The tiger in my heart

 

Press Restart

Whenever I start my fan-blogs, I always take into account every little detail that ever happened during the encounter. I try my best to recall every moment, every action, every conversation, reaction and feeling. As I sit here today in my room, my mind and heart is still reeling from a week that I know will be hard me to forget. How do you recover from something so grand and so meaningful? How do you move on from a love so big that it would keep you up for a very long time? You press restart. (Naks, pasok agad yung title ng single okay lang ba guys?) 

It was late 2017 when Walk the Moon announced that they were releasing a new album entitled What if Nothing. After a 2 year wait, they released the single One Foot which entered Walk the Moon into a new era. Coming from Talking is Hard and the phenomenal hit, Shut Up and Dance, the new record was some sort of a rebirth for the band. The album was entirely a new dimension from the previous one and it explored new areas where the band never touched before. When the record was released, the band talked about their personal journey upon creating this record, on how it was built on the experience of the members. Every track from the record is a blow to the heart – every song is a personal story waiting to be heard. I cannot say enough how proud I am of these 4 amazing talented human beings in facing their biggest challenges with a certainty that one day everything will be okay. That’s why this record will always be special to me. As much as I love the first album which spiraled my love for the band, What if Nothing is a gift that I hold close to my heart. I thank the band for sharing to the world their music and allowing us to be part of the story, the joyous moments, the pain and the learnings.

By the way, my personal favorites from the record are Tiger Teeth, Surrender and Kamikaze. 

With the new record, comes a new tour. Walk the Moon announced the Press Restart tour early 2018 wherein they went around the US and Canada. Seeing pictures from fellow Moon-walkers around the world made me anticipate the day they will all return to Asia.

Photo via @walkthemoonband twitter

Beautiful pictures kept spilling on Instagram alongside videos of the live performances of the new songs. Their set was lit beautifully with the <+> insignia. The face paints were present and my fellow fans poured out all of their love for the band and the team behind them. I was swelling with pride and giddy with anticipation.

Another leg of the tour was announced wherein Walk the Moon would do a number of shows with 30 Seconds to Mars and then finally an Asian tour for August 2018. Amidst all the tour dates, there was a caveat, there was no Manila leg.

The closest Asian leg to the Philippines was Singapore. To be quite honest, I’ve already overbooked myself with too much flights this year so that means my wallet needed a rest but tough love made me determined to book that flight to Singapore just to catch my favorite band. I was checking the flights and with my Singaporean friend about the show when something asked me to pull away and take a step back first. My friend, LG, even told me to wait it out and maybe they will announce a stop here in Manila. For some weird reason I was on and off during that week – always glued to the ticket booking site where I held my Manila to Singapore flights, waiting for a sign from any of the band members if I should proceed or not. Another option was Japan though. But ticket prices have already gone up for an August flight. A week passed, a couple, then I had to let the Singapore stop go but deep inside my heart was breaking.

Fast forward to July and I was in Japan for a vacation. I vividly recall that morning in Tokyo where we had breakfast and my sister hurriedly asked me to check my phone because LG had an “emergency situation” waiting to be heard. And so I did. And so Walk the Moon was coming back to my country. In less than a month. Just like that, I was smiling from ear to ear – obviously distracted and excited to celebrate the news!

Official Poster for Walk the Moon Live in Manila 2018 via Market Market Ads.

I immediately checked Twitter and found out that it was going to be produced by MMI Live. As always, MMI brings my most favorite artists in Manila whenever I lose hope of them coming back to Manila. I tweeted Ms. RP right away and was surprised with her reply. I guess I was really that hyped for Walk the Moon way back in 2015.

As much as I’ve been replying to Nic’s posts in Instagram, I wanted to balance out my “presence” so as not to appear being extremely nosy. As the days grew closer, I tried to up my commenting game in one of his posts. Ever since I’ve come to know this band, I’ve always called Nic “the baws” and for some weird reason that also stuck with him, whenever he replies to tweets way back. He remembers me by my twitter username which is at @graceyco. However, Nic isn’t really that active on twitter anymore and he’s now more on IG and IG stories. In one of his newer posts, I commented “Thank you for the inspiration baws, see you in Manila, yes?” I never really expected anything out of that, it more of felt like a shout into the void and just to let him know some fans of Walk the Moon from the Philippines are actually waiting for him. Also, my IG handle is totally different from my twitter username so imagine my surprise when I woke up the day after and @NicholasPetricholas actually replying to my comment with “yes bawws!”

Did I fell off my bed? Almost. Did I die instantly? Certainly. Did I actually flip that he even used two or s’s in the word baws? 100% naglulupasay sa floor is me.

MMI together with Ayala Malls was hosting Walk the Moon’s second show in Manila at Market Market BGC. Last 2015, the band also did a show at the same mall as part of their 5 show tour. The ticket mechanics were pretty simple and a win-win situation for the concert-goers. Thank you so much to the amazing producers of this show for bringing us back Walk the Moon here and for almost giving it to us for Free! Comparing to their tour back then, it seems a little sad that they’re only doing 1 show here but overall I am really thankful that somehow -some way, the universe still conspired and aligned to make this show happen despite it being a short notice.

For some reason, this fandom is extremely blessed to have such generous and kind producers. Aside from the ticket mechanics, both Market Market and MMI also had a lot of promos to give out free tickets and meet and greet passes. Market Market hosted daily giveaways via their Facebook page but as much as I hoped to win, I wasn’t really lucky with sweepstakes.

My Friend, Joey B. actually won a pass and a ticket!

MMI, on the other hand , did a contest wherein you had to post a 30 second video of yourself expressing your love for Walk the Moon. Was this 27 year old fan girl gonna let that slip? Of course not. Check out my entry below and please try not to judge me too much? I did my best and I am proud of my entry – it’s straight out of a Showtime Q&A segment!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BmGZpQcBucJ/?taken-by=gracecieleen

Just like before, we gathered up our fellow Filipino Moon Walkers to get ready for the concert. Our friends at @wtm_ph were all getting excited and ready for concert day. Since the show was literally less than a month away, we had to rush everything – planning for the face-paints and getting the gifts ready.

For this year, we wanted our gifts to be personalized and thematic to the Philippines. We prepared two sets of gifts for the band. First – we asked our friend, Eric (who is a fellow Owl City fan) to help us mold edible macarons that were modelled after the band member’s faces. Second – we asked our new friend, Adelle, to help us weave friendship bracelets for all the members using the colors of the Philippine flag. To our surprise, the gifts were really better than expected. The macarons were on point and the bracelets were perfect for Walk the Moon.

Can you name all the members according to their Macaron counterpart? Made especially for WTM by my Hootowl bud – Eric!

We were already getting hyped as the days drew closer. Walk the Moon recently had an amazing show at the Reds stadium back in their hometown at Ohio and we were up next. Prior to the concert, we were already speculating on the predicted set list. I prepared my own playlist over at Spotify hoping that they would sing the songs as wished. Check it here.

Via @walkthemoonband IG stories

A day before the concert, me and LG agreed to prepare and pack all the gifts for the band. We got the cute macarons and we have the bracelets in place. We were supposed to meet at Market Market to take pictures of the venue set-up and have it posted in our social media pages, fan club duties and all.

During that time, we also found out that the band has already arrived in Manila via their IG stories. Coming from work, me and LG arrived at Market Market separately. I was about to head to a store when LG asked me to call him immediately, as if everything was suddenly a matter of life and death situation. And it was. He spotted Kevin, Lucky and Dusty walking around the mall and shopping for clothes. My heart dropped and I raced to him, with macarons and bracelets in hand. Funny thing is, it was such a coincidence that all of the gifts were with us that time – despite it being packaged badly in a reused paper bag, we decided to give it to them anyway. It was really now or never.

We approached Kevin, Dusty and Lucky in a very shy manner. Or rather, I approached them in a shy manner. For some weird reason, I always find it hard to speak up in front of my faves. Put me in a crowd of 1000 audience who will listen to me talk and I will talk but put me in front of an artist that I really like, I get tongue tied. And so I tried to wave my hands and see if I can get their attention but instead I made eye contact with their bouncer, who is actually one of the bouncers I got the chance to work with way back. It was awkward but we proceeded. I initially thought that we will be prohibited from getting too close but LG bravely called Kevin out and then there we were. Two fans with three people from the band and crew, in the middle of a mall, conversing casually with a hundred other people walking past us.

As soon as Lg called out Kevin, everything just happened so smoothly. We told them that we were from @wtm_ph and we had some gifts for them. I told Kevin that my name is @graceyco and for some reason, he remembered me from way back. From 2015 maybe? Di ko sure??? Bakit ganito? Bakit hindi ako handa? Then we hugged. Then I hugged Lucky, who was super nice and kind and really cute! Then I also proceeded to hug Dusty. I mean, Walk the Moon are huggers so we have to keep up with the tradition right? They saw the macarons and we could say that from the look on their faces that they liked it. Also, me and LG tried explaining how everything was a coincidence wherein we have the gifts in place and we wanted Kevin to take it and bring it to everyone. LG was so smooth in the whole conversation while I on the other hand said something like this:

Me: Oh my gosh, you know it’s such a coincidence, we just met here to take some photos for our social media pages and then BOOM. *matching actions ng boom na pa-ekis ang kamay*

Me to myself: GIRL, bakit mo naman sinabi yung Boom? Ano to boom tarat tarat, di maka relate sila Kevin huhuhu maling-mali ka te.

Lg: Yeah, and is it okay if we give them to you know? They’re kind heavy. So sorry!

Dusty: No no, it’s okay we can take it.

Lucky and Kevin: Yeah no problem. *Kevin proceeds to take the bag from us*

Kevin was saying that it was amazing and so were Lucky and Dusty. They look really surprised to see their food counterparts. We chatted for a bit and then Kevin asked us, where is the best place to shop for clothes! I mean, that guy really loves to shop for clothes. Our conversation went like this:

Me: So are you guys heading out for dinner?

Kevin: Yeah, we’re actually looking for a place to eat. Actually can you guys recommend a place to shop?

Lg: Oh you know there’s SM Aura down there!

Kuya Bouncer (whispering to Lg): Ayala malls only sir…

Lg to himself probably: Nakooooow mali si acqoe!!

Me: Oh! You know there’s Bonifacio high street down there, it’s an outdoor mall with lots of shops to choose form.

Kuya Bouncer: *smiles*

And then we had to say goodbye. We understand that they had their own agenda and so we said that we will see them tomorrow. We hugged again. All 3 of them are such nice people and my heart couldn’t take the intensity of the moment. Of course we had to take a selfie, with Kevin affirming “Of course we should take a picture!”

It was such an unexpected, crazy night and I couldn’t believe what just happened. The hype was amplified!

The Sound of Awakening

Come concert day and I was already getting ready at 7am. Left the house at 8am and met up with LG at around 9:30am. Were we excited? Absolutely. Were we ready? Absolutely not! After a few weeks of preparation and hearts heavy with anticipation here we were, the moment we have all been waiting for. 3 years and we were down to this. Honestly, no one ever gets ready for a Walk the Moon concert without your emotions spilling all over the place.

So we headed straight to Market Market and arrived at the mall  at around 10am. We practically opened the mall. Apply na kaya kaming guard?  The crew was setting up and testing things out. Me and LG went straight to the supposedly start of the line and thus began the 9 hour wait. Being first in line, we saw Lucky once again helping out with the pre-prod of the show. He saw us and stopped by to chat with us. Clearly, he remembers us as the fans whom he met the day before. We chatted about him trying out Filipino foods and he shared that he has a lot of Filipino friends, some are even staying in Quezon province. He looked amused that we were there as early as 10am. One of our biggest regrets- particularly me and Roselle -was that we never really got the chance to tell Lucky how much we love the Griswolds. Lucky is actually part of the band and we’ve always loved their songs since then. After all those encounters with Lucky, all those chances to tell him and talk to him about his band but we didn’t mention anything about it all. Sayang! Yan kasi girl, mag re-search kasi ng maayos bago manuod ng concert at makipag kaibigan sa members okay? But still, that doesn’t change the fact that Lucky really is so sweet and kind.

First in line with LG (left) and Rosey ( Right)

Rosey with the Lucky West!

Later in the line, we were joined by  Joey and Simon, a group of Owl City friends who are also fellow Moon Walkers. We bought our food alternately and had to eat it out while standing up. Mga gagawin mo talaga para sa mga mahal mo! We had to do everything to protect our early bird award and to ensure that we get the barricade spot for the show.

Simon, Rosey, Me and Lg amidst the growing crowd of concert goers!

As the hours pass by, more and more fans joined us and waited for 7pm. At around 2:30pm, the band did a sound check and it was our first glance at all 4 of them. My heart was already out of my chest and I couldn’t help but scream my loudest as soon as Nic started singing Lisa Baby. JUSQU, puso mo girl hinay hinay lang kasi. Napaka pogi ba naman kasi kahit malayuan. Nasaan ang hustisya?  Nic noticed that there were already a handful of us present during that time and he waved a cute hi to all of us. So precious! And then soundcheck was done so that means we have to proceed to our next agenda, the face paints.

Keeping the Walk the Moon tradition alive, all the way to the Philippines we had to make sure we did our part and encourage our fellow Moon walkers to put on face paints. Our friends, Joey, Rosey and Henri helped us out with their mad face painting skills and it was such a beautiful sight to see. Thank you to all our Walker buddies who allowed us to do their face paints!

 

Joey B, resident face painter of wtmph!

Henri doing her own style

Me, blindly doing the insigna

Walker art!

It was around 5:30pm when they let us in the concert venue and thanks to our patience and well-toned leg muscles, we were able to secure the barricade spot.

WTM Squad – Nicolette, Clinton, Simon, Joey, Rosey, LG and Henri. Photo from Tita Henri

An hour before the concert, we did a Meet and Greet session with Walk the Moon. When we were lining up, we noticed that there were only a few of us who were doing the Meet and Greet. Later on, we were happy to see that Market Market actually gave out extra passes to fans who were wearing their face paints.

Obviously, I was not ready. My feelings were all over the floor and I thought to myself, I’ve waited 3 long years for this to happen and sa totoo lang pwede bang umuwi nalang ako at mag back-out, di ko kaya to pls. When we were in line, we had a chance to talk to Blake, their touring manager and asked him about the macarons. We also asked him when they were leaving. He was super warm and friendly and talkative and extra cute.

