It's Not Another Manic Monday

Dear readers, please help spread the word! The more, the many-er. ;-)

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Today can't be manic. The week ahead is gonna be very, very hectic, and I need to pace myself so that I may be able to sustain this whole stretch, and still live to see my next day off, which, hopefully, will happen before April starts.


Tuesday & Thursday, Saturday & Sunday--
Auditions: Oliver!, for HK Singers
(will be performed in June 2010 at the Hong Kong City Hall Theatre)

Audition dates:

Childrens Workshop - Saturday 23rd January and Sunday 24th January - (3 sessions each day at 3:15pm, 4:15pm, and 5:15pm)

Adults Audition - Tuesday 26th January and Thursday 28th of January - 7:00pm - 10pm

Visit our website for more information about roles, dates, and to sign up!

http://www.hksingers.com/


Thursday, Friday & Saturday--
Auditions: Six Characters In Search Of An Author

A Play By Luigi Pirandello
(Adapted by Rupert Goold and Ben Power in 2008)

Directed by: Ahmed El-Alfy

Produced by: The Italian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) - HK

Auditions Venue: TBA

Audition Dates:

Thursday, January 28th (7:00- 10pm)
Friday, January 29th (7:00-10pm)
Callbacks - Saturday, Jan 30th (6:00 - 10pm)

Performance dates: June 22 - 26, 2010

Performance Venue: McAulay Studio Theatre - Hong Kong Arts Center

For more information, and copies of the audition pieces/Character Description, please don't hesitate to contact Alfy at (+852-9197-5028) or send an email to ahmed.elalfy@gmail.com, Subject "Six Characters Auditions".


Friday & Saturday--
Auditions: Sir Topham Hatt

Thomas and Friends is a timeless television series that follows the adventures of Thomas, a cheeky little Tank Engine, and his engine friends.

Be a part of a much beloved adventure by playing Sir Topham Hatt in various live events throughout Asia. HIT ENTERTAINMENT HONG KONG are holding auditions for Sir Topham Hatt – The Fat Controller, for various live events throughout Asia, with both singing and non-singing artists required.

Looking for English speaking Caucasian males. Singing Artists need to prepare one Music Theatre piece plus another of their choice.(Please provide sheet music in the correct key.) Non-Singing artists need to show strong character skills and acting ability. All Artists will be asked to read a small section of dialogue provided at the audition.

Auditions will be held at the KATTERWALL Rehearsal Studio, Room 806 Arion Commercial Centre, 2-12 Queen’s Road West, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong on the 30th & 31st of January 2010 (Sat & Sun. All artists are required to pre-register to obtain an allocated audition time. Successful candidates may be required for further auditioning from 2pm – 5pm.Please send details including CV with previous performance experience and recent photo to auditions@xsystem.com.au

For enquiries, please contact James Gannaban at 97725792 or email James.Gannaban@xsystem.com.au


Saturday---
Party: The DS 7th Anniversary Party

Oh yes DS Magazine has reached the wonderful age of 7 years old and with all the efforts of all involved we thought we should throw a party to celebrate in style and what better place than the newly opened KOLOURS on Arbuthnot road in Central. So come and join in the fun and games with a nod to the King of Queers of 2009 – Adam Lambert – as Sony music have kindly sponsored our event with plenty of giveaways! Plus some great prizes for the best ‘glam rock’ costume, lots more prizes, show and surprises during the evening.

Plus special guests La Chiquitta, Fabiola Asustadiza and DJ Angus Wong.

* Free entrance and one complimentary drink with glam rock outfit, make up or in drag. The best outfit wins $1000 cash + $1000 drink coupon from Kolours. Many more prizes.

