Yoohoo! Comments, Where Are You?

I lost every single comment I have received in the past after installing Haloscan in my Blog. (sob sob) Does anybody know how I can retrieve them back?

About A Boy At The Gym (the locker room bit)

After removing my shoes and socks, I opened my locker to get my toiletries. I removed my sweaty tank top and shorts then I wrapped my towel around my waist and took off my jock straps. I turned around the corner to go to the sink where I was going to brush my teeth. Then I saw him again. To the left of the sink, he stood, probing his locker --- topless, with his Ipod on. He turned to me and said, "Hey!"

I looked away, pretended not to hear him, hurried to the sink and started brushing my teeth. He probably thought I was a snob, or that I wasn't interested in anything at all. He could have lost interest already. Sad! But then again, it was quite a relief to me. After spitting out the Aquafresh bubbles into the sink, I looked up. There he was --- white towel wrapped a bit low around his waist, pecs swollen, nipples red, delts ripped, with a thin chain of gold around his neck, sweat running the cut that ran from his chest down to his abs, studly, smiling menacingly --- looking at my reflection at the mirror.

"Need anything?" I thought of asking. I didn't. I smiled instead.

"You live here?" he asked me.

I turned around to face him and leaned on the sink. I replied, "No. I'm just a guest."

"I thought you were alone."

"A friend of mine who lives here just signed me in then left. She had to go somewhere."

"She?"

"Uhh... Yes, she. Why?"

"Your girlfriend?"

"A close girl friend. Hehe! Why, do I look straight to you?"

He smiled. And a few beats later, he said, "Do I look straight to you?"

Oh no! I can't stay here. I'm just wearing a towel and I don't wanna get hard. It would be really embarassing! No! No! Go, Rye. Go! Leave!

I let out a chuckle to conceal my nervousness, then immediately, I said, "Excuse me. Shower."

I turned away from him and, immediately, I felt his strong hand grab me by the arm. "Wait," he exclaimed. My mouth dry, butterflies fluttering relentlessly in my stomach, my heart beating fast like I just finished Franz's Variation in Copellia, I turned to him.

to be continued...

A Graceful Exit

I first heard the line "It takes great strength to hold on and great courage to let go" from a friend 9 years back. I was 17, never been in love, and it didn't make much sense to me.

As I matured (at least I hope I did) over the course of 9 years, and with what my closest friends diagnose as an addictive personality, I now understand and appreciate what it really means. Hence, my most profound admiration for Darcey Bussell, the most prolific ballerina of our generation, to my opinion.

Her story of dance isn't the same as those of the world's most revered ballerinas. At the age of 13, most ballet girls are already taught to dance en pointe. But Darce (close kami, I call her by her nickname), at 13, was only beginning to learn the basics of classical ballet. She knew how far behind she was from her contemporaries. Wanting so bad to be one of them, she wasted no time and worked doubly hard to catch up. In 1988, Kenneth MacMillan recognized her talent and brought her to The Royal Ballet, where he choreographed on her the lead role of "Rose" in "Prince of the Pagodas".

She was 19. She is, to date, the youngest ballerina to hold a place in the prestigious company's roster of Principal Dancers.

Her career rocketed to soaring heights soon after that ballet. Three years after that, MacMillan died of heart attack and critics feared his death could lead to the death of Darcey's career, like what happened to Suzanne Farrell after George Balanchine died in 1983. They were wrong. Unmatched by any of her peers (including THE Sylvie Guillem herself, according to the same critics who predicted her downfall), her popularity with the European audience continued to gallop on, and awards came pouring in as much as flowers would in her curatin calls.

Above: Mademoiselle Sylvie as Odette, the white swan; Miss Darcey on the right as Gamzati

At 38 years old, Darcey Bussell danced her farewell performance on June 8, 2007 at the Covent Garden, where she did her first ballet as a student in 1985. It was a bittersweet moment. She was relatively young and her career was at its peak. "What makes it so particularly bittersweet is that - as anyone who saw her recent, luminous appearance in Balanchine's Apollo at the Opera House will testify - Bussell is dancing as well now as she has ever danced in her life, her line, musicality, athleticism and glamour still astonishing." (--Ismene Brown, Telegraph)

In an intervew, Darcey said, "I've seen so many dancers fizzle out, and as they get older they get more injuries and more problems - if you're fighting with your body, it's not worth it. Everyone was happy that Margot [Fonteyn] went on for ever, but she wasn't happy at the end - she had to do it because she had a lot of debts because of her husband. So I just feel so privileged that I'm able to retire when I actually feel good about it. For me, that's why Sadler's Wells was perfect, because [in the interviews screened between the dance pieces] I could give them the reasons: when you say, it's because of my kids, everybody goes, fair enough."

