The Prologue

n. simply something the author would like the reader to know that is not part of the body of work

In an attempt to write a full-blown novel and add “novelist” to the list of my titles, I present to you “Angst’s Pen,” a suspense/thriller/drama/romance novel that I myself also has no idea what will happen next to the main characters: Danny (the widower); Rob (the best and the bad friend of Danny); and Jane (Danny’s wife).

For the rest of the year, this is the only thing exCOMMUNICADO offers for the readers. Please bear with me.

What makes this story unique is that even I don’t know how to end it.

And I write only when I’m holding the pen of angst.

It means I don’t write everyday; I write when I am angry.

It will really help if you will subscribe here so you will be notified when a new chapter is up.

Read and imagine. Start here.

The exCOMMUNICADO thanks you.

Someday this will be published in a paperback. Be the first ones to read and comment on my first masterpiece. J.S

Katy Perry and her Manila Dreams

I am no fan of Katy Perry but my sister is. I love buying her past issues of magazines with Katy on the cover and I know she loves me for the rest of her life. Accompany her buy anything strawberries and take a picture of her with anything Katy Perry will make her def happy for an entire year.

And so during her self-proclaimed “Katy Perry Weekend” last January 21-22, 2012, I trusted her my (Kevin and I’s) Canon A2200 and let her capture the best moments of her life.. with her ultimate love, Katy.

I love her and I just loved how Kevin said I look like her a lot in her photo with Ms. Perry. Proves that I’m her sister. She’s damn popular now (lots of fans have been cropping their photo for their perusal).

And just during dinner I told her, “the next best thing to your Katy Perry experience is a kiss from her.. on the lips. ;)

So behold what made her–and our Manila Dreams looked like as it unfolds.. sleep or no sleep. :)

Standing on the Silver line at 3 in the afternoon

Yes, we’re positively early for the concert, although my friends said 2 of them will come at 5pm and one will come by 8pm. Hell yeah, I need to go close to the Silver barricade. It’s still P1,620 ($36) I paid for. I’d stand but not that far. I want to see Katy in the flesh, not on the screen.

This curtain was all we get to see for 4 friggin hours

Yeah, the concert was terribly delayed. And we can’t pee, fearing the concert might start anytime and people will surely kill just to squeeze themselves in front. So I traded my bladder for Katy Perry. Like for 7 hours?

Then at around 10 in the evening, THIS.

Hell yeah, Katy Perry was more than worth it. Seeing her for the first time (though she’s an inch small if seen from the Silver area) can launch thousands of Filipinos to the moon. Surreal is an understatement. Her production peeps have done a great job. Her costume designer, even better. She–Katy–is astounding.

But to our disappointment, Filipinos weren’t too loud. The girl in front of us kept texting her boyfriend that she’s enjoying (she even wrote “Woohoo” when in fact she never moved from her place) and others were busy camcording the concert instead of enjoying its “LIVE-ness.” I’m so sorry, Katy, DJ Skeet Skeet for the minimal response and silent treatment that you never deserve.

Sweaty, pee-ful, and thirsty... Thanks to my girls who stood with me for x hours. <3

But I swear, me and my friends (Pia, Meng, and Mavic) were the wildest four people in the 25,000 that night. I enjoyed singing every song and I would jump like there were no feet around me. Like I’m so free. Katy Perry released the tigers and wild boars in us. Esp during Peacock, E.T., Firework, and California Girls. Tears almost rolled during Not Like The Movies and The One That Got Away. Katy will cry anytime, became my mantra.

Meet my sisss, Katy Perry's biggest fan. :)

And so back to my sister, since she was lucky to have a Gold ticket, we met after the concert and I felt how happy she was. Great thing I gave her my camera, she took great videos that she can replay and keep forever. It was really heck of a day to bond for us. :)

Lo and behold, Katy Perry's limo (which at first I thought, a decoy)

And as the night ended, we saw this limo beating the EDSA traffic and we ran into it like obsessed fans and then thought it was just a decoy and easily lost our interest to it when I thought half of the concert-goers ran towards it (making me think of a scene in Dawn of The Dead). The next day, news confirmed it’s Katy’s limo, right.

Me: "To Republiq or Not To Republiq?" That was the question. We made the right answer. ;)

This was quite the most difficult moment of the night. Prior the concert, I’ve been coordinating with Republiq, about Katy Perry’s after party. And they confirmed that yes, they can let everyone enter til they reach the maximum limit, that yes, you can’t buy tickets but there’ll be door charge starting at 10pm, and that yes, Katy will be there. So after the concert, at around 12AM and my bladder was about to explode, I asked my sister (and my I-want-a-photo-with-Katy-too self) if we’ll still go to Republiq or not. We decided not to, because we’re freakin tired from all the standing and screaming and waiting. God forbid, the next day, Katy did not come to Republiq. :)

And that's my sisss over there, using our Canon A2200 right there... "...lil girls dream do come true" - Katy Perry

And as what I’ve been telling my sister over and over until now, “you’re the luckiest Katycat in the world.” :)

That’s my sister over there! And her very arm–that I can possibly touch right now) is on Katy Perry’s clavicle. :)

Manila. Katy Perry. Live.