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It does look (and feel) overwhelming. Thank God for a person called, Mai, who happened to be my brother, my Monday started bright and happy. On my Facebook page, he wrote:

Things I miss doin with you:
1. Pigging out
2. Singing na lagi mo ako kino-coach
3. Arguing
4. You opening up to me
5. Mga 1-liner mong statements after a long litany of my emotions
6. Pag palit mo ng password sa pc pag nauubos ko yung isp bonanza mo
7. Pagsama mo sa akin with you whom I adore so much
8. Pagiging makalat mo. Dedma sa clutter
9. Pag kinokontra mo pagkain ko ng kanin
10. Dedma ka lang pag nahuhuli mo akong may booking
11. Pag di mo kinakausap for a month kapag kumukupit ako pera sa wallet mo
12. Pag n-neutralize mo sa amin ni mama
13. Pag a-assert mo magluto whenever I feel like cooking something
14. Pag away mo kay jonas
15. You smoking inside the house.
16. Pag nakikita ko yung kadiri mong diet na fresh egg whites atop youe steamed rice
17. Your ex na super love ko, ni rems, and tutit
18. Your performances with BP and souvenir programs
19. Pagtulog mo na parang never ka ng gigising.
20. Pagkwento mo sa friends mo na masama ugali ko.

For The Record

1) Adam West, during post-show drinks at Delaney's on opening night of Romeo & Juliet, officially offered me the choreographer post for his late-2010 production. What it is, I am not sure I am allowed to disclose this early. But I am ecstatic to be part of the project. So excited, I am stepping left and right and doing pelvic thrusts! Wootwoo! And I am putting it in writing and tagging my "Sister Mary best friend", Nicole, so that Adam doesn't forget.

2) I am blacklisting people I don't ever wanna work with. I have long been doing this, but only now did I start to actually list them down. Most of them fall under the "BEST" category. Big Ego, Small Talent. I mean, it's ok to have egos. We all do. Small talent is ok, too. With determination, adequate training and proper guidance, that's workable-- it will become big eventually. But Big ego and Small talent together? Not good.

3) Andy Burt is officially on-board my dream project. Watch out, Hong Kong! Spring of 2011. Jamesy, are you ready? On that same note, another person has expressed interest to produce it, and another one to help us organize a few charity performances for a particular NGO. I am not sure I am allowed to divulge who they are, so I will conceal their identities under the names Jason Clark and Rey Asis, respectively.

4) Romeo and Juliet is over. Congratulations, peeps! I am proud to have been part of this undertaking. And thank you all for trusting my own little vision.

Big thanks to Jowzshua for my side-swept fringe.

I am posting here, my bio, for the people I thanked there but didn't get to see it or the programme. Here it goes--

RYE is a professional dancer, choriste, and stage actor. He was an apprentice for the Philippine Educational Theater Association, and for Ballet Philippines, and, briefly, a company scholar of Actors' Company in Manila, Philippines. He moved to Hong Kong in 2005 from his hometown to join the Opening Cast of HK Disneyland's Festival Of The Lion King. In September of 2008, he left the Mouse House and started exploring the arts scene in HK, but it wasn't until September of last year that he got immersed into it. Over the past 4 months, he has performed with the HK Singers (Throroughly Modern Millie), the American Community Theater (Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You), and Multus Productions (Sistah Speak). His last theatrical involvement, Sistah Speak, was his first choreographic project in Hong Kong. He wishes to thank the studly T, his faghag mom, Rems, his spoiled brother, Mai La Sahara, and his perennial hero, Oca, for the inspiration; and Mandy Petty and Arvin Robles for opening doors for him. Rye also has an alter ego who appears occasionally in short skirts and sequined underpants named La Chiquitta, HK's first recording drag artiste.

5) up next: Footloose! Rehearsals start today. Start warming up, kids. Oh, and there's another one that's "for my country, my people". Verna & Jethro, we need to talk.

6) I will really take a break in March after Footloose. Promise!

7) A quick note to the newlyweds--

Belle & Jojo, I am utterly sorry that I missed a milestone in your life as a couple. That doesn't change the fact that I love you both. Super. Kisses! I am very, very happy for you. Congratulations, and the bestest wishes from your Ryeness.

A Late Invitation

Because I've been busy partying and sleeping, I am posting this late. But you know what they say, better late than never.

Because we are migrant workers ourselves (of course not everybody who reads this, but people who are here in HK as well), come and support our fellow Filipinos.

Likha Filipino Migrant Workers' Cultural Organization
Anniversary Concert
St. John's Cathedral,
Central, HK
3pm
today!

Because you have only two hours and a half left, go hop in the shower now and join us!