When it was our turn, I immediately went to Nic and told him that it’s me “graceyco” and we hugged. I didn’t know if I said it out correctly but I told him that I am proud of him for so many things. I gave him my gift and then we were rushed by the photographers to pose for a picture. Sadly, I didn’t get a chance to properly say Hi to Eli and Kevin but I high-fived Sean before leaving. LG on the other hand prioritized talking and staying by Eli’s side the whole time. Kanya-kanyang dibs to be honest! It was too fast but that was one of the most precious moments of my fan-girling life. Sharing a meet and greet photo with my old WTM buddies, LG and Henri and now with two new found friends was a magical moment.

Official Meet and Greet photo  (with Clinton??)

While we were waiting for the show, we noticed that the band actually posted several IG stories. MYGOODNESS, it was quite a shocker to see our Macarons being instagrammed by the band. Then another story came on with Nic eating his macaron counterpart! And then another from his personal IG wherein he received the bracelet we gave him.

via @nicholaspetricholas IG story

Nic doing an IG story via @walkthemoonband

To add intensity to my pre-show jitters, Nicholas, MY DEAREST BAWS then did an IG story of the gift that I gave him. I guess it’s safe to say that he liked the Unicorn pin that I bought for him because he captioned his story as “too majestic for you” + a lot of Unicorn gifs. HOY, Petricholas, easy now with my heart pls my fangirl heart can only handle so much!

My gift for Nic containing the Pin and the bracelet

The bracelet I had especially made for Nic

Kamikaze

Then finally, in signature Ayala Malls style – they flashed the intro to all of their shows. Then the show started. Just like their 2015 show, they opened with the Circle of Life intro with each member entering the stage. Literally, we all went AHHHHHHHHHHHHH here they are! They started the set with their carrier single from What if Nothing, One foot.

We all went wild and let everything loose. The boys are so full of energy on stage and it is very infectious. Track by track, I felt my heart growing by the minute. To be fully present in a Walk the Moon show is quite a multi-sensory experience.

Nic as captured by Lg (@yujerion)

Some of my favorite highlights from the concert:

• PORTUGAL. Literally, TAKE ME WITH YOU because even on your own, you are not alone. Portugal has always been so meaningful to me and also to a lot of Walk the Moon fans. The song is a crowd favorite. It’s my personal growing up song and  it breaks my heart (in a very good way) to hear it collectively sung during the show.

• Can we talk about Shiver Shiver and Lisa Baby? Can we talk how sexy these songs are? Can we talk how vintage and good they are? Okay. Anyway, here’s a cutie Eli doing his thing on stage.

Eli, wag masyadong cute. Captured by LG (@yujerion)

• We’ve heard Tightrope before but in this concert we all experienced Tightrope version 2.0. Complete with the choreography and blending of voices from my fellow fans. It was such a dream to dance it out with my fellow fans during the concert.

Papatibag ba kami? Siyempre hindi.

• Hearing Kamikaze and Surrender for the first time. It was so special. Also, don’t get me started with Tiger Teeth. I was literally clutching my heart, holding hands with Joey and Henri, and totally lost in the moment. Tiger Teeth is so good live.
• The energy of everyone in the mall, yes the mall -not just the concert area during Shut Up and dance!

• Then Headphones. Headphones is such a headbanger! It’s actually one of my favorite songs from the new record. I also loved the energy of the band while playing it out.

• Okay hear us out this one time, NIC AND KEVIN wore the hand woven bracelets we had made for them during the show. Louder po kasi minsan lang to?? Did we feel touched and loved and appreciated? SUPER.
• And one more thing, NIC also wore the bracelet I had especially made for him. Ganda ko ba? Sobra. Sorry kung nadala hahaha

Nic wearing the wtm_ph and my bracelet!

Time stood still and with a hand in my chest, it was really a moment of surrender. It was such an incredible setlist and honestly, every song required 100% of your energy – every song asked you to belt out the lyrics, dance as much as you can and get lost in the euphoria of it all. There’s nothing quite like a Walk the Moon show. Every performance is special and you know that despite the number of shows they’ve done in this tour, you have 100% of the band’s energy present in what you are watching.

The concert ended with Anna Sun and it was very nostalgic to hear the song that started it all for me. It was during this song that Nic went down from the stage, went to the crowd and sang it all out of with us. After 10 hours of standing and waiting and anticipating, the show finally ended. We were physically tired but our hearts were filled with so much positive energy.

WTM live in Manila 2018! Photo by my friend, Gab Villanueva

The experience is so surreal, so profound and so special. I wouldn’t trade this for anything else. Comparing to how they did their show last 2015 – what I have observed from this new Walk the Moon is their maturity and depth to their shows. It’s still them but you know that they’ve grown so much and it makes me proud. This is a band that is bold enough to pursue new things yet are grounded in staying true to what they believe in. The show was another reminder on why I love Walk the Moon and why I will always fight to get more people to listen to their songs. They are authentic, honest and simply put beautiful human beings who are truly passionate about what they are doing. They deserve the stage and they deserve a huge following and we are so proud to see more and more people appreciating their music and their art.

Market Market uploaded some really nice photos of the show below. All pictures below are from this link.

Nic Petricca- Photo from Market Market

Kevin Ray – Photo from Market Market

Sean Wagauman – Photo from Market Market

Eli Maiman – Photo from Market Market

Photo fro Market Market

Photo fro Market Market

Henlo to us! Photo fro Market Market

What a crowd! Photo fro Market Market

What I love most about loving Walk the Moon is the people that I meet along the way. During this concert, we made a lot of amazing people who share the same love for Walk the Moon. First it was very nostalgic to spend this concert with my 2015 WTM buddies- Henri, Rosey, Joey and LG! Second, it was also very special to spend it with new found friends – Simon (old friend but it was my first time to meet him!), Nicolette, Clinton, Bryan! It’s also amazing to meet fans who came all the way from different provinces – who filed for a work leave- just to watch Walk the Moon. Shoutout to Bryan, who came from Cebu and Eigel, who came from Cagayan Province. The Moon walker family is so diverse and so inclusive and the best part is we love and respect and support each other.

Walker Buds!

We celebrated that night because it was a tough feat to do all those fan club things in less than a month. We also felt so happy that the band got our gifts and actually loved it!

Nagutom sila kakasayaw eh!

I had bad case of sore throat and pained heart. All the beauty and madness had come to an end. I couldn’t sleep that night as I vividly recall all the memories and trying my best to remember every detail that happened. but then the band actually posted a photo of the show! NOICE. All is good.

View this post on Instagram

salamat, philippines 🇵🇭 by far the most fun anyone of us has ever had at a mall

A post shared by WALK THE MOON (@walkthemoonband) on Aug 16, 2018 at 9:30am PDT

We also compiled their IG stories before the show, see below for some Walk the Moon IG stories related to the Ph show!

Surrender

The following day, we were in BGC area. It was a regular workday and thus we needed to go to work early.  We knew that Walk the Moon was leaving (from my conversation with Blake.) LG convinced me to actually go to the hotel where the band was staying. I was hesitant at first and had my reservations. The last thing that I wanted to do was disturb my favorite band and follow them around. From my years of experience as a fan girl, all my friends know how shy I get when it comes to meeting the artist outside of official venues. It was out of my character and out of my comfort zone. DI KO KAYA talaga please? I can’t even do it with Owl City so wag please. However I remember the bracelet that I gave Nic. I had it customized with the famous words of Virgil “Fortune favors the bold.” It’s actually one of my life mantras that I try my best to live every day. Also, if you’ve got a friend who is as supportive as LG, what else have you got to else? BAHALA NA sige, let’s do this.

And so wearing our office attires, me and Lg went to their hotel to get breakfast. In all fairness the breakfast was good. I ordered some bagel and salmon FYI baka gusto niyo kasing order-in and LG ordered some pancakes and bacon.

My Breakfast!

 

The breakfast was great but did we enjoy it? Not quite – basically because our hearts were pounding at 170 beats per minute. One by one the band members joined us for breakfast but we knew that it was not the right time to approach them. Eli passed by us, our heads were down. Sean passed by us, I was busy with my salmon bagel. Kevin passed by us, Lg was busy with his bacon. We had to wait it out before they actually finished and just actually chilled in our place. I think that we were so chill to the point that kuya bouncer actually passed by us and politely greeted us a good morning. Was it a sign that he trusted our chillness? Maybe.

When they finished their breakfast, they all passed by our table and it was our chance to say hi to them. First was Sean but he was too fast so we couldn’t get to him. Then came Eli and LG, the official Eli spokesperson, immediately called him out.

LG: Hey Eli, we are from wtm_ph , did you get the macarons and the bracelets?

Eli: *wearing his cutest smile* oh yeah! Was that from you? Thank you so much!

Me to myself: Jusqu naman, Eli. Bakit ganyan ka cute????

Me to Eli: OMG Eli, did you know that you are his (pertaining to Lg) his favorite person? Like, all his pictures are of you!!

Me to Lg telekinetically: Pasalamat ka sakin mamaya, bui.

It was such a precious moment. Eli is so precious and he is so cute. He also has the best smiling face in the universe. Thank you universe for the Eli Maiman. We said goodbye and he proceeded to go up and check out.

President of the Eli Maiman fans club!!

I wish Eli was my brother!!

We also said Hi to Lucky and Kevin when they passed by us but everything happened so fast as they had to go get their stuff and depart for the airport.

I was already getting anxious. Their flights were about to leave. All of them already had their breakfast at the lobby except for Nic. And then the moment arrived wherein they all came down to check out. First it was Sean, then Eli, then Lucky and then finally – Nic. OHMYGOD kaya ko ba to? Kaya ba to ng tatlong taong paghihintay sa kawalan!!! HUY kakayanin.

Nic was there standing in front of me and I am overflowing with so much emotions but I braved my way to talk to him and hug him and ask him if he remembers me. He does. PUSO KO PLS. Our conversation (not verbatim ata or ewan di ko matandaan basta ang bait niya and ang precious niya and lahat ng magagandang adjectives combined)

Me: Hi Nic, thank you so much for the show. I’m graceyco, do you remember me?

Nic: Of course I do! *hugs*

Me: *dead na siya sa loob*

Lg: Nic, did you get our bracelet?

Nic: Oh yeah, I wore it yesterday!

Me: Thank you so much Nic! Thank you so much. I’m so proud of you (and something something basta andami ko sinabi di ko na matandaan!)

Lg: Picture! *Kunsintidor and #1 fan namin ni Nic*

And so we took a picture and I was really 10000% kilig and over the walk the moon (pun intended!)

He is really the baws!

 

Nic proceeded to go outside and meet my fellow fans who were also at the hotel. It was semi-magulo but we were all well behaved. I stayed inside while reeling in from what just happened. I also can’t believe how beautiful the lighting of the hotel was that day. Laban kayo sa glow ng skin ko?  The universe was working for me! We were waiting for Kevin to finish his check out when..

!!!! Guys, are you ready for this? Because I am not !!!!

Nic was outside and then I waved my hand to him. I don’t know what just happened but he actually walked back inside to tell me something. Obviously namatay ako ulit ng 55x! Hello, babalik siya sa loob para lang lapitan ako? Pano ba huminga? 

Nic: Hey, I just wanted to tell you thank you for the note.

Me: *dead na ulit siya* Oh is it long? *jusko bat kasi ang haba ng sinulat mo ate girl? MMK? Life story? Dami mong feelings??*

Nic: I haven’t gone through all of it yet, but I will!

Me: Awww thank you so much Nic!! *Proceeds to hug him again*

Lg: Nic can we take a selfie?

This human, must protect at all costs!

Was I still breathing? Barely. We really said goodbye this time and so me and LG just waited for Kevin inside the hotel to also say goodbye. We took a picture of our matchy matchy bracelets and it was such a beautiful moment. Then they left and I couldn’t believe everything that just happened.

Kevin, let’s show our bracelets!

From all the happenings, I can personally attest how kind every member of Walk the Moon is. They are all super nice and warm and friendly and full of hugs.

Let’s start with Lucky, their touring member. He is one of the nicest artists I’ve ever met. He is actually part of a famous band in Australia and has a huge following of fans who adore him. I don’t find it surprising because he always goes the extra mile to say hi to the fans and make them feel appreciated.

Kevin Ray! What I like most about Kevin is he is extra chatty and I LOVE IT. Sometimes I run out of words to answer him.

via @kevinray IG stories.

Eli? Super cute. Period. Wait, he is also chatty! He actually went back to us after they checked out and asked us if the macarons we had made for him had peanuts in it. Turns out he is actually allergic to peanuts.

Sean, a little reserved but also super cute! He is always so game to take a photo with their fans.

Nicholas – my god Nicholas, you are such a beautiful human being. I would like to believe that Nic is an old soul that radiates with so much good aura around him. His goodness is evident in the way he interacts with the people around him. He deserves all the love in the world – a hundred times over. And YESSSS, I am a little bit biased over him.

Captured by LG (@yujerion)

Also, a moment of appreciation for the amazing crew and management of this band. Blake is a very appreciative tour manager and also Ali, who conversed with us and shared stories with us at the hotel.

This band truly loves their fans and are generous in giving equal (maybe even more) back. They always ensure that we know how much they love us and that’s why there’s simply nothing else but love for this band. That’s why my heart always hurts at the thought of missing them as soon as they left.

Eli + his Macaron counterpart

Sean + his Macaron counterpart

Lucky + his Macaron counterpart

Kevin+ his Macaron counterpart

Tiger Teeth

So how do you recover? As I am finishing this post – I realized that what I have written above are unfiltered and coming from my vivid memories of this tour. This band will always hold a special place in my heart. They are special because they are a reminder that when you truly love what you do and when you are passionate about it- then there is no stopping you. This band has grown so much over the past years and they remain bold and fearless in speaking their hearts out and translating it to music that reaches every listener, every fan. I cannot say enough how happy I am that I’ve had the privilege to watch them again, let alone in my own country. To see them perform live is such a gift and I hope that they will continue nurturing that gift to make more music and inspire more people.

