The Big Oh for Audie

My good friend and brother Audie Gemora is celebrating a milestone birthday today, at least in Philippine time - not quite yet here in the US but I couldn't wait to send his greetings.

I wanted to take the time to thank him for all that he's been to me - mentor, acting coach, director, choreographer, fellow castmember, churchmate, cheerer, sounding board, eating and movie buddy, true friend and big brother. Audie (along with Ninong Freddie Santos) was very instrumental in helping me develop as an artist and as a person by being a big brother from the time I was seventeen. He is one of those I can trust to gently tell the truth no matter how it hurts because he truly cares. Audie and I even shared a house, albeit at different durations. He moved into my place from Greenhills when I decided to move to Makati.

Auds, thank you for being there for me when times were light and, especialy when they were dark. I haven't seen you in years but know that you will always be one of the dearest persons in my life. I hope you have a beautiful and memorable birthday. May your cup runneth over as you mark this golden milestone. Love you, my brother.

Isang Gabi, Walang Magawa Si P

I discovered the site when a friend asked me to listen to her rendition of a few songs. I decided to try it out! So, I put on the best jazz voice I could muster and went for it.

Missed lyrics, timing and pitch problems but what the heck, it was fun! Halata bang na mi miss ko nang kumanta? Mwahahaha!

Our Madonna on Britain's Got Talent

Oh, anong say n'yo, mga kapatid???



Go, Mado! Ang luha ko umagos ha!

We'll be praying for you. :)

Leaving Comfort Zones, Embracing Change

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain

I've loved this quote for years and have often chewed on it. But years before I read it, I instinctively knew that change was something I had to welcome and embrace. Somehow, I had drummed it into my brain early in life to use change as a means to explore as many open doors as I can. My circuitry shorts at the thought of “What ifs.” “At least, I tried…” is a more satisfying musing for me, whether I failed at the endeavor or not. Whenever I get too comfortable and life’s humming along, I wonder sometimes what I’m missing out on. That’s when I try to stir the pot and see what comes up – a new hobby, a new place to see, and a new opportunity. I never close a door to a possibility until I feel that I’ve fully explored it.

In my late twenties – I was living in a Makati city condo, had a full-time live-in maid, working in a great-paying job, very comfortably entrenched in my family, social and work circles. I was getting a lot of singing and acting jobs, had another steady job and had an incredible network where I had a good standing.

Then change presented itself – an incident happened at work and I quit the following day for integrity’s sake. No matter, I trusted that God had a handle on everything. Besides, I thought I could better focus on my gigs. A few weeks later, a friend of mine told me that her sister, a huge Disney Exec, was asking for recommendations for representatives from the Philippines for a Millennium project that they were doing. She warned me that I was overqualified for the position and the pay wasn’t big but she thought she’d run it through me because she knew that I wanted a short break from hectic Manila life and live and work somewhere else for a couple years. “What the heck...” I thought. This was an opportunity I would truly wonder about all my life if I didn’t do it. Pondering on that and the other things it would have led to would have been utter torture for me. I figured that if I didn’t like suburban Florida, I could always go back to Manila and re-enter its lively, cosmopolitan scene.

So off I went, leaving everything that was comfortable and went to a place where I had little money, no family support, no social network or standing and a totally different way of living. It was tough adjusting in the beginning and breaking the stereotypical myths people thought about me and where I come from, but I didn’t care much as I still had the adventure I intended to have. I had my few sad moments but they were outweighed by my discovery of who I truly was outside all the influences I had been living under all my life. I saw the kind of person that I was even when no one was watching. This was the point in my life when who I am became solidified. The greatest gain I had was growth, and in a way I never could have had I chosen to stay put.

Change is a short but much feared word. At some point, all of us want and need change and we have different attitudes towards it. There are those that are ready and itching for it, those that are fearful but curious, and those that are using every excuse not to do it - a person that they don’t want to leave, age, weather, etc. - refusing to admit, whether consciously or subconsciously, that it is fear and pride that paralyzes them from going into the unknown.

I believe that there is more to fear in not reaching our fullest potential in every way. It’s been said time and again - no pain, no gain. No risks, no rewards.

One day, we’ll look back at our lives and inevitably think of the opportunities – those that we wasted and those that we seized. Will we shrivel in regret or be bursting with thankfulness? I guess that will depend on the choices we make in the present.