This morning, I read McCoy's blog on Multiply. He was my junior in the dance school I went to in Manila, Steps Dance Studio, under the directorship of the very supportive teacher, an accomplished dancer herself, Sylphide Cup Award Recipient, Sofia Zobel-Elizalde. McCoy will be staying in London for four years to further his training in ballet with the Royal Ballet School. At 9, he was the youngest to be included in our Advanced Classes. He was more flexible, more technically proficient and more musical than any of us, his "advanced" classmates. Few weeks ago, he and his mom went to London to audition for the school where he was accepted. To my knowledge, he is the first filipino to get in the prestigious School of Royal Ballet. I am so proud of him. Even prouder that Darcey Bussell herself, gave McCoy a tour of the school, and told him how lucky he was to be where a lot of people would give anything to be in.

Ep23, The "Together Again" Episode of TD&RS, Out Now!

Ep23, The “Together Again” Episode of TD&RS is out now!

Dan is back and the 2 faggots share their previous week’s happenings. A friend from Malaysia joins the show via Skype; and find out why an episode prior to this was not released. Super chikahan itoh!

As our Season 1 gets close to its end, we’d like to know what your favorite episodes are. Email us your top 3 TD&RS Episodes.

Don’t forget to email us your comments, shout-outs, suggestions, etc. thedanandryeshow@yahoo.com. You can now leave your comments in our mypodcast.com page too! and also, please join our yahoo group. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thedanandryeshow. Enjoy the show, mga kasuy!

Revisiting Ballet Philippines

Hanedy and Razel, two of the closest friends I had in my 2-year stint in Ballet Philippines, are in town --- one good reason for us to gather and reunite once more.

The ever-reliable Belle and Verna organized a get-together that started with dinner at some Japanese resto. Razel, Gil and Angeli didn’t make it though.

Later on, we decided to buy some drinks and just bond spontaneously at Verna’s (where Belle, Jojo and Irish live too). Without anything else to do, we popped in their DVD player, the Cinderella production we staged in 2002. Afterwards, the 2003 production of The Nutcracker. The videos jumpstarted a fond recollection of our days with BP --- how we managed to stay there and serve the company happily despite the impoverished life it offered; the friends and foes we’ve made; and the booboos we’ve committed during shows and company classes. Our evening ended at some sort of showcase of talents. In the spirit of fun (and self-mockery), we showed Hanedy what other skills we’ve developed over the past two years out of artistic boredom here in HK: Clark did his Lain dance routine, Verna showed of her video projects, Jojo’s photos were on display; Irish didn’t act uptightly stern (it’s a skill, believe me!); Angelito sang “This Is The Moment”; I hosted the talent show; Belle drank a lot; Chris (not an ex-BP person but a close friend of ours) did a little contemporary dance; and I asked Ben to skyjump from Verna’s flat 43 stories above the ground (we just couldn’t find a harness so he didn’t, but he mixed our cosmopolitans).

Coming home tonight on a cab in quite a sentimental mood, I couldn’t stop smiling thinking how good it had been to be young and not be giving a care in the world how much money I was earning. We were what other people call “struggling AND starving artists”, and we didn’t mind. All that mattered was that our gluttonous souls were fed well and were never hungry.

Back when I was practically spending half my days in the CCP Rehearsal Hall, I didn’t really consider Ballet Philippines as my second home. I had really good friends there but I refused to be one of them --- people whom I thought had no other lives outside of the company. Being with those friends tonight that I didn’t consider such back then made me re-examine my opinions about them and how the company has been an important venue of my artistic growth.

I was a BP dancer. Maybe not a company member, but I was one of them. I graced the Main Theater stage and all the other stages BP performed in, in my 2 years with them. My name is printed in the company’s souvenir programs in those two years. I am not what critics may call a “fantastic dancer” who can show off tricks left and right, but what I can do now as a dance artist and observer, BP taught me. And there are people who admire and look up to me for what I can offer. For that, I will forever be thankful to Ballet Philippines.

8 to 5 Drinker

Last Night
8:00 pm
Gay Happy Hour with Chris at Post 97.
3 glasses of Chardonnay

10:00 pm
More happy hour at Volume, still with Chris
2 glasses of Chardonnay
Took a break

12:00 mn
Drag/ Underwear Fashion show at Volume
2 glasses of Chardonnay.
Saw Miro. I was introduced to Steve, a guy I had a crush on 3 years ago in Malate.

2:00am
D-R-U-N-K!
Chris brought me to a Lebanese restaurant to sober up a bit

2:30 am
1 last Chardonnay at Volume

3:00 am
headed to Virgil's
1 tall can of San Miguel beer

5:30 am
E11 Bust Stop

6:30 am
Home.
Wasted.


Today
2:00pm
Hang over! Terrible!


So Aries, Philip and Joel, I am postponing the continuation of "About A Boy At The Gym". I have to rest and let my hang over subside so I can get ready for another crazy Saturday night starting at 9 tonight.

Thank you for bearing with me. I love you all.

About A Boy At The Gym

Gym, Carribean Coast
1:40 something p.m.
today

As I was on my second set of reverse lateral pulldowns, I sensed somebody walking towards my direction. I didn't pay the slightest attention to whoever that was. I probably locked the pulldown machine pin two plates lower than I normally do. The fucking weight was just too much for 12 reps. But I knew someone was near me. That someone must be observing me, betting I wouldn't finish my set.

