November Bite Magazine Vol 3 No11 by apiong bagares

NOVEMBER 2009 VOL.3 NO.11 Hi-C / The Singles are Back / rantraveandwhine: Into Cebu / Strings – From 4,000 BC to Gluteus Maximus / Crispin Ramos: A meandering Guide to life and more…

UNDERCOVER GRASSHOPPER Airs on RCTV November 4-18 Catch Them Live November 20 at The Outpost

HARDWOOD Airs on RCTV November 18- Dec. 2 Catch Them Live December 4 at The Outpost poster designed

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Cebu Guitar Fest 2009 Nov. 24-28 at The Outpost

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Performances by Cebu’s Top Guitarists                                            “ ”              Jim Beam Frontman 2009                                             Photo Exhibit/Contest              

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In most parts of the world the days between November and December slide or abruptly jump from the macabre to the merry, from mausoleums to mistletoes. But here, since three years ago, there is a brief pause in between. A musical stop, or as it is now and for the foreseeable future, inshallah, a musical continuation.

Roy Lumagbas Text Minder

No, not karaoke for crying out loud! Yes, that’s better: The Cebu Guitar Festival, which this year will be on its third year.

David Harris Inspiration Mona Polo Word Factory / Guidance Apiong Bagares Page Design / Photos Philip Sinajonon Page Design / Illustrations

This festival provides all the reasons why Cebu is indeed the guitar capital of the Philippines. That this festival continues provides all the incentives why everyone who is Cebuano and proud to be one support it.

Marites Abatayo Sales Executive Iris Su Viral Marketing Pumpkin Property Custodian Paul Dean Editorial Contributors Dexter Sy bakunawa_on_the_loose Chai Fonacier Russ Raniel Ligtas Carl Jefferson Lopez

Not just by blahblahblahblah but, susmaryosep, rahrahrahrah! By being at the festival. By enjoying local talent and invited guests. By buying their CDs and other merchandise. Not just the beer, kay?

Ching Villalon Photo Contributions Archie Uy Mark Yap Bambi Beltran

For our part, we do our bit. We give you the low down and the highlights as we have for the past two years and for the coming years as well.

Nonon Yee Illustration

See you there!

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FIRST BITE / 5

Strings From 4,000 BC to Gluteus Maximus Words by Paul Dean

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With the Cebu Guitar Festival hopefully coming up towards the end of November it would seem an apt time to take an extremely ‘artistic license’ view of the topic Strings. By the way, for those that didn’t make it to the CGF last year at the Outpost, you missed one of the musical highlights of the year in Cebu. For the String History Buffs and the Did You Know-ers. I will begin with a brief synopsis of musical ‘strings’ A stringed instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings, usually over a sounding board and/or resonating chamber. Plucking, bowing, and striking are the three most common techniques used in creating musical sounds from a stringed instrument. The length and tautness of the strings affect the pitch and tone of the sound produced. Strings are often shortened by using the finger or other device to “stop” the string and thus alter its pitch. Chords may be produced by playing more than one string at the same time. The most common string instruments in Western music are those in the violin, piano and guitar families. String instruments are found in virtually every culture throughout the world, creating a wide variety of sounds and reflecting many types of musical traditions. The oldest stringed instrument has been identified as a Harp from the Persia/Iran region dating back to at least 4000BC and is half the size of

the Iranian Harp from which other stringed instruments originate. There are now over 200+ different kinds of stringed instruments played worldwide. Okay, now lets slip into guitar string mode. The guitar, as usually defined, refers to a set of closely related stringed instruments created and used across Europe since the medieval period, making it a truly European instrument. The defining developments of the guitar occurred where it was especially popular during the modern era, in Latin Europe Spain, Italy and France. Precursors of the guitar can be traced back as much as 4000 years to an Indo-European origin of stringed instruments once known in Central Asia and India. For this reason guitars are distantly related to contemporary instruments from these regions, including the tanbur, setar and sitar, among others. The oldest known iconographic representation of an instrument displaying the essential features of a guitar is a 3,300 year old stone carving of a Hittite bard. The modern word, guitar, was adopted into English from Spanish guitarra (German Gitarre, French Guitare), loaned from the medieval Andalusian Arabic qitara, itself derived from the Latin cithara, which in turn came from the earlier Greek word kitara a descendant of old Persian sihtar (tar means string). The guitar is descended from the Roman cithara brought by the Romans to Hispania around 40 AD, and further adapted and developed with the arrival of the four-string oud, brought by the Moors after their conquest of Iberia in the 8th century. Elsewhere in Europe, the indigenous six-string Scandinavian lut (lute)), ZOOMIN / 7

had gained in popularity in areas of Viking incursions across the continent. By 1200 AD, the four-string “guitar” had evolved into two types: the guitarra moresca (Moorish guitar) which had a rounded back, wide fingerboard and several soundholes, and the guitarra latina (Latin guitar) which resembled the modern guitar with one soundhole and a narrower neck. In the 14th and 15th centuries the qualifiers “moresca” and “latina” were dropped and these four course instruments were simply called guitars. For the ‘Rock On’ Guitar String Aficionados. A musical scale is basically a group of notes with well-defined intervals between them. The basic musical scale consists of the notes A, B, C, D, E, F, and G and then there is a whole range of other notes called flats or sharps. The normal guitar consists of 6 strings tuned to E, A, D, G (a very popular string as you will note later), B & E. Now as we all know, what some people can do with these 6 strings is at times unbelievable! As the length of this article is limited I will just cater to the electric guitar establishment, which is not intended in any way as a slight to the unplugged string players, who are just as important. Generally the electric string players are without doubt the more widely known, so what are the best electric string plucker solos of all time? After some in depth research of the

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opinions of top guitarists, amateurs and fans, I have come up with the following results in no particular order: Stairway To Heaven/Heartbreaker – Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin) Eruption/Jump – Eddy Van Halen (Van Halen) All Along The Watchtower/Voodoo Chile/ Machine Gun/Little Wing – Jimi Hendrix (Jimi Hendrix Experience) Comfortably Numb/Time – David Gilmour (Pink Floyd) Crossroads – Eric Clapton (Cream) Layla - Eric Clapton/Duane Allman (Derek & The Dominos) Hotel California - Don Felder/Joe Walsh (The Eagles) Free Bird – Allen Collins (Lynyrd Skynyrd) Cliffs of Dover - Eric Johnson Texas Flood - Stevie Ray Vaughan November Rain/Sweet Child O’ Mine Slash (Guns n’ Roses) One - Kirk Hammet (Metallica) Crazy Train/Mr Crowley - Randy Rhoads – (Ozzy Ozbourne) Highway Star - Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple) Sultans of Swing - Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits) You Shook Me All Night Long - Angus Young (AC/DC) Bohemian Rhapsody - Brian May (Queen) Satch Boogie - Joe Satriani For The Love Of God - Steve Vai Floods - Dimebag Darrell (Pantera)

The biggest survey ever done of respected guitarists (including virtually all of the above) came down to overwhelming support that Jimi Hendrix is/was the greatest electric guitarist of all time. Ok, now that we have determined that there are some people who can do things with six strings that to us mere mortals appear beyond reason, maybe we should have a few lighthearted pokes at those string pluckers, whose egos sometimes become the size of a planet.

What’s the difference between a guitarist and a mutual fund? One matures.

probably the earliest form of clothing known to mankind and originated in the warmer climates of sub-Saharan Africa where clothing was first worn almost 75,000 years ago. It was first developed for men by primitive peoples, however, in modern days, they are usually worn by females and first became popular in Brazil in the 1970s. The origin of the term “G-string” is not fully known, but the term was first written about by Americans in the late 1800s when they described the loincloth of Philippines natives! There is some debate whether it was g-string or gee-string. As always, things evolve and thus so have g-strings. There are now: C-strings - As narrow as a g-string but without the band around the waist, leaving just a C shaped piece between the legs held in place firmly by a flexible internal frame.

For the Hot Blooded String Lovers! Probably the most popular and controversial ‘String’, loved by most males and many females is the G-String. A G-string is a narrow piece of cloth, leather or plastic that passes between the buttocks. It is attached to a band around the hips and can be worn as swimwear or underwear by both men and women. The difference between a G-string and a thong is that a g-string has less material between the legs which makes it look like a string. It is

V-strings - Similar to the g-string, this style connects via a single string along the rear that separates into two strings just at or before the waistband or into a small triangle of fabric above the buttocks but below the waistband can have tie sides like the T-back. T-strings– same as T-back or T-bar Well there we go, just a minor sojourn into the wonderful world of Strings and we haven’t even touched on yo yo’s. May the String be with you.

