unwelcome choices. The more we belong to ourselves, the less easy it is to be coerced into lives we never wanted."