And I guess that’s what makes fangirling so special to me. I may not speak in behalf of all the other fans of the music industry but this is what keeps me going. These are the special moments of my life that I will always look back to whenever I would need an extra positive energy in my life. It may seem silly to some but it means the world to me. The memories we’ve made, the amount of friends I met, the experiences I’ve had is something that I would never take for granted.

The bestest concert buddies! Thanks for sharing this special moment with me.

Thank you to the amazing people of MMI, Market Market, Niche Dumlao – the official fairy of my life, my concert friends – Joey, Rosey, Simon, Henri, Nicolette, Clinton and all of the other new friends I’ve made that night. And of course, I would have never gotten through this whole experience without the <+> of my ultimate super kaduper kunsintidor bff, LG.

Forever favorite concert buddy + Forever my WTM bestfriend!

Dear Walk the Moon, you’ve marked something in my heart and there is no stopping this love from growing. This is it. I will forever wait again for the day that you will come back. So for now, thank you. Thank you so much for the amount of crazy fun you’ve shared to us your Filipino fans. Thank you for the beautiful memories. Thank you for giving me such amazing friends from this fandom. Thank you for the music and the magic. Thank you for being real and honest. Thank you for being you. Don’t ever stop.

Thank you so much, Walk the Moon!

You will always be the tiger in my heart. 

 

---

 

Join our Facebook group – Walk the Moon Philippines

Like our Facebook page – Walk the Moon Philippines

Read my previous blog about the 2015 Walk the Moon Concert

A million beats for Tao

 

The last time I was this hung-over was the last Owl City concert and that is saying a lot. A little backgrounder about me, I have been leading Owl City Philippines for over 8 years now and my loyalty and obsession is prescribed at a certain level so for me to profess how badly hit I am with a post-show depression at this stage is a tough feat on my own calibre.

I am blabbering. I have been all over the internet, looking for fellow fans who share the same sentiments. I’ve had several sleepless nights replaying the performances I have witnessed. I have two words and a million feelings, all for Drum Tao. 

The ultimate fan-girl pose in front of Drum Tao Manila 2018

 

The first encounter with the Tao Group

 

Drum Tao Manila 2012 promotional poster from Philippine Concerts

 

It was 2012 and I was absolutely clueless who they were but they were holding a run of shows at Resorts World. The first time I heard about the coined word “Drum Tao” and it being associated to a performance, I was apprehensive. I searched about the group and was surprised to read about their fan-following all over the world, doing sold-out performances.

Coming into Resorts world and me being not 21 yet that time, I had to take the long and scenic route to avoid the Casino at all costs. The detour lead me to a Japanese restaurant at the ground floor of the mall. During that time, I clearly remember a group of Japanese men happily conversing and enjoying their dinner. I was carefully studying them, curiosity peaking in me until I was ushered to proceed to the Resorts World theatre as the show is about to start. Who would have thought that that incident was actually my first up-close and semi-personal encounter with the Tao Group. I immediately recognized them as soon as we entered the theatre and saw their faces on stage.

It was destined from 6 years ago that I would watch their first show for the first time in the Philippines. And like a child seeing something for the first time, I was filled with so much awe and admiration.  I vividly remember the wonder and amazement I felt during their first show – me and my cousin were seated at the second row and we were bedazzled by a visual and auditory feast. I have literally never seen quite something like it ever before – not even in YouTube or online videos. Their performance took me to a whole new level of appreciation for the art, the artists and the artistry behind.  The moment they finished their show  I knew that what they do is a by-product of passion and perseverance — perfected over years of practice and hard work. I was an instant fan.

During their 2012 show, I remember two artists who captivated me with their fluid movements and grace on stage – Takuya Era and Hiraoki Kishino. Together with them is Arisa Nishi, a woman drummer who delivered with so much prowess and stage presence.

Arisa Nishi and Takuya Era during theri 2012 promo

Hiraoki Kishino (Middle) during their 2012 promo

Above pictures from Inquirer.net

To give a little context on where I am coming from and why I am on this level of appreciation for the group, take a look at the video below where Drum Tao did a performance for the Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

6 years have passed and the Tao group have been all over the world. Dubbing their website, the Tao group has now performed to almost 8 million spectators garnering praises from acclaimed media bodies. The Tao group is also recognized by the Japanese tourism agency as an “Outstanding cultural contribution from Oita prefecture” in the 6th Tourism Agency Commissioner’s awards. Source here. 

6 years after.

Drum Tao 2018 Promo Poster

Fast forward to early 2018, I saw a promo ad on Facebook for the much-awaited return of Drum Tao in the Philippines. This year, they are running 5 shows at the Kia Theater. Given the events and timing of my personal life,  I had to strategically plot out my calendar so I make it back to Manila for the show weekend. Some things, you really have to make work and all for the love of what you love!

Me and my cousin for the 2018 show – sadly we cannot find any pictures from the 2012 show!

I had to bring my cousin to the show as we both shared the experience from 6 years ago. We watched the opening show on April 19 and we were seated at the first few rows. In all fairness, it was a very good vantage point, save for the few bobbing heads in front of us. I was obviously super excited because I insisted that we go to the Kia Theater at 7:00pm and was wondering why there was not much crowd at the time, only to find out that gates open at 07:00pm and the show starts at 08:00pm.

30 minutes to the show and  I was already sweating in anticipation. The buzz around me was evident as everyone was excited for the first look of this new special performance after the long wait.

The show opened with a visual spectacle coupled with an unparalleled performance -again – like I have never witnessed before.  What immediately stood out for me this year was the fact that their stage design really improved. It looked grand and the set was easily manipulated to become visually appealing in conjunction with the rhythm of their drum beats number after number. My admiration for the group grew by the hundred.

Like any other musical or show,  we were not allowed to take photos and video during the show. I was only able to take a few good shots when the live credits were rolling and the group took its final bow.

Thank you so much!

Best one yet

We will miss you, please don’t go!

 

Much has been added to this year’s show – more colour, a number of funny scenes, breaking the 4th wall and actually engaging the audience, going down the stage with high fives included and a lot of extra flair in their showmanship. So much has changed and I am proud to witness how they have levelled up how they do their shows.

These are artists who transform and continuously perform. They stay true to their art, rooted in Japanese culture and at the same time unafraid to look at it from a fresh perspective.

The level of respect and amazement that I have for this group is beyond me and I wish that every one would have the chance to watch them perform for at least once in their lives. I wish I can express how stellar their performance is but my words will never do them justice. Simply put, it is unforgettable, remarkable and truly outstanding.

Otherwise I would not dig up my blog and actually write again after a two-year hiatus! 

Drum Tao ensemble from Drum Tao PH page

 

As the media say it, the company really deserves a long standing ovation. I could not stop from clapping, cheering and shouting whoo-hoos from time to time. If I can gather all of my stars for the shows I’ve watched since my existence, I would pick all of them and hand it to every Tao member. What they do is breath-taking, literally and figuratively and it’s something that is almost inhuman but they’re real and they actually live up to what they do.

The fan-girl in me

And of course as part of my thematic blog, I am very excited to share that I had an amazing experience in actually fulfilling my role as a fan for the Tao group.  To share, here are some remarkable highlights.

I watched the show twice this 2018 – the opening and the gala show. The first and last – both extra special as I would like to believe.

Ticket for opening day -signed by Takuya!

Ticket for the gala show!

 

After the first and the last show, I met Takuya Era (finally, after 6 long years) and Daisuke Kumoto respectively. It really warms my heart that they actually go out and spend some time to do signing and picture-taking with EVERY FAN in line! They are very charismatic on-stage, full of power and really fierce but off -stage, they are very charming, approachable and warm. I have swooned a million times and managed to live.

To my surprise, the producers were very friendly and encouraging to all fans to line-up, meet the artists and take a picture. My fan-girl heart is extra happy.

I met Takuya at the opening show. And yes, this is all thanks to my ninja hands

I told Daisuke “What an amazing performance!!” and he replied with “Oh thank you so much!”

He is such a nice guy, no wonder he is the fan-favorite!

 

Prior to the second show I attended, I also had the chance to hand them out some gifts via the producers. I am secretly hoping it added a little extra happiness to their visit here in Manila.

After the gala show, we were invited to go to the after-party at Cove Manila just by signing up to Tao club. The venue was at Okada and it is definitely super far from my house and an un-Grabbable zone but the heart wants what it wants. I went to the after party with my colleague, Jomar, whom I influenced to watch the gala show with me. I was extra happy to know that he loved every bit of the show and the after-party, drinks and amazement for the venue included.

Can I just say that Okada is really grand and beautiful?  We toured Okada like tourists and were enthralled by its lavish architecture.

Then we settled at the Sunset lounge of Cove Manila where we had some drinks before Takuya Era, Arisa Nishi and Hiraoki Kishino a.k.a the Big 3 and pioneering members, arrived. They were welcomed with cheers and champagnes for a successful run and during that time I had to compose myself and stay calm (I did by the way.) I also met some of the people behind the show who were really extra nice and warm to us!

Some of the amazing people behind the shows. Arigato!

During that time, people in the Sunset lounge were taking turns to approach the Tao members to take photos and congratulate them. I had the chance to meet all three and I could not believe it – the memories of 6 years were flashing back into me and actually seeing them here, now up-close and personal and actually getting the chance to shake their hands and speak to them was an achievement I never saw coming.

Hiraoki Kishino is one of the pioneer members I remember from 2012!

One of the most unforgettable moments was when I had the chance to talk to Era-san for quite some time! I approached him at their table and told him that I had the chance to watch them last 2012 and twice again this 2018. I mentioned about the gifts and while we were talking, we had a hard time understanding each other so I brought out my Microsoft translator app (staying loyal! haha!) and I asked him – translated in Japanese- if he got the gifts I gave him. He tried to reply by answering me and ended up getting his own phone to open his own translator app! That moment was just SUPER CUTE.  I also asked him to please come back and he said “I don’t know, I hope so!” and kept on smiling. I can really feel the language barrier between us but that did not stop him from actually being cool and friendly.  He is extra nice and down-to-earth that I would probably have a hard time getting over this moment for some time. This moment is forever etched in my heart.

Also, I had to take a video selfie with him. I was super stuttering and extra-excited I could not remember my words and my comprehension was beyond me, thus the video below. HAHAHAHA SORRY in advance!

 

What an incredible experience. I have blogged a number of times about my amazing fan encounters and this one is really up there. It is surreal and probably why I am all over the internet, sometimes uneasy and always anticipating when Tao will return to Manila. More than the fanfare, it’s the fact that these are big stars who fill out theatres all over the world, do coveted shows in the biggest stages and here they are gracing our country. Add the fact that despite their stardom, they are so humble, warm and friendly. They are absolutely human and I am absolutely smitten as an admirer, as a fan-girl.

And so, I proclaim that there is truly quite nothing like Drum Tao.  I hope that the world will see more of them and bask in the talent of these artists. I know that every audience who gets a chance to witness a Tao performance is bound to be a fan.

The Tao group truly amazes me with their human spirit. They are driven and fuelled by their unparalleled passion, resilience and hard-work. This group tells us that it’s a winning formula and it only proves that if we choose to embrace what we want to be good at – then the world is our stage.

I drum a million beats, waiting for your return. Arigato and see you soon!

Forever your fan in the Philippines,

Grace 

WIN NA WIN!

Huge Congratulations to the producers and promoters who brought them here. Thank you so much!! Arigato!

Important links to remember:

• Drum Tao PH group  (I’ll be here until further notice!)
• Drum Tao Main site

Unpublished post from May 2016

Today is a rare occurrence because it’s one of the few weekends where I actually get to lounge all day in my room. Honestly, days like this give me the chance to pause and think about life in general.

I try to look at my life- what am I doing with it. Are the things I’m engaged in relevant to the society, to the world? 

Then I look at my relationships with the people around me – am I colleague worthy of my colleagues at work?

With the time I spend at work, am I being really a friend to my friends? Is it okay for me to let my family miss me because I’m miles away from them all for the love of work?

Then I recount and recall all that has been happening. Like a typical lazy Saturday,  I spent the day immersed in my tablet – trying to decide whether to read a book, watch a series or just binge-stalk people on Facebook. I was on my 3rd hour in my tablet today when I saw one note I wrote a few months back when I accompanied a group of our Education Ambassadors for a 3-day training in Baguio. This is exactly what I wrote:

—

Last week, I sat down in one of our trainings. We were asked to rank our life aspects. For example from 1 to 10, rate how are you with your family, friends, love life and work.  I surprised myself when I gave my work a 10/10. It was probably the only aspect where I was confident to rate myself a solid 10.  A friend asked me – questioned me why I gave it a 10. I thought about it and asked myself – have I been so workaholic lately? How come I don’t feel any “stress” from it? My parents usually ask me if I am okay with all that have I been doing and I in turn wonder where their worry comes from (and I truly appreciate it because I know how much they love and care for me) when I am perfectly okay with all that has been happening.

So now – I look at myself and I assess what I am feeling and I realize that most of the positive energy radiating from me comes from work. When you choose to be happy at work, all things just fall into place — you get to be more proud about yourself, you get to be more positive when you come home and share your stories to your family, you get to be more confident, you get to be more in sync when you are with your friends , in short you get to be happy as you are.

The people, the stories, the fulfillment –  wow, honestly 10 is not enough. I find myself smiling when I know that I get to work with such amazing people. I can never really say it enough, the teachers that I get to work with, you are the reason why I feel like a 10 at work. Maraming salamat po 🙂 I hope that I get to work for this industry for a long time and help others achieve their 10 through what we do.

I am also very thankful to NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) so here’s a shoutout to our amazing trainers from Trainstation!! Thank you for always reminding me that we have a choice on what we want to feel and who we want to be.  So today – I am very excited to go back to work and I know what when I ask myself, do I choose to be a 10? ABSOLUTELY YES, today I choose to be 100% 😊 I hope you choose to do the same.

—

Sometimes happiness costs a few bumps along the road – some friends get lost, a little tampo here from your dad and mom, a 2-day flu and bedrest and on some days, a little heartache but I guess no matter where you are, who you are and what you become – the choices you make are what you choose them to become.

I know I am thankful for this lazy Saturday – I wasn’t really productive and I know I wasted too many calories on that large milktea I drank earlier but heck I am one happy 25 year old who has once again posted in her blog (after a year!)