How many guitarists does it take to change a light bulb? At least 2,000: one to change the bulb and 1,999 to insist how much better they could’ve done it! What does it mean when a guitar player is drooling out both sides of his mouth? The stage is level.

ZOOMIN / 9

So You Wanna be a

Rock Star Words by Chai Fonacier

Bruce Conte once told me (or told me because I had to write an article about him) that he’d chosen to retire here in Cebu because it’s a band town and that it reminds him of San Francisco. I don’t know how San Fo’ looks like but this definitely is a band town. Some bands make it big. Some make it to their first album. Some are perpetually trying to make it to their debut album. Some go *poof!* This isn’t in anyway an attempt to lay down the rules of band life, for the rules are close to zero; most of the time they are, I reckon, made as you go. And, just as helter-skelter as our very young music scene is, below is an equally helter-skelter list of band things made up along the way, all based on pre-debut album experiences of observations, cheap food, corny jokes, good and bad gigs, what-not. Go dig.

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1. Believe. 2. Believe in self. 3. Believe in your partners in process of creation. Of music, you perv. 4. Create without restriction a flowchart of lofty band ambitions on the back of some used art material, with supporting illustrations, caricatures, and thought clouds that may or may not have anything to do with said ambitions. 5. Invest on time, equipment and beer. Use well. 6. Pour soul in. 7. Buy each other beer and share personal music stash. 8. Good music, baby, good music. 9. Do not blame post-modernism for bad song. 10. Work hard and earn money to fund music life and side projects such as meals. 11. A fuck-up is a good song. 12. A series of fuck-ups is a good album. 13. Go and fuck up. 14. Wait, listen! Ssshhh --15. Silliness + Boredom = New Ideas 16. A-B-C-D-E-F-G, A-B-C-D-E-F-G. 17. Use gig TF for band funds. 18. (Sometimes/Always) use gig TF for beer. 19. Trust in the Holy Yeah! of Now. 20. Play for free, especially for the benefit of a good cause. 21. Be wary of dubious production outfits suffering from delusions of grandeur. 22. Save money for studio time by experiencing fine dining together at pungko-pungko. 23. Record songs on Mac lappy for progress tracking. 24. Have mother(s) of band member(s) become no. 1 fan(s). 25. Maybe have no. 2 fan become roadie. 26. Maybe get a manager. 27. When playing for free in University of band member(s), ensure availability of free and good food. 28. An audience of 5 is audience of 100 is audience of 36.2; perform. 29. Seek advice from reliable people, such as magazine staff or one with initials PD. 30. Effort = A+ • False 31. Effort + Ideas that work + good solutions = good music = A+ • True 32. It doesn’t have to make sense sometimes, like when they say that the apparition of such ostentatious rainbows bring about creamy custard cake. 33. Furtively maximize available company resources to discuss with band members all things music (including available schedules) over ridiculously lengthy email thread. 34. Hook up with owners of tiny pocket-sized magazine to have gig + publicity. 35. Think big, think different, think chocofrosted-Spongebob, but most importantly, think. 36. Or not. 37. Then go, go, go! 38. [insert your item here] 39. [and here] 40. [and also here]

Muse The Resistance Warner Music What an album! It was always going to be hard to follow Black Holes and this is an equal, due to a more classical approach. The production is so clean, you could hear a pin drop - reminds me of the production on Depeche Modes Violator album. Early Muse fans will likely be disappointed, as Muse have turned down the wailing guitars, in favour of a more electronic/classical feel. Matt Bellamy is a very talented man and can even bring Frédéric Chopin back from the dead!! There are so many different musical nods and references from 70s rock, 80s electronic, Classical and even Abba but yet maintains a freshness and originality which I like. I personally listen to a huge variety of genres from Baroque to Rock depending on my mood but it may take a while before I change what’s playing on my ipod! In the case of The Resistance the album is astonishingly good. It’s elegantly produced and very well performed. Is it in the same league as Dark Side of The Moon, Nevermind or Led Zeppelin IV? Probably not. But it is nevertheless an exceptionally diverse and well constructed piece of work

Text by: M Uppet

http://muse.mu/

SOUNDBITE / 11

The Guitara

Monologues Based on the interviews of five guitars Words by Russ Ligtas

Artwork by Nonon Yee

Ever since he started using the king laid fingers on my saddle, I’ve always felt he wanted me to be more, to be something else. You see, I used to be a certain Paul Reed Smith XXII but now, after my successful reassignment, I am simply Lady Pee Wee. I love my new dark cherry sunburst finish but I’d rather I was blonde, besides I got no money no money, it’s true. I’m might be only his fourth mistress (the last one, unfortunately, didn’t survive an etching of his friend’s names on its back with a knife) but I believe he loves me so, more than those who came before. He loves me so much he uses two types of cleaning fluid. I don’t mind that it’s actually for cars, I take joy and pleasure in our monthly dates when he gives me a string change. He gets quite sweaty when we’re at it, you see, (that’s probably the problem with the current wife) and my strings corrode faster when I get wet. But as long as he takes care of my string replacements, I am ever faithful and loyal. I admit, he is a man, and I am only a simple mistress without rank. I understand he likes to get drunk and can be rather rough despite his charming face. I even fear he might bash me onstage. There are rumors that the wife is eager to replace me with someone she can control, someone she has power over. It’s not my fault he spends more time with me than her. -Archie Uy’s Electric (Missing Filemon)

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It’s a give and take relationship. We don’t screw up then we get our regular string change and sometimes a bonus Wipe Out rub. I have some problems working with his amps and the boss doesn’t trust my wife’s acoustic instincts but he’s an ok boss despite that. Hell he even gave us his bed to sleep on while he gets the couch. He makes sure we have good working conditions, sometimes going to concert sites ahead of us, and then has his other employee (his mother) drive us to the venue when it’s a go. My boss is the man, my wife thinks so too, I’m just glad he doesn’t dig them girls with strings attached. -Magellan Electro (married to Jenny Acoustica) of no particular guitarist from nonesuch band. Reason being, said guitarist doesn’t want to be called “bata” and that he’s from Mary Peril. He never does the talking, I do. Me. Moi. In fact, he didn’t even give me a name, so I assumed I was called Fernando, a name written on my back. Fer-nan-do. Fur as in the coats, nan as in the Indian bread, and do, a deer, a female deer. All in all, since my strings produce tunes as soft as fur, as nourishing as nan, and as divine as deer, I’d rather really be called Bambi. I’ve been with my him for four years now, standing by his study table as he flips through his law books. I am used to his quietness. After all, my master is an aspiring lawyer, perceiving and decisive. Before he picks me in the neck and uses me, he would always pray, especially before a live show. He’d say nothing encouraging but I’ve always felt secure in his arms, slung around his strong muscular neck, just hanging there. Don’t tell but he’s begun to have a liking bringing me to bed with him. I never thought he felt the same way, but this morning, my master, king of my parts, finally exposed himself errr his feelings for me saying: Don’t you fret, I love you too… Who would have known? -Carlo Salva’s Fernando I like living in her shoebox room, I think. It’s been almost a year now. We’re still getting to know each other but I think we’re cut out to be best friends, through thick and thin, meal or no meal. We’re a team. Our experiences together from oh-fucker to glory-yeah keep us closer to each other day by day. I was so nervous in a gig once when she plugged me in the amps to do a short sound check. When the song started I suddenly passed out! I woke up only on the last note feeling so ashamed of myself. I spent an entire week hiding in my case without getting wiped or patted, let alone strummed. But after that we had a good talk afterwards and everything's ok now. Some guitars think, it’s so much better to be with rich humans, but the best thing about being a poor girl’s guitar is she can’t ever replace you- she can’t afford it. I just wish she burn me for heat when it gets really really bad. -Pong Pagong, guitar of nonesuch artist from no particular band.