Thank you, Katy Perry for making our dreams come true. You are worth the wait.

Til next time, let me quote you, “Someone mentioned, should we go back to Manila, and I said “Hell, yes.

Katy Perry, Manila loves you! <3

#ItsMoreFunInThePhilippines

As my first entry for 2012, I have decided to support our Department of Tourism’s latest campaign #ItsMoreFunInThePhilippines. I don’t care if it was a rip-off of a former Swiss tourism slogan, but I believe in the ‘more fun’ part of our new slogan.

Little did you know, aside from writing and reading, I gained interest in photography. They say that ‘it is in the camera’ so if you don’t have a camera, you’re not a photographer. Makes sense, yeah, but I believe it’s actually what’s on the mind of the photographer for immortalizing the moment by clicking the shutter.

So here I present some of my captured moments during our family trip up north in Baguio City, during the first blow of 2012 with the inspiration of the new tourism campaign, #ItsMoreFunInThePhilippines. Tadah!

This was just a 'tsamba' (lucky) shot from inside the van, don't you just love the font?

Of my three trips to Baguio, this was the first time we went through Kennon Road. Kiss the lion's head, they say. :*

A photo taken inside the van, the overcrowded homes ala Rio de Janeiro at the mountains of Benguet.

This is my favorite photo so far. Made three wishes inside as it was my first time to go inside the Baguio Cathedral.

Strawberry-picking! The activity we loved the most! :) A first time!

First time to have a jump shot at the Mansion. More of like walking on the moon.

I don't know what plant this is but it really did catch my attention when were at the Botanical Garden. If I were to name it, it would be Periwinkle Blush.

But the best part of being in Baguio was sharing the foggy, cold atmosphere with my beloved cousins. <3

Baguio City in the Benguet Province is indeed a special place to me. I’ve been there with friends, with work mates, and now with my family. I swear I will build a house in Baguio someday. It’s more fun in Baguio than Manila. ;)

Last words, I am proud of my country. Indeed, it is more fun here than anywhere else in the world. If I were to choose where to be born, despite a Chief Justice on Trial, or Ondoys and Sendongs, I will always and forever choose Philippines.

I am a Filipina, for the Filipinos, at the Philippines. I will die serving my people.#

 

Photos above taken using Canon Powershot A2200. Only Paint software was used to add text to the photos. No photo enhancement was done to all photos. Copyright (c) 2012 by Judy Marie C. Santiago. 

Dear David Beckham

Dear David Beckham,

I remember during Prince William and Princess Kate’s wedding, you were there with the ever-stunning Victoria Beckham. Your name rings a bell but I don’t really  know that you are so goddamn famous and that you look holy.

Fast forward, I eavesdropped that you’re coming to MNL. And you and the LA Galaxy in all its glory will conduct a football clinic with the BnJ Futbol Club supported by Bantay Bata 163. I died.

Of course, there’ll be a reporter to interview you for the football clinic story and at the moment I eavesdropped about it, I know God will make it be me.

And so God did. It was so nice to see you, you with something on your hair that makes you look like *blasphemy aside* Jesus Christ with a crown of thorns. This imagination of mine is terrible but yes, I feel a bit of Christ in you. That’s not bad, right?

You are all awesome and saint-like as you play with the kids, teach them your tactics, tell them what to do though they don’t understand your language. You are holy.

And I didn’t get the chance to ask you the questions I ever so prepared the whole week. My co-reporter even wanted to ask how you handle failures. But I guess you never fail after all.

This letter may be exaggerated, but hey, this is my heart speaking to you.

Dear David, you are heavenly.

Not only because of how you resemble the Christ we came to know, or because of your perfectly-sculpted body, but because you love the Filipino children.

I love the Filipino children. You love them. And so, I love you.

I love you because I felt how happy you were playing with Filipinos who want to be like you.. whose dreams came true because you came here.

I asked one BnJ football player, if he’s happy to have met you.

He said, “Grabeng saya po namin.” (We are very happy.)

Thank you so much for giving hope to the poor football aspirants, Dear David.  When you come back, I hope I’ll be as great as Dyan Castillejo so I can ask you even just four questions. Thank you, David Beckham and the rest of the LA Galaxy! :)