 

 

Once upon a time in Philippines

Diving deep, in-heads first Walk the Moon – I could go on and on talking about how much I love this band, I could sing you their songs and add my own choreography too, in fact I could come up with a mini-thesis on how much this band has affected me. If you know me,  my blogs usually talk about the artists I love and he concerts I go to – and this is not an exception, in fact they’re actually one of the big reasons why I am encouraged to blog. When I dive in deep for an artist, I usually come up with a concert review mixed with my own personal inputs (which is a melting pot of my feelings and tears) and I am so excited to share what happened when Walk the Moon stopped by my country for a concert tour. !!! Warning !!! This is an incredibly long post so if you’re sticking around until the last word then down it with a good drink and a Spotify playlist. I’ve known the band since Anna Sun and from that first song and first music video I knew that I fell in love with this guy leading a synchronized dance number with a group of normal people turned dancers. From there, I knew I was in deep for this band. I have followed them for 3 years – trying to make disciples out of indie music lovers and at the same time trying to converse with the band in different social media sites. Extra Thank You to ate Charm for introducing this band to me. I will forever be grateful.

Since then, I have been tweeting Nic Petricca. Something clicked in me and I tweeted him about being the BAWS and apparently that became our code in Twitter. I am humbled and still see myself in shock whenever I get a reply from him because amongst all of the artists I follow, he’s the one who always surprises me with a reply when I least expect it. The tweets went way back from 2012 to the present and he has never changed despite his following increasing from 13k to 37k.

BAWS!

Sometime around those birth years, I also found my way to this global group where fans all over the world – stretching from Portugal, Brazil, Japan, USA and Germany – shared their love for the band. What’s so nice about being part of the group is the interaction that happens amongs the people – everybody feels like family. The global community of fans is tightly knitted, where even the moms of the boys closely interact with us fans. It’s really a big deal for fans to feel appreciated and somewhat closer to the artist that they love and the fact that we see these ultra-cool #WalktheMoms do their best to reach out and talk to the fans is a huge leap in the whole fandom. Hearing everyone’s stories always made me wonder what would a real Walk the Moon show feel like, it made me anticipate sharing my own story someday. I was captured heart and soul. But during those years, the band was only touring the US so it was all but a “one day soon” thought.

One day, you said. 🙂

Then here comes the new album with the hit single, Shut up and Dance. I felt it in my heart (and in my hips) that this is it. This is the start of a bigger Walk the Moon. Easily, SUAD broke the music scene. I was really excited to see so many people talk about it, stream it on Spotify and break into booty shakes whenever the song goes on air. The single was followed by a phenomenal second-album, Talking is hard. Check out my album blog post about Talking is hard.

Shut up and Dance single art

And to clear the air, I’m not judging you if you loved them during Shut up and dance. I know most people are annoyed when they know that people only know SUAD and pretend to fan girl like crazy but I fairly think it’s also annoying to claim greater love for the band just because you liked Anna Sun or The Liftaway first. I guess when you’re a fan – it doesn’t matter what era you took part in supporting the band, it’s a matter of sharing and being one in your goal of highlighting the success of the band.  Back to where I was – It’s so heart-warming to see Walk the Moon now gracing different shows in the US, getting a VMA nomination (Let’s pray they win it because what could top the SUAD music video, really?), getting on stage with Taylor Swift, doing a fantastic sold-out gig at RedRocks and so many more (I am claiming it) in the future. All these success grow with their hearts and remaining as sincere, as spirited and as humble as they are. So what’s not to love?

Walk the Moon with Taylor Swift (From JustJared)

Early on this year, I remember seeing a tweet from ms RP (the head chief of MMI Live) about Shut Up and Dance and so I immediately pounced on with a reply saying how I wish to see the band Live soon and was greeted (shocked, fell on the floor, flailing) with a reply that I will see them soon. How do you cope after seeing that tweet? A couple of months after, MMI announced that they will be bringing Walk the Moon in Manila for a free show — not just for one show but for 5 shows.

Thank you, MMI Live!

The Ayala Malls announced the series of shows for August 19-20 covering UP Town center, Trinoma, Market Market and Glorietta and a week after announced an additional show for the Alabang Town Center for August 18. I am really thankful to Ayala for always bringing in quality artists and listening to their customers. I will always be a loyal Ayala mall goer, plus huge brownie points to me for being an Amore card holder because it gives me access to VIP concert tickets and thanks to this, I was able to score me and my friends some good spots (BARICCADE HAHA) at both Trinoma and Glorietta.

Walk the Moon Live at The Ayala Malls (Aug 18-20)

How do you prepare a heart ready to burst into pieces?

For Walk the Moon, I filed a 3-day leave at work. To make it clear, I love my work and what I do at work. In fact, I was a little sad that I missed 1 big event for that week but I had to choose Walk the Moon because this was what I have been waiting for 3 years. Come August 17, the day before, I was already restless. Working in Makati and knowing that the band would probably stay in the same area, I was extra panicky whilst working. Picture that I’m seated at the window where I can see the possible hotels the band would stay. I later on learned that the boys arrived late night August 17 and dined at a Filipino restaurant across their hotel where Nic fancied Adobo and Kevin fancied Sinigang. Also, let’s not forget that fact the Eli may or may not have devoured a crispy pata with San Miguel Super Dry.

Totes cool that Eli is enjoying the local delicacies (@Brosemaiman)

I’m feeling extra lucky.. make it super-kaduper very lucky.

August 18, our team was invited by the PR of the whole tour to attend the Press conference. I honestly did not expect to get invited. I am so thankful to Ayala malls and to the PR team of WTM Live in Manila for inviting and valuing us as fans, as a street-team and for giving us the chance to join and attend the media conference. I will always have a special place in my heart for the persona of a Niche.

The winning tweet! (LOL)

An hour before the press conference, we were challenged to tweet our questions for the band and also post a picture of ourselves on how excited we were for Walk the Moon. Being the eager attendee that I am, I tweeted the above picture of myself over Twitter and won myself a P1,000 EGC from Ayala (yeyyy!) I mean look – I got exclusive invites, I get to see my favorite band and I win myself some GC? Do I really deserve this, universe? Thank you! When the press conference started, I was bleeding inside – my heart was swelling with so much happiness upon seeing Eli, Kevin, Nic and Sean live and in here, my country, my homeland – breathing the same air as I. As usual, I was too dumbfounded to take any pictures so I left all the photo taking to my friend, LG.

Embrace your weirdness, Walk the Moon 2015
WTM Presscon photo by @yujerion

*listens intently to Nic and Eli*
WTM Presscon photo by @yujerion

The PR team asked us for Q’s and unexpectedly I heard my name being called as my question was read on stage. Aside from reading it loud, they also flashed a screen-cap of my tweet and flashed it on the screen. Now, all 4 boys turned their back – Nic immediately recognized my twitter handle and said out loud (in front of everyone) “Oh I know her, she’s my friend on Twitter.. She’s the Baws” and that’s when I blacked out (inside!) Click on the 10:48 mark on the presscon video to check it out. My question went “What is your signature @Walkthemoonband dance move?” and there the magic happened. I gave my question a lot of thought before tweeting it because I’d like to deter from the usual Q’s asked by the press and I wanted to make something out of it. Alas, I made Eli, Kevin and Nic do a dance demo that were all priceless

Another winning tweet! This was the question flashed on the screen.

Kevin did a sample of the Stanky Leg.

Eli did a show stopping  Dad Dance.

Nic did a demo of his “Subtle dance” move as seen on the bridge of the Shut up and dance music video.

And Sean was saved from the demo! *whew!*

And Eli will work this body and Kevin will burn the flame ?????
WTM Presscon photo by @yujerion

Walk the moon was so animated in answering questions from the press, exchanging quick witted answers with the host of the day that you honestly don’t think they are stars in themselves. They were simple human beings – grounded and true to what they say and that’s what make them stand out. Thank you so much to Ayala Malls for the invite to attend this one-of-a kind experience!

Hi Guys!

But wait, Nic just called me his friend? How do you move on from that? Watch the whole Presscon video here. Dance is at the 12:00 mark. Or you can watch it below:

I thought that it would end there but because the universe was extra good to me that day (maybe it was trying to counsel me for taking a 3 day leave) we were invited to join the round table interview. I was too stunned when I was invited so basically I was unprepared to ask a question. When it was my turn, all I could do was stare at Nic’s eyes and ask him “Do you have a pre-show ritual?” of course, I knew the answer to this but if it cost me an eye contact then it was worth it. I don’t think he recognized me from there so I knew I had to make a move. When we were dismissed, all those with me in the roundtable went to Nic and Kevin and I to Eli. I talked to Eli about his killer smile and we took a selfie! (Sorry, LG, this is for you) and when everybody went out I had to rush to Nic and it happened akin to this:

Grace: *taps Nic on the shoulder* Hi I’m Grace from..

Nic: OHMYGOD, GRACEY-OH!

Grace: YES!! It’s me but.. *Nic hugs me and I cried so many tears inside of me*

Grace: *while still hugging* Nic…it’s Graceyco, CO is my surname

Nic: Oh, wow! It’s so nice to finally meet you.

Then enter Kevin who hears my username and approaches me (probably blaming me for his need to demo his signature dance move) and hugs me and talks about “Wow, Graceyco in the flesh..”. I was like, Kevin I love you, I really do but this is my first meeting with Nic and so off I go back to Nic to do a little more chit-chat and had to say goodbye because they were rushing off to go to the Alabang Town Center show.

I DEDICATE THIS PICTURE TO LG OREA WHO IS THE MAIN MAN OF ELI MAIMAN

We were also about to leave the hotel and were waiting at the elevator lobby when all 4 boys also were about to leave. TY UNIVERSE, you are so good to me once more. They were surrounded by their bouncers so I had to lay it low and act all sophisticated. I said goodbye and good luck to all of them and just as when the elevator door was about to close, Nic asked me “Are you going to the show later?” I wanted to say yes but that would be lying hahaha so I answered him no and promised that tomorrow and the next day, I promise. And then it came clear to me that wow, he actually asked me if I was going to their show later. *internal dying* Later on that night, I tweeted all three boys who did the dance demo and easily fell off my chair when a reply from Nic came in. Wow, he really called me his friend!

*music up* You just call out my name…*music out*

August 19 was scheduled for the UP town center and Trinoma show and I attended the latter. Thank you again to Ayala malls for my VIP pass because I’m an Amore card holder (yey!) I opted to go early to prepare some things and meet up with the local fan group. Me, Lg and Roselle took our queue in first so we could secure our barricade spots and then later on took turns to facilitate the face painting amongst fans. It was so fun to see us Filipino fans bring in the tradition of Walk the Moon from the United states to here in Manila. Most people in line were game to have their faces painted by fellow fans. The energy was just electric (Says this tweet from Ayala Malls starring my big face) and I knew then that every heart, mind and soul was ready for the show.

The facepaint lives on – breaking it down Pinoy style!

 

Team Trinoma, put your hearts up!

 

Team Barricade with Lg, Roselle and ate of Roselle

At exactly 7:30pm, the show started with an intro from Lion King- Circle of Life. One by one all 4 of them came out and opened the show with Anna Sun. Hearing your favorite band for the first time, live, in front of you singing out their songs unravels a whole new unexplainable emotion in you. Nothing can ever topple seeing your favorite band live the first time — comparing Youtube videos, fancams and stories from people to what you actually see and hear in real life? Magical. You know how spontaneous, funny, real and honest the band is in social media? That’s reflects what they are on stage. They possess a raw energy so all-consuming that you find yourself immersed and dancing your heart out to every beat. You feel their sincerity in belting out every track, giving all that they are, letting you live their music in real life, tete-a-tete.

Now can I talk about all 4 of them while on stage?

Sean, where do I start? Is it with his mad cymbal skills or his precision and accuracy he hits a note? Maybe both because Sean is a true class in himself. I often wonder where he gets all his energy to rock out every show and at the same time take time to film a performance. All his ninja moves, we will never know. Mysterious and downright showered with pure talent.

Sean Waugaman photo by @yujerion (LG Orea)

Can I just say Eli is the most enthusiastic member I have ever encountered? The way he digests every song with his awesome guitar skills matched by his killer smile adds a whole layer of texture to the show. He rocks out ever strum paired with the movement of his lips that only he can carry. Plus he’s that one member who makes sure to make eye contact to every fan in the crowd.

Eli Maiman, Photo by @yujerion (LG Orea)

Kevin, the darling of the crowd, sizzles with his tantalizing bass and sultry dance moves that aims to woo at all the lovers (or those who are in love with him) in the crowd. From what I have observed, 80% of the fan signs were directed to Kevin – some are hate messages which is actually a love message because the whole fandom is at a mission to fight Kevin and its beautiful, trust me.

Kevin Ray photo by @yujerion (Lg Orea)

And of course I am so biased over Nic and I could go on and on and write a 5-page description about how spectacular he is on stage but let’s keep it short and simple. Nick is the perfect epitome of an 80s rock and roll icon reborn and perfected for the new kids. Sexy dance moves? Check. Soulful voice? Check. All that perfection rolled into one sexy human being. He is PERFECSHAWN. And I know I’m speaking in behalf of everyone who saw him.

Nic Petricca Photo by @yujerion (LG Orea)

Right before Aquaman, Nick gave out the usual intro for Walk the Moon – explaining that they are from Ohio, America and he said something about before they were only talking to people on the internet and he pointed at me (thank you, barricade!!) Also during the latter part of the show, I made my own fan sign with the words “U DA BAWS” written because this has become our official nicknames as internet friends and I was really surprised to hear Nic say it loud, in front of the whole Trinoma audience. And another 10 points to Graceyco!

The Trinoma show ended with Shut up and Dance and leaving the fans clamoring for more.

Exhilarating, Beautiful and so full of spirit.

Setlist for Trinoma:

Trinoma setlist by a lucky fan (my fellow tita on the right, Henri!)

After the show,  I met my very first Walk the Moon friend in the Philippines from 2012! Back then, the global community only had roughly 100 members and she was one of the first few people who were nice and chatty with me!