I know, you can’t tell. You might have seen us in one of your fantasies though. At first glance, we look like two chicks hanging out, one with the sensual lips and the sultry voice, and the other with heart stopping curves and a big tush. But we’re not best friends form college or soul sisters, we’re more than that, morrrrrrrrrrreeeee. She’s a wildfire, my girl, and I am her Slutty Samantha. We’ve been together for eight years now. She attends to me at night, the moment she gets home and in return I help her sleep and my do I help her. She likes cooking meatballs and I keep her company til they’re baked to crispy ball perfection. I guess you could say we spoil each other. How do we do it? I make music when she fiddles with me. I like it when she taps just above my soundhole. -Mecca Maranga’s Slutty Samantha

Visit the artist at www.lifelikepepe.blogspot.com SOUNDBITE / 13

The Singles are Words by Ian Zafra

I wish I was wrong… but fortunately I’m not. At the time the indie music culture was “reintroduced” into our local mainstream, it got so much talked about, sometimes even forcibly, building the hype big enough, attempting to persuade the skeptics that indie was the way to go. Like lots of other new ideas, it failed the first time. In fact it failed countless times. But indie stands for persistent innovation. Persistence was the key. The indie culture waited. Eventually, it paid off. Through time and patient turnovers, a new music community took shape. I can still remember most of the bold runs and significant milestones that came at the early half of this decade. There was an unsteady upsurge of creativity among bands fluctuating year after year. Soon enough the local music scene got attention and at one time, Cebu was even perceived by music publishers as a place where sophisticated songwriters are born. Being small and indie allows an artist to explore as many possibilities it can decide on. Being small and indie allows an artist to grow in sophistication even without him knowing it. Being small and indie gives creative freedom. And when the time is right, things will just fall into place. Then record labels interfere. Almost every time there’s an innovation in the music circuit, they would come forth and offer seemingly attractive record deals (ignoring the fine prints), seducing the extremely talented, povertystricken artist. At the end of the day, it would seem like they own you – the artist. It would seem like they started it all for you. They would interfere. They always do because of the fixated notion that once they had succeeded in making the artist believe they can do everything for them. I exaggerated a bit on this but this was once true. This isn’t true anymore. The face of the music industry has already changed

14 / SOUNDBITE

as we know it. Nobody is buying CDs from record stores anymore. Music fans prefer to either download them legally from the artist’s digital outlets or to get the real thing straight from the gig. Sonic Boom head honcho Alex Lim shared his experience that the CDs don’t appeal to the fans anymore. These days, he said, CDs can almost be treated as business cards. So what’s the next wave? Singles. The singles are back. Because the labels don’t and cannot do the things like they used to for the artist. The shelves are not moving. Albums are not selling. The labels are lost (have I mentioned this before?). But the business of the singles is back. You see, every music fan could tell you that it’s always a good thing to enjoy choices between buying, sharing, or even illegally downloading songs that they like. But only those that they like. I mean, why would you buy an album if only 2 out of 12 appeal you? If I want a song, I’ll just download the song, period. If I decide to buy the CD, it’s not because of the music in it but the souvenir component. It’s the total package of the merchandise - the pictures, the credits, the design, the feeling of ownership, etc. I (or we) pay for the experience and ownership.

Back Hi-C Body Talk The singles are back. Digital distribution is cheap. Music minus the middle men (record companies, lawyers, etc.) becomes cheap and sometimes even free. Consequently, the culture of the music video has evolved substantially as well. There are those that decided on concept-driven productions, hence reducing cost. Expenditures become less while the cyberspace market is virtually unlimited. Music should be cheap… at least cheap if it’s not free. The labels should’ve realized this a long time ago. Too late (I hope). The wheels have turned the other way this time. The old music business model won’t work anymore. The singles are back and the music industry doesn’t know where to go.

6000 Goonz To be sure, this is one fine-looking woman. But in terms of the music, once you’ve done an album called “Mobbstar”, it’s kinda hard to bounce back, no matter how much you try to improve (like Linkin Park, and, at the risk of losing credibility, they actually sound better than they did in “Hybrid Theory” but I digress). And since I figured Hi-C’s “Body Talk”, if the title is anything to go by, would be an interesting listen, I gave it a go. Now when I heard that the carrier single was a cover of “Physical”, I laughed and guessed I’d laugh more as soon as I actually heard it. But as it turned out, it’s a respectable tune, a little more House/Club, less aerobics music. Some tracks like “Ibigay Mo” and “Watching Me” remind me of Cibo Matto and some latter Gorillaz material (very artsy hiphop to the unfamiliar). As for the rest, not much different from the sappy R&B anthems on air today. I don’t want to sound like an elitist ass with his mind closed to more mainstream approaches to music, so I’ll leave it at “this album’s okay”. At the very least, it reaches out to its target audience. After all, isn’t that what commercial music is about?

Text by: Dexter Sy

www.myspace.com/hiceelicious

ALBUM REVIEW / 15

16 / CREATIVE JUICE

Sore

Lucille Umali Digital Art

I thought Graphic Designers are for the internet, corporate print ads and Design by Humans only. Well, Lucille Umali’s “Sore” exhibit tries to step forward from the rest and proves that “high art” is not about the medium and the aesthetic effect, but about why the artist is producing it. Her style and form is not so fresh to me… Maybe because it was printed on canvas and so I couldn’t see the happy accidents and the spontaneity that couldn’t be undone or redone. Maybe because I am just a big fan of James Jean. Maybe because I am also a fan of Lucille’s artwork and keep on browsing her site every day. Whatever I may say, Lucille is not destined to make artworks that will follow my very own aesthetic criteria. Anyway, It was a good exhibit!. Good program, clean and nice artworks and applications on journals. But next time I really want to see pastillas wrappers, panyawan, and papaya leaves.

Words by: Jerome Patad

www.lucilleumali.blogspot.com

ART REVIEW / 17

We take every care to ensure thet the information we publish is accurate. Yet, we are not responsible for any changes to event and consequently for any information that have been forwarded to us of those changes. Do make use of the phone numbers provided.

WEDNESDAY

MIDWEEK SESSIONS

Check out www.midweeksessions.multiply.com for updates. Venue: The Outpost Phone: 417 2929 5 THURSDAY

ONDOY LIVE AID

Ondoy Live Aid continues ‘til Christmas! With performances by The Line Divides and Cebu’s best bands. Venue: VUDU Phone: 0917 3748796 6-7 FRIDAY

VISAYAN MUSIC FESTIVAL ‘09

With performances by Up Dharma Down, Radioactive Sago Project, Urbandub, Powerspoonz, Gasulina, SATI, The Line Divides, Brownbuds Mendel’s Legacy, Switch, Sleepwalk Circus, Dice & K9, Island Joe and a whole lot more of Visaya’s hottest bands. P200 gets you in for 2 days. For updates and more info, log on to www.blackstoneproduction.com. Venue: The Family Park / 5pm onwards Phone: 416 36 64 7

SATURDAY

GODROCK INDIE NIGHTS With Skul of Fish, Fervent, Frontline, Ainos, and Still. For more info on the bands, log on to www.godrockmusic.com Free Admission! Venue: The Outpost / 9pm onwards Phone: 417 2929

INNSMOUTH FAIR

With Bombo Pluto Ova, Queen City Crew, Toxic Orgasm, Gardo, Tiger Pussy, The Lower Class, Vampire State, Campbell, Twinkle Dudu, Hatemail, Strike It Down, and Kremate. Venue: Mountain View Nature Park, Busay / 6pm Phone: 0917 2715256

DISCO SATURDAY GRIND

The sexy R&B Party. Freaturing DJ EYRAL with MIX Dj Inc and Groobe Phil, Dj Ron, Apache, Zaldeem Vain, and Collmale Venue: Alejandro’s Filipino Resto Phone: 253 7921

SKINNY BUDDHA BAR TOUR With Cebu’s best bands. Venue: Body English Ultra Bar Phone: 0917 3748796

BLAKSMOKE DMZ

Sexy rock n roll night out also featuring Black waters Share a night with Cebu’s rock bands while enjoying the ledge dance of the Collosevm Venue: Collosevm Bar, CICC Phone: 3198984 / 4162272 13 FRIDAY

FRIDAY THE 13TH

With Dead Pop Stars Live in the Queen City! and performances by Sylvrsuan and Worry Free TV. Free Admission! Venue: The Outpost / 9pm onwards Phone: 417 2929

18 / BOOKMARK

GOOSE BUMPS

Friday the 13th concert with our Cebuhour local bands Rescue A Hero, Caviar Sweet, Docudrama, Monoline, Campbell, Crowmagnon [Dumaguete], and Twinkle Dudu. Venue: Handuraw Pizza Phone: 0916 3792473 10

SATURDAY

RCTV: TAMBAYAN SA OUTPOST PRESENTS

Undercover Grasshoppers! For updates and more info, www.tambayansaoutpost.multiply.com. Free Admission! Venue: The Outpost / 9:30pm onwards Phone: 417 2929

THE KISMET SINGLES ALBUM LAUNCH

A collaboration album by Ian Zafra & Cattski Espina. With Undercover Grasshoppers, Bethany, Cattski and Zafra. Entrance : 50php, a ticket entitles you a discount on the album. Venue: Handuraw Pizza Phone: 0917 3216429

POINT THE LEASH

Unleash in the city with our cebuhour local bands Campbell, Docudrama, Funguz, August Skyline, False Graveyard, Save The Queen,Foc Fashion and more . . Venue: Kukuk’s Nest Phone: 0916 3792473 21

SATURDAY

ARTIST KO NIGHT

Featuring SATI, Cattski, Mary Peril, Soulstring, and special guests. Free Admission! Venue: The Outpost Phone: 417 2929

