My 15 seconds with PM Helen Clark

In my short career here in New Zealand, I have been fortunate enough to meet and talk to some amazing people. One those is none other than the boss herself, Prime Minister Helen Clark.

Below is a transcription of this once in a lifetime, one-on-one interview, which actually happened not longer than two hours ago:


Tuny: Good Evening Madam Prime Minster, how are you tonight?

HC: Good evening, I'm excellent, you?

Tuny: Very well. Well Prime Minister, before anything else, thank you for hosting our president, I hope everything went well during her visit last week.

HC: Of course, she was nothing short of astonishing. I enjoyed her company.

Tuny: Well she is short and astonishing, este, anyway.... Would you like a programme for tonight's event?

HC: Yes, that's wonderful.

Tuny: Would you need anything else? Do you like your seat? Ice cream?

HC: Everything's fine, thank you.

Pagkatapos nun, umupo na sya. Well OK, inde ko actually tinanong sya about the visit, pero binigyan ko nga sya ng programme, and we made I contact (Kamukha pala nya si Fanny Serrano!). Na-assign kasi ako as usher sa isang violin competition sa VIP section ng Auckland Town Hall, guest of honor sya eh.

Kala nyo noh. I love my ushering job. next week I'll be doing Swan Lake. Who knows who I'll meet next!

Helen Clark

Tita Fanny(right) with Gabby "Con"cepcion

The Day I met Eddie Peregrina in NZ

Walang pasok today, Queens b-day(ya-hu!). So after our long trip sa Rotorua, I decided to sleep late and gumising ako ng 9am, nagluto, kumain, then lumabas kami ni Gene after lunch para magpagupit.

Ang tagal ko na pala hindi nagpapagupit, 3 months. Imagine mo kung ano na hitsura ko 5 hours ago, ang haba na ng hair, I wonder kung ano iniisip ng mga sosyal kong officemates(Maybe he's half Korean??).

Well today I decided enough is enough, papagupit na ako. Isa itong right of passage para sa mga pinoy na dumadating dito sa New Zealand. Getting a haircut is like your first drive sa wrong.. este left side of the road, first self service gas pump, or first bayad using eftpos (hindi uso nagdadala ng marami money dito, everyone pays via credit or postpaid ATMs). Ang hirap sa first hairtcut ay mahal sya, as in ang pinaka-mura kong nakita ay $10 (P33=$1). That's a freaking P500++ haircut.

Well, kung bago ka talaga sa New Zealand or any other country, di talaga maiwasang mag-convert, lalo na kung wala ka pang work at ginagastos ay ipon mo sa pinas. Well, like sabi ng ibang mga pinoy na nauna na dito, once na kumikita ka na ng NZ dollar, stop converting kasi talagang di kakayanin ng powers mo at magkakaroon ka ng buhok na mukhang mop na tulad ko. Its just over a month ago na sinabi ko sa sarili ko na ang $10 ay isang oras ko lang na suweldo sa Edge. After that, I'm cured of my peso converting obsession.

Ang una naming pinuntahan ni Gene ay ang barber shop sa baba ng Wakefield. Its the street where our flat is located and at the corner is Queen St., na main street dito sa Auckland. Para ba syang Times Square, nga lang, inde sya square (eng??).

Pinaka-mura na barbershop na yon sa city, pero problem is, yung barbero ay isang 6-footer na Iranina(ata). Ang unang pumasok sa isip ko ay para syang construction worker na kaya akong buhatin gamit t-shirt ko at baliin ako sa dalawa. At ang kapal ng buhok nya sa dibdib at braso. Inde ko tuloy maisip hitsura ng kili-kili nya (yak). We decided against having our hair cut there although mas mura. Maybe its his chest hair, then again maybe its the fear of going back to work tomorrow at mag-sigawan ang mga officemates ko dahil parang gupit ng isang PMA cadet ang mangyari sa ulo ko.

Pumunta kami next sa ni-recommend ni Lenny na Korean na salon. Katabi sya ng McDonalds at, well, mahal sya, $32 at medyo... bading ang parlor. Puro sya korean characters at pictures at posters ng mga babae na naka-pose. Hmmm, hindi yata kaya ng manhood ko maski highly recommended sya ng mga tropa.