President's Day Broadway Weekend

We celebrated George Washington's birthday in New York City. We took this time to do what we haven't done together in a long time - spend a weekend in Manhattan and see as many Broadway shows as we can.

We booked ourselves right in Times Square and lined up two shows to watch - The Lion King and Legally Blonde the Musical. I had seen the last on its opening week with friends, Lito and Sheila, and I had such a great time that I wanted Hubby to see it and enjoy it with him. And enjoy it, we did!

The Lion King was something we couldn't get tickets to in its first couple of years of showing so we gave up. These days, even if it still doesn't appear on the TKTS show list, it's easier to get tickets as long as you book them a few weeks in advance. Its artistry is really something to see. I've heard it talked about and to finally see it is really quite an experience.

For Wicked, we were hoping to do the lottery since we could never get tickets online for the President's Day weekend, but alas, we didn't get there on time to list our names during the matinee we were free. So, we took a chance and went to Golden Theatre to check out Avenue Q and were fortunate enough to snag a couple of tickets. Hubby loves South Park, and since the brand of humor is quite the same, you can imagine how much he (and I) laughed in this show!

Next on our list was the limited engagement of Cat On A Hot Tin Roof with Terrence Howard, James Earl Jones, Phylicia Rashad and Anika Noni Rose. However, we found out that our TheatreMania discount doesn't apply for the holiday weekend. Paying full price after already seeing three shows wasn't that appealing so we bagged the idea and just treated ourselves to a nice dinner at the original Benihana in New York.

I'm just hoping that the show's still running when we go back in May to meet up with some friends!

Good Knight, Sleep Well

I was having a conversation over the phone with our Business Support Manager and in the middle of our discussion she exclaimed, "Heath Ledger died! They found him in his apartment!" I asked her if she was sure that she wasn't pertaining to Brad Renfro who died last week. She said, "No! I'm reading it in CNN!"

At first, I was sad. Brad Renfro, the former child actor who debuted in "The Client" and Oscar nominee, Heath Ledger, both young, promising actors following the steps of that other tragic figure, River Phoenix. But the more I thought about it later on, the more mad I got rather than sad. All that talent, life, possibility, opportunity and future gone too soon because of poor choices.

Is it another case of having too much too soon? It seems to be with a lot of these young celebrities. These unnecessary deaths should serve as a warning to the others who seem to be headed down that same path. At least, something good would come out of this tragedy.

Who would have thought this Knight's tale would have such a sad ending?

Slowing Down

It's been a while, I know. I've had thoughts I wanted to write down but my schedule has been pretty intense in the last two months. Things are slowing down a bit though. Thank goodness for the holidays as people take time off and the work pace goes down half a notch. Work and show stress will be replaced by holiday shopping stress. Well, at least for a week. It's really just one thing instead of the other, I guess!

The reason for a very intense work schedule is, I am in the process of transitioning from one job to another. I have recently switched to a new role in another line of business but I'm still doing my old job until I can find a replacement. All this with one paycheck, of course! I spent a couple of days in Chicago trying to do just that early this week. Hopefully, we will have identified someone for my old role by next week because I don't know how much longer I can stay sane being stretched this way! Please, Lord, let one of the candidates I've identified be the chosen one!

As for the King and I, our show wrapped up today. Not in the way that we all would have liked it, but because of a storm that pummeled New England and the whole Northeastern US. So we had no last show nor did we have a cast party. What a shame! Hopefully, we will all get together once the holiday craziness is over to properly say our goodbyes after a great run. It was a great cast - no divas, just warm people who have good attitude. I'm certainly going to miss them!

So instead of a fun cast party to top off a great experience, Hubby and I spent half of the day digging our car out and shoveling our pathway and driveway. Being the gem that he is, Hubby went on to help a neighbor who was shoveling her long driveway after ours was done as I went in to prepare a late and hot brunch for us. He did the same for the elderly neighbor next door during Thursday's storm. Her husband just had a heart attack so she, ill with cancer, was trying to shovel the front of her house.

Leave it to my Hubby to do such heart-warming deeds despite the arctic blast. It sure warms up my winter.