PANAWAGAN

I'd like to know who
among my friends in the Philippines
are going to John Legend's concert.
Please let me know?
Love you all! (ok, maybe not all.)

Opening Today!

Can't You Read the Menu?
http://ryenessfood.blogspot.com

Two More Celebrations Pre-Christmas

December 1 is World AIDS Day.
What have you done to show you care?
Wear a shirt?

"Please post this image on your super walls.
Help me circulate my advocacy posters.
http://delfindjmontano.blogspot.com/"
Love Brian Gorell

This year marks the first-ever official gay pride celebrations in HK.
Let's stand up and be heard.

"Hong Kong is a cosmopolitan city, so it’s not hard to notice LGBTs more openly on the streets, and occasionally you will see them display their affections by publicly holding hands. Do you admire them? Or does that trigger conflicts within you?

Everyone loves their partners with a sense of pride. It’s the love between us that makes us proud. Our sexual orientation is not as important as our love.

Every person is born equal and free. If we truly believe that we all have the same human rights to live proudly under the same sun, we can live honestly as our real selves.

Will you live in the shadows of the closet feeling sorry for yourself, or will you march proudly together with us under the rainbow?

Rainbow colors represent accepting diversity and respecting differences. We encourage lesbians, gays, bisexuals, pansexuals, the transgendered, cross dressers, transsexuals, BDSM, queers, peoples of any sexual orientation or gender identification, and straights who respect sexual orientation and gender diversity, regardless of age, race, religion, or physical capability to join us to march on the street for love.

Don't miss the chance to shine, and join us in our Pride Parade.

December 13 Tongzhi March for Love at Causeway Bay at 2 pm. See you there!"

Not In 284 Years

Not since the "...Neanderthals roamed the planet, on September 12, 57,617 BC to be precise", and not until after 284 years from now will an event like this will happen.

It's worth knowing, whether or not people (or you yourself) think you're a superstar.

Got this from one of my Facebook Groups, Ordinary Human Beings With Extraordinary Commitment For Boundaryless World, and more info available on the BBC News site ---

Two moons on 27 August 2008.

27th Aug the Whole World is waiting for......... .... Planet Mars will be the brightest in the night sky starting August. It will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye. This will Cultivate on Aug. 27 when Mars comes within 34.65M miles off earth.

Be Sure to watch the sky on Aug. 27 12:30 am, It will look like the earth has 2 moons. The next time Mars may come this close is in 2287.

Share this with your friends as NO ONE ALIVE TODAY will ever see it Again.

watch it otherwise it will not come back again in ur life..

Hey you! Mind if I watch the two moons from your rooftop? I'll bring the champagne and the flutes. Just bring a lighter to light my cigarette. Teehee!

Have A Heart. Party For A Cause.

Hey, partyphiles and rockstars!

It's time to give back to the community and show some lovin'! Come party and get smashed for a cause tonight, July 4 (Friday) at Club JJ's Grand Hyatt (1 Harbour Road, Wanchai).

For the $280.00 that every person pays at the door, he gets 1 complimentary Cointreau drink and donates $100.00 to AIDS Concern. Not bad, right? See, if you come in a group of 5, then your gang's accumulated group donation will be $500. Do you know how much help that will be to the organization's cause? I don't. But I'm pretty sure it will go a long way. Now imagine if there were 500 of us who came. 500 x 100? Steve, please do the math.

And as if that cause is not worthy enough of your money, Club JJ's tapped DJane Jennifer Lopez (Sweden), DJane Martina Kaiser (Austria), and live percussionist ALDO to turn up the beats.

See you there! It's gonna be fun, fun, fun! And good, good, good! Good music, good environment, good deal, and, oh dear... good points in heaven! ;-)

I'm An OFW And This One Really Hurt Me

Thanks Sheila and Ate Yael for sharing. And if this is all true, my personal message for the people involved is(sorry, I tried but couldn't find a better way to put it):

May you all rot in hell like aged kitchen garbage, you filthy, sickening bastards! Punyeta kayong lahat. LAHAT kayo.
___________________________

THE Commission on Audit (COA) has rebuked the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration for "illegally" granting about P40million in incentives and allowances to its officials and employees for the past three years.