Ten. (pant) Eleven. (grunt) Twelve. (ahhhhhhhhh... shit!)

My lats were starting to feel tight and my arms were just drained of all the strength I had depended on my creatine to provide me with. I closed my eyes as I tried to catch my breath --- feeling the addictive pain on the sides of my back and the sense of accomplishment that I didn't give in to the temptation of doing 10 reps instead of 12. I almost forgot there was someone near me --- probably watching. Probably saying to himself "Ok.. so he finished the set. But look at him now. Should I ask the staff for a stretcher?"

I stood up from the machine bench after a few deep breaths. I turned around and saw that there was indeed somebody watching me. He uttered something in Cantonese and I didn't reply. He got the message. He repeated his question in english.

"Was that your last set?"

Silence.

"Sorry. English -- no?", he asked.

I couldn't speak. Right in front of me was the most gorgeous chinese guy I have EVER seen. And he was looking straight into my eyes.

I told myself, "Say something, Rye. Say something. Anything! Godammit!"

"Uhh... no," was all I was able to say.

I felt my knees weaken and my heart beat faster. I convinced myself it was because of the exercise. But I didn't use my legs doing the pulldown set. Still, it was because of the exercise. "Now, get the hell away from him because you are acting funny!"

I grabbed my water bottle from the bench where towels and water bottles were and walked to the drinking fountain. I took my time filling my bottle up. I drank from it slowly. Then I stared at the tv that was mounted overhead pretending I was interested in the Chinese soap that was on. I just wanted to make sure he was gone before I went there for my third set. Glance. Still there. Why won't he just leave already? I started feeling like I was being preposterous. But I just didn't know how to act. He was beautiful. Too beautiful to be just ignored. This is not the first time this happened to me. I've had experiences in the past quite similar to this. But the last time this ever happened was in 1999. Back when I was working as a researcher for a tv show called "Best Frends" on GMA-7.

That time, I needed to tape celebrities doing a bumper for my segment. My Segment Producer was supposed to arrive in less than an hour to put together the whole episode and there was no time to waste. The fastest way I could collect bumpers was to go down to the studio where S-Files was going on. With the show dv camera and a portable light in my hands, I rushed to the studio. First celebrity I saw was Lyn Ching. Taped her. Done. Next: Paolo Bediones. Taped. Done. Next: Ara Mina. Taped. Done. One more. Just one more. No other choice. It had to be Rey Pumaloy. I knew he wouldn't appeal to our audience. But hey, all I wanted was to complete my bumpers. I'll leave the decision whether to include him or not to my SP. I checked the battery of the portable light and the film in the cam. I had more than enough. As I was starting to head towards Rey, I realized he wasn't where he was standing less than a minute back. Dammit! I looked around and he was nowhere in sight. He probably went to the dressing room. I asked permission from one of the show's P.A.'s to go to the dressing room so I could shoot Rey. He said ok. But before I could even say "thank you", somebody from behind me touched my shoulder and, as if having mistaken me for an S-Files P.A., said "Nandito na ko. Sorry ha? Traffic."

It was Jomari Yllana's voice. I instantly decided to shoot him instead of Rey. When I turned to face him, I found out he didn't think I was who he should talk to. He was talking to the PA I was talking to. I was just in the way that's why he touched me. No time to waste. I had to do my thing as fast as I could.

I asked him politely, "Jomari, pwede kita kunan ng b..." Then he turned to me, smiled, and waited for me to finish my question. I didn't. I was stoned. He said "Bumper? Ok lang. Saan?" I was speechless. His beauty mesmerized me. As if sensing he wouldn't get an answer from me, he said, "Dito na lang?" I still couldn't speak. I just nodded my head.

My hands were shaking. And they were starting to sweat. I couldn't turn the cam on or the porta-light. When I finally did, I stood right in front of him and gave him the cue. I thanked him and went up to the editing room to digitize my materials.

We ended up not being able to use the Jomari material because the camera was shaking non-stop went I shot him.


The studly Chinese guy walked up to me and said he had finished the three sets of his first exercise in the pulldown machine. He asked, "Do you wanna finish your last set first before I start with my next exercise?" "Sure,"I said and walked hurriedly away from him.

As soon as I sat on the bench, he appeared again and said, "I saw you were having difficulty finishing your set. Do you need a spot?"

Dammit! Why are you torturing me? You, fucking slut!

"Yes, please," I replied.

Given the structure of the machine and the nature of the exercise, the most convenient way he could spot me was from behind me. But no. As if really trying to test my ability to keep my composure when faced with an ultimate fantasy figure, he stood right in front of me and held the bar over my head. I couldn't look straight. He might think I was looking at his crotch. It would've been silly to look sideways, or down to the floor. So I looked up. Then it just got worse. I saw his pits. And I have a fetish for pits. His looked really clean and smooth and his wide chest and wide back made a canal between them where the fine strands of his thick, manly, armpit hair crawled on his skin and formed a long, narrow line.