We're Open

I never usually invite people to the opening night of any theatre performance, but last Friday was an exception. Aside from Hubby who's always there to support me, I had my mother-in-law, who could not watch the later shows because she was flying back to Florida, and my friend Melissa from Germany, who happened to schedule a visit the same week we were opening.

The King and I opening night went much better than I expected. We had a great crowd and an almost seamless show. The standing ovation in the end was gratifying and so was the first review that came out the following day. The critic was generous in his praise to everyone. Here's his kind snippet about me.

"Pia as Lady Thiang has a phenomenal voice. Her majestic delivery of "Something Wonderful" is breathtaking with the lyrics and music moving Anna to return to the King. Pia gives the role of the head wife the necessary backbone to reprimand Tuptim for her betrayal of the King as well as to convince Anna to stay in Siam."

Hopefully, that inspires all of us to keep peforming with the same energy in the next five weeks although I feel a bad chest cold coming on. I really hope I can recover by the time Thursday rolls in.

High and Dry

Lately, I haven't been able to focus my thoughts long enough on any particular thing to put them down in writing. It is definitely not for a lack of opinion, or emotion, or things to write about. I guess I'm just going through a dry spell. Sorting my thoughts out and putting them "on paper" is just a real effort these days.

Although the things I've mulled over the past few weeks range from general stuff like the Filipino self-esteem in terms of the Desperate Housewives brouhaha; people who don't put any value to their verbal commitments; my current involvement in the company's campaign for the United Way (non-profit); to more personal stuff like career next-steps, as I've been asked if I would consider moving to another state for the company; and analyzing motivations for a character I'm playing in a show I'm doing. I can expound on each one of these but somehow I am just not in the mood to do so.

I'm just in a rut.

Beauty Pageant Q & A

I guess we, Filipinos, don't have the monopoly on funny answers to beauty pageant questions! Miss Teen South Carolina gives her two-cents' worth on why a fifth of Americans can't locate the the US on a world map.

Poor girl. We all have our embarrassing moments, but to have it happen on national television with millions of viewers watching and at least 51 girls forever recording the event for posterity - that must not be pleasant.

The Nerve of Paris

"No! It's not right!"

Tell me, Paris. What's not right - the fact that you drove under the influence of alcohol and endangered other people's lives or the fact that you ignored the law twice after that and drove with a suspended license?

Oh, wait - you think it's not right that you're going to jail? Why is that not right? Is it because you're special? Why, you're Paris Hilton and you are above the law! Your family's wealth can buy you out of any trouble!

"I must also say that I was shocked to see all of the attention devoted to the amount of time I would spend in jail for what I had done by the media, public and city officials. I would hope going forward that the public and the media will focus on more important things like the men and women serving our country in Iraq and other places around the world."

Now suddenly, you want people to have selective attention and look the other way while you're trying to weasel your way out of serving your jail term - telling everyone to focus on "more important things"? Why, you lapped up and made money out of all the attention showered to you by people and the media before!

When are you and your buddies going to stop drinking and driving - when you've maimed and killed innocent people? Believe me, you'll live with that much longer than a 45-day jail sentence.

If you use the time right, this jail term might actually be the best thing to happen to you. I just hope your parents don't continue to mess it up for you. I hope that instead of teaching you that there is always a way to circumvent the law, that they would go buy themselves some parenting skills. They can certainly afford to do so.

Can't Wait

Tomorrow, I'm taking the early train to New York city to meet up with two close friends. It's been a very long while since the three of us were all in one place. I can't count how many shows and other kinds of gigs Sheila Francisco, Lito Villareal and I did together through the years, but there's nothing like doing something you love with people that you really enjoy being with. It forms a bond that remains unbroken by time and distance. So tomorrow, amidst New York city's background noise will be heard the same guffaws and laughter that regaled our Trumpets theatre family in Manila many years ago.

I just can't wait!!!

A Young Man's View

Meralco Theatre Backstage

A young male friend, who I think of as my little brother, wrote this. I found it to be a breath of fresh air in this age of "hook-ups" and casual sex. Today, being the day of "love", I thought I would reprint his view.

Wackie, or Joaquin Valdes to everyone in the Philippines, opens up on his views on love, dating and courtship.