COA also took the POEA to task for allowing its executives and employees who were issued mobile phones to download about P796,000 worth of games, tones, picture messages and other unauthorized items.

In its latest report, prepared by Director IV Roberto Marquez, COA said the POEA drew P24.048 million from the funds of the Overseas Workers' Welfare Administration to grant an "incentive allowance" to its personnel. Such use of OWWA funds is unauthorized, COA said.

It said that even if the OWWA Board of Trustees had justified the giving of the incentive allowance by citing the increase in OWWA collections from overseas Filipino workers, the move was "without legal basis."

Section 15 (e) of the General Appropriations Act, FY 2003 (as reenacted in 2004), "as well as previous> general appropriation acts, provides that no government funds shall be [used] to pay honoraria, allowances or other compensations to any government official or employee, except those specifically authorized by law," the report stated.

Section 3 of Administrative Order 103 also bans national government agencies from granting new or additional benefits to their officials and employees "except for Collective Negotiation Agreement (CNA) Incentives and those expressly provided by presidential issuance," the COA said.

Although it recommended that the POEA management stop granting the incentive allowance, COA acknowledged that the issue is awaiting final disposition before the Legal Adjudication Office.

COA noted that the POEA granted P15.448 million for the CNA signing bonus and rice allowance to its employees, a violation of rules laid down by the Public Sector Labor Management Council.

COA said the POEA management and the employees' union agreed on a quarterly rice subsidy to its employees, including casuals, contractual and temporary workers, and a P15,000 signing bonus "to be given on a staggered basis within three years subject to the availability of savings."

On the strength of the agreement signed on December 10, 2001, the POEA granted P15.448 million from 2002 to 2004. But! the COA reviewed the payments and found they could have violated the rules on CNA signing bonus and allowances. Rice and other subsidies require "appropriation of funds," or approval from Congress and subsequent enactment of the President, COA said.

COA also cited a May 16, 2002, circular from the Department of the Budget and Management that said the President has issued a "moratorium on the grant of CNA signing bonus due to some problems raised on the payment and fund source."

COA added that the moratorium has been in effect until these problems are resolved and a policy is issued on the matter. It also cited the July 11, 2002, decision of the Supreme Court in the case of Social Security System v. COA, in which it ruled against the signing bonus as a form of additional compensation under the Constitution.

COA said that despite the Court's earlier pronouncement against the granting of incentives and allowances, the POEA in 2004 still gave P7.2105 million to its employees and officials as signing bonus and rice subsidies.

The POEA justified its move by saying that the budget department had approved the release of incentives and allowances, COA said.

COA also questioned why the POEA failed to follow the guidelines in its memorandum on October 26, 2001, covering the use of cell phones after the POEA paid for the nonessential downloads made by its officials and employees.

The POEA is supposed to put a limit on the use of cell phones, but the audit on its telephone bills showed that P487,283.59 of the P1.3-million total from 2003 to 2004 consisted of charges in excess of the authorized limit.

Even POEA's bookkeeper in charge admitted that she could not impose limits on the use of the cell phones to some officials, COA said. "We also noted that the POEA had incurred other charges amounting to P308,747.58 in the use of the mobile phones, in addition to the fixed charges of P400,002.80 due to subscription to Globe lines or plans. These additional charges are value-added taxes and currency adjustment fees. Other charges which are personal and which are easily incurred and billed due to the nature of line subscription, include share-a-load and its processing fee, GPRS such as Globe games, photo messages, polyphonic ring tones,digital postcards, photo album, cinema and magazine covers, premium java download, instant messaging and catxtcism, etc.," COA said.

To avoid further overpayments, COA recommended that the POEA coordinate with Globe to shift to prepaid cards and end the subscription of postpaid lines.

If this is all true it is ROBBERY, CORRUPTION AND DISREGARD FOR THE LAW.

Welcome The Divine Ryeness Back

Difficult as it may be, he had chosen to bid his Dell goodbye, to give way to a new member of the Divine Court--- Pink Becky.

Everybody Line Up! The Show Is About To Start!