He pulled down the bar a little bit so that I could reach it. "Ready? Inhale." he commanded as soon as I grabbed a hold of the bar. I pulled.

"One," he started counting.

I released then pulled again.

"Two."

He counted everytime my arms were stretched and the bar was up. His count coincided with my inhales. Looking up at the bar and glancing occassionally at his pits, I was starting to get intoxicated by his breath that told me he had vanilla-flavored protein bar just before I saw him for the first time.

"Last two, last two!" he said, trying to push me to the last rep.

I exhaled, closed my eyes and pulled.

"Last one, come on! Last one!"

I pulled again.

"Hold it there! Hold....... And release slowly."

I let go of an "ahhhhhhhh..." as I slowly released the bar. At the same time, he also said "Uhhh...yes!" Together, the sound we created was sexual; and quite quickly, his smile started to mean something else to me.

I have to get out of here!

I got up from the bench, thanked him, removed my gloves and offered a handshake.

He stared at my hand.

Slowly, he removed his right glove and still looking at my hand, he reached for it.

Without turning back to give hime one last glance, I got my bottle and my towel and went to the shower room.

After removing my shoes and socks, I opened my locker to get my toiletries. I removed my sweaty tank top and shorts then I wrapped my towel around my waist and took off my jock straps. I turned around the corner to go to the sink where I was going to brush my teeth. Then I saw him again. To the left of the sink, he stood, opening his locker --- topless. He turned to me and said, "Hey!"

to be continued...

Ep22, The “Alone” Episode, of TD&RS is out now!

Ep22, The “Alone” Episode, of TD&RS is out now!

Listen up and find out why the title is "The Alone Episode".

As our Season 1 gets close to its end,we’d like to know what your favorite episodes are. Email us your top 3TD&RS Episodes until June 28.

Don’t forget to email us your comments, shout-outs, suggestions,etc. You can now leave your comments in our mypodcast.com page too! and also,please join our yahoo group.

Enjoy the show, mga kasuy!

Sabotage?

Aaron Kwok's last picture in my previous post fails to display. It's the most important picture in that collection, so I am reposting it, for the sake of those who haven't seen it. Enjoy him while you can!

A Voyeur's Way Of Giving Back

Never have I created any sort of "hot guy of the week" post in my blogs. But I am secretly a fan of posts like that in blogs that I frequently visit.

As a way of giving back to the authors of these blogs, here, ladies and gentlemen is Aaron Kwok --- a 41 year-old Scorpion canto-pop singer who started his showbiz career as a tv dancer here in HK in 1994, and worked his way to being a recording and concert artist, and film actor. He is now considered as one of the most accomplished canto-pop stars of this generation; and was named Sexiest Superstar in HK in 2006. His half-naked billboards are everywhere in HK --- another reason why I love this city so much.

Rising Stars

I, being a fan of Paul Potts and Connie Talbot, just felt that I had to put this up for my friends and readers to see. Clips of their individual performances in the finals of Britain's Got Talent.

Here is Paul Potts, the "shy, humble man with an extraordinary talent" (-Simon Cowell) singing Nessun Dorma.



And here is Conny Talbot in all her endearing innocence, in her tear-jerking (pardon me for being so Amanda) rendition of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow". And wait till she gets to greet her dad "happy Father's Day". It just made me want to kidnap her.



And the winner is...

What Self-Help Books Don't Teach You

It's my third day at work after a week of being on sick leave. Already, some people I work with are starting to get on my nerves again.

After two years of working in the same environment, I have discovered the easiest way to deal with people I care least about in the workplace. And this is what self-help books will never teach you.

Believe me, it works!

So now, it's already 9:15am. Exactly 2 hours to my call time. I need to get ready for work. I can't explain how excited I am to deal with those people! :-)

Joining The Bandwagon On Father's Day

Ep.21, "Ang Ama Mo!(A Dad's Day Special)" of TD&RS, Out Now
Happy Fathers' Day!

Young daddies, Marvin & Sphynex, share their experiences and thoughts on fatherhood.

Don’t forget to email us your comments, shout-outs, suggestions, etc. thedanandryeshow@yahoo.com. You can now leave your comments in our mypodcast.com page too! and also, please join our yahoo group. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thedanandryeshow.
Enjoy the show, mga kasuy!

I Went Out On A Date

…with my most recent biggest crush.

At 8:00p.m., we met up at Times Square in Causeway Bay. Trying to not waste time, we started to look for a place to eat.

First stop: some posh Vietnamese restaurant. It was full and the waiting line was long. No.

Second stop: some cozy Chinese restaurant. I protested. No Chinese food, please!

Third stop: a cute, cozy and well-decorated Japanese restaurant. They offered an all-you-can-eat promo for $148. And their sake was only $68. per bottle. Not bad!

By 8:20, we were being seated.

8:30, he was translating the menu which was written in Chinese.

At 8:40, we started eating. As soon as I had my first sushi for the night, I officially named him “The Most Boring Date I Ever Had”.