NOT YOURS PRESENTS: REGGAE FACTORY With CDMC, Burning Culture, Santing Skalawags, Skankin Brews, S.T.I.F., MPA, Roots Revival, Pitch Melba, Crown Royale, Sugbuwanon, Potent Bush, Shepherd’s Plaid, and more! 75php entrance w/ free beer. Venue: Mango Square Parking Lot Phone: 0917 6178217

SKINNY BUDDHA BAR TOUR With Cebu’s best bands. Venue: Handuraw Pizza Phone: 0917 3748796 21-28

TUESDAY

CEBU GUITAR FESTIVAL 2009 Venue: The Outpost Phone: 417 2929 28

SATURDAY

SKINNY BUDDHA BAR TOUR With Cebu’s best bands. Venue: Zcrets Bar Phone: 0917 37 48796

GOD THE FEST: THE CEBU METAL ANNIHILABands playing: Hubkas, Natal Cleft, Linchpin, Kasakit, Sodom and Gomorrah, Midday, Stallions of the Burining Church, Hatemail, Silhouette, Streets of May, Demise, Vicryl 2.0, 40 Diaz, Servorum and Verse of Valor. P100 entrance with free beer Venue: Body English Ultra Bar Phone: 0922 4618496

ALL WEEK

WEDNESDAYS

WILD WAHINE WEDNESDAYS

LIVE BANDS ALL WEEK LONG @ JAZZ ‘N BLUZ With DJ Errol & guest bands Venue: Jazz ‘n Bluz Phone: 232 2698

Venue: Handuraw Pizza, Lahug Phone: 232 6401

HAPPY HOUR @ THE OUTPOST

20% off on ALL beers, cocktails, and your favorite Outpost Pizzas. Everyday (except closed Mondays) Venue: The Outpost / 5pm – 9pm Phone: 417 2929

VUDU HAPPY HOUR

FEMME WEDNESDAY

Sexy vocal house mixes by Vudu spin doctors, Maxie Perez and Marlon Orellano. Venue: VUDU / 6pm Phone: 234 0836 / 236 7700

WEDNESDAY RHYTHMS

Local beer starts at 45php. No door fee. Venue: VUDU / 5:30 – 8pm Phone: 234 0836 / 236 7700

FORMO HAPPY HOUR

Happy hour from 6pm to 10pm choose fromP45 net on your fave mojito, San Mig Light and other cocktails Smirnoff Twist flavored vodka tonic, 7 or screwdriver at P65 net. Venue: Formo Phone: 416 1990 / 236 7700 MONDAYS

FOLK NIGHTS

With Alex Canete. Venue: Handuraw Pizza, Lahug Phone: 232 6401

Baileys for the ladies and your fave Y101 Djs. The rhythm crew plays your requests live every week. Venue Formo Phone: 416 1990 / 236 7700

OPEN MIC ROCKY-EOKE @ IAMIK’S Venue: Iamik’s, Chicken & Beer Phone: 238 2366 / 0922 8426457

SONGWRITERS NIGHT @ THE OUTPOST

With Luisa Castillo. Every Wednesday, guest songwriters will talk about their experience, inspirations, techniques, and play a couple of their creations. Venue: The Outpost / 8pm onwards Phone: 417 2929

M SESSIONS (FREEFLOW)

House/Tech/Underground DJs get together Venue: Zcrets Resto bar / 9pm Phone: 2539942

MONDAY CLASS @ FORMO

Dj Hans, Jude and Marlon, teach a thing or two about house music. Venue: Formo / 6pm Phone: 416 1990 / 236 7700

CRAZY MONDAY

Yeah! We are now open 7 days a week to serve you better and to jump-start your week with Chicken & Beer..No more break no more day off...We call it Crazy Monday...Mixed Drinks are only P165.00 per pitcher…Kitakits. Tagay Na.. Venue: Iamik’s, Chicken & Beer Phone: 238 2366 / 0922 8426457 TUESDAYS

TUESDAY CLUB CLASSIC

Great times are best with the right kind of dance anthems from Djs Jude Flores and Marlon Orellano--dance-floor history at its finest. Venue: Formo Phone: 416 1990 / 236 7700

BABY BOOMERS NIGHT

With the Bark Band. Venue: Handuraw Pizza, Lahug Phone: 232 6401

VUDUEOKE TUESDAYS

The freedom to sing like no one's listening; sing your heart out without a care in the world. Tuesdays only. A definite, absolute, must-do. Doors open 6 p.m. for early (song) birds. Venue: VUDU / 6pm Phone: 234 0836 / 236 7700

VINYL NIGHTS

Vinyl Record Nights…or as what the regulars have called the "plaka nights". Old and new classics played as it was played old school style...on a turntable using the "plaka". Venue: The Outpost / 9pm Phone: 417 2929

THURSDAYS

ALL ACOUSTIC @ ALEJANDRO’S

Enjoy singing your favourite karaoke songs with live acoustic music by Anton Mansueto. You provide the vocals while we provide the music! Entrance is FREE and everyone’s invited! Venue: Alejandro’s Filipino Resto Phone: 253 7921

DE JA VUDU THURSDAY

Bring back memories from your well loved 80s/90s hits. Back to Basics, beloved Old school Vudu-style. Venue: VUDU / 8:30pm Phone: 234 0836 / 236 7700

THURSDAY SOUL With 60s, 70s, rhythm and blues with DJ Bob Sellner and Cuarenta Open bar on selected beers and Mangojitos from 6pm till 10 p.m. Venue Formo / 9pm - No cover charge. Just good vibes. Phone: 416 1990 / 236 7700

NU107 UNPLUGGED SESSIONS

Watch your favorite bands play their materials stripped-down, raw, with no frills. For the weekly schedule, tune in to NU 107 Cebu. Venue: The Outpost Phone: 417 2929 FRIDAYS

ACOUSTIC FRIDAYS

Venue: Iamik’s, Chicken & Beer Phone: 238 2366 / 0922 8426457

VUDULICIOUS FRIDAYS

Hip Hop and RnB Beats serve fresh and hot with Deejay Krizz Bones and Marlon Orellano Venue: VUDU Phone: 234 0836 / 236 7700

ACOUSTIC JAM NIGHTS

With Cebu’s best acoustic bands. Venue: Alejandro’s Filipino Resto / 10pm onwards Phone: 253 7921

BOOKMARK / 19

FRIDAY NIGHT RAPTURE

W/ triumvirate DJ’s Hans, Marlon & Jude. Open bar on Orange-jitos, Johnnie Walker & selected beers. Venue Formo Phone: 416 1990 / 236 7700

WEEKENDS @ F&B BAR

With stand up comedian MYRA and a sing-along session. Venue: F&B bar Phone: 262 7631

TREFF REWIND Music from the 70's, 80's and 90's Toast to the good times. Listen to the definitive sounds of 3 of music's most unforgettable decades at Cebu's chicest hot spot on weekends. Venue: Waterfront Hotel & Casino, Lahug Phone: 232 6888 FRIDAYS - SUNDAYS

THE LOFT WEEKENDS

Enjoy your weekends while listening and dancing to the beat of The Loft’s resident DJs. Venue: The Loft Phone: 231 3284 SATURDAYS

JAMMING SATURDAYS @ IAMIK’S THE HOUSE OF VUDU

Vudu brings you The Return of House Music to the Main room featuring powerhouse Djs Marlon Orellano and Maxie Perez with vocal, prog tech house VUDU Resident RnB DJ Kutlyfe at Prive Lounge with sexy RnB Venue: VUDU Phone: 234 0836 / 236 7700

SPONJIE REGGAE

Reggae music party. Venue: 14Zero bar, Raintree Mall Phone: 0905 5267322

DISCO DELUXE SATURDAYS

With Gap mobile’s Gilbert Go and Ronald Tan, and Smirnoff Twist in new flavors, orange, strawberry, black cherry & green apple every saturday. Venue Formo Phone: 416 1990 / 236 7700 SUNDAYS

LAID-BACK SUNDAYS W/ WORLD MUSIC

Looking to have a relaxing dinner with your family and loved ones after a weekend of partying? Sundays @ The Outpost are just what the doctor ordered...not too crowded, intimate, coupled with great food and perfect ambiance, with world music in the background. Venue: The Outpost / 8pm Phone: 417 2929 Take a break, prep for the week ahead with chill out music, good vibes and great cocktails. with happy hour all the way, only on Sundays. Venue: Formo Phone: 416 1990 / 236 7700

SUNDAY LUNCH & DINNER BUFFET With unlimited Iced Tea. Venue: Handuraw Pizza, Lahug Phone: 232 6401

