ordinary day

chapter two

I did tell you that I’m an assistant personal manager. But what do I actually do? Well, it’s not as easy to describe. First, I’m an assistant, so that means I still report to the personal manager. That’s Cindy, the lady I was speaking to awhile ago. Second, I work at a management company called Polaris International, which means, I manage the activities and schedules of artists, singers and the other celebrities under contract with Polaris. My job is like a cross between a spokesperson, a personal secretary and a slave. Fun, huh? In some parts, my job is exciting. I mean, I get to work with celebrities, talk to them, smile at them, party with them. The spokesperson part is when the media or fans ask about them and I get to answer on his/her behalf if he/she is unavailable for comment. I also get to be in every show, performance, press conferences and other activities my star clients have to attend. However, because of that I have to cater to ‘all their needs’ or they become unhappy, rebellious, impatient, snippy, intolerant and at times, cruel. This is where the slave part comes in. Since I’m the one beside them, they tend to channel both their positive and negative (usually) vibes to me. When they’re hungry, it’s my job to call for some refreshments. If they don’t like what they’re wearing, it’s my job to find one that would make them look good. If they’re lazy, I’m the one who faces the wrath of the producers and directors when I have to explain his/her absence on the set or the studio. I organize which activities my clients go to but I still have to pass it to Cindy for her approval. Cindy, on the other hand, reviews the schedule of activities I made and approves them. Moreover, Cindy is the one who talks to advertisers, show producers and negotiates the contracts of our star clients.

So here I am, three days after my fainting episode and I’m still thinking about Stan. I’m sitting here at the back of Malinda’s photo shoot for Bloom cosmetics, pretending to look interested while I’m actually just doodling away in my ever reliable blue notebook. We’ve been here since 9 in the morning and as I woke up late (as usual), I barely had time to take a shower and get dressed and run to this building, and so I only had a piece of bagel to eat on my way to work. It’s already 12.30 pm and my stomach is noisily grumbling for food. I looked at Malinda posing prettily at the cameras and hoped that the photo session will be finished soon or I’ll go crazy.

Twenty minutes later, the photographer finally wrapped up the photo shoot. I closed my notebook and shoved it inside my bag as I stood up and went over the refreshments table to get a bottle of mineral water. I then proceeded to where Malinda was being fussed over by the makeup artists.

“Here Malinda. Have a drink.” I handed her the bottled water which Malinda quickly accepted with a beaming smile.
“Thanks, Anne.” Malinda then opened the cap and drank the water.
I turned my gaze to the makeup artists and said, “Great work, Sandy. You do wonders with your artistic skills.”
Sandy replied, “Just doing my job, Anne.” She then continued fixing Malinda up.
I smiled at Malinda and said, “Malinda, after Sandy fixes your makeup, you can take a break and have lunch. Your next schedule will be at Mega Shopping Mall, 3pm for the ‘Loving You’ fan meeting.”
“Okay. Will you be going with me?”
“Oh, no. I have to go back to the office and prepare for Shane’s press conference at 5pm. Andrea will take care of you there.’
“Okay. Thanks.” Malinda answered.
“Then, Malinda and Sandy,” I continued, “I’ll leave you two here while I call up the driver to meet us in front of the building, okay?”
“Sure.” Malinda and Sandy replied.

I said goodbye to the rest of the crew and went down. Using my cell phone, I called up Rudy and asked him to meet us in front of the building. In five minutes, Rudy arrived with the van while Malinda and Sandy came out after ten more minutes. We all got in and the van took off.
“Where shall Rudy drop you off, Malinda?”
“At Nobu, two blocks from here. I’m meeting Carla and April there for lunch.”
“Okay.”
The van pulled over to Nobu’s entrance and I opened the door for Malinda.
“Malinda, Rudy will pick you up by 2pm with Andrea and you’ll go to Mega, okay?” I reminded her.
“Alright. See you later!” Malinda got off and strode inside the restaurant where her two co-stars were waiting.