Thank god, the menu was in chinese. We had something to talk about.

Wow!

As a person who makes a living out of showing off my skills and talents publicly, and who constantly finds ways to out-do my last performance; as a person who wants to be considered an "artist", and who is categorized as "professional performer" in tax forms, survey sheets, etc., it has been extremely difficult for me to watch somebody perform and not see his performance in a more technical perspective. I don't know how it is with other performers, but with me, whenever I watch somebody in performance, I tend to look for technical merits and flaws first before I allow the nuances to affect me emotionally. And it's not always how I want it to be. In fact, that's not how I want it to be.

There are times, though, when somebody takes his breath, then delivers his first line, or dances his first step, or sings his first note, and instantly, I am captivated. That's when I'm sure that by the end of the performance, I will have said "Wow!", because it has commanded my complete attention and it has tamed my restless mind so that I can focus on what the "show" is making me feel. That's when I know the "show" has moved me.

That's how Conny and Paul made me feel, watching them on youtube. Not even live. On youtube! Conny and Paul are two of the thousands of contestants of "Britain's Got Talent", a British reality contest where they pick the person who could put on the table his or her talent that could out-do everybody else's. Conny's 6 years old and Paul is in his late 30's (I think). They're both singers. Right. Nothing new. Like, we all sing, don't we? But they're just brilliant at what they do!



Paul is a mobile phone sales person from South Wales. He has eyes that just couldn't lie about his very very low self-confidence. But he has big dreams and the way he attacked his singing shows that he's passionate about his singing. He's completely not the "superstar" type, physically, but his talent goes beyond superstar-ness. He deserves to be adored. His performance moved me because to me it was a case of triumphing over one's self. He has what other people who made it big don't have: an enormous talent. All he needed was an extra ounce of guts to step forward to say "I will sing opera". When he finally found that, he got nothing but overwhelming praise and thunderous applause. Well, and tears from people whom, like me, he touched in his few bars of Nessun Dorma.



Conny is just cute, when you see her. Six years old, completely innocent, just wanted to sing in front of a huge audience and on national tv. I doubt that she even really wants to compete. That, juxtaposed with her mature-yet-uncorrupted singing voice moved me (again) to tears. Hell, she's so innocent, she didn't even know what Simon Cowell's sly looks meant.

I will agree with Simon when he said that Paul was a breath of fresh air. Conny was too, I think. They both are a breath of fresh air in a world that's polluted with "stars" who are making big bucks but whose talent are mediocre, but are such eye-candies and are in their thrones because of connections who are able to make them big.

Ep.20, “Kasalan Na Itoh!”, of TD&RS is out now!

Ep.20, “Kasalan Na Itoh!”, of TD&RS is out now!

Dan & Rye investigate the myth, the truth and the hype behind the “June Weddings” issue. They also talk about how to effectively participate in wedding ceremonies and reception.

“Subaybayan” our new segment: “Huyuganapikshet?”

“Hudapakshet” is back!

As our Season 1 gets close to its end, we’d like to know what your favorite episodes are. Email us your top 3 TD&RS Episodes until June 28.

Don’t forget to email us your comments, shout-outs, suggestions, etc. thedanandryeshow@yahoo.com. You can now leave your comments in our mypodcast.com page too! and also, please join our yahoo group. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thedanandryeshow. Enjoy the show, mga kasuy!

All Dogs Go To Heaven

Meet Shaqti. A cute brown and white puppy who seldom barked but ate a lot. In my most recent visit back home, Remi (my beloved mom) introduced me to her as her newest companion. She was charming. I am not really a fan of dogs but I loved her instantly because she was not at all annoying and she treated my Siamese kid, Petipa, which much respect and adoration.

Shaqti, not even 7 in dog years, died two Fridays ago.

It was during the time Remi's blood pressure was fluctuating and she could barely muster enough energy to go to the nearby clinic to see a doctor. But that Friday, after finally getting the chance to have her blood pressure checked, she was eagerly welcomed by Shaqti as she arrived home. They went inside the house and had lunch together. Then Remi took her routinary afternoon nap. She woke up and saw Shaqti lying on her chest, looking helplessly weak. Remi, bothered, went to the kitchen to find some medicines she could give Shaqti. Shaqti walked pitifully to Remi and hugged her foot. Before Remi could decide which medicine to take out from the first aid rack, she felt on her foot Shaqti's last breath.

While Remi was saddened by Shaqti's sudden demise, physiologically, Remi felt better. She hasn't had a hypertension attack since then.

-=o0o=-

Meet Yami. A white Japanese Spitz my most recent ex-boyfriend adopted years before I even met him. I was first introduced to him in January of 2006. He was adorable. At first, I was a bit tense about the thought of meeting him because I knew that even if Ricky didn't explain, he would know that I was his stepdad. I wasn't sure whether he'd be willing to accept me; he might sense that I'm a feline lover and I didn't like dogs that much. But he was cordial and he made me feel welcome. He was a picky eater. Like his 2 dads and stepdad, he was on a restricted high-protein, low-sodium, low-carb. high-fibre diet. He ate a lot of butong pakwan and Fox's candies. He couldn't sleep without aircon. He didn't like playing with other dogs.