Hi Beth (aka Mrs. Ray the second)

I also got the chance to meet the band after their Trinoma show wherein we were also able to give the band our gifts as a fanbase. I feel like a bad person for skipping Sean and Eli during the meet and greet to secure my precious 5 seconds with Nic. I was able to hug Kevin briefly though but as soon as I saw Nic, we immediately hugged and I handed him my gift (which I assumed he really liked because he was like AARGGGHHHHH!!!! *keeps the gift hurriedly in his pocket.*) And of course the photo turned out this way:

My eyes say it all.

 

WTMPH’s little gift to the band. The calligraphy is hand drawn by Hanako Amihan made specially for Walk the Moon!

Your heart races as you anticipate the sweet culmination of everything ending with a goodbye.

August 20. The culmination of everything and the day where we all celebrate the wonderful Talking is Hard – Philippine stop tour. That day, me and Lg also went early to Glorietta just because I wanted to secure another spot at the barricade. We lined up early (around 2pm) and then took turns again later on to do the face paints of the people in line. We met so many new friends that day including a Filipino-American fan who was lucky enough to catch Walk the Moon during their Houston show. She did our extra-unique face-paints that day.

Team Glorietta, Facepaint team rocking it!

 

Hello new friends!

The set for Glorietta was extra electric and the energy from the band was too overwhelming. I could not believe that they actually came from another show from another mall an hour before. The show opened once again with Anna Sun and I could literally feel my heart vibrate as the show progressed with every song, telling me that yes this is it – this is what you have been waiting for so many years and here they are belting out your emotions, thumping their way to your heart, creeping in to your soul and making you live their music. I will never forget this. Really, hearing Walk the Moon through your earphones is one thing but actually seeing them perform up there makes you think on how Walk the Moon is the real deal.

So close, bring me in so close. WTM at Glorietta photo by @yujerion

Kill it, Eli! WTM at Glorietta photo by @yujerion

Your turn, Manila!
WTM at Glorietta photo by @yujerion

Walk the Moon performed a total of 45 songs here in the Philippines with 102 pictures for the Meet and Greet. I am so giddy at the thought that they were able to share so much and give so much to this Philippine stop. Scurrying from one mall to another within an hour to do a set after set, how could you not love their enthusiastic souls willing to stretch their selves to accommodate all 5 shows for their Filipino fans?

Walk the Moon has a long journey ahead of them and I’m glad to be able to share in their joy as they continuously work their way up to success.

Looking back, re-watching and recollecting the story of Walk the Moon – like many of the artists we see – they started out playing at their own basements then got booked at small-town gigs, was given the opportunity to perform for school dances, were eventually asked to open for artists, then were invited to perform during half time on game performances then onwards to slaying American talk shows and now successfully headlining their own tour with sold-out shows.

Walk the Moon, Sold out ” RedRocks!

Dreams grew bigger and stages grew wider. But what you saw from 2010 is still very much what you see in 2015. You see a Nicholas brimming with a smile so big it engulfs the world because you feel that he’s in love with what they do. You see a Sean emanating with so much raw passion in what he does as he belts out every show. You see a Kevin who is so intoxicating as he delivers and showcases his talent every time the world is watching and you see an Eli with his unmatched energy as he gives back to the people who believe in them- You see a band who truly enjoys what they do and the way they are is a testimony that this is a band who is capable of sharing a music so real that it will affect you and shake you up for years and years and years knowing that one day you’ll look back at that feeling of falling in love with them for the first time is capable of lasting a lifetime.

SHUT UP AND PLEASE KNOW YOU’VE WON ME OVER AND OVER AGAIN WITH WHAT YOU DO.

Walk the Moon is that band that validates the feeling of t despite meeting different artists, working with artists, working for the artist – being a fan and an admirer will always be the greatest thing that could ever happen to someone when shared with people who matter. The euphoric state of happiness is just immeasurable. Across miles, colors and cultures – Walk the Moon will always have an enthusiastic fan in me. The whole experience, the celebration of being a fan is already beyond me and I will always be grateful.

Dearest, walk the Moon, Once upon a time in Philippines, you captured our hearts and the memories will always live on. Until we see each other again – Sean, Eli, Kevin and Nic!

—

Hold up, a little piece of my heart is set aside for this person..

Circa 2012 – 2013

A shout-out to the Baws, the friend (??) and the sensational  – Nicholas Petricca. I’ve never met an artist who is sincere and so transparent in showing his love for his fans. You are the reason why I will always look back and think that I’ve made the right decision to name my blog as it is. Thank you for appreciating your fans and what we do. It means the world for us, for me to see the artists we love put into heart what we are. It was so surreal to see you in real life.

B A W S!

Bonus content or something akin to that…

Fun Fact #1 — I won myself an extra ticket and meet and greet for the Glorietta show because I joined a contest from MMI. If you want to see my winning entry and try not to judge me too much.

Fun Fact #2 — Also days before the show, we had a group chat going on at WalktheMoonPH where we assigned people to bring this and that. I was assigned to lead the facepaints while another group was assigned to bring wet wipes – to wash off the paint. From that day on, we were officially called the #WalktheTitas (Tita in modern lingo and interpretations refers to an aunt — who possess a quality of an older lady who looks at the small mommy stuff for people.) I was so happy to have finally met my fellow Tita, Henri and rock the concert with her. I was also quite amused at how every friend from the group calls me Tita Grace in real life. Hootowls from Owl City call me the Mother Owl and Spirit animals in Walk the Moon call me Tita. Wow, I couldn’t get any younger than this, Can I?

Official Walk the Titas!
(Roch, Abby, Henri and Me!)

Fun Fact # 3 — We were patiently waiting for the boys to finish the Meet&Greet session at Glorietta at the barricade area and when they were finished, we tried calling them out to say our goodbye’s. LG was able to call Eli by shouting that Eli is his favorite member thus resulting to this series of selfies!

Eli and LG are OTP goals!

 

Hi Guys!!

And I was able to call on Nic who was able to recognize me from the sea of faces and went out of his way to give me a hug. I simply have no words, none at all.

Bye nic, thank you!! Ikaw lang sapat na, Chos! haha!

Fun Fact # 4 — When the Glorietta show was done, a guitar pick fell off near our spot. One of the bouncers, kuya Lorenzo, know me from 2012 during my internship at MCA and I was surprised to feel a quick tap on my arm and the next thing I know, the pick was in my hand.

—

And a couple of extra Thank you’s to the wonderful people blessed to be with me:

Niche – You are it bhe, there was a point when I had to contemplate, who do I love more – Nic or Niche? Thank you for being so kind and for believing in us and in what we do! Thank you to you and Ayala malls!

Yay!

LG —  Well this is not really new  but I’d also like to share my love to my forever concert buddy since 2011 and the person who was with me with WTMPH – making Facebook content, tweeting like crazy, shopping gifts, taking in all my stress when I was extra panicky during the line at Glorietta, saving me when I was too shy to speak-up to the tour people, painting my face at the Trinoma show and for being the most awesome Spirit animal ever! ~with love always, graceyco

Beautiful Times

Hana, Lg and Colwin – my awesomest friends in this planet!

Whenever I talk about Owl City or write about him, I always end up delaying everything because the moment I think about him – the music – the band and the people – a wave of memories haunt me and begs me to be written. So two weeks after May 8, my thoughts are finally ready to be shared.

I remember my last Owl City concert last August 2013 – me and my friend Reine went all the way to Hong Kong just to watch Owl City live. I vividly recall the energy of the band that night and how every song reverberated through my deepest emotions. Every time I watch Owl City live, I always end up overwhelmed and awestruck at how amazing the band delivers on stage. It was truly magical and memorable. However, as much as I had a good time, I knew it would never be the same without my fellow Filipino fans. No offense to my friends in Hong Kong because the people were really ecstatic that night but it’s just that it feels different when I’m not with my fellow Pinoy fans.

After that 2013 concert and the last album, The Midsummer Station – Owl City has become quiet. Adam himself confirmed that he has been busy making music. Late 2014, Owl City released an EP entitled Ultraviolet headlined by the single, Beautiful Times. The whole fandom was in a frenzy and I loved how everything became so alive again. I admit that I was one of those people who truly felt devastated when Owl City missed to tour the Philippines last 2012 for the Midsummer Station tour. I know, I am such a bad example but as much as I want to be that exemplary leader of a fan base, I felt bad not being included in the tour. But we had to look at the brighter side of things, we had to work our way harder, resounding that noise that will bring Owl City back in Manila.

This 2015, Owl City Philippines (OCPH) celebrates its 5th anniversary as the first and only Owl City community in the Philippines. Through the years, I’ve seen how the community has grown and is home to the fans of Owl City in the Philippines. I always stress out how unique I think the fandom is. From what I see, the defining character of an Owl City fan is dedicated, patient and resilient.

#Happy5thOwlCityPH

Last February 2015 – I was on my way to Cagayan de Oro waiting at NAIA 3 – 7:00am that day, checking out my Facebook feed and reading this uncanny post from fellow Owl City fan turned friend, Minell “OWL CITY IS COMING BACK TO MANILA.” I could not bring myself to believe that it was legit – it was not everyday that you see such news about a concert when no tour was currently present for the band. I double checked- triple checked and quadruple checked Owl City’s Facebook page and to my shocked surprise, it was real. After 4 long years, Owl City is coming back to Manila and it’s for Free!

Concert announcement from Owl City’s Facebook Page

My status right after I read the post above

I panicked and called each of my friends to deliver and herald the good news. I called Colwin – no answer, still sleeping I guess. I called up Lg- no answer, probably asleep too. I called Dowe – was at work and can’t take calls. I called up Mommy Rae – just got out of the shower (oops) so there was no outlet but a Facebook post and a chat to Minell that basically consisted of “OMG OMG OMG? OMG LIKE OMG?!!” I remember meeting my manager at my current work in the airport that day and fan-girling to her. In that moment, I had to run her through my alternate life as an Owl City fan for her to understand why I was acting hysterical and hyper. I even asked her on that day if I can file a personal leave on May 8 for the show. (She said YES by the way!)

It was really exciting to see the whole fan community up and about. It was very heartwarming to see the Filipino concert/music/hootowl community all giddy with excitement for May 8. Everyone was anticipating the show, inviting everyone to go. Articles were up early, just after the week the announcement was made.

As OCPH, we held usual Sunday meetings where we would talk and plan about our gimmicks for the concert. Originally we planned to do a beach ball party during Good Time but due to venue set-up it was understandable that we weren’t allowed to do so. We opted to do our traditional light sticks giveaway. We had to raise enough money to fund 250 lightsticks for the concert-goers and at the same time distribute fan signs for the band to see. It was really rewarding to see the people happy whenever we approached them and gave out these little tokens because in mind, our goal was really to make this 2015 concert a truly memorable one for the band and for the fans.

Free Lightsticks from OCPH!

Aside from that – the community exhausted several efforts in different media. Our most successful campaign was the one we did over at Twitter spearheaded by Colwin. We were able to acquire an organic reach of 1.1k retweets and almost 3k favorites (keyword is ORGANIC.) Not bad for something not paid and an account with only 4k followers, right? We also did several campaigns at Facebook headed by Trish and Jhon. Overall, it was really amazing to see the whole staff team work harmoniously towards one goal. The staff team for the year is a blend of old and new and it just proves that no matter what era of an Owl City fan you belong to, as long as you love Owl City, you will always end up as good friends.

The tweet that went viral!

Best staff group ever!

Prior to the concert, me and Colwin spent late nights preparing the light sticks and other miscellaneous sneaky things. What I love most about meeting with the OCPH Staff is how efficient we are in dividing our time- our planning usually go on for 20 minutes but our random discussion/gushing about Owl City go on for about 2 hours. As much as we try to be truly professional working staff people, we always go back to our roots of being the crazy fans that we are.

Forever Sunday meetings with LG and Colwin! 2 minutes planning, 2 hours non-stop talking about OC.

Concert day and we arrived early at the venue. I was with Hana, Colwin and Lg that day and as soon as the car hit the Bonifacio Global City road, I felt my chest expanding. I told myself to be perfectly calm because this is my 4th time to catch Owl City in concert – at least that’s what I thought I would feel. A barrage of emotions hit me hard in the face when I finally realized that I will never feel used to this band. Every time and every chance I get to spend with Owl City will always be an enchanting experience – it will always feel magical and surreal. I was a mess, a good mess melting inside composed of a very happy and giddy face greeting the familiar faces at Bonifacio High Street.

Hello wonderful people of the Philippines who love Owl City!

One thing I sort of owe to Owl City is the mini success and (fame HAHAHAHAHAHA) I’ve experienced for being known as Ms. Owl City to the professionals and mother owl to the community. I feel like a politician running for candidacy waving left and right – or I may be exaggerating. HAHAHA But seriously, only the community treats me like this and it honestly it does feel a little awesome to be acknowledged for what you do.

Hours before the concert, we were given the chance to meet Adam as Owl City Ph. I will forever be thankful for the very appreciative, supportive and trusting Owl City Management for their great love for the whole community. My heart is overflowing with so much gratefulness and admiration. I’m not going to elaborately explain how we met Adam but I just call us very lucky and I guess, well well appreciated. It truly makes me happy.

To give a little insider on what happened during the time we met Adam – I told everyone to stay quiet, composed and calm. Let’s all act like professionals, I said. We were ushered to a small room and caught off guard when Adam came out to meet us in less than 10 seconds after we entered. No prelude or anything – he just came out and adorned that charming smile we all longed to see in real life. Since we were instructed (by myself) to not squeal or anything, all of us just went “Hiiiii” and I am telling you that was the most awkward Hi in the history of Hi’s ever. Basically, the whole session with Adam was short notice so we did not prepare anything.

When the tour coordinator introduced us to Adam, there was dead air. We were all too starstrucked to say anything so being the mother owl that I am, I had to talk and deliver an impromptu 1 minute- straight English – no uhm’s and likes-speech. I too myself was surprised that I was able to say such message without any practice or anything. Everything I told Adam came from the random thoughts of my mind and heart and I was pretty sure he was listening intently.

HAHA, WHAT’S SO FUNNY ADAM?!

Hana trying to explain her Owl City tattoo and LG imagining he has an OC tattoo?

Mommy rae casually touching Adam’s arm and Amber being well..Amber 😀

I thanked him for being the inspiration behind our hard work and I also mentioned the recent 5th year anniversary of the whole community. I also mentioned how thankful we all are for him going back to the Philippines. I also gave a brief rundown on what are our collective efforts as a fan community. Adam in return gave out his message to the community and to the whole Filipino fan community. He was very happy to finally return and he is greatly thankful for what the Filpino fans are doing. He even asked us who handles our Twitter account! Grabe, nakakataba ng puso.