20 / BOOKMARK

“Quinzaine Gastronomique Beaujolais” Experience the finest flavors of authentic French cuisine as the Marco Polo Plaza takes you on a delightful 10-day culinary journey with ‘Chef Celebre’ Cyrille of Restaurant CiCou at the Boutique Hotel Celeste. Chef Cyrille will bring customers to a new level of gastronomy with a creative showcase of typical and popular French appetizers, salads, main courses, and desserts. Venue: Marco Polo Plaza Phone: 253 1111 ALL MONTH

“BUTHO” ART EXHIBIT

A unique photo and art presentation by local Cebuano Artist. In cooperation with Juanfoot, Juanracket and iamik’s Chicken & Beer. Venue: Iamik’s, Chicken & Beer Phone: 238 2366 / 0922 8426457 3-19

JOSE ARDIVILLA

Venue: Iamik’s, Chicken & Beer Phone: 238 2366 / 0922 8426457

SUNDAY CHILL & REFILL

20 -30

LE BEAUJOLAIS 2009: FRENCH FOOD FESTIVAL

An art exhibit by Mr. Jose “Chong” Ardivilla, a full-time teacher at the University of the Philippines Manila. He was recently cited to be one of the outstanding professors for the College of Arts and Sciences. He is an editorial cartoonist ever since he graduated cum laude from UP Diliman’s College of Fine Arts in 1999. He is a writer, graphic designer, illustrator who contributed for Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, Philippine Star, Playboy Philippines, and other major publications. This show shall feature more than 20 rubber cut prints. Venue: Gallery Q Phone: 345 6919 11

ACCESSROAD INC. : RIP MY MIND OUT A debut exhibit as a group and is about different artists having different thoughts on life and on everything else that has been kept in our minds for a long time. You can expect from the artworks diverse themes. Each artist will tell a different story by presenting 1 to 3 artworks about faith, the environment and others personal. www.accessroad.bravehost.com/accessroad.html Venue: Turtle’s Nest Phone: 0916 4749090 / 0906 7887242 26

UNCOVERING THE PAGES

With book design speaker, Felix Miguel. Venue: Chiye Mori Design Library Suite 304, Rivergate Commercial Complex / 6pm Phone: 255 3241 20 - DECEMBER 5

CELSO PEPITO

A full-time artist and a member of Kolor Sugbu Art Association and Cebu Arts Association. He uses oil on canvas, acrylic, watercolor and pastel to accomplish his realistic type of art. Venue: Gallery Q Phone: 345 6919 / 0915 7568365

“COCO AVANT CHANEL” SHOWING IN CEBU Alliance Francaise Cebu, in cooperation with Zee Lifestyle Magazine, the French Embassy Manila, Ayala Center Cebu Cinema, M. Lhuillier Jewellers and Chandon, brings the biopic, Coco Avant Chanel (Coco Before Chanel) to Cebu. As the title suggests, the film charts the rise of the woman who was to become arguably the single most influential person in fashion in the 20th century. Hailed by the New York Times as “an unusually vivid and convincing account of the historical past,” and by the Washington Post as a “refreshing alternative to the usual potted biopic,” Coco Avant Chanel is a must-see whether you are a devoted follower of fashion or simply a woman forever grateful to the designer who almost single-handedly abolished the corset and allowed women to breathe again. Venue: Onstage, Ayala Center Cebu Phone: 232 1311 14, 18 & 27

BIKE TO SCHOOL : FUN RIDE FOR A CAUSE

Assembly at Holiday Spa, Banilad, Starts at 7am. Games and fun events after the ride at Sandtrap, Banilad. Registration 150php, register at Columbia SM, YKK, Holiday Gym & Spa, and The Outpost. Phone: 232 8518 (to 19) 15

PACQUIAO / COTTO

Fight for a cause, fund raising project of the Rotary Club Uptown Cebu. Venue: Grand Ballroom, Baseline Phone: 0920 2935930 15

CAPOEIRA ENCONTRO INTERNACIONAL

Capoeira International Festival. Nov. 20 - Paseo Verde after Bo’s Coffee @ 5:30pm Nov. 21 - Paseo Marina fronting Guess and Lucerne @ 5:30pm Nov. 22 - Terraces main stage or Active Zone @ 2pm Presented by: Jensen Go Chow – Instructor, Sinha Bahia de Capoeira PLDT MYDSL WATCHPAD: FILM SHOWING & International Visit www.capoeira.ph for more info WORKSHOP SERIES and updates. Nov. 14 – St. Theresa’s College Nov. 18 – University of the Philippines, Cebu Campus Venue: Ayala Center Cebu Phone: 412 4076 Nov. 27 – Cebu Normal University Phone: 09228243800 18-20

TAMSI TWO

During World War II and the Japanese occupation of the Philippines Amadea struggles to hold her family together while she waits for word of her husband, a leader of the resistance who is rumored to have deserted his command. In her darkest hour, she receives a strange, portentous visit from her American father who had abandoned her before she was born. Entrance is Free. Venue: Bantawan Sugbo 91, Visitation St. C.C. / 7pm. Phone: 0916 3717400 20-30

ITINIRAIRE CINEMATOGRAPHIQUE

In Partnership with Alliance Francaise of Cebu, French Film Festival at El Vento Restaurant and Pool bar will showcase remarkable French Films w/ free viewing daily. Enjoy special entertainment from French accordionists and traditional dancers at Café Marcoand El Viento. Venue: Marco Polo Plaza Phone: 253 1111 ALL MONTH

CAPOEIRA

Capoeira Cebu Academy offers classes with award winning Capoeira instructor Jensen Go Chow. Venue: Luan Bldg./ Regency Crest / Ballet Centre – Ayala Phone: 412 4076 / www.capoeira.ph 6

BIKER’S NIGHT

This event is in connection with Bike4U Foundation Fun Ride For A Cause on Nov 08, 2009. For more info, log on to www.theoutpost.multiply.com or search for the "BIKE4U" fan page on facebook. Venue: The Outpost / 7pm onwards Phone: 417 2929

7-8

KID’S DAY OUT – A FAMILY AFFAIR EXPO

is an exhibition and entertainment extravaganza focusing on an important market from pregnant mums, babies to teens, is an opportunity for parents, grandparents and caregivers to view the best products and services for children on a face-to-face basis under one-roof. Venue: Trade Hall 3, SM City Cebu Phone: 516 5575 16 - 18

THE OUTPOST FLEA MARKET Working on the concept of "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle", you can buy second-hand or slightlyused items, recycled stuff, and other creative things made of recycled materials. And if you have stuff like these to sell, email us at outpostmania@gmail.com. Venue: The Outpost / 4pm onwards Phone: 417 2929 25

CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING Partake in this magical celebration as we officially welcome the Christmas season. Venue: The Lobby, Waterfront Airport Hotel & Casino, Mactan / 6:30pm

TOTS FANCY MASK CONTEST Embrace the yuletide season and endow your youngsters with the most fancy masks in this year’s Venetian Christmas theme. Tots with the fanciest and most creative Venetian mask wins an overnight stay at the hotel, Christmas goodies, their own gingerbread house and other exciting prizes. Venue: Waterfront Airport Hotel & Casino, Mactan Phone: 340 4888

BOOKMARK / 21

Crispin Ramos A Meandering Guide to Life Words by Bakunawa_on_the_loose

22 / CREATIVE JUICE

It was an exclusive one-man show by Crispin Ramos Jr., Palanca-awarded playwright, acting coach, director, carpenter, and one-time miner. My connection with him started vicariously but I’ve always been fascinated by the stories he shares, on-stage and off-stage. Born after the last world war, Crispin grew up picking empty bullet shells on the streets and having ex-guerrilla fighters visit his father (who was a captain during the war). He started writing in his forties but he has been involved in the arts since he was a child, participating in mime presentations at church. The plan for that night was to follow the small, winding, asphalt-thick surface of Visitacion Street to Bantawan Theater, dim the stage lights for Crispin’s portrait, and have the interview over dinner. But like the veteran performer he is, being on-stage with a spotlight trained on him was naturally an opportunity to indulge in one of his favorite activities since he was a child – performing. Crispin being one of the best storytellers I know, I was all ears.