WHY I'VE NEVER HAD A "REAL" RELATIONSHIP

People often ask me why I‘ve never been in a relationship. Why I’ve never committed myself into a lasting romantic engagement. Why I’ve never had a “girlfriend”. Let me attempt to encompass in this short blog the answer I’ve waited 22 years to tell. In a lot of ways, I don’t necessarily think that the answer is complete just yet, but let me share with you what I have so far. Before anything else, let me hazard a disclaimer. My thoughts are mine, share in them as you wish; but if you choose otherwise, no offense will be taken. And vice versa.

A wise person told me once that a person could grow a week in a year or a year in a week. It was always awkward for me being a kid. I always felt that I was older than I really was. I got a long with the older kids; I listened to older music and generally felt I was older than my “body”. Oftentimes I’d wish that I’d sleep at night and then wake up an adult. Kids from broken homes can probably relate. It’s that pressure to “catch up” or to “deal” and adapt to things that make us grow up faster. Meaning to say, that even if I had gone through the normal “kid” stuff like XMEN, Batman, Voltron and The Visionaries, I still felt out of place. Its strange really, because while I enjoyed these “kid” things as a kid, I was conscious that they were for “kids”. Did I lose you yet? I thought so. Basically, I grew up all too fast and was exposed to a lot of things at too early a time in my life…too early. It’s a well-known fact that people reach a point in their lives where they are “awakened” to reality; it’s just a matter of when. Now some would easily translate this to the time they found out that Santa Clause was fake or that the Tooth Fairy was actually mom. Mine was when I found out that not all moms and dads stayed together. My turning point was when I saw that Love didn’t work out the way the books or the movies said it would. The prince didn’t always rescue the princess, and sometimes the evil witch did win. I realized that Love was actually just a word that people use, it wasn’t magical, it wasn’t special, it was just a word. I realized that some people didn’t even say it all that often. I realized that some people said it a little too often. Love had become a Hallmark card, a popcorn movie, a story and a song. Love was reduced to a commodity. But as the theory says: “for every action, there exists an equal and opposite reaction.” Instead of losing hope in the whole Love thing, I figured that Love must’ve had an unadulterated version of it before we people screwed things up. Love isn’t just Romeo and Juliet, Tom and Katie, Brad and Angelina, Dao Ming Tzu and Sunshine; I realized that if my picture was limited to Shakespeare, Neruda or even Wong Kar Wai, much less to the most recent love team, then my doubting “love” would turn out true. I didn’t want that to happen. As much as I wanted my doubts about love to be true, I knew in my heart that there was much more to the word than the feelings you get when she looked back. Love was more than the text messages of sweet nothings. Love was more than holding hands or even kissing. Love was more than sex. Love was more than a trial and error effort to find a “match”. I knew that there was more to Love, but still I doubted. I was jaded by the experience of this so-called Love falling short. But I was out to prove my cynicism wrong. So I made I vow to myself not to drop the L word unless I lived up to its original definition. Reading a lot of things, you more or less get a picture of what different people say about love. I read a lot, but no poet, novelist or even blogger pictured love clearer than this author: “No greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for a friend”. I was never one to spoonfeed so you’ll have to look for the author up yourself. Call me unreal or even preachy…but I couldn’t find a more perfect definition or picture of what Love really is. Then we go to my story.

