connect the dots

i know it has been forever since my last post. and because of that i'm pretty sure this entry will consist of countless random topics on which i have failed to blog in the past two months.

first off...i want to know who is in charge of selecting the playlist at mcdo. i was grabbing a quick bite at the branch in glorietta one day and the songs being played were an unusual bunch. when i got there, "brick" by ben folds five was playing, and it was just refreshing to hear it again after a very long time. then a jason mraz number came on. you know the one that makes you feel like you're at the beach? it went well with my chicken mcnuggets. (don't ask me how i relate the beach to chicken mcnuggets.) after that, i was very surprised to hear "lions, tigers & bears" from jazmine sullivan. i absolutely loved her "fearless" album, but not a lot of radio stations here really played her songs. so i have to give credit to that mcdonald's branch. i was pleasantly stupefied (i just want an excuse to say stupefied) to have that not-so-typical background music with my meal.

speaking of which, my friend michelle texted me some time ago saying my entire "commited" cd was being played at the mcdonald's where she was eating. i mean if i loved mcdonald's before, i really love it now. i never got the chance to ask which branch that was. i want to go there and buy everyone a burger.


ahhh burgers. i think it will be a while before i can enjoy a burger again. it seems like the new greeting nowadays is "tumaba ka" or simply "you gained weight." i've never had to bother with diets before and now it's going to be on my to-do list everyday. we wrapped up the mossimo bikini summit about two weeks ago and this is where i realized how much weight i had really gained. i performed for the first (and hopefully last?) time wearing just a bikini and a see-through top. and i danced. or i tried to dance haha. i have to thank m for giving me those quick lessons. but geeeez...i didn't know how hard it was to dance and sing at the same time until i was out of breath doing it. i have a newfound respect for britney.

that girl has definitely made a comeback. back in the 90s i hated her. but now i just gotta hand it to her. some of her new beats are really sick--and that is just insane coming from someone who grew up in a ghetto. (DC baybeee!) but anyway. it seems i'm not the only one welcoming britney spears back to the scene. i just hope she doesn't do another movie. her best platform is still the radio.

now let me tell you...the radio music awards is just right around the corner. it's the first one of its kind here in the philippines and i'm really excited about it. i've got a nod in the best pop female category for my rendition of "if you're not the one." i don't even want to say anything more about that. i don't want to jinx it! but you can help me win people's choice award by logging on to http://www.radiomusicawards.com.ph/vote.html. i'm apparently also going to be a presenter. i don't know yet for what award but that's going to be fun. i've never presented anything except powerpoints.

ok. i'm going to read this a couple days from now and realize how many things i forgot to mention. but it's past midnight, and along with dieting i have promised to sleep earlier. it's all about being healthy. weee! let's see how long that lasts. if you are reading this, which is pretty evident that you are, i would like to wish you a gust of happiness and an exquisite day. don't let the rain getcha feeling down!

just between you and me

i know i usually write entries based on "the story of an aspiring artist" yada yada yada...but right now i just want to be dianne. i don't normally do this because i am a very private person and this blog is a very public one. but enough of the disclaimer. i just thought i'd share my thoughts on some things because i know a lot of people will be able to relate.

i've been listening to a lot of my friends' stories lately, or to be more specific, their misadventures in love. i see a lot of common elements in these stories, and i'm sorry to say, the woes begin when people stop using their heads. my parents always said to me, "use your head, not your heart." but ofcourse like most girls i'd always use my heart. and i got myself in a stupid mess recently because of this. but now i remember the words of an old friend:

be true to your heart, not through intelligence but through wisdom. for some people say "use your head, not your heart." i say "use your wisdom and feel your heart."

you can't be in a relationship if all you use is your heart, because based on all these stories and own experiences, you won't be able to make the right choices. you won't be able to see if he's treating you wrong. you won't be able to hear if he's lying to you. or worse, you'll convince yourself that he's right for you.

on the other hand, it would be equally lethal to be in a relationship wherein everything is calculated. to find love that is amazing and beautiful, you need to take risks. i'm not saying do it blindfolded; i'm just saying let yourself fall. but throughout that journey you should be wise enough to make the decisions to be in a healthy relationship.

it's funny how i can say all these things and give my friends the most logical advice, but when it comes to my own troubles, i'm clueless. i left prince charming because i wanted to stop being a damsel in distress. then i fell for a jack who woke up one day and realized i simply wasn't in his cards. now prince charming wants to rescue me but i just want to rescue myself. i want to be whole on my own.

so how's that for breaking out of my shell.

i'm not going to fear the future anymore. and neither should you. but we won't be able to see that future if we keep repeating the mistakes of our past. so for everyone who is stuck in a rut, it's time to find a way out of it. sunny days ahead! you won't wanna miss it.

Blurbs and Blurts (say THAT five times fast)

I've had only one meal the entire day, it's now almost 10 in the evening, and I'm not hungry. If you knew me at all you would KNOW that that's really strange. I could pass for anorexic in some countries based on appearance alone, but in reality I eat like a pig. Today maybe not so much. Blah blah blah blah blah...