Bakunawa_on_the_loose (BL): You’ve been through a lot of different occupations. Has your experiences influenced your plays? Crispin: Not really. As far as I’m concerned, I have only two stories that were inspired by real events. One is Blind Alleys – that won third prize (in the Palanca awards) which I thought should have won first prize. When I submitted it, I thought, “Oh, if I won third, it would be nice.” But it won third, I made a mistake. I didn’t rehearse it. I had no idea. Kay pag-rehearse na nako, daghan na kaayo’g changes. I think I deleted eight pages, replaced it with ten, nanindut na siya. But in a way, it was a blessing tungod kay the next one, the second act, Blind Lanes, gi-submit nako and it won second. It has more laughter. They’re both funny but in Blind Alleys, I observed the laughter was sustained. In Blind Lanes, the laughter was staccato – kusog kaayo, dayon mawagtang, kusog, mawagtang which I think is better. They can be independently produced but if you put the two together, Blind Alleys is very funny but the second act is even funnier. So in a way, justified ang Palanca to give the first act the third prize and the second act a second prize. The other one, Return to Santander which is a drama, is not semi-autobiographical but when I wrote it I thought a lot about my father, my mother, and about myself coming home. I think all my stories are about someone coming home. BL: I want to know why your stories are about coming home. Crispin: That’s my nature. I’m always coming home. But what is exactly the reason or reasons? I have no answer. You’d have a field day investigating that. BL: But how would you define ‘home’? Crispin: I am of two cultures. I am home right now, but when I get to California, I’m also home. I’ve lived more than half my life in California. BL: How long has your life been? Crispin: I’ll be (bleep) soon. You print that and I will shoot you.

CREATIVE JUICE / 23

BL: At least now I know. I’ve been wondering for a long time. You’ve done interviews before – do you usually talk about your work or about your thoughts? Crispin: I was asked once about my passion. I don’t have a philosophy per se but I can express it through these words: beauty, truth, freedom, and most of all, love. It tells everything that I do, and it’s about the stage too. BL: So these are the things you most appreciate about life. Can you give me a concrete example of the things you appreciate, aside from theater? Crispin: Well, I love and respect women. The first woman that I fell in love with was my mother. And then all my sisters. And my teachers – they were practically 98% female. There were only two male teachers at City Central (School) then – one was for arithmetic and the other for woodworking. In high school, it was the same. All my life, I have been under women all my life. And now it’s my wife. And now it’s you. You see what I mean? I like women. They’re the most beautiful creatures in the world. You can always find something about them that you can like and love, and be attracted to. Men, they’re all the same. If you study my plays, you’ll realize the men are shortsighted, everything bad naa nila. That will include me, of course. And the women, they are the ones who are smarter. Look at my next play, Tamsi Two (that’s a tentative title). Watch it. There’s one there, who’s an American, who left his child even before she was born. There’s always something bad about men. Why? I don’t know. We’re the weaker sex. Sure, we’re dreamers, we’re workers. But give the women a chance, and they’ll do a whole lot better than men. Ang mga laki, inig kahuman, manglakaw dayon. But I’m not like that (Crispin laughs). My wife would ask me if I didn’t want to go somewhere. I’m a homebody. I like to be alone, except when I’m doing a play. I just stay at home and read or garden. I just finished a book. Sometimes, I just call out to my assistants to buy me a beer kay mu-inum ko unya. BL: Artisitically, what’s the most outrageous, courageous thing that you’ve done? Some people automatically think about nudity or scandals, but there are some things which are subtle but takes a lot of courage to bring forth. Crispin: I just did it. Tamsi Two. It took me a year and a half. It’s not that it’s outrageous but you said something about having enough courage to tell it. It is the story about my mother. So for the first time, it’s really biographical. I thought about this many years ago, but I did not have the courage and I initially thought that my mother’s story did not have enough drama. And finally, I started writing down notes about events and as I read them again and again, I thought there is drama here – a child abandoned by her father. Surely there must be conflict there. I started to write it and I realized that there is a lot to tell. (Tamsi Two was a call sign they used in the war.) It’s a play I compressed, in other words, it runs in real time and not stretched over the four-year war. That’s a technique I like to do in my plays.

24 / CREATIVE JUICE

BL: I noticed. Crispin: I also like to have a small cast, daghan na ang upat. It’s easier to manage. Manageable ang production cost. As you know, we’re the only theater in town I know nga mubayad bisan gamay. It’s also because by doing that, magpakita ko ug respetar sa mga artista. They know that I respect them enough to give them an honorarium, but it’s not much. BL: It’s the act of paying that’s important. Crispin: It’s not much, but others may get a lot less, if they are given anything at all. Just the promise of “Adto ta sa SM, adto ta sa Ayala, mag-artista mi.” Pero wala’y bayad. They’ll say “Wa’y kaso.” Magpa-exploit pud sila, mao nang i-exploit pud sila sa mga producers. We don’t do that here. It’s just part of the fact that I love people even if sometimes I’m incapable of showing that. It’s a shortcoming. Duna man jud ta ana. I have my dark side as well. I’ve always wondered a lot about Crispin, as much as I’ve always liked listening to him. He’s also fun to watch since his face is very expressive and his hands are never still. Learning to appreciate Crispin’s stories, in theater and otherwise, is like appreciating light and shadows, his comedies and dramas showing different dimensions of relationships and human interaction. But a storyteller must always keep his audience enthralled, hanging on his every word, so I guess there’s always a new twist in Crispin’s tales. There are certainly more stories for him to tell and I have a strong feeling that although he said his work is not autobiographical, it’s largely based on the dynamics of personal relationships with the people he loved and loves most. I’m intrigued. That’s why I might take a night off this month to head down Visitacion Street to The Bantawan Theater for a reading performance of Tamsi Two. (BTW, where is Bantawan located? Let’s start on Jones Avenue/Osmeña Blvd. Look for PC Express and UCPB. That sloping little street in between is Visitacion St. Walk straight ahead until you find a green gate on the right side. If you’re as bad with directions and giving directions as I am, you could always ask when you’re starting to feel lost and scared. Or take a ‘trisikad’.) ` www.bakunawaontheloose.blogspot.com

“Tamsi Two” During World War ll and the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. Amadea struggles to hold her family together while she waits for word of her husband, a leader of the resistance who is rumored to have deserted his command. In her darkest hour, she receives a strange, portentous visit from her American father who had abandoned her before she was born. Play Dates: November 18, 19 & 20 Time: 7:00pm, show starts on time so be on time. The best part is, its free. CREATIVE JUICE / 25

Into Cebu

the same shirt and boxers for almost a week.

I already know that we are drawn to the places we go to – that much is known to all of us. Reasons may vary from person to person but the attraction is there and we know it. So much so that we leave our comfort zones and venture into the unknown. What I seek to answer though is this: Is there a fine spider web that entangles us and, eventually, fastens us to where we have chosen to stay? While many have willingly dropped their anchors and stored the oars, I belong with those who just jumped off the ship, asking neither where I would land nor what would become of the leap. That act of blind faith, which may be tomfoolery to some, led me to go to and stay in Cebu.

Having been raised in the shadows of The Holy Roman Catholic Church, my first stop was the Basilica of Santo Niño, where an old lady lit candles, held them and prayed – while dancing

Words by Carl Jefferson Lopez

It is only proper to state why I went to Cebu in the first place. Having been an English teacher for more than three years, and having received no promotion due to being a painting major, I enrolled for a TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) course at the Altonka Language School in Banilad to get myself certified and qualify as an ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher. You may probably ask: Why Cebu? Are there no institutes in Manila? The second question is easy to answer. The websites of the institutes in Manila did not impress me all that much. I thought that if I were to study again and pay for a course online, it might as well be at a school that puts in work well enough to reflect on a webpage. Besides, the institutes in Manila were not accredited internationally and, up to the time that I got here, I was quite bent on leaving the country. Now, the first question is even easier to answer. I do not know anyone in Cebu. Yes, you read it right. I do not have relatives, friends or acquaintances here. After all, what is the sense of going on an adventure with training wheels attached to your backpack? Just to give you an idea of how excited I was to embark on this journey, I booked my flight and paid for the course – a month in advance. I also packed my things so early that I had to wear

26 / RANTRAVEWHINE

On the 31st of July 2009, the airplane touched down at Mactan International Airport, at around 2130 hours. I instantly felt a surge of the unknown passing through me, stirring in me, waltzing around me, pressing against me; confusing me and teasing me with its welcoming volatility.