In my opinion, he was Ricky's favorite living thing. Ricky treated him with the love, affection and attention that he gave his lovers, siblings and friends combined. And He was loyal to Ricky. At times when he wasn't in the mood to be petted, he made sure everybody knew it by being aloof and barking violently when touched. But he rarely did that to Ricky. There have been many of us who vowed to never leave Ricky's side come hell or high water. But in reality, it was only Yami who was always really there for and with him. Like most of us, Yami always tried his best to show Ricky his appreciation for everything Ricky did for him. But unlike most of us, Yami never complained whenever work or personal life beat him in the top place of Ricky's priorities.

At 6:50 this morning, just a few minutes after Ricky got home from editing overnight, Yami died. He was 75. He taught me what it really means to love somebody -- to love Ricky -- unconditionally.

Top 3 Causes Of Headache

I am bed-ridden today and currently experiencing a horrible kind of headache. I have gathered in my keen observation, the following as the top 3 causes of this headache:

1) Sinusitis.
Due to my flu

2) Oversleeping
Brought about by the drowsiness caused by the analgesic and antihistamines I'm taking

3) Seeing Ruffa Gutierrrez defend herself on national tv against her ex-husband's allegations.
Available on youtube.
Self-explanatory.

--o0o--

Quote for the day:

"...Sana ho, alam ko, yung mga nakikinig ngayon sa kin... mga Pilipino, lahat ng mga nanay, lahat ng mga may asawa who's gone through what I've gone through, sana po, ako ang pakinggan nyo. Ako ang Pilipino, hindi si Ylmaz. He's from a different kind. He's from a different breed. Sa kin kayo maniwala...."

(I hope everyone who's listening to me right now.. Filipinos, all mothers, all wives who've gone through what I've gone through, I hope you listen to me. I am the Filipino, not Ylmaz. He's from a different kind. He's from a different breed. Believe you me.)

---Ruffa Gutierrez

in a phone interview on Startalk

Note to Ruffa:

Gawin bang labanan ng kultura ang away nyong mag asawa? Ang sakit mo sa ulo!

(Must you really equate your domestic drama to inter-racial dispute? You are one big headache!)

Doctor, Doctor! I Am Sick!

Some 18 months ago.

Rye sees Dr. L for the first time, asking him for a referral letter so he could see a physiotherapist for his hip joint injury. While Dr. L writes the referral letter, Rye examines the room and sees a book that says: “The Life and Times of Oscar Wilde”

Rye: Have you read works of Oscar Wilde, doc?
Doc: Oh yes! Lots of them.
Rye: So you like his works, huh?
Doc: Very much. I find his life interesting too.
Rye: You mean, how he dealt with his sexuality in the time when homosexuality was taboo?

Dr. L gives Rye a grin.


A few months later.

Rye sees Dr. L again. This time, to consult him about the little pimples that develop in his legs. Rye is wearing a loose tank top and a pair of denim jeans.

Doc: Would you mind showing me the pimples, Rye?

Rye unbuttons his shorts and puts them down to reveal his legs. His tank top remains hanging freely so that his groin area is covered. Dr. L lifts his tank top and presses it against his chest. Rye starts to wonder whether he had said anything that made Dr. L think that the pimples have spread all the way up to his nipples.


A few days before Rye’s birthday in 2006.

Rye is unable to report to work because of migraine. He sees Dr. L to ask for a sick leave letter.

Doc: (while writing the letter) So, you have any plans for your birthday, Ryan?
Rye: I don’t know.. I’ll probably go clubbing with my friends.
Doc: You like clubbing? Where do you usually go?
Rye: Propaganda.
Doc: Oh really?! (Dr. L’s eyes begin to twinkle reminiscently.) I haven’t been there in ages. I wonder how it’s changed.


Sept. 21, 2006

Rye receives an SMS from Dr. L saying: “I wish you a happy birthday and good health. Always take care of yourself, birthday boy!”


1:30pm, today

Rye is sent home from work because of flu. He goes straight to Dr. L’s clinic for check-up. While Dr. L writes the prescription, Rye opens up another problem.

Rye: Doc, there’s one more thing. Do you remember the little zits I used to have in my legs? I think they’re developing in my pubic area now.
Doc: (stares at Rye for a second) Ok. Let me just write this then we’ll have a look. You can take off your pants now and lie on the examination bed.

Rye does as he is instructed. Then Dr. L approaches him shortly and starts to examine his groin, scrotum and the shaft of his penis. Dr. L continues to ask diagnostic questions as he “professionally” caresses Rye’s scrotum. Rye is ok with it. He feels comfortable and safe. He doesn’t feel violated or taken advantage of at all. Well, until he looks up to see Dr. L sweating like a madman. And it isn’t even remotely warm in the clinic.

Ep.19, “They’re Independent, They are Dan & Rye… and this is The Dan & Rye Show!”, of TD&RS is out now!