I realized that being in a relationship is no joke. Dealing with your own life, soul and heart is hard enough, bringing another heart into the picture is almost dangerous. Fun, but dangerous. Don’t get me wrong here, I’m all for taking risks, trying adventures and even making mistakes; but I’d want to do that on my own first before I bring another person into the picture. I’ve had my own slew of “things” (not flings), that always almost ended up in a relationship, but as I look back I’m glad it didn’t. Why? Because looking back, my motivation wasn’t Love, it was loins. I wasn’t out to love someone, I was out to satisfy myself. To fill my need. Like a parasite that clings on a nother to feed its own cravings. That wasn’t love, that was just selfish. I could’ve easily fallen into that trap for the sole reason that it was that…easy. Like a game to be played. Except, I almost didn’t realize that this “game” was played with hearts not tokens, with emotions, not toys. Love was, is and will never be a game. The reason for not being in a relationship is my choice, because I feel that the only time I can actually be in one is when I’m ready to say “I love you”. The only time I’ll be ready is when I’m willing to put my life on the line. The only time I’ll put my life on the line, is when I know that She’s the one for sure. The easiest thing to do nowadays is to commit to something half-heartedly, the hardest thing to do is to withdraw when you realized that it was a mistake. I’m a big fan of Love and Relationships, in fact, I talk about it a lot (too much actually) with my friends, but at the same time I take it seriously. Heart issues are serious issues. If I’m not ready to be in a serious relationship, then why be in one at all? To get the benefits but not work for it? To eat an expensive steak dinner and not pay for it? To get a degree but not study for it? To take the easy way out? I’m not that kind of man. When I love someone, its full throttle. It may take time, and a lot of effort, but I’m willing to take THAT risk. I’d want to be the man that my woman deserves; ready to commit, ready to fight and ready to die for her. Until I’m at that point, I must focus on the fine tuning. When you love someone you want to offer her the best that you have, it may not be perfect, but it’s the best that you have. That’s what I’m working on now. I wouldn’t want to offer her anything half baked. There’s a lot of room to grow, in fact the growing never stops, it wasn’t until now, that I felt grown enough to even begin looking. But recent events have accelerated certain courses. I can’t fully say that I’m ready to drop the L word just yet, but I know that I can begin my real quest. A search that may or may not lead me to “Her” but it’s a search. Dating someone will NOT tell you if you’re ready to love that person, it will just open up a possibility…but the bottom line is you guard your heart.

I'm so proud of how our little Wackie has grown up to be a fine, young man. I pray that no matter what life sends his way, in the right time, he will find that special someone who will treat him with the same love and respect that he wants to offer.

Ain't true love grand? Happy Valentine's Day!

Much Ado

It's been the front page headline since yesterday afternoon in CNN, and it still is early this morning - the death of Anna Nicole Smith. It's sad that she's passed away and my sympathies go to her loved ones. However, it is making me wonder since there are so many things going on in the world - aren't there more news worthy of the front page of CNN?

The First Time the Bug Bit

Sound of Music - 6th Grade
Originally uploaded by MadMuse.

My school had a grand reunion several days ago. Needless to say, I wasn't able to attend in person as I am too house-poor to do any traveling for the next ten years. I was, however, able to attend via video-conferencing, which was okay - but, of course, nothing like being there.

Anyway, they had a slideshow which showed all our horrendous sixth grade photos, plus a few of the activities that we had that year. This photo has a special place in my heart because this was my first ever theatrical venture and it was done in school. Oh, I've had a couple of ballet recitals under Shirley Halili-Cruz by then but this was when the bug really bit and I knew I belonged onstage.

My road to getting the role was not easy, but that's for another blog. Can you pick me out? :)

You're Gonna Love Me...

Oh my gosh! GRABE! SOBRA!

No one can ever do this song the way Jennifer Holiday did. My goosebumps give her a standing ovation everytime I replay this clip.

Yup, you gotta love her in that performance!

Waxing Nostalgic

I was in the kitchen cooking when I heard this very familiar song blaring from Hubby's hobby room. Memories came unbidden and brought me back to the younger, crazier, carefree days of my life. He apparently stumbled upon it online while researching on Tagalog. It just so happened that it was a cut from one of Gary Valenciano's concerts of years ago when I toured with him as back up and guest singer. I started singing, dancing - basically going wild. Hubby was quite entertained, but still a bit puzzled. In between verses of singing, I managed to spit out that I was part of that live recording of the concert, that at some points, one of the voices that he was hearing was mine.

Before he could express more of his surprise, I went to look for the CDs of the concert. Now, here I am in my room with that concert blasting along with the recorded screaming of the Araneta Coliseum audience in my ear, recapturing the goosebumps that would envelop us onstage before when 30,000 people started screaming, dancing and stomping their feet during a concert.

It seems like another person's life when I look back. Now I'm here, in a totally different world, working in banking and finance, devoid of anything that colored my life back then. It's during times like this when I get quite homesick and miss everything I had going on back then in Manila.

I'm not ungrateful for what I have right now, not at all. God has given me a chance to explore other worlds and allowed me to flourish in it. Here, I have had the chance to discover and hone talents other than those in the arts. I have found another kind of satisfaction in what I do now, albeit different.

So here I sit, hoping that somewhere in this nostalgic moment, I find some inspiration to write two promised articles. But the way my mind gone off into memory lane, I don't think I'll have much progress tonight.

Paula's on drugs...