– for my family. This, I found rather strange because the only people you will see around the churches in Manila at such hours are DVD peddlers and street food vendors. After having several bottles of beer at a joint where the waitresses were wearing Japanese schoolgirl uniforms (I swear, Ma, it was only because they sold the cheapest beer.), I went back to my lodgings in Mabolo and went to bed. That was my first night in Cebu. The next few days were a barrage of people acting in what to me were very unusual ways: smiling back at me during my morning walks, asking the jeepney drivers to stop where I had to get off, giving me precise instructions to where I wanted to go, and treating me with so much kindness that I forgot that I am not from here. You see, in Manila, if you smile at a stranger, she would think you are probably deranged or up to no good. It would take minutes for the people in a jeepney to acknowledge your presence and get around to helping you hand the fare to the driver. Ask for directions and you can be subjected to a nasty prank or a serious mugging. This is not to say that the land of my youth is harsh. It is just how things are there. It is a loving and gentle dog-eat-dog city. The best thing that ever happened to me in Cebu was the night that I talked to my neighbor from New Jersey. He told me to check out a bar in Lahug, on the road to the Marco Polo Hotel. Yes, he gave me directions to go to The Outpost, which became my home in Cebu. Everything about The Outpost bedazzled me: the kind people, the warm and positive atmosphere, and a sense of belonging which I may never be able to figure out and pinpoint exactly. I have been lucky enough to meet and hang out and be friends with the partners who run the place. I have even been lucky enough to play folk songs after the regular musicians were done with their sets.

sessions, in one of which I played my first few songs. I witnessed how Cebuanos showed their love and concern for their brothers and sisters in Luzon. Joseph, Sandy Kiamko, Randy Su, and Jay Young started Ondoy Live Aid to gather relief goods for the victims of typhoon Ondoy. No LGUs, no politicos, no corporations were involved – just ordinary people who were willing to undertake the extraordinary. The event was held on the 30th of September, and I was astounded at how much Cebuanos were willing to give: both of Joseph’s 20-foot containers were filled in about a couple of days… and more donations kept on coming and coming and coming. The volunteers were organized into shifts but no one wanted to rest. The sorting and packing of goods did not cease and continued weeks after the initial event. As of writing, the volunteers are still at it, responding to the additional damage brought about by typhoon Pepeng. I went back to my parents’ house in Laguna after my course and spent almost two weeks there, but not without a heavy heart. I even left my clothes in my rented room in Cebu because I knew in my heart that I would be returning – by hook or by crook. I have returned, and Cebu is still as lovely as the first dawn that I witnessed here. I do not think that it will ever change. Even if I do get around to traveling overseas, I know that I will be returning to this place, not just as my touchstone but more as the place I want to call my own. My friend Jens Funk once said “wherever you go, that’s where you are”. It is true, and wherever I go is where I want to be. I may have the heart of a Manileño but Cebu has got a hold of it.

It is also at The Outpost where, on a fateful night after flying back in from Manila, I met a noble man named Joseph Castillo. He is the husband of the lady who organized the open mic RANTRAVEWHINE / 27

Fu tonk wy n

28 / FUNKYTOWN

Random photos of last month’s what’s on. To download photos visit

www.bitemagazine.multiply.com

FUNKYTOWN / 29

SUCKS 1

TRY AGAIN 2

OKEY 3

GOOD 4

HOORAY 5

3 okey

Duo Rivera Words by Dexter Sy

Classical music is without a doubt the most under-appreciated form of music around. It wasn't always this way; as preposterous as it may sound now, there was once a time when every musician looked to classical masterpieces for influence and inspiration, and the general music fan listened to classical music with discerning ears. But over the years, several misconstrued stereotypes – from the beatniks, to the hippies, to “Generation X” – have left classical music all but forgotten. Only a few real movers of each generation still held a genuine appreciation for this art. I am not one of those people. Sure, I probably listen to more classical music than the average person, and, being the mediocre musician that I am, I do appreciate the technicalities involved in the form. But for me to claim to understand the music would be pretty pretentious. I don't know what Vivaldi is trying to say with his “Four Seasons”, for instance. When contemplating the emotional value of a piece, I usually go with whatever scenes from TV and mov30 / REVIEW

ies feature it as a soundtrack. And I most definitely can't tell a “good” piece from a mediocre one (I usually go by the speed but everyone knows how immature a criterion that is). Nonetheless, I do want to understand. I'm just not trained to, unfortunately. That having been said, I appreciate the effort that the Arts Council of Cebu put into setting up an event like this. I say “effort” because there were obviously some mistakes made (more on this later). With what I'd seen of the programme, I had just about enough information to form a strong opinion. Performance: 4 or should we say NA? Like I said, when it comes to classical music, I'm not what you would call “discerning”. With this kind of music, I figured you just have to conjure the right imagery to fit the music you're hearing and it will all start to make

sense. Then again, I was hardly inebriated enough to mentally translate sounds into images. Knowing it was Spanish music and all, I tried to picture out old Madrid, mostly based on the high school history lessons on Rizal and the rest of the La Solidaridad crew, and for a few fleeting moments, that actually did the trick for me. But for the most part, I just blanked out. So I thought I'd dump the whole “emotional value” trip and just check the whole thing out from a technical viewpoint. If there's one thing YouTube has taught me, it's that classical musicians are friggin' virtuosos, and Steve Vai, et al, have nothing on Paganini. I was in for a little bit of a disappointment because apparently, the “emotional value” trip is what Spanish classical music was all about, and while there were a few bars of violin speedwork, most of it was disciplined musicianship. In the end, my friend stated it best when he said it was all “too powerful” for ordinary people like us. I won't say it was a poor or even mediocre performance, simply because I'm in no position to do so. Maybe a few lessons in composition and I'll be able to see it from a more critical aspect. Venue: 3 Sure, it was a comfortable enough place. But if the intent of the Arts Council was to really bring this fine art form to Cebu, they should have held it somewhere less exclusive – somewhere people who might actually like the music would not be hesitant to show up at. When we arrived, we had our doubts about whether we'd be let in based on the drabs we were in, and the plush corridor that stood between the parking lot and the concert hall was intimidating to say the least.

If there's a misconception that I can't stand, it's that the “masses” could never comprehend this kind of music. Well, it is sort of true, and we were proof of that. But I doubt the “elite” can appreciate it any more than anyone else. So, why not bring it where all social classes (and please, let's not deny the existence of such a stratification) can check it out and then we can really get a social theory going, eh? Attendance: N/A Do you only count the people who were there to actually listen to the music? Or are “show ups” counted, too? (More on this later.) Audience Impact: 2 This was the major bummer. I don't like making such judgments, but based on the events that transpired on that night, I'd say only 5 to 10 people had the slightest understanding of the music. People hesitated to applaud at the end of each piece, obviously not knowing whether it had ended or not. Some of the audience walked in and out of the concert hall, some even in the middle of a movement. All in all, it just seemed to be more a matter of “showing up” than “listening to the music”. To me, it was all fine art wasted on undiscerning ears (mine included).

REVIEW / 31

CEBU CITY Abaseria (Filipino Deli & Cafe) 32 Pres. Quirino Street Villa Aurora, Mabolo Tel: 234 4160 Abuhan Uno (Filipino) F. Ramos Street Tel: 253-1881 After Hours Tapas Lounge (International) Crossroads Arcade, Banilad Tel: 231 6550 AK&7 Bar & Discoteque The Gallery, Mabolo Tel: 233 3328 / 232 4285

Cafe Georg (International) Archbishop Reyes Avenue Tel: 234 0887

Grand Majestic (Chinese) Archbishop Reyes Avenue Tel: 232-1103 / 231 6982

La Tegola Cucina Italiana (Italian) Busay Hills Tel: 419-2220

Cafe Laguna (Filipino) Ayala Terraces Tel: 233-8600 Ayala Center Tel: 231-0922

Gustavian Ma. Luisa Road, Banilad Tel: 344 7653 Ayala Terraces Tel: 417 1281

Lai Garden (Chinese) Crossroads Arcade, Banilad Tel: 234 1580

Casa Verde (Filipino) V. Ranudo Extension Tel: 253 8234 The Walk, I.T. Park Tel: 412 3336 Chateau de Busay (Italian) Busay Hills Tel: 231 2000 / 231 2039

Alberto Biano Homade Pizza 74. F. Llamas St. Darras & Bowler Punta Princesa Labangon (Continental) Tel: 267 7440 / 09234421650 Crossroads Arcade, Banilad Tel: 345-0945 Alejandro’s Filipino Restaurant Da Vinci’s Pizza 81 Don Jose Avila Street Asia Town I.T. Park Capitol Site Tel: 415 8881 Tel: 253 7921 Anzani Panorama Heights Nivel Hills, Lahug Tel: 236 0097 Aziza (International) Archbishop Reyes Avenue Tel: 234 1685 / 234 1681 Banri Noodle House Crossroads Arcade, Banilad Tel: 234 0788 Bigby’s Cafe & Restaurant 3rd floor Ayala Terraces Tel: 234 2395 Bo’s Coffee Club Ayala Terraces Tel: 234 2492 SM City Fiesta Strip Tel: 412 9233 Capitol Site Tel: 255 4969 Banilad Town Center Tel: 345 2342 Raintree Mall Tel: 236 0116 Banilad Town Center Tel: 345 2342 Asia Town I.T. Park Tel: 412 0267 Synergies I.T. Center Tel: 238 8168 Brown Cup St. Patrick’s Square Tel: 4126353 Skyrise Bldg., I.T. Park Tel: 4158482