So naglakad lakad kami pa sa Queens hanggang pumasok kami sa isang alley, at doon namin sya nakita. Si Eddy Pergrina. Well actually sya si Te-hiro, koreano na "stylist" na naka-70's get-up complete with floral euro-extra-fit na long sleeves, tight pants, at hat na nakapatong sa makapal nyang buhok. Yung hair nya pala parang yung sila Tirso Cruz dati nung sikat pa sila ni Nora. Lumapit kami at nag-inquire. Well, okay na, $20 at at least hindi sya mukhang boy bakal.

The outcome? Well I must say its well worth it. Ang gupit ay kamukha ng cut na tinuro ko sa magazine except the face. Shi-nampoo pa ako at nilagyan ng wax(Boys, hindi na nga uso ang wax, ika nga ni Te-hiro "Shyir, that's es-is zoooo 80s syer").

Maybe hindi ulit ako magpapagupit ng 3 months, at susubukan ko naman ang uso sa Japan at Korea na F4 look.

Or maybe even an afro like this.

Presenting.. Eddie Peregrina, my stylist!

If I were a rich man (Ya ha deedle deedle, bubba bubba deedle deedle dum)

If I were a rich man,
Ya ha deedle deedle, bubba bubba deedle deedle dum.
All day long I'd biddy biddy bum.
If I were a wealthy man.
I wouldn't have to work hard.
Ya ha deedle deedle, bubba bubba deedle deedle dum.
If I were a biddy biddy rich,
Yidle-diddle-didle-didle man.

-- Tevye, singing If I were a rich man in Fiddler on the Roof

***
I have two jobs right now here in Auckland. One is as a Marketing and Communications specialist, which is my 8AM-5PM, bread-and-butter job(It's also a job I need to keep to get my residency). The other is an ushering job for three of the best performing arts venues in New Zealand: the Aotea Center, the Auckland Town Hall, and The Civic.

Yes, ushering, as in showing people in the theatre and seating them. Minsan we also keep the place quiet, like asking people to turn-off phones or not take photos. I love my ushering job, since I get to watch concerts and theatre for free (and I even get paid NZ$12.30 an hour!). It's also a good first job if you're new in New Zealand, since the schedule is flexible (you are asked to work only when you are free, so you can still look for other jobs), and you get a lot of practice talking to the locals.

I never did two regular jobs in Manila since, personally, it wasn't worth it. Here my second job can pay for my weekly rent and groceries(around a hundred). This makes my real job/pay my savings. Cool eh?

In the past weeks, I've ushered the Auckland Symphony Orchestra, The NZ Philharmonic, local and international singers (one of whom reminded me of Martin Nievera), George Benson's farewell tour, and locally produced musicals. Tonight I was rostered to work Fiddler on the Roof, and I'm excited to see it. I heard it starred the original London cast, including Chaim Topol...

Well, to tell you the truth, ma! (That's short for malay ko! Hehehe). I have no idea what the story is about, nor do I know who this Topol is. Apart from hearing that its a good show, I'm totally clueless. They even say I should recognize some of the songs.

Here's also a link to Fiddler in Wikipedia, I should see it before I go tonight.

Welcome back to the light

Hello... Remember me?

So, after a long break, I've finally found time to write again. It's Sunday, 6:38AM here, probably 3-4Am in Manila(?), and its the only time in my week that's not... psychedelic, to say the least. Then again, that's probably not the right word.

Jaded?

Maybe. I'll explain why soon. In the meantime, some updates [enter telegram SFX, dit-didit-didit-tooooootttt....]:

- I left Manila and arrived February 21, 2007, so that about 3 Months here in Auckland
- I have a job, doing PR for a wonderfull Trust organization (I am now qualified to file residency, yipeee!!)
- Tomorrow I'll try to loose that wonderful job (not as wonderful as I first thought). I just accepted a new offer and hopefully I start in a week. I'm not being picky or maarte... Basta...). So now I have to wait 1 paycheck till I file residency(Argh!).
- I have another job, working as an usher for The Edge, which I absolutely love since I get to watch free shows (Theatre, orchestras, opera and other performance arts).
- I live in a small apartment building(emphasis on the “small”), at the corner of Queen Street. That's just like living in Manhattan, with the volume turned down.
- I have flat mates. And I consider them more as flat mates than friends (Yet again, to be explained again soon... or not.).
- We pay NZ$75 each for rent a week, and my weekly expense is around NZ$200 ($1=P33). I can get by fine, but hasn’t been always the case.
- I just found out that I hate "makukulit na tao", so I won't be makulit anymore (yes, expect a long, ranting post on this soon)
- I'm thinner (I can hear "yeah right!" all around-- Aw shut-up!).
- The music playing in my head: The acoustic version of Mr. Brightside by The Killers. More of the rhythm than the lyrics though.
- Current mood: Happy, but not content.