Moving on to slightly more interesting things.

This Wednesday I'm going to do a live chat on MYX.TV. I was told it would be from 3 P.M. to 5 P.M. so I guess it'll be two hours long? Oh my gawd people are gonna get bored with me. I suppose if people run out of questions (or if NO people sign up), I could always just read a Twilight book out loud. Any suggestions on which one? I actually only liked the first one. After that I was all like..."Jacob Shmacob. Bella you are an idiot. " Hopefully the last installment will be a good read. I'm going to start it tomorrow. But yeah I am getting REALLY off topic. MYX.TV live chat. If this piques your curiosity at all, even if it is only to ask prank questions (--THAT would be interesting--), then please log on to the following site for more info:
http://phil.myx.tv/Default.aspx?tabid=364

Also happening this Wednesday is Vintage Soul. A lot of people have been asking when I'd return with a new episode and I'm hoping those people will read this blog. Coz I have no idea how else to tell you guys. =p Tune in to Wave 891 at 8 P.M. this Wednesday (and the Wednesdays after that) while you're stuck in traffic or doing whatever. I have a lot of nice songs lined up for this month...songs that have really touched me the past few weeks...and I'm really looking forward to sharing them with you. :) Corny moment. Sorry.

Aaaaand last but not least, if you wanna catch me live I'll be singing at a friend's bar in San Juan on Wednesday. Yes, it's all apparently happening on Wednesday. Guitar idol Gigi Arcay will be joining me so I know it'll be a fun night. Bring your friends and happy faces to BELA BAR right along P. Guevarra Street in Greenhills. If you know where North Park is, it's reeaally close to that. The show will start at 9 P.M.

Hmmm...lack of food in my system makes me crabby. Speaking of crabs I am sooo looking forward to my seafood dinner tomorrow. Thank God for my friends. I'll be back with a bubblier post next time. =D See ya!

Party Like It's 2999

Wow. Is it 2009 already? I can still remember when people would say "Party like it's 1999" and it was a general idea that by the year 2000 human teleportation would have been possible. Seriously. What ever happened to that? Oh yeah and people thought the world would come to an end. But hey...a decade later and we're still here. Although this time it isn't some far-out Y2K bug threatening our existence; it's global warming. And it's a closer problem than we think. But oh my goodness I'm not really writing about global warming; I'm just looking at how far we've come. And on some alien planet someone is probably laughing at me right now. (sigh.) Anyway...

In January, people often like to look back on the past year. Do their countdowns and top ten lists and whatnots. But I suppose right now I just want to look ahead. This month--this YEAR actually--started with such a blast and I was catapulted into this completely different space, which I'm sure was there all along, but I had just been on a different plane. I know now that this is where I'm supposed to be and I can say I'm happy.

On January 4, the product of several months' of butt-busting came to be in the charity show Red Letter Night. It all started one idle afternoon when I thought to myself, "I need to do something useful in my life." From there I began gathering my contacts, establishing new ones, and at more than one point going door-to-door either soliciting sponsorships or promoting the event. In the end, my lineup included my personal favorites Julianne, Miguel Escueta, The Out of Body Special, 3rd Avenue, and Thor. Special appearances were also made by Eri Neeman, Caren Mangaran, and Ramon Bautista, with hosts Atom Ungson and Mica Froilan! :)


With the help of my family and friends I was able to raise P50,000 for the Philippine National Red Cross. Thank you to everyone who helped make it happen! It was a great way to start the new year.

Just a few days after the charity show, I escaped to the States for the shortest but SWEETEST vacation ever. It had been seven years since the last time I was there so you can just imagine the fun I had. I watched a musical on Broadway, discovered the beauty and complexity of the Subway with my two best buds, ate at Serendipity with even more friends, visited the latest art exhibit in DC, went to Target, Wal-Mart, and CVS (hahaha!) AND ate at Taco Bell, P.F. Chang's, and IHOP!!! And I'm sure with my terrible memory I was only able to list half of the fun.


The day of my return to the Philippines, I wrapped up my Robinsons mall tour at Galleria. Let me just say my body clock was sooo confused (still is up to this day) but it was so worth it. After the show people came up to me with not just my latest CD but both of them...and they were telling me how they loved the songs and they would listen to them with their sweethearts. It was just so heartwarming to hear all the positive feedback and it didn't make me feel so tired afterwards. So for that I just gotta say...Thank you to everyone who made me feel quite at home again.

To cap off the month, I'll be taping some shows for MYX tomorrow. It's always fun to be with the MYX crew so I'm really looking forward to it. Ooh and I get to meet the new VJs! :D So yeah...I'll let you guys know when those shows are going to air...and I'll also post my February gigs soon. I hope you are having as much fun as I am with...well, life. If not, it's time to make a change! Shrug off that negative energy and welcome all things positive. (I had to have that Dr. Phil moment just right there...Even though I am absolutely allergic to Dr. Phil. But yeah.) HAPPY 2009 TO ALL!