I closed the door and told Rudy to go back to the office.
When we reached the office, Sandy and I headed to the canteen and had checked out the food. As we were both hungry after the early morning activity, we opted to have lunch at the McDonald’s, which was just to the left of the building. We then ordered our usual Cheeseburger meal and sat down at the nearest available.
“Whew! What a long morning that was!” Sandy exclaimed, while unwrapping her burger and taking a big bite.
“Yes, I know what you mean. I was so sleepy and bored to death during the entire photo shoot.” I replied.
“And you were almost late. What happened?” Sandy asked.
“Ahh.. I couldn’t sleep last night so I ended watching a marathon of Jim Carrey movies on HBO. I finally dozed off around 3 am already.”
“So that was it. I thought you had a date of something that kept you up all night.” Sandy winked at me.
“Oh how I wish that was the case.” I replied.
“Why? Still pining over that lousy ex-boyfriend of yours?”
“No. I’m over him.”
Sandy rolled her eyes. “Yeah, right, Anne. If I know, you spent the entire night moping and crying over that jerk that’s why you couldn’t sleep.”
“No, I didn’t mope around last night...well, a little, but I definitely did not cry. I’m way past the crying stage already. I’m in the self-denial/angry stage already.”
“Hello, Anne. This is me, Sandy, your best friend since 6th grade? Of course you did, you’re too nice and too innocent to not mope around and cry. I tell you, get over him and find another guy.”

Just like she said, we’ve known each other since we were young. Since my surname is Lee and Sandy’s is Lennox, we spent most of the time seated next to each other in class. We both sucked at math and science and excelled at art classes. We love the smell of coffee and would hang out at coffee shops after class. In college, Sandy studied at a fashion school while I majored in marketing in a nearby college. Being an only child, I treat Sandy not only as my best friend but also the sister I wish I had. We tell each other secrets like experiencing our first kisses, Sandy, winning the junior arts festival painting competition in high school, and me winning the local prom queen title in senior high school. We’ve comforted each other through bad hair days, painful breakups and even deaths in the family (like when I lost my dad three years ago to a freak accident and Sandy losing her grandmother last year to cancer). The only thing we don’t share in our taste in men. Sandy has been going out with her boyfriend, Peter, since second year in college while I’ve had 2 serious relationships and 1 summer fling during the same period.

“I don’t know why I can’t seem to find the right guy.” I started.
“I mean, the guys I meet start out to be really nice and sweet and then once they become my boyfriend, they slowly change from sweeties to cheaters, liars and assholes.”
“Then that just means that they weren’t really nice at all. They were just pretending to be nice to get your attention. It’s because you’re too sweet and too nice.”
“Is being sweet and nice that awful? You make me sound like some naïve girl who’s easy to get.”
“You’re not easy to get. Just... I don’t know.. don’t be too trusting with guys. They’ll take what they want and leave you hurting all over.”

“Jeez... you’re lucky Peter is so adoring and faithful. By the way, how are the wedding preparations going?”
Sandy perked up. “It’s going well. I’ve already ordered the flowers and I’ve reserved the St. Joseph Chapel in 23rd Street. Tomorrow, I’m going to the designer to fit my wedding gowns and this weekend, I’m finalizing arrangements for the reception at the Palace. You are going with me to the food tasting right?”
“Of course, anything food-related, I won’t pass up.” I eagerly replied.
“How about your gown? Have you been to my designer for fitting?” Sandy asked.
“Not yet. I’m this next few days. Maybe next week.”
Sandy put down her drink. “I thought you said you went there last weekend?”
“I said, I was planning to go there last weekend, but Cindy called me up to help out in Zoey’s album launching party which took the whole day, so I had to cancel my fitting.”
“My wedding is four months, Anne. I don’t my maid of honor’s gown to look like it was rushed. You know that Monique’s time is precious. She needs at least 3 months to finish her designs. You have to fit your gown by next week, okay?” Sandy scolded me.
“Okay. I promise. Relax.”

We finished our lunch and were walking back to the office. “By the way,” Sandy asked, “what are you doing tonight?”
“Hm, Shane’s press con finishes around 7pm then I’m free. What are you thinking?” I replied.
“Well, after Malinda’s fan meeting, Andrea will be free too. Wanna watch a movie? I heard that new Star Trek movie is really good.
“Count me in!”
“Great. I’ll see you then!” We went inside the elevator and pressed the 7th and 15th floor. I waved Sandy goodbye when got off at the 7th floor and I was the only one left inside the elevator.