Group pic with Adam

We had to say good bye because Adam had to prepare for sound-check and the show. We walked off the area with silly faces and kilig na kilig smiles. It was truly what you call “achieve na achieve!”

Yeyyyy!

What I noticed about this 2015 meet and greet from the 2011 and 2013 meet and greet was the fact that Adam now is more serious and keen but all the while retaining that shy and soft-spoken attitude that we have all come to love since day 1. I once read this article from GMA News that says:

When I met Young, he was soft-spoken and meek; I got the impression of someone who’s still very much appreciative, maybe even disbelieving, of all the successes he’s notched over the last few years. Here’s hoping he never loses that charm, sense of wonder, and yeah, whimsy, in the years to come. — BM, GMA News

Picture grabbed from @InquirerE

I could not agree more. This 2015 Adam Young version is definitely still that humble 2010 version and definitely better! (*I was so touched by this precious moment of Adam leaving the amphitheater – bringing his own bag, shoes and water bottles. So so so so humble!)

After that meet and greet session -we saw the band busy preparing during sound-checked and tried to call their attention but I blame the heat, the noise and the crazy energy because they did not notice us then. It was okay though, it was enough to see Breanne, Jasper, Gabe and Rob excited for the show.

Look at how perfect this woman is! Breanne Duren prepping for the show!

OCPH funded and distributed free lightsticks for the first 250 people whom we saw while waiting. We also gave out fan sign that say “MANILA <3’s you.” Along with that, OCPH also gave out instructions to concert-goers how to rock it out when Good time is played. Everyone was all smiles and thankful for these little freebies and it warms our heart to see our fellow fans happy and appreciative.

Staff giving out FREE lightsticks to people in line!

One of our ticket contest winners

Hand-drawn by our resident artist extraordinaire, Hanako!

Hours before they let the audience in the ticketed area, I was able to catch up and meet old and new faces from the community. Meeting up all the amazing people that day made me realize that this community is my anchor. The happiness that I feel whenever surrounded by them clearly makes me feel aflutter and really thankful.

Hello Friends!

More of the awesome Owl City fans patiently waiting!

We were seated at the front and were patiently waiting for the concert to start. I was like a giddy little kid- internally screaming-when I saw how huge the crowd was for that night. I know, the concert is for FREE but the special seats which required a 2k purchase at any BHS store also sold-out fast. According to Bonifacio High Street and their awesome aerial shot of the concert, there was an estimated number of 5,000 attendees. That crowd is as big as the capacity of an 80% filled Smart Araneta Coliseum!

Aloha my happy Southeast Asian friends!

The show was opened by a local DJ who dropped some beats. While raving to the Dj, Krispy Kreme and Jamba Juice also gave out complimentary donuts and drinks for all the ticket holders. Hooray to Bonifacio High Street and MMI Live, Awesome show and awesome sponsors!

Free Krispy Kreme for the first 800 ticket holders!

And then the show started with the band members coming out one by one. When Adam finally came out, the amphitheater was filled with howls, cheers and an excited noise of anticipation.

Jasper opening the show with his mad skills! (Photo by LG)

Rob Morgan, the new bassist for the touring band! (photo by Lg)

Breanne Duren, the pretty soul that adds beauty to every OC show!

With 22 tracks on the set paired with the infectious energy of the band, everybody was all screams and lyric shouting. As much as the crowd was very loud, the collective singing was also very harmonious. It’s so breathtaking to hear your fellow Pinoy fans sing that non-single-mainstream Owl City track by heart. Gets me and tears me up every time.

The year is 2015, Owl City is so back. Wake me if you’re out there!

Adaaaaam.

Now I’m gonna be up all night!

Will you show me the way, tonight?

Some highlights of the night during the set were:

• The way the band opened the show with this song called Panoramic from the movie Book of Eli, masterfully remixed by Adam Young.
• The way Adam formally started the set with a heart seizure inducing “WAKE ME IF YOU’RE OUT THERE.” Ahh what a classic opener!
• The way Breanne was all smiles and giddy by looking at how awesome the crowd was that night. Breanne is such a darling – I can’t imagine watching an Owl City concert without her graceful presence.
• Jasper killing those guitar leads with his snazzy style. I swear, Jasper is a legend! I’ve observed that he is really careful, precise and perfect on stage!
• Of course there’s Gabe Hagen (whom I was able to meet last 2013) still rocking the drums
• There’s Rob Morgan, the new touring band member whom everybody loved! (And also v.v.v cute!)
• Adam sang Kamikaze – which was a personal “rak na itu” favorite of me and LG
• When Adam sang Beautiful times and during the second verse of the song, not so many were familiar with the lyrics but I was so I had to scream and mouth it out loud and I think Adam noticed me so he pointed is mic at me and asked me to sing. Yes, I am so claiming it because I stood up and sang the part “A dead fire rose and rose higher, like a vampire, up from the graveyard!” Check the video cut here.
• When Adam and I had like 10x eye contact during that night? Thank you first-row powers!
• When most of the audience sang “Take me above your light” too early during the Heallo Seattle bridge. This already happened last 2011 and once more this 2015. You are a very sneaky crowd, Manila!
• When everybody danced off in their seats, waved and flailed and were all literally at the edge of our seats because we were not allowed to stand.
• When Sky Diver was being sung and I did not know the exact lyrics of the song but Adam was looking at me — I had to pretend cough and look down just to save myself HAHAHAHA
• When everybody just fell silent during Adam’s solo cover of the mash up of 99 red balloons.
• And of course when finally we were allowed to stand, rave and party to the closing song Good Time.

The only shot I took that night. LITERALLY.

So that is sort of a summary of what happened during the show. Words are not enough to describe how amazing the set was but we were all left literally and metaphorically breathless. The show wrapped up with a resonating noise of cheers and a reassurance to Owl City that he is really well loved and received in our country, by his “craziest fans” as he once said. It was what I would a call a great come back.

Look at that amazing crowd! Photo grabbed from Jasper Lucena / MMI Live

Minutes after the concert, Owl City did a meet and greet session with some lucky fans who won through an Instagram contest hosted by BGC and BHS. My friend and fellow staff member Denn Levy is evidently and ridiculously happy.

Pat, Denn, Per and Kymmer with Adam!

One big group hug for the group and the night was perfect. Indeed, good job not to us but to the whole community of fans who flocked and supported the show. As what they often say, the best surprises always come unexpected.

DOESN’T MATTER WHEN, DOESN’T MATTER WHERE!

The next morning, I woke up with a very strong case of PCD, sore-throat and a bad punch of body bruises. It was all still worth it – especially waking up to the news that Owl City #finally tweeted @owlcityph. I only had 4 hours of sleep that night but I have never been so awake in forever. My heart was pounding fast and my head was spinning. THIS IS TOO MUCH. My heart and soul was not ready for this but alas, maybe we deserved this -okay take out the maybe and modesty aside please- we deserve this.

*faints*

But of course, the unexpected surprises did not end there. There were also a couple of appreciation tweets and posts from Owl City and the touring band about the show.

Rob Morgan appreciation IG post!

Breanne emanates Joy in her post about Manila!

Adam posts about the Manila concert with so much love!

And some of those appreciation tweets, replies and comments were also personally directed to me. I could not believe how everything went into full throttle domino effect. I was so so so so lucky and so so so quotang-quota!

Y U SO KIND BREANNE

Thanks a lot Jasper!! 🙂

When I read my post entitled Beautiful from the 2011 concert and my other post for the 2013 concert at Hong Kong, I have come to realize also some changes in the way I looked at things back then and now. I’d like to compare this parallel to how Owl City also transformed from 2010 all the way to the present- when you ask the fans and spectators, you usually receive a mixed feedback on how they receive the gradual changes in Adam’s music. But my personal opinion on this is always – to keep up, we must move forward. If we hear the same things all over again, if we experience the same events all over again – where’s the sense of growth in that? From being that fan who stalked Owl City at New World Hotel in his first concert in Manila in 2010 to being that fan who respectfully sat down the whole concert for the love of being a responsible fan leader- indeed I can say that wisdom and maturity are players of the game. Sometimes, you have to sacrifice other opportunities to make way for greater things. I don’t think I would be where I am right now if I pursued that attitude of a fan who stalked and stalked and just waited for a miracle. However choosing to be that fan to actually work hard for something gave me so many wonderful things and little did I know that it was just the beginning (this isn’t the end *ba dum tss*)

Me and Colwin with Adam ATBAB era, 2011.

Colwin, Adam and Me (2015)

There’s just so much to be thankful for. I feel fortunate to be able to form friendships and good relationships with the OC community in and out of the country. Through this, I have met so many people along the way who are personally influential and inspiring to my growth as a person. My love for Owl City is always parallel for my love for OCPH. Years from now, I can imagine myself telling my kids (wow mommy na mommy owl) about how wonderful life was because of Owl City. Think it’s too much? I think it’s not because when I look back and assess what has happened over the past 5 years – I smile with a big heart knowing that so many good things has already been shared to us and our community. We’ve had our fair share of bad times too – some even very crazy but we got through it knowing that greater things are coming ahead. Amazing how this whole Owl City life of mine has become a mantra for my own life.

Me and the only shoti of my life!

Ferlie teen ferls since 2011!

I will also like to add this portion where I’d like to thank the wonderful people who has been so instrumental in my life as an Owl City fan – Colwin, for always being the number 1 go to person of OwlCityPH. He is the brainchild of all things marketing and he is also the bestest and most supportive Owl City friend you’ll ever have. LG also for being my most favorite person in forever, period. And then our awesome staff team who has been working so hard – Hana, Trish, Jhon, Ajay, Minell, David, Roselle, Denn, Maria and Dowe. These people are seriously the most fun and humble people in forever.

Also you never forget the people who bridged you in your success story – from the people of MCA (old and new) and the very generous team of MMI.

Me and Colwin with MCA Music (Universal Music PH)

My sincerest appreciation goes out to the most wonderful management of Owl City. MY LOVE FOR YOU GUYS IS THIS BIG.

Then to the resounding cheers of all Owl City fans in the Philippines. Many say thank you to Owl City PH for being the nest but really where would OCPH be without you? Your messages and great support is really appreciated. Rest-assured that our team is constantly working and coming up with awesome activities for everyone to enjoy. We hope that you continue supporting Owl City as an artist in and out of the country’s success.

And lastly of course to my number 1 inspiration, motivation and love of my life- Adam Young. I may not say this often –wait I actually do– THANK YOU SO MUCH. All that I have written in this seemingly long post is all about how you inspired me to be my best self. From the 2010 stalker fan to the 2015 very responsible-non-stalker-I-swear-fan self, I LOVE YOU.

Music up: Tell me again was it love at 3rd sight? 🙂

Oh, these are beautiful times indeed. Looking forward to our next adventure!

P.s. LG also caught Good Time using my camera and there’s a surprise at 0:26. Bless your soul!

5 Reasons why I’m still experiencing #PopeSepanx

Whenever I went to church on Sundays, the mass would always end with The national prayer for the Papal visit and as soon as the final blessing is given, the song We are all God’s children plays alongside a choreographed music video. If you asked me weeks before the scheduled visit of the pope that if I were to attend any of the planned events in Metro Manila, I would have been very very very elusive and skeptical.  I had my reasons, the flock of people who would probably suffocate me, the number of safety risks I would have to take would probably make me panic and the slight chance of choosing the right spot on where you would wait long hours just to see the pope pass by in 3 seconds would make me feel very frutsrated. It required devotion, dedication and a huge leap of faith — which will never be an easy decision for me. I am a devoted practicing roman Catholic but I never went with all the big fuss, I was content with my support in our church and at the comfort of my home.

Weeks before, I even planned to go out of the city and spend a nice vacation or get a couple of get-togethers with friends. It was the perfect time to go out and about considering that traffic was very spacious given that all scheduled activities were to happen strictly in the Manila area only. So weeks before, my mind was made up.

Then my planned vacation was cancelled due to some “paalam” issues and weirdly most of my friends were not available to go out with me (I have to rethink and recalculate my friendship with those people, please remind me haha) and so I ended up staying at home, watching TV and patiently waiting for the Pope’s arrival.

I don’t know what it was, I can’t put the feeling into words, but there really was something about the anticipation that made my heart constrict with overflowing emotions. Watching the television coverage – seeing the number of people clustering along the road, witnessing the infectious energy of the children ready to perform and building up the anticipation of waiting for his plane to land at the Villamor air base tugged my heart and broke it into a million pieces (in a very overwhelming way.)

Hello Pope!! (Cr: Rappler)

As soon as we saw the visibility of the plane flying over Philippine territory and safely parking in the runway, there were already unshed tears at the back of my eyes. And when the pope donned his infamous golden smile, his skullcap flew off and his cape (?) from his outfit covered his face – I was a goner. I knew that I would be stuck all weekend glued to my TV, following the Pope’s itinerary. I know, I sound a little superficial from this point and my reasoning sounds very shallow but I believe that my love and admiration for the pope is very progressive.

Pope and his missing skullcap! (Cr: Rappler)

I cancelled all of my plans from then on. Everything was contagious – from the energy of the people down to the very human gestures of the Pope. You just can’t help but be drawn in. Seeing him inspire and touch millions of lives is an experience worth sharing. I could go on and on, repeating what most people share.  I just want to preserve this wonderful experience by listing my top 5 reasons why, after a week, I am still on Pope #Sepanx (Separation Anxiety)

1.The Pope is INDEED for everyone

Articles and testimonials all say that the Pope is friends with almost everyone. It’s like he holds a bubble that exudes charisma and a glowing aura. He’s like a friend reaching out and not really directly preaching but just being a friend who invites to bring out the good in you.

My household is a perfect example of this statement. I’m living with my aunt who is a practicing Protestant, my cousin who is a practicing Christian, my uncle and another aunt who are both Bhuddists and our household helps who are Catholic like me. I guess you could call us an inter-religious home. Despite the distinguished difference there was one thing we had in common – we all raved about Pope Francis.