Here's part of the email I got from Edowan the other day --- something that got me all excited and looking forward to the summer:


It's time to think FLOATILLA 2008 ....... what to wear, how to trim down, and look fabulous !

FLOATILLA date is here to come & stay : MAY 11th !

May 12th is a Public Holiday = Budha's Birthday, so a perfect day to recover from your sins and senses.

Where oh where I hear you say.........to be confirmed closer to date, in order to keep the paparazi at bay - so to say !


Best to start planning your outfits, boats, and slim/trim that body. Lets show HK how much fun this GLBT day of Unity can be. Weather Freddy has promised us more sun this May (over April last year).

So watch this space for more news from Greg's Floatilla's new web-site this Feb - in both Chinese & English !


Ok, boys and girls! Let's start getting ready for what GMagazine dubbed as "the hottest, wettest, and newest annual gay event in HK" (also the biggest, if I may add.)

_______________________

Scenes from Floatilla 07

Closure

Chris, one of my best friends here in HK, wrote as a comment to "Just Another Date":

ayan ka na naman sa mga "to be continued" mo te eh..... sabi nga ni nelson "asan na ung mga kaduktong?" :) parang sa dinadami nung gnawa mong ganito, lahat ata wala pang ending.... tama mali? :) hehehe

And he said it right. None of my series ever ended. So in the interest of closure, I will be ending them all one by one in the coming days.

So for those who have forgotten some of them, and for those who might want to catch up, here are the hanging series this blog has produced:

• About A Boy At The Gym - an unexpected encounter at the gym
• How To Lose Your Money In 4 Hours (Or Less) - going out on a date unprepared
• The Birthday Saga - my week-long 27th birthday celebration
• Bonne Vacance - Cebu-Boracay-Manila with friends, bloggers, an ex and Rems
• The 12 Days Of Christmas Highlights - the 2007 yuletide
• Just Another Date - how my "first sex for 2008" turned out to be.

The titles enumerated above are linked to the most recent post in their respective series. Clicking on "continued", which could be found on the top of each page will bring you its precedent.

___________________

Absolut-ly Not

Late last month, I opened up myself to the possibility of dating again, and made the announcement through my blog and on Multiply. Until now, I haven't received any invitation. I surmise three possible reasons:

1. My potential dates don't read my blog and people who do read my blog are not potential dates;


2. Potential dates who've read my blog are having a hard time fulfilling my requirement;


3. Nobody's just interested at all.

It doesn't matter now. The search is over. For I now have in my collection:

Absolut Disco --- for the dancer, the partyphile and the vodka drinker in me

Thanks to my good friend, Lawrence (he whom I have introduced to my readers long ago as my ever-reliable shopping buddy; now also an ever-available drinking buddy, my ever-compatible bashing buddy, my ever-accommodating sleepover buddy [some of my entries were written at his place in the middle of the night, both of us slurring] and an ever-loving something buddy. Note: "something" is not tantamount to "fuck".) for saving me from the agony of rounds and rounds of bad dates that I would've been obliged to sit through, eat through, strip naked through, and spend the night through in exchange of this limited edition collector's item. I need not do that. Absolut-ly not.

Love you, Kuya Law!

8 In Chinese Is Lucky

...And today, Can't You Read? reached the 8888 mark in page views starting from June of this year. Of course, that doesn't mean I have 8888 readers. But I reached the lucky mark. Same lucky mark China aimed for and won in bidding for the 2008 Olympics. 8/8/08




To all my regular readers, thank you for always insipiring me to inspire you.

To everyone who has left at least one comment, thank you for reaffirming that people indeed read my posts.

To Khalel and Empress Maruja, thank you for the very flattering nomination in your respective blog awards.

To the Berate my Blog ladies, thank you for the kind words in the first ever review this blog ever received.

Lastly, to all my colleagues, to my ex, to my friends, to the people of HK, to my crushes, to the men I dated, to the I wanted to date, to the men who wanted to date me, to the guys I've slept with, to Remi, to Mai, to the boy at the gym, to my flatmates, to the many artists all over the world, to every sentient being who's caught my attention, to every bag, shoe & belt I've desired and to myself, thank you so much for providing me with such interesting material.

I love you all!

How Well Do We Know Each Other?