When it reached the 8th floor, the door opened and to my dismay, I saw my jerk-of-an-ex-boyfriend get in and pressed the 18th floor.
I did tell you that I and the jerk worked at the same office right? Oh, no? I guess me wishing him to disappear didn’t work. Well, it would never work anyways, as he is one of the more popular music producers in the company. Let’s just call him “that Jerk Music Producer”.
At least I saw him flinch a bit when he saw me inside the elevator. Even if that two timing cheater dumped me, I can still elicit a small reaction from him.
I tried to look everywhere but him while he was obviously uncomfortable standing beside me in that cramped space.
After going up one level, he finally broke the ice.
“How are you Anne?” he asked without looking at me.
What do you think jerk? “I’m doing well, thank you.” I curtly answered.
More silence. Two levels up and he said, “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
Yeah right. “Hey. It was good while it lasted.” I shrugged, pretending to feel nonchalant while inside, I can feel tears threatening to spill over if he keeps this sorry-I-never-meant-to-hurt-you stance.
He had the gall to smile that blasted heartbreaking smile that used to make my knees go weak when he replied, “Yeah. It was really good. We had lots of fun.” He looked at me through the reflection of the elevator door.
That bastard. “But not good enough that I was dumped for a prettier younger girl right?” I saw his smile fall a little, realizing that his charm that used to get him everything at me was no longer working. I was too hurt to feel charmed right now.
“You’ve had your fun and now it’s time to move on to someone more gullible enough to believe your lies right?”
As the elevator slowly reached my floor, my confidence was rising and I can see his smile slowing fading and his face turning uneasy.
“What we had was real, Anne. I swear to you. I meant everything I said back then. You’re special to me, Anne. Until now. I’ll never find anyone like you.
When the elevator opened, I looked at him straight in the eye.
“Yes. I’m special and you’ll never find anyone like me because I’m the only one out there and too bad you lost me.” I got out of the elevator. “Have a nice life.” I turned my back on him and walked straight to the third door to the right. I went inside, closed the door and breathed a sigh of relief. Whew! You did it, Anne. You’re moving on.
I stayed inside the restroom for a few minutes, washing up before heading to Room 1505, where Cindy, Shane and his manager will be in a half an hour.

_____

cappuccino.two

real american heroes

when you're young and you have 2 older brothers and the only girl in the family, you tend to follow your brothers' every move. i played boy games like hide and seek, wrestling moves, and instead of barbies (i did have 1 barbie), i got to play with action figures - from M.A.S.K to He-man to Mr T to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and to GI Joe. I don't really remember much about the cartoon.. all I remember is that my cousins and my brothers collected GI Joe action figures... Being a typical girl, instead of playing barbie and ken, i matched up the girl joes to the guy joes.. duke and scarlet, lady jane and hawk.. etc..

Then a few months ago.. i heard that GI Joe will get it's own live action movie.. How happy I was. most of my friends who are around my age remembers GI joe so we were psyched to watched it. It was a sure hit just like the Transformers. The film is directed by Stephen Sommers, produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura and written by Stuart Beattie based on a 1998 screenplay by John Paul Kay. The film was released on August 7, 2009.

From the Egyptian desert, the elite G.I. Joe team with the latest in next-generation spy and military equipment will go against the corrupt arms dealer Destro and the growing menace from the mysterious Cobra organization to dispute them from plunging the world into chaos.

The movie stars a well known cast led by Dennis Quaid (Hawk) and includes Channing Tatum (Duke), Marlon Wayans (Ripcord), Sienna Miller (Baroness), Ray Park (Snake Eyes), Joseph Gordon Levitt (Cobra Commander) and Korean heartthrob Lee Byung Hun (Storm Shadow). It also features supermodel Karolina Kurkova (Covergirl) and Brendan Fraser (Sgt Stone). I think the actors were well cast, though Channing Tatum and Karolina Kurkova, despite their hotness, needs more improvement in acting. Marlon Wayans was funny and he had great chemistry with Scarlet. Sienna Miller is more popular being a fashionista and Jude Law's ex, but she was pretty good in the movie. I wish Brendan Fraser had more lines in the film. I'm used to watching Lee Byung Hun as the dramatic actor in tragic korean dramas like Beautiful Days and All In, so it was fun seeing him more of a bad guy, but he had the same stony look in practically every scene (his English was not bad though). I love Dennis Quaid i think he fit perfectly as Hawk, but what happened to his cute trademark grin? His grin was more of a smirk all throughout the movie.

The 2 hour movie had so much effects and so action packed, everyone was riveted to the big screens the whole time. Every scene had car chases, GI joes fighting, blasting their techie weapons, and big explosions. It was so much fun to watch because it actually had a story to go with the action, was fast paced and did not drag. The cast worked well together and their lines were funny (though sometimes, Baroness' attempts to humor fell flat). Overall, a great action movie for everyone to enjoy.

I wish they included Flint, Gung Ho and Lady Jaye but the ending hinted at a sequel (and I read that Dennis Quaid signed on for 2 more sequels) so hopefully more GI joe characters will be included in the sequels!

girl groups dominate the summer airwaves

another two weeks have passed and i've got a new set of kpop videos for everyone to enjoy! the recent months have seen the dominance of various girl groups in korea and this week's no different.

let's start with cutie girl group KARA with their new single "Wanna".. the song is nothing new, and sounds like any of their recent songs.. but it's still catchy..


next is Brown Eyed Girls who decided to gain more attention by switching from sweet retro look to sexy dominatrix look for their new album. This song is the second single off their new album and is called "Abracadabra".


last is the much hyped T-ara (or Tiara) with "Lies". There are two versions of this song. Here's the dance version.


and here's the ballad version.

