What’s Up this Week #1
I’ll be starting a tradition with this post. Every week, I’ll give you an idea what the posts are going to be about and how they came about in the first place, like an editor’s corner, so to speak.
Tanghalang Pilipino Noli Me Tangere Auditions
Tanghalang Pilipino, the resident theatre company of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, is staging Noli Me Tangere the Musical in November. It’s going to be a gruelling rehearsal/performance schedule so applicants are asked to be available from the last week of August to the first week of December. And I quote, “Those who will not be available for the production schedule need not apply.”
It may sound a bit harsh but it is done merely to ensure that precious time is not wasted. For those who are interested, details are as follows.
Free Parking in Greenhills, Festival Mall, Power Plant Mall, and Robinsons Place Metro East
After running a 5 minute errand in SM Megamall and finding out that I had to pay P35 whether I stayed 1 minute or 3 hours and 59 minutes was quite annoying. I always felt that parking fees were so anti-consumer by their very nature that I felt that instead of being rewarded, I was being penalized for staying in the mall and spending my money in the various establishments there.
Thus began the search for the remaining few spots in Metro Manila that still had free parking.
Gymboree Bestsellers
Gymboree is the biggest child program worldwide with more than 500 outlets. Aside from its programs, it has also developed an assortment of toys that are just perfect for children. I asked Ms. Eva Perez and Ms. Acie Trinidad, Gymboree’s Senior Site Managers for the Shangri-La and Manila Polo Club branches, to share with us which products are consistent bestsellers.
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Bubble Oodles- I personally love this. I make sure that I always have some bubble juice on hand. The bubble juice is just magical with its patent pending formulation. I have seen bubbles land gently on walls and stay that way for hours. The whole set is P480, and the 236ml bubble juice refill goes for P280. |
Gateway Globe Platinum Cinema- Unlimited Popcorn/Drinks (Eye)
Another “success” story was with Gateway again. Let me reiterate that change can only occur when upper management is open minded enough. I’ll also be pointing out other instances when I felt I was banging my head against the wall. I still did it though. It must be a weird genetic strain in my family…
Anyway, back to Gateway. A ticket to the Globe Platinum Cinema costs P299 if you’re not a Globe Platinum holder. If you are, then the price lowers to P249. The ticket entitles you to a 40-seater lazyboy cinema with unlimited popcorn and drinks. Now, it seems pricey at first, but, this is how I analyzed it.
Encantadia Trivia
When people learn I am part of Encantadia, they invariably ask some questions. However, since I am a member of the puppet team, my knowledge of the goings on is limited to a certain degree. There are two units that shoot at the same time, for example, one for the mortal world and another for the fantasy world. The former is a total mystery to me since our character’s scenes are usually in the realm of Encantadia.
Gateway Globe Platinum Cinema- Reservation System (Eye)
With the sizeable number of managers I’ve talked to, some of you might be wondering if it does any good at all. For the next couple of weeks, I’ll write about the results of some of my “talks.” Being open-minded is a key factor for changes to occur, and Gateway’s theatre manager, Ms. Edith Espelita, is one of them.
Gateway Mall in Cubao boasts of the only cinema with lazyboy seats—the Globe Platinum Cinema or Cineplex Number 10. I was determined to watch the last prequel installment of Star Wars in that cinema. However, I was deterred from my intentions by the non-existent reservation system of Gateway at that time, if I’m not mistaken, May 2005. Although you could buy tickets in advance, they did not accept reservations, so one had to personally pass by the cinema to get the tickets before the screening itself.
Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards at K-Zone
Call me silly, but I was just thrilled to bits when I saw that the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards was featured in K-Zone Magazine, a magazine for kids. It was totally unexpected in the sense that the event was done on May 30, 2005, and this particular issue was for the month of August.
Why was I so thrilled? Because I conceptualized and directed the pre-show. The Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards Philippines was in two parts—the pre-show and the main show. The pre-show consisted of the games that were meant to warm up the audience before the main show.