David’s Steak & Seafood (International) F. Cabahug Street, Mabolo Tel: 231 0157 10 Dove Street (International) Sto. Nino Village, Banilad Tel: 346 0618 East Ocean (Chinese) Old Banilad Road Tel: 231-3898 Formo Restaurant & Lounge Banilad Town Center Tel: 416 2170 / 416 1990 Gerry’s Grill (Filipino) Ayala Center Tel: 415 8284 / 232 4159 Ginza (Japanese) Old Banilad Road Tel: 232 5406 Giuseppe’s Pizzeria & Sicilian Roast (Italian) Ma. Luisa Road, Banilad Tel: 343-9901 Golden Cowrie (Filipino) Salinas Drive, Lahug Tel: 233-4243

Handuraw (Pizza) Gorordo Avenue 232 6401 One Mango Avenue 416 3200 Iamik’s Chicken & Beer (Filipino) 77 Tres Borces Street Mabolo Tel: 09228426457 Ila Puti (Asian Fusion) Asia Town I.T. Park Tel: 415 8800 Jazz n Blues F. Cabahug Street, Mabolo Tel: 232 2698 K1 Family KTV Crossroads Arcade, Banilad Tel: 412 1111 / 412 2222 Kalye 80’s Restaurant Rahman Street, Mango Ave. Tel: 255 4505 Kanyoen Yakiniku Restaurant (Japanese) F. Cabahug Street, Mabolo Tel: 232-2989 KK Restaurant (Malaysian) Parkmall Tel: 421 1828 Krua Thai Banilad Town Centre Tel: 344 2800 SM City Fiesta Strip Tel: 231 8338 Kukuks Nest Gorordo Avenue, Lahug Tel: 231 5180 La Buona Forchetta Da Paolo (Italian) Advent Compound Acacia Street, Lahug Tel: 231-3398 La Marea (Pastries & Coffee) Crossroads Arcade, Banilad Tel: 416-2919 Paseo Arcenas Banawa Tel: 412 2577 The Walk, Asia Town I.T. Park Tel: 412 6484

Lemongrass (Thai/Vietnamese) Ayala Terraces Tel: 233 8601 Lighthouse Restaurant Gaisano Country Mall Tel: 231 2478 / 231 2878 Manuel’s Parklane Hotel Archbishop Reyes Avenue Tel: 411 7000 Marco Polo Plaza Hotel Nivel Hills, Lahug Blu Bar & Grill Cafe Marco El Viento Restaurant & Pool Bar Tel: 253 1111 Marriott Hotel Cebu City Cebu Business Park Garden Cafe Palm Lounge Pool Bar Tel: 415 6100 / 415 6101 Maya Taqueria + Tequila Lounge (authentic Mexican cuisine) Crossroads Banilad Tel: 238 9552 / 238 9618 Mooon Cafe (International) 4242 E. Osmena St., Guadalupe Tel: 253-3635 The Walk, Asia Town I.T. Park Tel: 412 8795 Ayala Terraces Tel: 417 1701 Off Roads Coffee F. Cabahug Street, Mabolo Tel: 231 8881 Olio Bar & Restaurant (Continental) Crossroads Arcade, Banilad Tel: 232-3589 Persian Palate (Indian & Persian) Ayala Center Tel: 232 5898 Mango Square Tel: 253 6745 Pino Restaurant (Filipino) Malvar Street, Lahug Tel: 232 3637

DIRECTORY / 33

Pump Grand Convention Center Archbishop Reyes Avenue Tel: 232 3637

Wine Shop (Spanish) Gorordo Avenue, Lahug Tel: 233 3744

R & R Store 1298-A V. Rama Avenue Tel: 253 0758

Yumeya Kihei (Japanese) G/F Pacific Star Bldg F. Cabahug Street, Mabolo Tel: 234-2388

Spice Fusion (Asian) Banilad Town Center Tel: 344 2923 SM City Tel: 238 9591 Starbucks Ayala Garden Row Tel: 231 8456 SM Fiesta Strip Tel: 231 6455 Sunflower City Disco Salinas Drive, Lahug Tel: 231 8413 The Ching Palace Salinas Drive, Lahug Tel: 417 2988 The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Asia Town I.T. Park Tel: 412 1388 SM City North Wing Tel: 412 5118 Ayala Terraces Tel: 417 1399 The Loft Restobar Asiatown I.T. Park, Lahug Tel: 231 3284 The Outpost Bar & Restaurant Cebu Veterans Drive, Lahug Tel: 417 2929 The Tinder Box (International) Archbishop Reyes Avenue, Banilad Tel: 234-1681 Turtle’s Nest Book Cafe Gorordo Avenue, Lahug Tel: 236-1982 Vudu Crossroads Arcade, Banilad Tel: 234 0836 / 232 1457 Waterfront Cebu City Hotel Salinas Drive, Lahug Cafe Fortuna Cafe Uno La Gondola (Italian) Madeleine Mizu (Japanese) Port Seafood Restaurant Sally’s Piano Bar Tin Gow (Chinese) Treff Bar Tel: 232 6888 / 232 6880

34 / DIRECTORY

Z Bar Archbishop Reyes Avenue Banilad Tel: 416 1300

MANDAUE CITY City Garden Coffee M.L. Quezon Street Cabancalan Tel: 348 5362 Ichiriki Chaya (Japanese) A.S. Fortuna Street, Banilad Tel: 345 1300 Kagura (Japanese) A.S. Fortuna Street, Banilad Tel: 346 0088 / 346 7776 Kaona (Filipino) A.S. Fortuna corner H. Cortez Streets , Banilad Tel: 343 9994 Nonki (Japanese) A.S. Fortuna Street, Banilad Tel: 422 3159 Pier One Parkmall, North Reclamation Tel: 422-8686

MACTAN Abaca Boutique Resort & Restaurant Punta Engano Road Tel: 495 3461 / 236 0311 Gustavian Marina Mall, MEPZ Tel: 341 3093 / 415 1979 Hilton Cebu Resort & Spa Punta Engano Road Manny O’s Wines & Tapas Sanctuary Bar Sapphire Pool Bar Seas Restaurant Pink Lobby Bar Vanilla Beach Cafe Tel: 492 7777 / 492 7704

Krua Thai Marina Mall, MEPZ Tel. 495-4818 La Tegola Cucina Italiana (Italian) Marina Mall, MEPZ Tel. 340-9070 Magellan’s Landing (International) Marina Mall, MEPZ Tel: 341-0918 Manna Sutukil (Filipino) Mactan Shrine Punta Engano Road Tel: 340 6448 Maribago Bluewater Beach Resort Allegro Restaurant Oyster Bar at The Cove Molto Joli Tel: 492 0100 / 232 5411 MB’s Tavern, Restaurant & European Deli Basak, Lapu-Lapu City Tel: 341 3610 Plantation Bay Resort & Spa Marigondon Kilamanjaro Kafe Fiji Restaurant Mogambo Springs Spa Savannah Grill Palermo Tel: 340-5900 / 340 5988 Shangri-La Resort & Spa Punta Engano Road Acqua Beach Bar Buko Bar & Grill Chi Spa Chill Out Bar Cowrie Cove Tea of Spring Tel: 231-0288 The Marlin Bar & Restaurant Cebu Yacht Club Lapu- Lapu City, Mactan Tel. 341-4754

SPAS Cebu Holiday Spa Gov. M. Cuenco Avenue Banilad Tel. 234 4791

Meddah Spa Crossroads Arcade Archbishop Reyes Avenue Banilad Tel. 234-2080 Sawadee Spa MLD Building Archbishop Reyes Avenue Banilad Tel. 234 4171 The Spa at Cebu 1 Paseo Saturnino Maria Luisa Road Banilad Tel. 412-0888 / 416-3888 Yoga Thai Massage Sanciangco 416-8366 Gorordo 232-7510 A.C. Cortez Mandaue 343-3563

FITNESS Baseline Recreation Center Juana Osmena Street Tel. 253-1457 Cebu Holiday & Fitness Center Molave Street Camputhaw Tel. 231-0408 Citi Gym Waterfront Cebu City Hotel 232 6888 / 2326880 Fight Club Banilad Town Centre Fitness First 4F Ayala Center Cebu 234 2222

QUICK FIX McDonalds 348 6236 / 348 MCDO Jollibee Lahug 232 3800 Mango 254 2268 Mactan 340 2015 Taxis Holiday 345 1622 /23 Safeway 345 0861 Spider 259 1579 / 253 4602 Police Patrol 166

Holiday Gym & Spa M. Cuenco Avenue Tel. 234 4791 Noah’s Stone & Spa Resort Abuno, Pajac Lapu-lapu City Tel. 342-8379

ERUF Ambulance 161

ADSPACE / 35