Jay Chou Cast as Kato in The Green Hornet | /SlashFilm

Columbia Pictures has confirmed that Taiwanese star Jay Chou (Curse of the Golden Flower ) has been cast as Kato in The Green Hornet. Stephen Chow had been previously attached to the role, but departed from the project shortly after stepping down from the director’s chair. Official press release after the jump.



THE GREEN HORNET™” GETS HIS KATO IN TAIWANESE SUPERSTAR JAY CHOU

CULVER CITY, Calif., August 7, 2009 – After a worldwide search, Jay Chou, the multi-hyphenate singer-actor and a star throughout Asia, has joined the cast of Michel Gondry’s The Green Hornet in the iconic role of Kato, it was announced today by Doug Belgrad and Matt Tolmach, presidents of Columbia Pictures.

Michel Gondry, the film’s director, added, “Jay is incredibly unique and charming and fights like a wild dog! When I filmed him next to Seth, they had such great chemistry, and I knew the movie will be great.”

Chou said, “It’s an overwhelming experience to take on a role made famous by Bruce Lee. I won’t try to be Bruce Lee’s Kato – I will try to bring my own interpretation to the part. Of course, it’s a dream role, and I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

A classic character of film, television, radio, and comic books returns to the big screen in Columbia Pictures’ feature film The Green Hornet, starring Seth Rogen as the vigilante crime-fighter. The film will be directed by Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) from a screenplay written by Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg (Superbad, Pineapple Express), based upon “The Green Hornet” radio series created by George W. Trendle, and produced by Neal H. Moritz (The Fast and the Furious). The film is slated for release summer 2010.

A pop-star phenomenon throughout Asia, JAY CHOU brings unexpected gravity and depth to his acting roles. Born Chou Chieh-Lun in Taiwan, 1979, Chou began playing the piano at age four. His mother supported his musical gifts and he went on to master piano and cello. Music, songwriting, and basketball dominated his high school days, and he was first noticed in 1998 when a friend sang one of his pop compositions on a TV talent contest, accompanied by Jay on piano. Alfa Music launched Jay’s career, first as a tunesmith and then as a singer. In 2000, his debut album “Jay” quickly propelled him to stardom with numerous hits. His unique musical style is a fresh-sounding fusion of eastern and western traditions featuring strong lyrics and a personal style of storytelling.

With his soulful voice and infectious tunes, his second album, “Fantasy,” and seven subsequent albums, have continued to win legions of fans young and old throughout Asia. He has been the best-selling Mandarin artist in the world for the past nine years, with a busy performance schedule touring Asia and North America and numerous music industry awards.

Apart from many music videos, Jay began film acting in a starring role in Initial D (2005), a comedy-action hit in China. In 2006, he starred opposite Chow Yun-Fat and Gong Li in Zhang Yimou’s The Curse of the Golden Flower. Since then, he starred in Kung Fu Dunk, and made his directorial debut and starred in Secret. He will next be seen in the Chinese film Ci Ling and in Yuen Woo-Ping’s True Legend.

http://www.slashfilm.com/2009/08/07/jay-chou-cast-as-kato-in-the-green-hornet/

jason mraz - live at Today show

here's jason mraz during the today show 8/7/09

Singing "Make it mine"


"The Remedy"


and my fave song.. "I'm Yours"


what a great way to start the morning.. listening to Jason Mraz live! I wish i was there!

monthsary

it's been a month since i've started blogging and i am still trying to get used to it. i still don't know how to put up widgets and more fun items in my blog.. i'm still trying to look for a better theme for my blog (i'm not really a fan of blue).. i'm still trying to organize my thoughts on what to blog and how to blog. should i focus on certain topics only or do i continue rambling on whatever interests me? do i start blogging professionally or do i continue just writing whatever words that come to my mind? hm.. i dont know.. but im having fun blogging. so hopefully whoever is reading my blog will go along and have fun with me :)

goodbye tita cory

today is a sad day for our country as former president cory aquino passed away this morning.

i'm not a big fan of hers and she was heavily criticized during her administration, but she was a woman of integrity and courage. a great source of inspiration for everyone. she rose to the challenge and succeeded in leading the country away from the strict marcos regime into a new dawn of philippine politics and democracy. one of the first female presidents in the whole world. you just have to admire her influence. she may be gone but her spirit and story will live on and will forever be known as one of the greatest icons in philippine history.

goodbye and rest in peace!