Ep.19, “They’re Independent, They are Dan & Rye… and this is The Dan & Rye Show!”, of TD&RS is out now! Your queer duo talk about the joys and frustrations of being independent from the family, financially, emotionally at kung anu ano pa-lly.

“Subaybayan” ang important announcement towards the end of the show.

http://thedanandryeshow.mypodcast.com

Don’t forget to email us your comments, shout-outs, suggestions, etc. thedanandryeshow@yahoo.com. You can now leave your comments in our mypodcast.com page too! and also, please join our yahoo group. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thedanandryeshow. Enjoy the show, mga kasuy!

With A Little Bit Of Faith and Two Tablespoons of Clorox

written and published on Multiply, 11 April 07


We are hosting dinner (again) at our apartment tonight. By mid-day, I was planning to call it off because I woke up to the biggest disappointment one could ever imagine: my favorite, white Ralph Lauren shirt that's emblazoned with a silverish grey Ralph insignia on the left chest, had spots of tartar-colored stains everywhere. wheere they came from, I couldn't figure out until now.

I wanted to scream! I felt like breaking my dinnerware by throwing them on the floor. I wanted to smash the mirrors in our apartment. I just wanted the world to end.
Ok, that was an exaggeration. But really, I was disappointed. I've only worn that piece of clothing twice -- both occassions, I wanted to make an impression. And I did. And that shirt isn't something I could afford to purchase on a weekly basis. It's special.

But now I'm back on my feet. I'm disappointed no more. I'm ready to welcome our guests for dinner tonight. My favorite white Ralph shirt is now better. I have my faith and Clorox to thank. It still isn't as immaculately white as when I took it out of the shopping bag. But the spots are almost invisible. I worry not. I know that with a little more faith and two more tablespoons of Clorox, Ralphy will look good as new! :-)

Ep.18, “Happy Birthday, Dan!”, of TD&RS is out now!

Rye with guest co-hosts, Verna & Chris, cover the remote broadcast of the party – Dan & our friend Drew’s birthday and our 2nd year anniversary in Hong Kong. Special guests include Anna Fegi, Ralion Alonzo & wife, Desiree Guico Alonzo and the Sea Creatures.

And at last! The launching of our new OBB! You will love this.

Maingay ang episode na 'to! Ang gugulo ng guests!

Thoughts On My 2nd Anniversary In HK

Exactly 2 years back, at 5:00am, I was sitting in the passenger's seat of my then-boyfriend's car with much eager anticipation of the 16 months that was waiting for me in HK.

I rememeber so well how we spent our whole day 1 in HK. We were picked up by our stage maagers from the airport at 11am then we headed straight to GoldCoast Hotel where we were to stay for free for a week, while we went flat-hunting. By noon, none of us has been given a room so we were brought to the nearby mall to have lunch. Those of us who brought enogh cash with them to live by till we get our loan and sign-on bonus were confident enought to have Mc Donald's. The rest of us settled with microwaveable rice meals from Circle K and 7-11. At 3, each of us was sent to his own twin sharing room. We were delighted to see that the hotel rooms were spacious and nothing close to mediocre. Most of us took a nap, others went swimming. At 8, we saw one another by accident at a place that was to become our favorite diner until we got our loan: 7-11.

That was 2 years and 18 hours ago. I was only 25 then. I was a relatively young OFW.

I woke up this morning looking back at the time that has elapsed. So quickly, if I may add. Besides my weight, a lot of things have changed in and around me. For starters, my weight has been an ever-fluctuating struggle for me to keep up with. Doing the same show day in and day out, my body has become quite accustomed to it that it's hardly ever a workout for me anymore. In fact, so accustomed that my body has now learned to do the whole show in whatever state I may be in --- hung over, half-asleep, broken-hearted, horny, or recovering from a crazy night-out.

Out of the three major romantic relationships that I've had, the one that I treasured the most, I lost while I'm here in HK. For some, it was a revalidation that long distnace relationships really don't work. I see it as a valuable learning experience that only made me a better person and a better lover. Whether it really is over for us both or we'll find joy in each other's arms again, only time will tell. What matters now is that we're both healing and we both know that in due time, our hearts will be ready to love again.

Over the past two years, I've seen friendships that grew and those that waned. I've even experienced both. Until now, I still find myself wondering whether there are things I could have done to prolong the life of our friendship or we've really reached the finish line, and choosing to stay any longer will no longer be healthy for us.

What interests me most is the fact that when I boarded the plane on June 5, 2005, all I had were a suitcase, a backpack and a belt bag. Now, I look around in my room alone and the stuff that I've accumulated from shopping over the past 24 months can't even fit in 10 huge suitcases. (Well, that includes the electronics that I've purchased so no, I'm not exaggerating.) My math skills have become incompetent too over that period of time. In our first month here, I could easily convert to pesos how much something cost and tell whether it was worth spending for. Now, we only use or conversion table once a month --- when it's time to send money home.