S2 Ep20 of TD&RS, "Dan Says, Rye Says", Out Now!

Dan and Rye answer a survey to test how well they know each other... plus chikahan on the current events in the Philippines.

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.

Enjoy the show, mga kasuy!

What This Boy Wants (Again.)

I was almost tempted to say, "Read my blog, and you'll know why", when I was asked on Friday night why I won't even consider dating again. But I didn't. Instead, I just smiled and said (very politely), "I don't have to answer that."

Later that night, on the bus home, I started to contemplate whether the reason I still am not out in the dating pool, still IS the reason, or not. It could be possible that there are other factors now that influence my "not being there". I realized it still is. (See, I am adamant about it. Hence, the many "still"'s in this paragraph.)

Tonight, though, one thing has changed. And it is a conscious choice. From here on, I am breaking the wall and starting to consider. Consider, being the operative word. I am now open, but still not on the look out.

BUT.. there's one condition. He must have this on our first date ---

Absolut Disco

for the dancer, the partyphile, and the social vodka drinker* that I am

--- and will let me keep it. Untouched.

------

*social vodka drinker = not tantamount to alcoholic

_____________________________________________

Another.

I haven't even gotten over the ecstasy that my nomination on Pinoy Blog Superstar brought about, and here comes another one.

Another honor. Another surprise to smile about.

Can't You Read? has been chosen to be one of the finalists in this month's G*Spot Weblog Award, alongside big, big names in the blogging world.

I would've wanted to say something witty or preponderant about this nomination, but I'm just lost for words.

Allow me to just thank Khalel and the reviewers for including me in the list. I am immensely flattered.

And to my dear readers, please vote for me. I have been a good child of the universe and a law-abiding citizen. I deserve good karma.

I love you all.

To vote (for me, of course), follow Khalel's Hush and Listen blog here, scroll down and find the tickboxes on the lower right section of the page. You don't have to be a blog author to be qualified to vote.

S2 Ep16 Prelude to the Pilipinas Podcast

S2 Ep16 Prelude to the Pilipinas Podcast, of TD&RS Out Now!

Mga kasuy, please listen. We have a story to tell.

Also, please vote for Rye at the following blog awards.

(1) G*Spot Weblog Awards. Click on this link: http://khalelian.blogspot.com/, scroll down the page to find the tickboxes on the lower right column and vote for "Can't You Read?". You don't need to be a blog author to vote.

(2) Pinoy Blog Superstar. http://empressmaruja.wordpress.com/2007/11/03/pinoy-blog-superstar-october-2007-nominees/#more-518

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!

You Can Read

I never really realized how much a part I already am of the blogging world until I saw Empress Maruja's message on my cbox tonight.

My very-popular-blogger-friend-slash-college-theater-guild-batchmate is starting his own monthly blog awards which he billed as "Pinoy Blog Superstar".

And in its maiden voyage, Can't You Read has been chosen as one of the nominees.

It brings me (walang kiyeme) so much pride to be nominated alongside my blogging idols like Misterhubs and Mandaya Moore-Orlis --- two of the very few bloggers that inspire me to be dedicated to my blog and at the same time, make me feel insecure about it as well. Sometimes lang naman. And it's the positive kind of insecurity --- that which propels one to strive to be better at what he does.

The nomination in itself is an honor. But I'd be happier if I bag the award. So vote for me. I know my fellow contenders are better writers, funnier, and more opiniated than I am. But this is my first time, so please... ipagpaubaya nyo na sa kin ang beginner's luck!

(Dan, ito ba yung tinatawag mong "appeal to pity"?)

Again, thank you, Empresss Maruja for this. And thanks also to my few readers who never get tired of reading the not-so-very-extraordinary life that I have and blog about.

I love you all!

To vote, leave a comment on Empress Maruja's site.

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

P.S. While you're voting, allow me to dedicate this song to my best kasuy, Dan..

"And it's not just wishful thinking,
or only me who's dreaming
I know what these are symptoms of
We could be in love"

Donde Esta La Ryeness?

I won't be blogging as often over the next 6 days. I might not be blogging at all.

The reason being ----

I'm flying to the Philippines tonight to parteeeh like a son of a bitch!