We were all keeping each other updated about the latest news, from where he was headed down to what his quotable quotes were. We all fervently watched the TV coverage and wiping our tears altogether. For the first time in many years, we were all decided on a singular topic and that is one of the greatest gifts Pope Francis imparts to our people and our families. He is like a glue (sorry for the analogy, any other suggestions? haha) that keeps us all together in one place, working harmoniously for a singular goal.

This is also very evident in the amount of news we see the Pope meeting and being a friend to the different religious leaders all over the world. Amazing how he ignites the kind of relationship with these that is so simple yet profound.

Miao Jing of the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist association – one of the interreligious leaders who met the Pope at UST

Miao lauded and thanked the Pope for “bringing people together, especially with different backgrounds, religions, cultures, traditions.”

“We see how the world is moving into the future, and we always see hope, especially for people with faith.”

Quote from this SITE.

Can you just imagine how peace would be at hand anytime soon?

2. Pope Francis is a living example of Jesus (and we should all take part of this wonderful celebration and follow him)

I am sure the world can come up with a number of reasons but here’s the top of my list:

Pope Francis packs a punch in the way he draws a crowd. I have never in my life seen Roxas Blvd like that. People from all over Manila (and some even from the provinces) flocked and patiently waited for the Pope to pass by. A 6-hr wait for a 3-second glimpse. Amazing.

Pope Francis at the Manila Cathedral (Cr: Rappler)

Maybe 1/8 of the Luneta Crowd?

Crowds flock to get a glimpse of the Pope

The way Pope Francis receives children. No questions asked, he loves children. It’s so heart wrenching whenever he stops his pope mobile upon seeing the faces of children just to bless them. (High five also to his security personnel who picks up the kids!)

Pope Francis stops his Pope mobile to bless a child

Pope Francis has his way of gathering all of us and making us feel like children – innocent and on full-throttled in our faith, open to receive God without hesitation. Pope Francis has this evangelical zeal that provokes you to walk blindly without feeling scared, in fact you feel more excited than ever – oh, just like children.

3. Pope Francis is a lot like us

From the number of testimonies about his life as Jorge Bergolio up to how he sold of his Harley off an auction. He is definitely one cool Pope. I love how holy he is yet how human he can be. He makes us feel AGAIN that Jesus is a lot like us.

His simplicity really took me by surprise- his choice of vehicle for example wherein he prefers riding a simple closed vehicle like the Ford Focus (here in the Ph, he rode a Volks) instead of a bulletproof car. It makes him feel ordinary, like he is one and living with all of us

His cool (but very simple) ride!

And of course he has his cute gestures and bloopers. I can’t help laughing whenever his cape flies off during his formal ceremonies or how his skullcap is always missing from his head.

There goes his cape!

4. Pope Francis radiate happiness- like a sun peeking through an after-storm

His trip to Tacloban was my undoing. Despite the heavy rains and risk of storms up in the air, he pushed through his flight and embraced Tacloban with a heart full of sympathy, hope and love. How can you not risk the crowds for a pope who risked his flight in an awful weather?

No storm can stop that smile!

Quoting Archbishop Villegas from Pope Francis’ last mass at Luneta

I couldn’t agree more!

5. Pope Francis strengthens our faith as a church

In here, faith does not stand out – instead it resonates.

The pope is a shining example of a beacon and herald of peace. His positivity and openness makes me believe and hope that the world can very much be a better place.

We are all God’s children (Cr: Yahoo)

Real love is about loving and letting yourself be loved. It’s harder to let yourself be loved than to love. That is why it is so difficult to come to the perfect love of God. We can love Him but we must let ourselves be loved by Him. Real love is being open to the love that comes to you. The love that surprises us. If you only have information you are not surprised. Love surprises because it opens a dialogue of loving and being loved. God is a God of surprise because He loved us first. God awaits us to surprise us. Let us allow ourselves to be surprised by God. Let us not have a computer psychology that makes us think we know it all. All answers on computers – but no surprises. The challenge of love. God reveals himself through surprises.

Message of Pope Francis to the youth at UST. From Yahoo.

So there are no words for me to say but Thank You. Thank you for awakening our hearts and for always reminding us that the Lord is truly with us, every step of the way. A lot of us may have forgotten but knowing that we have a very persistent shepherd who leads us is a very good start. Most of us are off the beaten track, including me but most of may have received that little push. We’re going there, together. Thank you Papa Francisco, Mabuhay po kayo!

Bonus: Okay, majority will probably agree with me when I say that Pope Francis is adorably cute! Here are some of my favorite moments during his visit in Manila.

In here, the Pope describes how he prays to the families who listened to him at the MOA Arena. To quote him

I would like to tell you something very personal. I like St Joseph very much. He is a strong man of silence. On my desk I have a statue of St Joseph sleeping. While sleeping he looks after the Church.  Yes, he can do it!  We know that. When I have a problem or a difficulty, I write on a piece of paper and I put it under his statue so he can dream about it. This means please pray to St Joseph for this problem.

Pope describes the sleeping Joseph (Cr: Philstar)

The pope also did a rock and roll sign with Bishop Tagle (but this actually means I love you in sign language)

During his visit at the University of Santo Tomas, my school (haha!), the Pope was given gifts which included his own ID and lanyard. Instead of having it kept by one his security people, he wore it all throughout his visit. I wonder if he tried entering the Engineering building?

The Pope’s Administration ID worn at UST (Cr: UST)

One of my favorite moment from his Tacloban visit was when he expressed his message for the victims of the typhoon Yolanda.

Cr to Manila Bulletin’s Twitter page

P.S. Me and my cousin were able to see Pope during his motorcade after the Luneta mass. Our story could go on and on, on how we waited for several hours, stood in the drizzling rain but it will all come down on how amazing it felt to see his infectious smile bless us. What a great experience!

Awkward selfies!

Anticipating with everybody!

Note: All thoughts and opinions are mine. Most of the pictures are taken from various websites and credited through link sharing upon clicking the photo.

Shut up and listen to Walk the Moon (GIVEAWAY YEY! CLOSED)

I chanced upon Walk the Moon upon the recommendation of a friend from the music industry. I remember watching the Anna Sun music video for the first time. I instantly fell in love with the energy and happiness radiating from the feel of the whole video. Tribal face paints, hip shaking, synchronized choreography – all that and I knew that they would be my favorite band. 2 years have passed since that music video and their title still reigns over my heart.

So you can just imagine my excitement when the band announced their second album with the teaser single Shut up and Dance. I could not contain my grin and most importantly, I can’t control my hips (as Nick Petricca always says it) when I first heard the song. This was it – this is what made me fall in love with the band in the first place. Their unique flavor  – combining indie rock with themes of retro and pop always conjures an LSS worthy song. I’m not surprised that the single is visibly present in most Spotify Top charts – including the Philippines. (Proud Pinoy here!)

For the past two weeks since its release, I have been listening to the album almost every time I open my Spotify (and that’s almost all day, every single day of the week.) What I love most about the new album is how it delivered  a new set of zesty, feisty songs with the same familiar Walk the Moon vibe that we all know, bearing hints of resemblance from their hit single Anna Sun. The upbeat songs – Sidekick, Avalanche, Shut up and Dance, Spend your $$$, Work this body (which I could easily turn into a Zumba dance routine) made me feel it in my heart and had me head-dancing way too much while at work -sorry, I couldn’t help it! The soulful songs – Different colors, Portugal, Aquaman were very head-sway worthy, like a bullet straight to the heart.

I know – it takes a lot of heart, patience and time to listen to new band or a new album so if you’re not really in the mood to scrobble through the whole album, let me suggest the top 3 songs that you should check out! I have good feeling you’d give the whole album a good listen when you hear these three:

1. Shut up and Dance – this song is in multiple Spotify charts, has been very consistent for weeks since its release. A definite, absolute, on-point LSS worthy track! You can also check out the very fun music video below.

2. Avalanche – Retro, Indie Pop, Walk the moon vibe – you can not fall in love with this track. The quirkiness of the beat sedates the artistry of the lyrics.

3. Portugal – Honestly, this is my personal favorite. This reminds me so much of why I loved this band in the first place – pure soul, spirit and a pouring passion for music.

Full Track listing of Talking is Hard:

1. DIFFERENT COLORS
2. SIDEKICK
3. SHUT UP AND DANCE
4. UP 2 U…
5. AVALANCHE
6. PORTUGAL
7. DOWN IN THE DUMPS
8. WORK THIS BODY
9. SPEND YOUR $$$
10. WE ARE THE KIDS
11. COME UNDER THE COVERS
12. AQUAMAN

We all know that everything is going digital nowadays so I had to accept that our local label won’t release a physical copy of the album. I am a very sentimental person and you have no idea how much it pains me to not hold in my actual literal hands this new Walk the moon record. So thank goodness for iTunes and Spotify for working with me through these tough times. So with that said, I will be giving away one digital copy of Talking is Hard (iTunes) to one reader of my blog – open to any fan, non-fan, Walk the moon virgin, Walk the moon non-virgin or any music aficionado who has taken an interest to listen to this band. Just comment and say hi below! [UPDATE: Congrats Michelle for winning the DigiCopy!]

I will always love this band and I really hope that they get bigger with this new record. They are honestly one of the most humble, sincere and free spirited bands present in the industry. Go to their Twitter and personal band member pages and you can see how much they go the extra mile to reach out to their fans and make us feel really appreciated. There’s no other feeling quite like it if you ask me. So I guess that explains why I also go the extra mile just to tell the world that you need to go check out this band because really there’s no one quite like them.

I always get lucky when I tweet Nick! 🙂

If you can buy Talking is Hard in iTunes, you’re extra awesome! Go here to purchase. You can also help them get more hits at Spotify, stream the album here! Always remember to listen legitly!

P.S. I really hope I get to see them in 2015, they’re currently number 1 on my Bucketlist!

 

The struggles of getting a new job

Remember the day when you finally tendered that ‘long-overdue’ resignation letter? You have always hated your boss but you have always loved him. In fact, the feeling is so insatiable you can’t decide what to feel because all seems moot now – you have finally reached the final point of no return. You are about to say goodbye to your heavy no-weekend workloads, to the drama of it all and you’re finally free. If you’re emotional like me, you probably cried a bucket-load of tears – you grieved over the sense of separation and you recalled all the memories – no matter how silly or sad they have been.

I’m sorry but I have to go

You feel the pain sting in your heart because you’re finally leaving and a few weeks from now, you’re going to have the best-last-lunch session with the best officemates in the history of officemates.

And finally, at the end of it all – you feel like a 12 year old kid (not too old to tread on the world and not to young to be left crawling) who is being separated from that parent who taught you during your formative years. It’s like leaving home for the bigger city. That’s what I always thought about my first job – don’t we all? It’s a training ground where we learn everyday and we get to be thankful for the patience of these people who took time to teach us and not really blame us for not knowing everything at the first try. And this is why it’s gut-wrenching to say goodbye – and why it’s okay to  cry (you can always do it at home or the bus ride after your last day.) But despite all of the sadness, we have to let go. Because seriously, this struggle is a prologue of what is to come next. You’ve a got a bigger problem up ahead – you’ve got a new job.

Guys, what’s happening guys?

So getting a new job means we get to be a little celebratory about it right? Congratulations, you’re hired and you’re on your way to greener pastures. You start sketching a very beautiful picture of you in your own condo unit in the ‘it-city’ of your country, sipping sangria with your bff’s on a Friday night. It’s time for you to get in the game and seek bigger opportunities in this new environment, with these new people. It’s what you’ve always needed, it’s the reason why you left your previous job – it’s a fresh start. Looks like everything is bundled up as a nice perfect package. But everything does come with a price and at this point you need to step back a little and take a long look through the bigger picture, it’s time to start plotting out a battle plan. You may or may not agree with me but starting a new job is a lot easier said than done. It is one big struggle that takes time, patience and whole lot of heart. If you’re someone like me  then you have probably also experienced the stages of being that girl who just got a new job.

The stages (or phases or levels or call them whatever you like, really) of starting a new job:

1. Orientation Day

You will never know…

This stage is like a prequel to the real thing- literally speaking, it is a prequel (hahahahaha). Imagine this as the ‘Kill order’ of the series ‘The Maze Runner’ (sorry if you’re not a fan, you can always google it but just understand that it’s a prequel of the whole big series) – don’t worry, it is a less gory prequel. This stage gives you an overview of the days to come. It’s like a 50/50 position because you’re not yet officially part of your new company but technically, you’re already hired.

It’s the nerve-wracking stage where you feel proud that you got the job and you’re here ready to face the world with a  new title. You feel extremely happy about this whole new you and you’re excited to get on with it.

Since you’re in the office (if your orientation does not happen in your office then it’s probably a scam, so run) you get to scan the surroundings. You gauge the feel and criticize the interior design of your new workplace. You cringe as the HR associate introduces you to the people in the office, trying to act cool without being too overly friendly because you want to give off a good impression – not too shy, not too proud.

You never really make friends during this day. The most hopeful conversation from the day are words of encouragement from the HR associate – who is officially the first ‘friend’ you made in this new job. But don’t get too attached – don’t go home thinking that tomorrow, when I officially start, I might probably get invited to lunch by this HR associate. Unfortunately, HR friendships don’t really work out – not because HR people are snobby after Orientation day, it’s because they have their own teams to get lunch with. So get over yourself and get over orientation day. Tomorrow is the day that we really start. BRING IT ON.

2. First Day

*tries too hard not to act like a lost banana*

“Ohdearlord. This is AWKWARD. HEHE. I feel so awkward I just want to go to the bathroom but I’ve been there three times already today so my resources are running low. It’s time to panic but god I can’t do that infront of everybody. I have to act cool and collected. That’s right, I’ll pretend e-mail just to save my self from this embarrassment.”

Yep. You’re officially part of the crew! And guess what? You’re the newest one in the group so sit back, relax and be awkward. ALL DAY. This is a day wherein you have to accept defeat. You have no choice, you’re the newest of the new. You will always be the new one on this day until tomorrow – that is, if a new team member joins the company. This is the part where you literally sit in your desk all day, moving right and left – trying not to get too squeaky with your chair and you set up your whole life starting from your email account.

