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!