I really don't know how to put in words all that has happened since I first arrived. There's so many, and I'm so new.

So, more to come from the new and improved new Tuny's Fishbowl.

Sweet-azz!

But all ends well?(I don't know. It's a mystery)

Aalis na ako today, 1:30PM flight for Brunei, then the following day to Middle Earth.

And all I can think of is this last bit from Marc Norman & Tom Stoppard's Shakespear In Love.

***
INT. THE CURTAIN THEATRE. STAGE. DAY.

WILL
(heartbroken, testing her
name)
My Lady Wessex?

VIOLA nods, heartbroken too. For a long moment they
cannot say anything to each other. The she holds up
Wessex's purse.

VIOLA
A hired player no longer. Fifty
pounds, Will, for the poet of true
love.

WILL
I am done with theatre. The playhouse
is for dreamers. Look where the dream
has brought us.

VIOLA
It was we ourselves did that. And for
my life to come I would not have it
otherwise.

WILL
I have hurt you and I am sorry for it.

VIOLA
If my hurt is to be that you will
write no more, then I shall be the
sorrier.

WILL looks at her.

VIOLA (CONT'D)
The Queen commands a comedy, Will for
Twelfth Night.

WILL
(harshly)
A comedy! What will my hero be but the
saddest wretch in the kingdom, sick
with love?

VIOLA
An excellent beginning
(a beat)
Let him be…a duke. And your heroine?

WILL
(bitterly)
Sold in marriage and half way to
America.

VIOLA
(adjusting)
At sea, then--a voyage to a new
world?…she lands upon a vast and empty
shore. She is brought to the
duke…Orsino.

WILL
(despite himself)
Orsino…good name

VIOLA
But fearful of her virtue, she comes
to him dressed as a boy

WILL
(Catching it)
and thus unable to declare her love

Pause. They look at each other. Suddenly the conversation
seems to be about them.

VIOLA
But all ends well.

WILL
How does it?

VIOLA
I don't know. It's a mystery

WILL half smiles. Then he's serious. They look deeply at
each other…and rush into each other's arm.

WILL (CONT'D)
You will never age for me, nor fade,
nor die.

VIOLA
Nor you for me.

WILL
Good bye, my love, a thousand times
good bye.

VIOLA
Write me well.

She kisses him with finality. Then turns and runs from
him. WILL watches as she goes.

***
See you all soon.

[Stopping tears.... falling... look up... :)]

Barry-serious

I refuse to comment, fearing anything I say may be taken against me by my visa officer ;) .

New Zealand city to tap Manilow vs rowdy youth






Eye-love the hair!

Our Dwelling Place

Before anything else, I would just like to share with you an inspirational piece given to me by my officemate, Armind, when she learned I was going to do the big move.

"By faith Abraham obeyed . . . . And he went out, not knowing where he was going." —Hebrews 11:8

It may say very little, but the next few paragraphs by a certain David H. Roper gives this Bible verse loads of sense:

When Abraham was 75 years old, God called him to leave the land of his father. And so, advanced in years, he departed for the land of Canaan. He was rootless, homeless, "not knowing where he was going" (Heb. 11:8). That was the story of Abraham’s life.

Age brings change and uncertainty. It means transition from a familiar past to an uncertain future. It can mean movement from a family home to a smaller place, to a daughter’s home, to a retirement village, to a nursing home—the "final resort." Like Abraham, some of us make our way from one location to another, always traveling and not knowing where we’re going.

Yet we can be at home in any dwelling, for our safekeeping lies not in the place where we live but in God Himself. We can dwell "in the secret place of the Most High" and "abide under the shadow of the Almighty" (Ps. 91:1). There, in His presence, under His wings, we find refuge (v.4). The eternal God becomes our dwelling place (v.9).

Though our dwelling place here on earth may be uncertain, God will be our companion and friend until our traveling days are over and we reach our heart’s true home—heaven. Until that day, let’s shed the light of God’s lovingkindness on other travelers. —David H. Roper

I've yet to leave, but as early as now I already feel homesick. Kaya ko kaya ito?

Tears falling [look up...].

12 days to go till my scheduled flight.