I've been watching my guilty pleasure, American Idol, for the last few weeks now. I must say that this is the best batch of contestants so far. The only downside is having to endure the blather of Paula Abdul. She is getting so annoying! Her eyes are only half open, she almost slurs when she talks with her shaky voice, she claps like a lunkhead and she praises every contestant even when their performance does not warrant it. Her babble has become irritating to say the least. I mean it's nice of her to try to see the positive in every competitor but sometimes it just sounds patronizing already. Her opinion has started to get less and less credible. Even the contestants give her only polite (and hopeful) appreciation when she's heaping praises on them, whereas you can see gratitude in their eyes when Randy Jackson gives them his -- and they just positively glow when Simon Cowell gives them even just a little nod of approval.

Too bad that the audience can't vote on the judges. I would have voted to send her on a little vacation to the Betty Ford Center before she ODs. :)

A C. S. Lewis Weekend

I'm having a Clive Staples Lewis weekend. I am listening to the musical, "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe" that my friend, Lito composed and Trumpets put up in the Philippines for the first time in 1998. The musical is based on the C. S. Lewis story from the Chronicles of Narnia. I dug up my CD and listened to it again with fresh ears. I have always thought the music was beautiful, but could have been biased since it was my friend's creation and a Trumpets production. Listening to it now after seven years, and its music still manages to enthrall me. It also brought back so many memories for me of rehearsing and doing the musical, as well as the late hours we spent in the studio recording the CD. It was such a good musical that I hope other people get the chance to see and enjoy it. I'm praying that a producer will be interested to put up the musical here. It's timely since Disney's coming out with the movie version this December. I think doing the musical sometime after that would be a great idea.

Tumnus and Lucy in Narnia

The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe

A Trumpets Production, Manila, Philippines

Another C. S. Lewis thing I am into this weekend is his book, The Screwtape Letters. He shows the same sublte but great command of biblical truths which he did in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, as well as an insight into the psyche of one whose business is manipulation and temptation. He starts off by saying, "There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other, is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight." Its protagonists are two demons, Wormwood and his uncle, Screwtape. Through letters, Screwtape strives to teach Wormwood how to exploit all the weaknesses of this "foolish two-legged animals" called humans and keep their mind on everything except God. I find Screwtape's assessment of man as so true that it has me burst out laughing many times.

I wish I had an ounce of the talent and sense of C. S. Lewis, or the musical abilities of my friend, Lito. I often wonder how people can be so talented. And even more amazing that talent, when used for good, can affect lives in such a positive manner. C. S. Lewis died seven years before I was born, and here I am still enjoying and learning from his gifts. I have no doubt that Lito is going to leave the same kind of legacy somehow, someday. The good that we do with the talent that God gives us will always leave an imprint in someone's heart.

"Huh? What the...?!"

That was the reaction of some people during my performance last Sunday. Right before the show's overture, I was quietly whispering the lyrics of my song to myself and then I got stuck. I was having a major brain fart. For the life of me, I could not remember one line. I panicked but could not do anything as I heard the opening notes. I thought that, surely, memory would kick in at the precise moment and take over. I had two numbers to go through before it got to my song and I couldn't stress about it, lest I ruin my other lines in the first two numbers. So I went through the first two numbers with as much chutzpah as the role called for, without a hitch. My song came next. It started out fine but in the middle of it, my mind went blank. In my panic, my mouth just threw out a line that matched with the melody. That's good, right? Well, not really. Because it wasn't my line but someone else's, and it totally threw off the next three lines I was singing. I did not let my expression waver one bit. I calmly switched to the right lyrics the first moment I could. The funny thing is, I had mistakenly sung two verses that were supposed to be sung later, so I had to sing it again at the right time. As I sang (and prayed), my mind tried to frantically paraphrase so the audience wouldn't go, "Hmmm, she said that already!". Boy, can our brains multi-task or what?! Anyway, let's just say I am not as good as Audie Gemora at making up lyrics on the spot. I tried but failed miserably. I just tried to dazzle the audience with my belting ability (naks naman!) so they would not notice. I think the hardest thing after that was keeping a straight face. I was furious at myself for having a gaffe like that. At the same time, I wanted to burst out laughing at the stupidity of what I had just uttered.

Oh, did I mention that there was a critic in the audience? Wunnerful. Just wunnerful.