The first two hours would be bearable. Sine it’s your first day, you probably came to work early – meaning, the whole office is practically deserted. You relax and you get to fumble with your laptop – you fix the wifi connection, upload your picture to your Skype account and finish off your pink-font signature. Then the office starts filling up and it gets all too noisy. Now is the time to feel super duper awkward and you just have to hold on because dear the worst is yet to come – you have lunch hour next.

 

*croo croo*

 

If you are lucky – you get to spend your first-day-lunch-hour with your team mates but if you’re not then it’s inevitably an emergency me time at the nearest McDonalds. Sorry, this is all part of growing up. You and your McChicken burger alone on Monday noon? Tough love.

After lunch should be better. It’s just a matter of acting nonchalant and praying that time should speed up because dang, I am already done with my e-mail and I have practically installed everything that I need to install. Then the angels came down, announcing that it’s already 6pm – HALLELUJAH!

3. The first week

Roll with it.

Okay, greenie (that’s what they call newbies at the Maze Runner, sorry for my references) – if you want to build a life out of this new job then it’s time for you to work it out. One step at a time but you have no choice but to do it. Remember what you left-  remember all the good friends of your previous work – don’t let all the sacrifice of leaving them go to waste!

During this week – you test all the waters. You walk up to people within your vicinity, strike them a question and see who answers best:

Question: Hey, I’m Grace – the new girl from the block from this department! *reaches hand out*

Answers:

a. Hehe, I’m ___. You’re okay but sorry I have previous engagement and I’m really late for my meeting. Bye.

b. Ohmygod!!! I feel the same way about this small talk! *friend from other table calls her attention* *you go drift back to your own world* *music out*

c. Nope, I’m the resident bitch and you talking to me? Ain’t nobody got time for that.

d. So you wanna go out for lunch?

Pick letter d and your soul is redeemed. At least at this point you have someone to make lunch bearable. You and McChicken will definitely  welcome your new lunch buddy with open arms and large fries shared has never tasted better.

The first week is the time to fish for all the information you can get from the company – no, I’m not talking about secrets and liabilities cause you’ll only earn that privilege when you’re a manager, which would probably take years from now- here, you ask about your co-workers, what do people wear, learn about employee satisfaction and ask the burning question at the back of your mind – ‘how do you get this vending machine to work again?’

NOTE: The first week will be bloody hard for you – emotionally speaking. You’ll miss everything from your old work because you can’t help keep compare your comfort back to now. You are probably questioning your decision about leaving your old job and you start being emotional about your accomplishments back there. Those were some of the greatest moments of your life.

The old me who used to be on top of her game…

But you have to toughen it up and start standing up for your decision. Next thing you know it’s already Friday and there you have it. The first week is all done. You have a new friend, you know your company background and you have successfully vended out fresh brewed coffee.

4. The first month.

Observe, observe, observe and then learn

Now that you’re nearing your 30th day, isn’t everything awesome? Nope. It is not. Admittedly, things still feel new but you’re getting the hang of it. It is the stage where we take the familiarization to a deeper level. You need to learn about everything – just like a cover to cover quiz  and you know how annoying that can be right? You need to befriend the right people at this point of time because you need to build a good support system, you can’t stay and be all alone because come on no man is an island – you’d need the help of the jolly messengers to get your documents safely to your clients. You need to learn how to work the photocopying machine without looking like a dork.

 

Team work makes the dream work-ish

 

I call it the hard training because eventually you will mess up (hopefully not much) but it is perfectly okay. You don’t need to sweat it if you accidentally deleted the Masterfile of names from your team leader’s database. You’ve got the newbie ammunition right up your sleeve! This is your grace period and you have to use it wisely otherwise you’ll end up a mess in the days to come. The next few months after will be a battle of you – your newness- and how you would learn to keep up with the stability of your new workplace -eventually, without the defense of being exactly new ’cause turns out there is the new kid who just started out the other day and is acing excel with his pivot table and concatenating powers (which actually took you three weeks to learn.) You’re not the type who gets easily left behind right? It’s time to take things seriously.

5. The next months to come

There’s a bigger maze out there

I have to be honest, this blog post is really inspired with what I have been feeling the past few weeks. I can only hope you feel the same way otherwise I’m wasting my blogging powers. Truth is, I just passed my first month in this new job and I can’t really say much for this stage since I can only tell from my first  job – which might be a little biased since being it as my first job after college – the newbie ammunition was valid for 6months or so.

I guess you can help me out in the comments section after but I think these months are the formative stages of your new work life. Think Promil and their advertisements where babies grew up to be toddlers and then as kids. In this stage-  you’ll probably get scolded for doing  something wrong and the choice of blame is up to your judgment- blame it for not knowing well enough or just blame it to experience. You’ll probably get a praise for a job well done and that would really feel glorious. You will meet people who might piss the hell out of you and eventually you’ll meet your best officemates ever here too. Life will be great again and it will require you to vent out your worries, fear, anger and happy times – next thing you know it, you’re already celebrating your first year anniversary.

Good Job!

Work is fun!

I love you new officemate!

6. (Epilogue) 1st year at work

You recollect all the memories, awkward and non-awkward, and then you realize that it was not so bad after all.

So you see the next time you walk in to your office pantry and see the new kid quizzically looking at the coffee vending machine, you walk up to him, flash him a kindly smile (one that does not scare!) and you help him get his espresso because a year from now you’d want him to feel the same way as you do right now.

 

Whew, I survived!

 

MTV for some of the gif’s of Dylan.

In to the Manhole! (Book Review)

Image from Inquirer

I will start this review with my own snippet of a memoir. Let me phrase the title to “Wigley, Wigley, Wigley, Yeah!”

“Wigley, Wigley, Wigley, Yeah!”
(A short story on how I came across this author)

It was my third year in college as I was taking up BA Comm Arts. Every year, all Comm Arts students were tasked to lead, manage and execute the annual Faculty show of the Arts and letters college faculty of the University. Wow, talk about pressure with no choice of resistance – right? Normally, I don’t pursue being active with such events because I was always busy with my extra-curricular activities outside of school (think Owl City and concerts) however something must have pushed me to step up and join the production team.

In and out of school, I was always into ‘showbiz,’ it was no wonder that I ended up handling the talents for the whole show. The talents for the Faculty show were, well, the Faculty members. Most of the professors were from our own building and some were professors from other faculties that occasionally taught at AB (Arts and Letters Faculty). I coordinated with most of the professors and linked them up with their respective teams for their own production numbers. Then I texted this Professor named John Jack Wigley, apparently he was going to be with our team together for a ‘Madonna’ segment of the whole show. Interesting name but I have never had the chance to be under his subjects so I have no idea who he is, turns out that he is from the College of Fine Arts who teaches several subjects in AB from time to time.

When I met sir Jack Wigley, I knew that I would love him. He was very happy, funny and he donned the biggest smile in the whole faculty. He was very proactive in the production of their Madonna segment, he often gave comments and suggestions on what to do and what to improve. Among all of the teams, I was over the top excited for sir Jack and Mam Eloisa’s (Both were the stars for the Madonna segment). From what I heard, Sir Jack Wigley is a strict professor but working with him for the Faculty show really made it impossible for me to picture him being all strict. I was more involved in the show than I could get and to think I could have not done this in the first place. I was gladly spending overtime hours just to help our team deliver a spectacular show.

Lia C. for the photo!

The show was a great success, the Madonna number was spectacular and I had to say goodbye to sir Jack. That was my last personal encounter with him until I read over Facebook that sir Jack published his first creative non-fiction under the Ust Publishing House.

It was just this year that I finally got a copy for myself when I attended the MIBF 2014 for the sole purpose of purchasing sir Jack’s book and having it signed by him. I never thought I’d get to know him more through pages and stories personally narrated from the humble life of sir Jack.

The book, in its entirety, is a gift – from the author (whom we will assume that I don’t personally know just so you are convinced that I am totally being unbiased right now.) It is an open book diary of a man that is richly immersed in the diversity, in conflict and acceptance, of race, gender and poverty. Sir Jack bluntly says the central theme of the memoir in the first few pages of the book – he is gay, he is half american and half asian and he was poor. The honesty and sincerity of delivery caught me mid-air. I never took memoirs lightly because for all I know it takes a chunk of courage to share your REAL stories to the world – with no cloaks of fiction at bay. Truly, this book asserted its place.

The whole book is written in chronological order – from sir Jack’s youth to the present. It tells us a narrative of how he grew up in the Philippines – being AmerAsian, poor and gay – and the bittersweet implications of life as it is. It shares stories that I once thought were only seen in MMK’s (Maalala Mo Kaya) and considered rare in real life.

The stories were very entertaining as much as they were very personal. Every story was emotionally charged – you share the pain, you cry the tears, you laugh at the jokes and you triumph over success. No doubt that the overall tone and delivery were tastefully done. You get to have the privilege of seeing the author deliver his stories upfront, standing straight with a grin on his face knowing that underneath it all is a sincere and genuine human being who is not afraid to let the world know who he is and what he has become.

Now, the question is – would you really a memoir? Why would you want to read about somebody else’s life when you have your own set of stories yourself? I for one could easily compete with sir Jack’s story about Ondoy. But I don’t think I have the right words, the correct attitude and the perfect amount of courage to face the world and tell them who I am. For me, reading a memoir is like taking snippets of life from the author and learning from them. I truly feel privileged to have had the honor of learning from sir Jack.

The book is a gem, a treasure that needs to be shared. This book does not simple outsmart but it also outshines. A happy, easy and meaningful read. With this, it’s safe to say that I am eagerly anticipating the release of his second book out this December 2014.

Sir Wigley – 3 years after, it is my greatest pleasure to say that my hat will always be off to you.

Ayaw ko sa mukhang kuhol (Or, My Buti pa ang Roma may Bagong Papa book review)

Book Cover was designed by Alessandra de Rossi (from anvilpublishing website)

I can’t remember the last time I laughed my hard out, chapter after chapter, and at the same time get hit by a sadness so overwhelming because you have come to a realization that you are in that point in your life wherein you can fully intake a book in its entirety because it talks to your soul, digs up your fears and overwhlems you with your unspoken feelings.

In short – isa kang malaking Grand winner, NORINGAI. Alam ko naman sa sarili ko na hindi ako isang Kris Aquino o Direk Erick Salud pero nais ko lang naman ang malaman mo na ikaw ay bukod na pinagpala – You are that kind of write that perfectly shoots the infamous saying ‘You want to have your cake and eat it too?’ and at the same time snap back an answer ‘Ay OO, I want to have my cake, and eat it too at alam mo gusto ko rin siyang i-take out kasi in the first place, CAKE KO NGA TO ‘Eh.’ Ms. Noringai, I can never deny myself the feeling of admiring a woman who owns up to what she stands for. So let me reiterate so we can proceed – isa kang diyosa.

So upon hearing reviews and word of the mouth recommendations, I finally caved in and bought this seemingly pink book entitled ‘ Buti pa ang Roma may bagong Papa.’ Prior to buying I had a fair idea on what his book might be talking about but only because the title bluntly says it so – and just so we are clear, it really isn’t about Rome’s pope. So the blurb suggests:

Single. Alone. Soloista. Lonely. Tigang. Sawi. NBSB. Searching. Waiting. Hoping. This book is for you. Para malaman mo na kahit wala kang dyowa, hindi ka nag-iisa.

Check, check, check at isa pang malaking check. For only P185.00, you get to hold in your hands a funny, laugh out loud, heartfelt ledger in life and in love. The book is a series of essays covering different topics of a woman’s struggle in the day to day things that she encounters – from daydreaming about your (x years ko na siyang crush) crush, stalking your hottie of the month on social media, wishing for the next prince charming from Santa Claus, brushing off that one guy in the office who pronounces inbox as invox and your everyday thoughts on WHEN AM I GOING TO FINALLY FALL IN LOVE.

Come on, ladies. We all know the struggle is real (#TheStruggleisReal2014). In this age and day of Thoughtcatalog thoughts and EliteDaily daily news- we have all set our standards to find that one perfect man who will love us to the littlest of things – to that guy whom we will snuggle with at night, to that man who would be so good with babies you’d cry at just the thought of it and to that one person whom we’d always think of whenever we come across such articles. We are such pricks, truthfully and we really ought to be because BAKIT BA? Ayaw nating mag-settle eh. Diba, NORINGAI? This is just one of the many thought provoking thoughts (HAHA, thoughtception) that disrupted my seemingly ‘content’ single life and as ironic as it may sound, I found myself a little sad. But it’s a happy kind of sad because I knew that feeling of wanting to fall in love was still in me, despite all the years of denying. Everyday kilig is normal, everyday pintas of the guys who are way too out of our league is normal but acknowledging that there is someone out there who will eventually disrupt your normal life is totally scary and at the same time exciting. Hay, NORINGAI – bakit nga ba ganito ano? Ang weird lang talaga, sa tagal tagal ba naman ng panahon ngayon ko lang napagtantong isipin ulit iyon. Iba ka, Ibang iba ka girl.

This book was like a friend, a true friend who talks straight into your face and honestly blurbs out life and love in the most real sense. Noringai writes from experience and there’s nothing more reassuring in this world than knowing that you are definitely alone. Di ka nag-iisa, infairness nasa blurb niya yun. I felt so relieved after because finally hindi lang pala ako ang natuturn-off kapag may isang lalaking fa-keyd ang pag pronounce ng facade at eto matindi, hindi lang pala ako ang nagkakacrush ng taun-taon pero ni minsan hindi pinansin. I’ve got the power, I feel it.

This book just made me feel happy all over. I finished it in one sitting, almost highlighting every single line. I loved how the essays were cut according to themes, it was practically a breeze to finish. I was just flipping through the pages wildly. I LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IN CAPSLOCK AND IN 17 ! MARKS.  Noringai’s wit and humor are so chunky and rich but at the same time so strong and true. Masakit masaktan pero at least tumatawa ka, at least may natututunan ka.

So did I like the book? HELLO. Handa na akong mag-shopping at mag random-gift giving ng kopya sa mga not-so-random-kasi-alam-kong-matatamaan-sila kong friends.

Lahat ng ginagawa niya, gusto mong lagyan ng malisya (From Pechay, Buti pa ang Roma may bagong Papa) – If feeling mo naka relate ka, medyo nakakarelate, gustong makarelate, magbasa ka na.

(from National Book Store’s twitter)