I'm on my second contract now and I've witnessed 3 cast turn-overs. Some of those who've left, we've made a special bond with. Others, we barely got enough chance to get to know. And although it's sad to admit it, our inter-personal dynamics at work have changed. If I threw a party and I had to choose only 20 people to invite, that would be a herculean task back then. Now, I'd have to look outside of work to fill in my 20 slots. We still are a family, yes. But not a closed-knit one anymore. Still, I'm sure there's love in the midst of us all. It's just not that evident anymore.

Hong Kong still fascinates me. Maybe not the sights and sounds it offers anymore, but it still does. It has a way of putting people together, testing them against one another and making them learn relevant lessons. It's probably because HK is like a neutral ground for most of us --- far different from our comfort zones and it's swarmed by non-English speaking locals. We, foreigners have limited chances of not interacting with one another.

Before my contract expires in September, I will have celebrated my 3rd birthday in HK. And if the big mouse decides to renew my contract one more time, I will be celebrating my third Christmas and thrid New Year here. I feel nothing but excitement when I think about the many changes I have yet to see and experience in the coming months. Years, maybe. The ennui that I used to complain about in my first contract is dead and I could say that somehow, HK has become home to me already. Two years went by faster that I thought it would. Three more rounds of the time that has elapsed and I'm already a permanent resident. I will no longer have to deal with the traffic and noise and pollution in Manila. But that means many, many summers of sickening humidity ahead of me.

Ep.17, “Ooh La Lan!”, of TD&RS is out now!

Ep.17, “Ooh La Lan!”, of TD&RS is out now!

Your kasuynesses reminisce their fond days dancing in the rain.

http://thedanandryeshow.mypodcast.com
Don’t forget to email us your comments, shout-outs, suggestions, etc. thedanandryeshow@yahoo.com. You can now leave your comments in our mypodcast.com page too! and also, please join our yahoo group. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thedanandryeshow. Enjoy the show, mga kasuy!

Are We Running Out Of Better Things To Think Of?

10:30, this morning
Morning Briefing @ work.

After the regular announcements and reminders were run down by our stage managers and dance captains, a fellow dancer (a local), raised her hand and delivered her concern in Cantonese. By the way she delivered her speech, we, non-Cantonese speaking cast members, were convinced her issue was something "major". One of our stage managers responded to her and she had a rebuttal. This time, her voice grew more assertive and her facial expression changed from "simply stating a fact" to "come on! we've got to do something about this." We were intrigued. Then the stage manager who answered her translated the whole thing in English.

My colleague's issue was this: there are times when the music in warm up is too loud for her. She decided to bring it up in the morning briefing so that our direct supervisors could do something about it.

Huh?!

2:30 pm, today
15 minutes just before the warm-up

I practically had nothing to do today between the morning briefing and the warm-up class. That's about 4 hours. I decided to sleep on the couch in the green room as soon as the morning briefing was over, so that I may get to recover from yet another as-if-I'm-not-working-tomorrow night out I had with Chris and Dan last night. I had a friend wake me up at 2 so that I have enought ime to have lunch and get ready for warm-up.

Few minutes before the warm-up started, another colleague smiled at me menacingly and said "Another crazy night, huh?" I smiled back and nodded my head. Then he said, "You've been partying a lot quite often." It didn't bother me that he thought I've been partying like a rockstar lately because he sees me taking naps a lot lately. What bothered me was his answer when I asked, "Why do you think that?" He gave me a run-down of the days I came to work looking sharp (which meant I was going somewhere after my shift), the days I slept heavily in the green room as opposed to taking a midday recharge-nap, and the days I came to work wearing the same shoes and jeans I wore the day before (which meant I didn't sleep at home), over the past 3 weeks.

Isn't that scary?

7:30pm, tonight
Just before I started writing this entry

I received an email from a friend of mine who is in Manila. In the "to:" box, I noticed that there were roughly 25 names listed. So it was a mass email. But it wasn't chain mail (thank God!). The subject read: "Help Needed". There was a headshot of an oriental lady in her mid-20's looking all glamed up, attached in the mail. Below the picture, she wrote: "Do you think I should cut my hair this short? Please reply ASAP."

Ughh.....

==================

People --- millions of them --- are dying every minute around the world because of famine, disease, wars and pointless killings. Natural calamities are constantly destroying homes and livelihood day in and day out. The problem on terrorism hasn't waned at all yet.

And the loud music in warm-up, my social life and a hair makeover are all these people can think about?

Some people are more in need to be busy than me!

Ep.16, “Cooking Ng Ina Mo!”, of TD&RS is out now!

Ep.16, “Cooking Ng Ina Mo!”, of TD&RS is out now!

Microwave oven… recipes… remedies… Dan and Rye explore their kitchen to offer some help to their listeners.

This ep is relatively long but it’s worth listening to!

http://thedanandryeshow.mypodcast.com

Don’t forget to email us your comments, shout-outs, suggestions, etc. thedanandryeshow@yahoo.com. You can now leave your comments in our mypodcast.com page too! and also, please join our yahoo group. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thedanandryeshow. Enjoy the show, mga kasuy!